OTAGO.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 19, 13 January 1863, Page 2

OTAGO.

f'l-'ROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. J

DUNEDIN, Saturday, January 3. The Alhambra, with the English mails on board, arrived at Port Chalmers yesterday morning. The English news having been literally discounted some days back by sailing vessels arriving here via Hobart Town and Sydney, as a matter of course the news brought created little or no interest. Merchants and others were glad to get their letters, and some better arrangements may be looked for in future to insure a regular receipt of the mails. The City of Hobart and the Aldinga left here on the 16th ult., within an hour of each other, and it was understood that there was to be a race back to Victoria, Heavy and numerous bets were laid as to which of these crack steamers would reach her port of destination first. The result was victo I}'1 }' to the City of Hobart, which arrived at Port Phillip Heads about forty hours before the Aldinga, the latter having to put in .to Launceston for coals, the whole of her stock brought from Dunedin having been prematurely consumed, and thus placing her in a very unpleasant fix Sydney Smith said that when soniu raihva director was burnt to death in a locked-up railway carriage measures would be taken to prevent the repetition of a like catastrophe by the adoption of some simple plan whereby passengers could communicate' with the guard. So I say that when some dreadful accident occurs, and a hundred or so Of valuable lives Are lust, then we shall have some law passed to prevent captains racing th-jir boats against each other, or putting them at a speed which is likely to jeopardise the safety of the vessel and the lives of all on board. If this racing and anxiety for speed be permitted much longer, I am quite sure that some terrible catastrophe will be the result. The news brought from Melbourne is devoid of all interest. I have extracted what little is likely to amuse or inform your readers which, I presume, you will cause to appear in another place in your columns. The last week has been quite given up to holiday amusements. There really has been little or no business of any kind transacted. The Caledonian " gathering " on Judge Harris's beautiful grounds has turned out a success beyond anything which could have been looked for or expected. The first day there were about five thousand people on the ground. The grand stand was crowded to such an extent that many would not ascend to it, fearing that the supports would give way, and the entire erection come to the ground. No such dreaded contingency happened, however ; the stand had been well and substantially built, and would have stood the pressure of any weight of human beings who could have found standing room. The scene was really very imposing. The D uncdin ladies are generally dressed in such excellent taste; the climate is so favourable to beautiful complexions ; the steep hilly streets of the city, so charmingly conducive to a fine de" velopment of figure, that, 1 ravelled though I am, and having visited many a land in many varieties of climate, from the equator to within twenty-five degrees of the pole, there is no place — for our limited population — where there are so many fine women as in Dunedin. Pine, well-conducted, modest, irreproachable women make good-behaved, well-spoken men ; and I do assure you a more pleasing sight has never been witnessed in this Province than when on Thursday and Friday last thousands of persons of all classes and degrees were seen enjoying, with an unmistakable mental relish, the sports and games which were being carried on with great spirit throughout both days. A great throng, but no confusion ; a crowded arena but no disorder ; a great de?ire to see what was being enacted for the moment, but no pushing or sq~eczing. In fact everything was just as good n it could be. The officebearers and committee were the right men in the right place. Mr Stott, the hon. sec. of the society, was indefatigable in mrintainirr: order and insisting upon fair play and an open field for the competitors. His «elf-imposed task was no light affair, buthe acquitted himself most creditably and efficiently. Every dc cription of aihletic games, wi h liberal prizes attached, were set forth in the programme of the sports. There were Highland reels, Strathspeys and flings, wrestling; tossing the c her, hi;h leaps, standing leaps, runni -j leaps, hitch and kick, sword games, putti." •* the heavy stone, quoits, foot rac •?, &c, &c, all of which were really well, and in some instances most spiritedly and scientifically contested. There were several licensed booths, and the run upon them was severe in the extreme. Ginger-beer, lemonade, sodawater, and their collaterals — shandygaff, spiders, and " snifters," with brandy-nips, whiskey-goes, bottled ale and porter were on

