THE Otago Daily Times. " Inveniam viam aut faciam." MONDAY, MARCH 10th, 1862.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 98, 10 March 1862, Page 4

THE Otago Daily Times. " Inveniam viam aut faciam." MONDAY, MARCH 10th, 1862.

If we are to judge by the tone of our correspondent's letter,' and by the newspapers to hand, Melbourne is in a highly excited state, and not alane Melbourne, but the whole of the colony, and of the sister colonies with which telegraphic communication- exists. All idea of the arrival of the missing Mail is now given up. It is hoped that the March steamer will bring the two mails. The latest explanation afloat is, that something extraordinary is happening in India—that a steamer had been, chartered at Bombay on a special service, at a cost of .£15,000, to carry an officer bearing despatches of the utmost importance to Suez, to overtake the regular Mail. How this can affect the steamer for Australia from Suez, is not clearly stated. The suggestions as to the extraordinary mission of the officer despatched by the special vessel vary between an Indian mutiny, a Russian and Persian Invasion of our Indian dominions, and the discovery of enormous defalcations committed by officers of high trust in the Indian service. However, this has nothing to do with the American War, and seeing that it all rests on the unsupported testimony of a single passenger we may dis-1 miss it as most likely to turn out what is popularly termed " a mare's nest." Bnt there is further intelligence from England, intelligence the importance of which cannot be easily overlooked. It should be remembered that the information received by the ordinary advices by mail reached only to the 2Gth November, and contained nothing tangible to justify any expectation of war. There was a n intimation of the gun-boats having been ordered to prepare for service, and the papers hinted that had the American warsteamer stopped, as it was rumoured it intended to do, our mail-steamer, that a serious complication would arise. It was not till the day after the mail lelt that positive information was received of the American warsteamer " San Jacinto" having actually done that, the bare possibility of which, founded on rumour, had caused our Government previously to question the American Ambassador, when he professed to know nothing of the matter. However,, to resume.—The regular advices by the mail brought no tidings of the arrest of the Southern Commissioners, but the fact was barely mentioned in a telegram, dated six days afterwards, in which the agents of the Australian Banks informed their correspondents that it was considered necessary to insure against war risks, and that a premium for the same was accordingly being paid. Here was a wide field for speculation ; there was a perfect" blank between the 2Cth November and the 2nd December, and conjecture lost itself in attempting to elicit whether the Bank telegram was founded on a mere temporary pan*c, whether it was the result of super-extra precaution, or whether there was really a well founded cause for believing that war would be declared.

The next intelligence to hand was signally nnsatisfactory. It came by way of California, and related only to America. They had heard there of the arrest of the Commissioners,! and had celebrated the same with great rejoicings. They seemed to know they had acted wrongly toward;? England, for the press adopted a half bulging half deprecatory style. In war time everything was justifiable, the Captain of the war steamer acted on his own responsibility ; if England did not like it, she might be displeased; she had better not tempt the consequences of hostilities with a nation that possessed such a force, and such a fleet as America,—^-these were the sum and substance of the tone adopted by the American journalists. Next came the news by the "Suffolk," from which it appeared that the arrest of the Commissioners was attended with circumstances of the most aggravated character. The outrage, as described, was evidently of so gross a nature that all the casuistry of the schools could not reconcile England to such an interpretation ofi the laws of nations. The Cabinet was called! together to form an opinion as to the steps toj be taken. I

Now conies the last, and, as we have said, the not least important part of the narrative. The blank space between the departure of the mail arid the despatch of the telegram to, the banks is further filled up. By way of Mauritius the- information is to hand that the Cabinet Council decided to submit the case for the opinion of the law-officers of the Crown, and that theso-decided that the conduct of the American war steamer was unjustifiable, and that satisfaction should be demanded. The information is tantalisingly silent as to the nature of the satisfaction that should be required. Common seiasc seems to point to but one satisfaction, the delivery of the Commissioners to the protection of which they were forcibly deprived. But the American Federalists are not likely to do this, not even although a declaration of war be the penalty of a refusal The case stands thus, the English^Cabinet will, probably have sent out instructions to the! British ambassadora Washington to demand hisi passport, unless the satisfaction asked for be; This would be at the commencement ot December. Double communication could pass between the countries by the close of the month, and the New Year may have been heralded in with the announcement of hostilities. The intelligence would reach Califor-j nia within a few days of its being known at; New York ; and two and a half months have igince elapsed, during which expeditions of the' most threatening nature may have been pre-' paring to visit the New Zealand and.Aus'tra-J lian waters. Meanwhile what has been.done PJ The Australian Colonies have pushed oj, asj far as possible, their fortifications, but not thej slightest attempt has been made to do any-| thing of the kind with New Zealand. The; whole of its coast is left unprotected— there is not even a ship of war within less than a week's communication; and this

[neglect lias been committed in the face of tiie (act that a privateer or.man of war from California would be almost sure to call ill'at a New Zealand port. Otago bas particular cause to fi>ar,inasmuch as its gold produce would ofFer special temptation to the cupidity of an enemy. The entrance to its port could be defended at an inconsiderable cost, but there appears to be an utter carelessness not to say indifference, to the necessity of doing so. We trust events yvill not rebuke this indifference, meanwhile it is not sa3'ing too much, to state that no portion of Her Majesty's colonial dominions has more cause to be anxious concerning tbe tenor of advices now due from England, than has the until lately obscure and disregarded province of Otago.

