CANTERBURY.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 81, 9 December 1864, Page 3

CANTERBURY.

The following items- are from the Press of the Ist. instant:-—' ' ". .' .' ' "A meeting was held yesterday afternoon, at the old Town Hall, for the purpose of swearing in members for the cavalry corps. Forty-nine members were sworn in by Adjutant Armstrong, and towards the latter' end of the meeting many more came forward who weredesirous of joining the corps, whose swearing in. was ■ postponed till the next meeting, th« adjutant having retired. A suit of the proposed. uniform was exhibited, consisting of a loose tunicof blue cloth with 'scarlet facings, bound round the edge with yellow cord. The trousers of blue cloth, with a double scarlet stripe down the sides. The cap is also of blue cloth, with a yellow brand round, Cand a knot of the same color on the top. On the motion of Mr. M'Lean the number of the committee was increased to nine members, besides the officers. The following were then elected! members : — Messrs. C.' Olliver, St. Quentih, M'Lean, Innes, Coleman;- Oats, Cuff, '-Brooke, and Fysh. Capt. Reader informed the meeting that the -price -of uniform and' necessary/ accoutrements, together with the annual subscription of £2, would amount to about .£l2; 10s. He proposed that the privates should subscribe £2} and the officers "£lO, towards the drill expenses, and that their ordinary saddles and stirrups, covered with sheepskins, should be usedV The arms andaccontrementswill shortly be' served out to those who enrolled themselves.'' : • ;.. . "We have been permitted to make the following eztaact from an official letter from Mr. Ravel to°the Provincial Government,- dated from tho Grrey, November 21.:—' Tho rush which took place to the Totara River, about a fortnight ago has, up to the present tiuie, proved a failure, owin<* partly to the continuous rain on the ranges at tins time of the year, which keeps- the rivers and' thW tributaries full and subject to. frequent freshes, and also to the high price of proVisious, winch have to be 'packed from the Gi-eyy. a- distance of forty, miles, with three large rivers .and several smalVcreeks intervening, all more or less affected by the tide. Flour is £5 per 1001 b. at the Totara, and other, goods, at a. proportionate rate.' Two-thirds of the miners have returned to the Greenstone, whilst others— about .fifty; -or sixty— are leaving the coast either by the; overland track to Christchurch, or by steamer to Nelson. The miners generally speak favorably. of the locality about the Tdtara/lind are of opinion that in February or March next, when the fine weather sets in,4t will prove? remunerative. r^trap^ears that the original prospectors got then- gold m crevices, and on shallow bars about six or seven mQes up the river';' they have done very little on then- claims sincei four to five aU, aod they have shice' sold out for £257 ■ About 100 miners haveremamed oh the Totara prospecting 'the various creeks, which run-mto itfor,adis- ;- taSce of fourteen mi'es irQaiia from the'eoast, tne first^ve or sik miles b£ which have tp;be#averßecl through the water, which reaches up, toj&er •^aast The Greenstone is-still-jthe.iavonte resort, of miners, most of whpm>ad good payable claams, ahd-have therefore returned'to^prevent-them^be-ing iumped. The Maori claim on the: Greenstone B oM for £20/ ... ■ ■■} (IV, ,' , -T:i 2,10