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Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 47, 24 February 1864, Page 2

j The rumor to which we referred in our issue of Monday, respecting the discovery of a gold-ileld within the Province, has been more extensively circulated within the last two days, although the only information which m y be considered at all reliable is to the following eflect: — It appears that a party of men have been prospecting at -the head of the Hamilton Burn — distant^about forty miles from Kiverton — on Mr. Basstian and Captain Hovell's runs, fov some time past, and they reported to some persons in the neighborhood thoy had struck payable gold, and had four , and a half ounces in their possession ' at that ! time. Mr. Basstian, who arrived in town a.

few days ago, had with him a sample of coarse nuggetty gold, bnt whether some ofVhe gold referred to we cannot say. Should the Teport prove true; there is, from what wo have been able to ascertain, a good track all the wa/ to where the gold wa3 found. We may add from inc-ruiries mado of TT*i r— Honor tlie Superintendent that w^ are m a position-to state that no official communication has been mado to Mm> either from or on the part of the allegod discoverers, with reference to any reward. ' Prom the Wakatip-M&il we take tho following:—"Sinco the lato rams, we have boon favored with magnificent sunny weather, rather too warm if anything. It is gratifying to bo able to state that the rivers are as* low as they have yet been, and that work is generally resumed. This applies especially to tho Shotover, which will now in a few days again yield its enormous auriferous treasure. The 1 offect of the rain has only been to slightly increase the extent of " stripping to be done ; " and the entire absence of snow on the hills is another favorable feature. One single month of such weather will create a vast alteration in the district, and change our, present "hard times " into those of abundance. On Saturday the disputed sailing match between the Rambler, the Blue Jacket, and the Look- Out took place — the match, it , will bo recollected, being undecided on the day of the Southland Club, Regatta. The distance was from the Jetty round the Black Buoy and back. The Look-Out, in a squall, came to grief, and lost her mast, the Rambler beating her other opponent by some three or four miles. The Dunstan correspondent of, the Otago Daily Telegraph, writing on the -17th' Feb., relates the following miraculous escape of a man - from death : — " On Saturday last I noticed some dozen men conveying upon a stretcher through our main street, a 'poor -fellow named Smith, to the Hospital. It appears that he was at work forming the road from the Kawarau Junction to the Lakes (or Queenstown) , and that at an embankment near the "Roaring Meg, a stone weighing close upon live -tons fell upon him. Fortunately a small stone kept' tlie large 'one from crushing him to death. It took six and twenty men to remove the stone froni over him, and when relieved it was found that he had received a dislocation of the/ hip bone, and had sustained most serious injuries internally. lie now lies in theDunstan hospital with but little hopes of recovering." At the Theatre Royal last night the .burlesque of Lord Lovel was produced as .the afterpiece. The piece is the same, as that ■played sometime ago at the Princess Theatre. Mr. Small sustained his original character of Rumtitoozle, and Mr. Haygarth that bf Lady Nancy. Miss E. Royal played the part- of Lord Lovel very pleasingly. The burlesque was considerably improved in its representation on a more complete stage than the Princess,' and the introduction of the Ghost tolerably well managed. To-night, it will be seen by our advertising columns, Mr. Harry Jackson, a comedian who ' has acquired an exalted reputation in this colony and Victoria, will make his first appearance at the Royal. Mr. G-eorge Fawcett, another equally brilliant theatrical star, will shine here for the iirst time on Saturday night. The manager of the Royal certainly merits success from the enterprise displayed in catering for the p.ublio amusemenjg Miss Royai's -benefit is announced for to ; morrbw night ; We hope she will have a full house. The following item of mining news is from the Walcaiip Mail of .Saturday — "The increase in the number of heavy mining operations is one of the best practical assurances that could be given as to the confidence felt_ in the future of the district by the class best able to form a judgment upon the matter, when it is added that these works are being camed out by the miners themselves, without recoiu'se to assisted capital, and in bodies established upon a very rude "co-operative system, and in the absence of mining laws protecting these large bodies,, the assurances so given are doubly valuable. At. ..Skippers), a quartz-crushing machine is being erected ; at the same place a fluming company have started a work that will require many many thousand feet of timber, and are erecting a waterpower saw-mill to cut the. same. On the righthand branch of the Shotover the miners have combined to tunnel through a rocky lull, so as to lay bare tliree and a half miles of this portion of the river, bed. At Arthur's Point, after nine months of labor the extensive race for turning the river, is now nearly completed. All these works are very expensive, and are entered into more for future permanent operations than "present ones. "What do our croakers think of these facts ?" We see by the Home News that "a valuable and well-selected lot of .grouse, pheasants and wild rabbits has been shipped from the Clyde for Southland; also an assortment' of songsters of the wood, including goldfinches, linnets, larks, thrushes a.nd starlings." "An accident" (states the Wakatip Mail, of Saturday), "occurred at Frankton, which, we , regret to say, ended fatally. ' A man , named i Janies Cameron, in the employ of W. Or. Rees, Esq., while attempting to cross the Lake in a dingy, from that gentleman's homestead to | Frankton, the boat was suddenly, drawn, into , the rapids aud upset immediately above the-* falls of Kawarau. Both the boat and man were washed over the Falls before the slightest assistance could be rendered. " The body and boat were recovered at a late hour last /evening — the dingy being found in some rushes a short distance below the Falls, and the body - about twenty feet from it, so that the man must have fallen overboard." "We understand that Mr. Thatcher, Madame Vitelli, and Mr. J. Small, take their departure in the course of the next week to tho North, where' they purpose giving their entertainment. We have no "doubt" but the war incidents occurring at the Front' will furnish materials to Thatcher's muse, which is sometimes sentimental aswell as humorous. The company had contemplated paying a visit to "Queenstown, but "in consequence of the late storms having unroofed the building in Avhich they were to give their entertainment, the idea was abandoned, although as the "Inimitable" might say, that would only the more necessitate the services of a Thatcher. . Amongst the imports by the Pilot, from Melbourne, is the hook aud ladder apparatus for the Volunteer Fire Brigade, which will be landed either to-morrow or next day. The members who have seen" the articles speak in terms of approval. „We shall take -an opportunity, when they are landed, of paying a visit of inspection to them.