tremendous demand. There certainty appeared to me to be an amount of thirst prevalent quite unprecedented : " Because thou art virtuou9, shall there bo no more cakes and ale !" Our Dunedinites at the Gathering did not think so — they quaffed and they laughed and a-ha ! a-he'd ! and were tremendously jolly; but few were so bad that a small decoction of milk and mountain-dew would not put right in the morning. The affair is all over now, and Monday will see every one once more at his everyday occupation, all the better for the jovial relaxation of the previous week. I ought to mention that the Vauxhall Gardens, now fairly open to the public under the spirited proprietorship of Mr. Farley, of Farley's Arcade, came out very strong during the Christmas and New Year weeks. A small steamer has been nearly bursting its boiler fourteen houis per diem in its efforts to carry across the bay some thousands of sightseers and pleasure-seekeTS to the Gardens. Now, these were the sports your humble correspondent went to see, and for the most part would have joined in, always excepting the greasy pole, which he did not attempt, out of respect to a new suit of clothes, and a strong belief conjoined that the day was far d stant when he would be able to raise another. I have said the sports your correspondent would for the most part have joined in, only for a casualty which happened, thereby causing much laughter, but which I consider was no laughing matter, view it in whatever light you like. The fact is in trying the running high leap at five feet six inches, a part, I little expected, of my unwhisp^rables gave way, and I was utterly disqualified for the remainder of the day for any other games than what could be accomplished in a strictly sitting posture. N'importe. I have known worse accidents in my life than this, although few more awkw.iid. These were the games which came came off on New Year's day at the Vauxhall Gardens, and I pray you that in order to give them good effect, and astonish your readers, you print them down as they are here written : — Amateur Hurdle Race, Running Jump, Standing Jump, Hop Step and Jump, Standing High Leap, Running- High Leap, Throwing Heavy Hammer, Throwing Light Hammer, Putting the Stone, Climbing the Greasy Pole, Eating Biscuit-, Hopping, Wheelbarrow Kace, Jumping in Sacks, Whipping the Goose, Groping for Silver, Catching the Cock. The scene of all our great gold prosperity has shifted from the Dnnstan to the Lakes — has, in fact, gone completely over to your side of the couDtry, much to the serious loss and chagrin of the Dunedinites. You have an escort from the Walcatip to Invercargill. Good. I like your spirit. It is an excellent omen of better things. Ido assure you that the ball of fortune is at your foot, and if you do not kick it away and send it into another Province's keeping, you cannot but help becoming a place of equal, if not far greater importance than Dunedin. Do not mind if you have to borrow money at never so great an interest, do so in order to open up the diggings' roads — to make your port fit for vessels to enter in safety, and the conveyance of goods from the Bluff to the town quite easy, and at low rates. The tramway you ! speak of is a grand idea. Do not delay a week in commencing, if possible. Private capital and enterprise.with grants and assistance from your Provincial government, should be the basis upon which to commence operations. The Titania left here on Saturday, crowded with passengers and laden half funnel high with merchandise. Numbers are making arrangements for leaving here and settling down among you, or proceeding via Invercargill, direct for the Lakes. The rush from Victoria to Dunedin has commenced to set in. The Alhambra to-day, brought three hundred and fifty passengers, and there were between ten and twelve ships on the berth, at Hobson's Bay. rapidly filling with passengers, bound for here. The news of theDunstan goldfields, and what has lately been obtained from there, has produced a profound sensation in Victoria. The enterprising coach proprietors, Mssrs. Cobb & Co., commence on and from this day, j v to run a conveyence from Du n edin to the Dunstan, the whole distance to be accomplished in sixteen hours. I should not be surprised to seethe Tnvercaiwjili. Times coming out very shortly as a Daily. Indeed I have been assured by an Invercargillite, that such is shortly to be the case. I will keep this letter open until Monday morning, to give you the particulars of anything which may occur in the interim. Monday, sth January. No arrivals nor departures, and no news of any consequence beyond the circumstance that Farley's Vauxhall Gardens have been serirusly injured by fire, and as an immense heap of wood is at this present time lying in close proximity to the bar and saloon it is feared the whole of the buildings will be destined. The spectable of the fire from the town last night was very imposing, and i created at the time no small anxiety,as it was not known whether the bu Mings belonging to the gardens were included in the conflagration. The Daily Times says: — "About five o'clock, last evnin^ a fire commenced in the bush surrounding the Vauxhall Gardens, which has certainly burned a large amount of timber, and may yet jeopardise the existence of the Gardens. In a notice published a few days ago, we stated that all the ti~n' ar cut from the space intended for the gymnasium had been tumbled down a slope at the b"^k of the refreshment house, simply because it could not be sold at once, and could not be so expeditiously got out of the way in any other mode. Near the crest of this ridge Police Sergeant Grennnn last evening saw that a fire had commenced ; and he called '">e attention of some waiters to the fact, who pooh-poohed it, as a matter of no consequence. But the strong wind soon m de the thing of consequence, and although the direction of the wind was such that the flames were driven from the gardens, there j was good reason to fear that the refreshment h:use, in fact the whole place, mi ht be swept away. Very speedily the fla'nj:*. went lapping down the ravine to the hundreds of tons of cut timber, and thore the fire will certainly continue to burn for days, tinle " very heavy rnin falls. By elevrn o'cl. ;k last night a considerab'e extent of ground beyond the ravine had been swept by the fire and with a change of wind, so great is the body of burning woed in the ravine, the most serious consequences may result. Mr. Farley has car "d a belt to be cut through the bush in a line with the house ; and had the turf h"tily removed, thus forming a sort of trench, lest the grass might carry the flames to the building. Afc midnight, as seen from Princes-street, the fire was burning fiercely, and was rapidly extending; and we sincerely hope that nothing more serious than the clearing of some land may be the consequence. It is not known how the fire originated."