NARRATIVE OF CURRENT EVENTS FOR MELBOURNE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 117, 1 April 1862, Page 4

NARRATIVE OF CURRENT EVENTS FOR MELBOURNE.

Our last summary for Victorian readers wasprepared for transmission by- the "Lady Birdi" .. on the 13th March. We resume our narrative '~ where we then left off. ....-' r ' The first report of the death of H. B. H. Prince -' Albert was brought by the'" Peeress;" which at- ~ : rived on the 13th, the day the Lady Bird sailed.1"' The news was hardly1 credited at the time, but y the confirmation of its truth was soon after re- "J ceived by the " Aldinga," which arrived on the ~ 14th. It is needless to say that;the loss of the ' Prince Consort was much regretted by all classes ; of society, but there was no public demonstration..' of mourning. ,- -.-■}■ On the 17th March the " Aldinga " sailed on '- her retnrn voyage, carrying with her a heavy' ' mail, and 13,473 ozs 10 dwts of gold. The principal matter of local importance dur- ' ing the last fortnight has been the Dunedin Jockey Club Race meeting. This occupied fonr J days, Wednesday, Thursday, 'Friday and" Satur-* day last, and wo may safely say that they were four'; days' of excellent sport. The amount of the prizes "' to be run for was not very considerable, being-" under LIOOO altogether; nevertheless, horses from.*1'" Victoria, Canterbury, and Southland appeared ' to contest the victory with tho Otago lot, and in some cases with signal success. J,The Otago horses, however, did better than had been expected of '■ iiicm, and took a vcrj' fair proportion of ■ the prizes. The; Provincial Cup (presented by. Mr. Jones, of the Provincial Hotel) was' won by * Mr. Julius's "Kaurie Gum."^ The > races went.,', off in excellent style, and the management of the.'" stewards gave the greatest satisfaction,' So well - pleased indeed were the sporting men attending [ the races, that when it was proposed that, a : Champion race should be got' iip for next season, i Mr. Jones offered to head a list with £100, and to , guarantee £1000, and before night he had the full , £1000 promised by different gentlemen. He has -. most liberally undertaken to lodge £1200 to the t account of the Champion Kace Fund, so that the ■• stewards may advertise the race without delay. .' : As showing the productiveness 'of the Otugb Gold Fields it may be interesting to mention that .- up to the 28th March there 'have been exported ,- -357,091 ounces of gold, worth nearly a million.'! and a half sterling. . '-. , -There has been some little excitement amongst „ the miners relative to the reported goldfleld at ? Coromandel, in tho Auckland Province, and some hundred or two leftDunedin for that place ; but' * reliable accounts prove that there wa.s no fbundtV-' tion for the extravagant reports that had been circulated. That part of the Coromandel district supposed to be auriferous belongs to the natives; who strictlvproliibit Europeans from prospecting there.- 'An attempt is being made to purchase the land from the Maories, or, at any rate, to ro»' move the obstacles existing against the develop- ■ ment of the supposed goldfield, ,but as yet without success*. .' ' , . ' I". A singular case occurred-at Port Chalmers on ' the 15th. The mate and some, seamen of the ] '■ Yonng America " went to the " Lady -Young " . and committed an assault on the mate of that ' vessel. The case has attracted a good deal of > attention, and has resulted in the' carpenter of ' the " Yotmg America " being committed for six '■ weeks," and the mate for three months. '

. A Garrick Club has .been formed in Dunedin, and arrangements are on foot for an. early performance. ' . -

,' On the' 18th instant, three armed .men, with -. masks, robbed a tent at the Waipori. , They got clear off at the time, but have since been cap- -• tured. The names of the men ■ are' Williams, '- Brady, and Lawler.',

The summary mail came to hand by the Oraco, , on the 22nd inst., but the .news had been antici- : pftted by the City of Hobart. • ;•'.--., • ■ I. ■ The first regular fortnightly Escort, fr.om Wai-pori.-came in on the ,27th March, bringing 1144' oz. of gold. A large quantity Md been received by private hand previous to the Escort ; : and it may be expected .that the.next Escort will.be considerably lieavier. ' ' "• The Beep Sinking Association" at Waitahona have at length succeeded- in. striking 'payable gold in their deep shaft^a very.rich patch having" beast found in-one qf the drives. This society • was formed expressly .to test-tb,e existence of" gold in the deep ground', and tlieir success has,l.---therefore, ,a significance far greater than the mero' '• valuo of what they themselves may obtain." -It had long been said that deep sinking could never pay in Otago, but it is expected that the Deep Sinking Association will very, sooji be jn aposi-i. tion to.give the most convincing contradiction to1' the statement.-• ■ ' • ■ .*■ ">

1 A rush of some importance has set into a place '■ known as the Black Rock, about six miles distant from Waipori. We have not as yet received anyreliable particulars respecting it, but a few.1 days back there were over three"hundred men' on' the ground, and others were flocking in. - ' The working of the coal and. lignite in different, parts. of the province is likely. to be .vigorously prosecuted ; already a considerable quantity-has-, been raised at the goMfields, and1 is being'Stored'l for winter use,, to be retailed to.the miners at cost price. At'the Clutha, also,'coal is being raised with a view of shipping.' to Dunedin. . navi-i ■ gation of the rivers of the province is at present ■'. engaging attention. •. The- CJutha or' Molyncux to "- the south, and the Cattlin to the north of- Dune- A jin^are both likely to prore very valuable in this

f^-f agent here, to p'uee a steamer on the Molvncnx, and to run it us f.u ii[> as the icny, svul thus to open che.il> und easy eonrnunic.ition to .i fine ti act ot connrn, and* to uhu ipcn the tian-.it of goo I- t> tin- .li^iiiijt. The. tpiidocr offer-, to do this for a vub-nl/of XSOO. Ho also oiFu- to ic-movcsiiy-at the ute of X 9 each, as is being done in the Tu.'ii liver. The C.ittlin hwrii pro\ed to bo n.mg.iblc foi a. diitincc of Mime six or seve.i mile, but bo.ifo run go iiigher up ; ami it may, doubtless be capable of ii'piotemcnt. The I'nuccss Company at the theatie h.iung received .icccssiou to their sticilgth by tho an mil of Mi«-> 11 Goulon and Mi.'J. P Hyde-, aie dr.i\Mii^ govxl hon=ps>. Tliov aio at picseut playing the Imilesqne of" The lloueymooii,"and light eomedic-, and fam"». Tlicj have bitheito widely abstained liom attemping am thing of a moic ambition* mitme Thatcher continues to do well with loiwi comic songs on the cuuent c\onts of the d.iy. _________