*- During the quarter dnded Slst Deeemwi 1883, there wereroceivfed afc. the Chief Post* office, Invercargill, 33,124 letters;' and 37,065 newspapers j and there were" s despatched in that quarter 84,941 letters and 38,159 news? papers. In the corresponding quarter of the previous year thero were received 8034 letters and 10,185 newspapers 5 and 9,032 lotters an* 5625 newspapers ""despatched. There «ro 1,111? money ordera issued during-* tho yfw 1863, to- tlie value of £5,771 125., upon whioh commession-was charged to the? amount of £95 103. M.V and'- nioneyl^Sers wore paid to tho value of £546 lis. 9d. . During the same ported there J wow> 2,263 registered letters, despatched, and.9ls.reeeivedi The Wakatip Mail states-.—^ An- t adver« w tisement calling for tenders for the^ereopon of the branch of the New Bank' of O'fogo; jrtll bo seen in-' another- column. We have boen favored with a view of the plans, and havo much pleasure in being able to state that if they are carried out, tho building will be^&n ornament to Qileenstbwn, ahd far superior to anything of the sort out^of. Dunedin or Invercargill. We, are glad to see such enterprise displayed by this new institution,-.andy^.ye no : doubt but'they will be supportea^by-t^mblic at large. The Bank of ! Ot»go , has" purchased several 'allotments'* in Queenstown,'Yand the energy they arcT^iow displaying in r erecting their " Branch," warrants the»supposition that the other sites will ere long be occupied by edifices that will beautify the town, and prove alike creditable to the- originators and eroctors. We wish the new bank every success." The following- "is'* *a 'sketeh of the origin of the Exhibition, 1 which was 'got up and printed iv slips by tho members of of the Otago ** Typographical Association , , during Ceremonial Procession *on \Wednesday -last, ■ at, the laying." of the't-Cdrner Stone in Dunedin :— ' The first idea of the Exhibition was' suggested 'to the promoters by the success which ' attended a hurriedly !gottogether collection rof , useful and curious articles in connection with the fancy fair, in aid of the Church of England Funds. The idea Avas not allowed to - drop ; a plan of the scheme was matured, a gaurantee deed to a considerable amount^signed, ahd application wasinade to*. His Excellency, theYG-over nor, to give the undertaking..the sanction of the great seal of the -Colony:- ; His -Excellency cordially responded to the appeal, and appointed a Royal Commission to carry out the enterprise. He also wrote home, requesting the patronage of His Royal Highness the YPrince , of Wales. The Comissioners as sbo'ivas their appointment was formally gazetted,;. lost no time in commencing their, labors'. • They at once entered into corresp6hderiee,Ywhieh resulted -in the appointment of local, committees, in, each of the Provinces, including Otago, which is scrupulously placed on the same, footing as the rest. They also appointed agents, in the Australian colonies, in England, and in other places, and invited the co-operation- of persons at a distance, who it was thought couldaid the purposes of the Exhibition. Meanwhile* the Provincial' ■Grovernment sought the consent of the Provincial Council to the erectioh of a building for the Exhibition, to be afterwards used for other purposes. ■'••;.'. The /YOouiieil.;' voted tl^T necessary funds, as also a )sum. of four thoxj^ sand pounds to the CommissiSnersin aid of the general purposes of Hhe • Exhibition. The Assembly also voted four thousand pounds to the Commissioners, and .a - gauranteor deed -ta an amount of over ten... ..thousand has been signed. The contract %r* the building, designed by ' Mr." Mason, has been let to Messrs. Cornwell Horsman; and to-day the foundation stone is ; to be laid with ceremony befitting the , importance of Ythe .'. occasion. -.\ -The Printers ■who ■',. join this-; short, narration, ■■ feel that in " stimulating the progress of the Exhibition, their art^ Will' not be hvitiiotii;' iise, and they will yield ifco hone in the. heartiest wishes for its success. They siu'eerely hope that the auspicious promise of to-day will be more than fulfilled on another and yet greater ocassion— the day that witnesses the .opening of the Exhibition." . .. ,, ;zrz-.i:yrz VyiVoY ,f ;.