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Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 13, 7 December 1863, Page 2

On Saturday morning, about seven o'clock, one cf the men belonging to the brig Australia, lying down the river, left the ship in a sailin g boat to come to the jetty, in order to take Captain Hughes on board. As the boat did not come to the jetty at the time expected, it was feared that some accident had occurred. Some hours afterwards, Mr Clarke was coming up the river in the Custom's boat, when he picked up the Australia's boat, capsized, with her mast and sails set. Cm the police receiving information of the accident, a boat was sent down the river in search, as it was supposed, from the place where the boat was picked up, she might have capsized in water sufficiently shallow for the man to get ashore- Last night we were informed that the missing man had been picked up by tho William Miskin on Saturday, as she was proceeding down the river, A most extraordinary rumor was current on Saturday night as to the loss of a boat, and th-e death by drowning of two men. The following are the circumstances as they were related. On Thursday night three men, two of them nam d Richard Stewart and Samuel Holt, the other man only being known by the name of Bill, lefy the jetty in a boat belonging to Mr Petherick, ot the Waihopai Hotel, intending to go down to the Mokomoko. AH three men, it is said, were somewhat under the influence of liquor at the time. The next news that was heard of the boat was told by Holt, who arrived at the Mokomoko the following morning, and who stated that sometime after they left the jetty, a sea struck the boat, and capsized her. Holt, being a good swimmer, succeeded in reaching the shore, after being four hours in the water ; but after the capsizing of the boat, he never saw anything of the other two men. Whether the rumor is false or true, we were not able to ascertain last night, and can therefore ou'y give it as it was current.

We have been shown a very fine sample of coffee, roasted and ground at the works of the Invercargill City Coffee Company, and as an attempt to „ introduce " local manufactories " of some of the articles of consumption, \ffi hope thecompany may be supported. The principal feature in the manufacture of the article is, that being roasted with the aid of a thermometer, the same degree of beat is retained until tbe berry is roasted, thereby facilitating the evnpoiation of all the acrid particles, and retaining the aroma and strength of the coffee. The Ghost, nt tbe new Princess' Theatre, has now established a substantial reputation as one of the most mysterious visitors we have seen in Invercargil Some of the slight defects, which, on its first appearance, militated against the success of a complete illusion, have now been remedied by more frequent practice. The dialogue of the burlesque of Lord Lovel also improves by repetition, and renders it one of the most amusing pieces of stage representation ever produced in this part of the world. We understand that tho engagement of the Ghost is but short, and that its disappearance will shortly tak-e place, so that we would recommend to the curious an early visit to the Theatre. The Gazette of Dec, sth appoints tbe following members of tbe Southland Constabulary to sue and recover penalties under the Dt>g Nuisance Ordinance, viz. — Sergeant-Major Chapman, Sergeant Pardy, Sergeant Dow, and Seargent Shury; Sergeant. O'Keefe, Campbellton; Sergeant Forster, Riverton ; Sergeant Lowther; Sergeant Baker, TVinton ; Sergeant Butler, Dacre ; and Constable Furcell. We are not aware whether in any of the outljing places specified in the foregoing there is any need of such appointments, but in Invercargill there is plenty of work to be done in ridding the town of the dog nuisance. The Sydney correspondent of the Otago Times says : — Great fears are entertained that thewheat harvest this year will be a failure. Last year the farmers were particularly unfortunate owing to the drought, this year they are Equally unlucky; their crops have been attacked by the dust to such an extent that acres upon acres of tbe half matured wheat have been -cut down for the purpose o f being saved ac l*ay- The Government last year adv need seed wheat to those unfortwnate agriculturalists who were n ot in a position to buy it ; there is little probability of the Government seeing this whe.t back again from very many of the parties to whom it was lent. Jt appears somewhat singular that in some quarters the wheat has escaped, though surrounded with paddocks, in which the wheat was covered wih the rust — it is suggested thai a difference in seed may have caused this, if so it is highly desirable that steps should be taken to ascertain what kind of wheat is exempt from this scourge." Speaking of the probability of the City of Hobart being laid on the berth from Melbourne to New Zenlund. theS^dn^y correspondent of the Otago Times rei.iarks :— " You appear tobe rather in the dark as to llic City of Hobart. I notice that you mention tint she may be " hourly " expected; well, so she may in one sense of the term, but had you said weekly, or even monthly you would have been ranch nearer the mai-K. I have just returned from a visit to her, and as far as my observation goes, it will be at least the beginning of December before she will be at Dunedin. The Wakatip Mail states: — "From Maori Point we learn that mining operations are being vigorously carried on, and several instances of success reported, which tend to show that the rich deposits of the Shotovrr are not nearly ex" bausted yet, and that the present season will b one of great productiveness. An accident, which might have proved fatal, is reported as having taken place on J. B. B.s beach last week. It appears that while engaged in placing a crate, a rope to which it was attached, broke, and the crate, together with a mm who was on it at the time, were immediately carried away by the current, and swept down the river to Stapleton's Beach, where the crate with its horrified freight was safely landed — strange to say, without the slightest hurt. A bridge at Maori Point is much ; wanted, and many complaints have readied us on the lack of the necessary means of communi- ■ cation between the rich workings on bcth sides of the river." The Gazetto of the sth inst., contains the following republication from the Otago Gazette relative to the importation of cattle from certain por- \ tions of Victoria . — " I, John Ilyde Harris, Superintendent of the Province of Otago, by virtue of the powers vested in me in this behalf, do hereby pro- , claim and declare that from and after the date hereof, until further notice, that portion of the county of Morn'ngton, in the colony Victoria, . hereinafter described, shall not be deemed an infected district within the meaning, and for tbe purposes, of the ' Diseased Cattle Act, 1861 ;" And that I do hereby rescind the Proclamation of tbe Superintendent of the Province of Otago, bearißg date the fifth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, so far as the same relates to the before-mentioned portion of the colony of Victoria, that is to s.ay : All tliat area commencing at the mouth of a creek in Western Port Bay, said creek forming part of the west side of portion 2. parish of Yallock ; thence by that creek northerly to the south side of the Koo-wee-rup Swamp; by that side of tbe swamp and a line north-easterly to a point on the Buneep Creek, seven miles south of the south boundary of the village of Buneep ; thence southerly by part of tbe east boundary of the county of Mornington lo Cape Paterson ; thence westerly and northerly by the sea coast and the shores of Western Port Bay to tho point of commencement, including; likewise Phillip and French Islands. Given under my hand, and issued under the public seal of the Province of Otago, at Dunedin, this sixth day of November, 1563. — John Htdb Hiesib, Superintendent. By his Honor's command, Thomas Dick, Provincial Secretary." j A lunatic found his way into our office, and ; belore be was provided with a straight waistcoat thrust the following lines into our hands, and we were compelled to insert them -. — Though trade in town is rather dull, Yet poetry is dear; But twenty boh for these four lines, I've just been offered here. Shellet.