A beautiful bird, of the penguin species, owned by Bniithwaite and Armstrong, of the Arcade, was the innocent object of general admiration on Saturday evening, as it majestically perambulated that popular promenade with stately step and erected mien. The bird was a beautiful specimen of its species, having plumage of a superb richness. It seemed to be remarkably docile. It faithfully followed the directions of its owner, and maintained an extraordinary self-possession amid all the disadvantages of a jostling and garrulous crowd. The penguin is a native of the southeastern coast of Africa where the surface ground is in places literally covered with its eggs. It is capable of being trained to perfect obedience to the will of its master, and being of an uncommon order in these latitudes, may be regarded as a natural curiosity of great interest. The back plumage is of a rich blue velvet color, the breast being snow -white, and the feet of an orange tint. By the intelligence received from the diggings on Saturday night, we learn that The Deep Sinking Association have bottomed one of their shafts' and obtained the " color " at the bottom. They are now driving, and from the appearance of the wash-dirt, they anticipate striking something good within the next few days. If this should bo the case, it would be the means of causing to be worked an almost unlimited exteut of ground. We understand that private associations are in course of formation at the diggings ; —one to construct patent portable fuel out of the Lignite ; the other to bring water from the head of the Tuapeka river on to the dividing range between Tuapeka and Wetherston's, to supply heads of water to sluices and puddling machines, for the purpose of sluicing these gullies. So much has been said concerning the impossibility of wintering on the diggings, that any information on the is likely to prove initeresting. On Saturday we had an opportunity of conversing with a miner who had spent the greater part of last winter on the diggings. He tvent there in August, and remained during tiie rest of the winter. Ho describes the weather as much mores equal than that which has prevailed during the summer months. The nights were cold, but the days remarkably pleasant. The rain and wind were less frequent and violent than have since prevailed. It snowed about a dozen times, and he saw snow four to six inches deep, after twelve o'clock in the day, some eight or ten times. He lived throughout the winter in a tent with a chimney made of sods. In the absence of any building act to regulate the erection of new tenements, and premises, we would venture to suggest the obvious expediency of the several -overseers of the respective works now in progress, being instructed by the proprietors to causo lanthorns to be erected in front o them. Duuedin is, unhappily, at the present time, destitute of gas; but kerosene oil being accessible, wo plead on behalf of the general public, for some effort being made to light the streets after nightfall, by the adoption of some such plan as we now recommend, A meeting of the Otngo ' Jockey Olnb will be held this evening at the Provincial Hotel, at 8 o'clock, when the tenders for the grand stand and refreshment booths will be opened. A rumour was in circulation on Sunday evening, to the effect that an .extensive and payable goldfield had been discovered seven miles inland from Christchurst. We do not undertake to vouch for the accuracy of this report, but there is no great imprability attaching to such an event. The recent discoveries within the Province of Otago furnish an encouraging criterion for estimating the resources of New Zealand generally; and we are not so prejudiced to local opinions as to withhold any intelligence calculated to promote the provincial advancement of our northern neighbour. The rumour-iit connection with this discovery affirms, that at a distance of seven miles from the town indicated, there is a flat country of some seventy miles in extent, and that some prospecting parties who have recently tried the ground, have succeeded beyond their most sanguine expectations in finding gold deposits of estimated permanent value. In saying thus much, we would-wish-to qualify the report with a seasonable and prudent admonition to the mining- comiminity, not to hastily aba.nd.Qn a locai substance for what may eventually turn out a delusive shadow. The steamer "Lady Bird," on her voyage from Melbourne to this port, ran short of coal and put into Chalky Inlet for the purpose of cutting wood jfor fuel. She put in there on Wednesday, the ! sth inst., at 11 a.m., and remained until 3 p.m. :on Friday 7th. One of the passengers, Mr. Lewis- ' son, has furnished us with some particulars res. pecting Chalky Inlet, which will, we doubt not ; prove interesting to .our readers. Chalky Inlet it seems is about 250 miles from Duuedin round the coast. Our informant describes it as a lorely spot, and as offering good anchorage for shipping, while the shore presents-wood and water in abun. dance. The character of the coast is similar to that of most of the western portion of the Province—steep ranges wooded with heavy timber to the water's edge. The bush abounds in parrots and cockatoos, and a great variety other birds— including s, gallinaceous bird, very similar in some respects to the domestic 'fowl, Some of the birds were exceedingly tarne —iudeed, they almost rivalled the creatures of which the poet said, — " They are so unaccustomed to man, That their lameness is shocking to see."— On the west side of the Inlet are two caves, in one of which were found part of an oar, and a portion of a bucket. Mr. Lewisson attempted to explore the country on the west side of the Inlet, and followed one gully up for about three miles. He considers it a iikely country for gold. Large quartz boulders abound in the gully, which he I traced up, and he broke off portions of the quartz '—some of which he has kindly left with us. The appearance of the fragments in our possession is certainly such as to encourage the hope of the existence of auriferous reefs. The passengers o the " Lady Bird " enjoyed themselves very much at Chalky Inlet—for tho bay, being land-locked was as smoGth as glass, and they had fine bathing and fishing. The fish were so plentiful that although there were only about half a dozen fishhooks on board, a very large quantity of fish, of almost every variety was taken. It is said that the Inlet had never before been visited, except by the Acheron. The Inlet it sesms is also known as Dark Cloud Inlet.

' The Waititki races di'c ttdv«rt»g«d to conic .jfi'nii Wednesday. Tlic prir.es to be run for amount to £280; iv addition to the sweepstakes.