OTAGO

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 22, 28 December 1863, Page 2

OTAGO

{no* oca own coMMMmneiiTj pvnrnntk, 23rd December. - Up to the hour of writing this, there is ( , •ign of the English Mail, *nd » good deal , < uneasiness prevails in cottsequence. I) - absence of English advices and the approac] ing festivities have a very bad effect « business. __" - •»- -<- - We have now. seven ocean-going steame laid on between this ana Melbourne., The, - are besides the old favorite traders — tl i Aldinga, Oineo, Gothenburg and Albambra now added the Edinai Hero and Sctachays the latter, said to be A very finerstearaship, hourly expected. * . So great an amount < competition will no doubt result in a tedty tion of fares, a consummation devoutly to \ wished. I am quite sure that the pa9seng< rates ruling will admit of it. According to the Warden's returns froi the several goldfields, mining operations ai proceeding satisfactorily. J?or some three « four weeks to come the returns will show falling off, in consequence of the diggei suspending work for the enjoyments peitai , ing to Christmas and the New Year. At \\ , Shotover, one party of diggers has met wit extraordinary success: Mr. Warden Broi ■ reports to the Government that a part£< Smen obtained one hundred and sixty-six pourn weight of gold from a terrace near Deadman • Point, at. the commencement of the wee] and have given fifteen ounces for a packhon on which to convey their treasure t Dunedin.. This is certainly a most extra ordinary find — the largest known ye£ if mistake not, in New Zealand. The truth i the statement may doubtless be looked upo: as thoroughly reliable, coming as it does i an official form from a government offlcei The West Taieri diggings are sooi to be a matter of history. The popn lation is daily becoming small by degree and beautifully less. ■, Mount Ida sti maintains its good character as a go] producing district, and its bad name fo rowdyism. A most murderous attack ha been made by a number of ruffians o Sergeant Ryan, and I trust when they lai captured they will meet with the punishmeo they so deservedly merit. The special cor respondent of the Daily Telegraph gives th - following particulars ; — •■• On Tuesday morn ing, Sergeant Ryan, with two troopers, lei this township for the rush on Saxton' I station. They arrived there about six in th evening, and one tiooper wus directed to g to the home station for (be night, the othe i being po3ted on the rush. Sergeant Ryai purposed himself going to tbe station, bu | afterwards, as the diggers showed signs o J "rowdyism," he arranged to remain on th spot and sleep in a tent with some diggers About eleven o'clock screams of " murder ' were heard in a tent or shinty kept by a Mr Brickwood. Sergeant Ryan at once pro ceeded to the place aud found that some me! had cut the tent down. He remonstrate! with them, and ultimately they fixed it u\ again. At one o'clock the noise was repeated, and, on the Sergeant making: his appearanci in uniform, Mrs, Brickwood claimed his pro teciion, and charged seven men who were ii the place with attempting to take indecen liberties with her. On his attempting topu them out of the tent, these ruffians mobbei Sergeant Ryan, and, having knocked bin down, kicked him about the head and bodj in a most brutal manner. He eudeavourei to draw his revolver, which was one oi Tranter's self-acting pieces, but in doing sc received a blow on the hand and one of the chambers exploded, lodging the ball in the ground. Attracted by the noise, the trooper and several persons rushed to the spot, ant the cowardly villains made off. Sergean j Ryan, reached here to-day, and warrants wer< j at once issued for the apprehension oftfii rj men, most of whom are said to be well-kirown; to the police." Portions of the Duns tan are being very successfully worked by^rives made into the banks. The yield fca^Jthis district appears to be steadier and more certain than any other of the fields. Of the Arrow River,. Mr Warden Hickson report*: most favorably ; while Tuapeka and Gabriel's j continue to produce satisfactory yields. j A large population has left hjre for Vie- ; toria, New South. Wales, and other parts, during the last fortnight, but I think the intelligence down from the various fields \^J, . V cause many who were about to take their departure to think better of it ; I know some liGkets were hawked about town yesterday!] by diggers who had taken their passage and| afterwards determined upon remaining. Thel opinion appears to gain ground, that the! future prosperity of this Province will spring from the riche3 of her quartz reefs, which have only just bsgan to show themselves. I suppose that in the hunt for alluvial diggings aud shallow sinking, the quartz-bearing veins have been overlooked, as was the case with Victoria. When the tin dish and cradle have done their work on the surface, then will capital and machinery be brought to bear to extract the ore from its bed. Just now we are all preparing for the Christmas and New Year festivities, and you must expect to hear of little else than the amusements which are going on for some time to come. There is Christmas Day to get over, with its feasting and merrymaking, its drives by land and excursions by water ; its pic-nics and al fresco amusements. Then is to follow Boxing Day and its old English games, which are to come off in front of the Grand Stand erected for the Caledonian Gathering and the great matches of the All England Eleven. Then follow the Caledonian games, with the liberal prizes to be awarded to the successful competitors. This is to be an affair got up upon a scale certainly never attempted before on this side the equator. After the Caledonian triumphs, we next look forward for the coming of the All England Eleven. This, the last and most exciting of all will, it is presumed, be the wind up of the season, and then, like good citizens, we shall get into harnesa again, at first, perhaps, a little collar proud, but soon j to fall into our usual business pace. A local committee, consisting of the best names in the city, has been appointed by His Honor the Superintendent to promote the purposes of the forthcoming Intercolonial Exhibition, and to act in conjunction' with the Royal Commission. I believe that no exertion will be left untried to make the exhibition a most successful and beneficial undertaking. • - ■ ; ■ ■ Scarlatina is just now very prevalent among children, as also typhoid fever. Several deaths have occurred, although in most cases the attacks are but slight, and resulting in a quick recovery. The wool is coming down very fast and being shipped. The season's clip in our Pro* vince is looked upon as quite satisfactory. Fine westfaer following on the late long continued rains has caused vegetation to spring up in extraordinary profusion. To our 'two dailies" and one evening newspaper, is to be added a fourth daily issue. is to appear at the commencement of the New , Year, and is to be, I am told, in the interest of the Dick party. News is to hand giving the particulars of a most; melancholy and fatal affair, in which two unfortunate men in mid-summer lost their lives in a snowstorm at the " Old Man," near the Dunstan.