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Southland Times, Volume VII, Issue 516, 11 July 1866, Page 2

We hare intelligence from Riverton and the diggings to the 9th July, of a most satisfactory character. The number of miners at the Orepuki is still about two hundred and fifty, and all express themselves satisfied with the result of their working, notwithstanding that the severity of the weather has considerably impeded mining operations. It is believed that the diggings will extend from the present working to the Uria, a distance of fourteen miles from Riverton, as each | claim m that direction that has been bottomed is paying from seven to ten pounds per man per week, when there is low tide in the daytime. The Government safe and other property which has been forwarded to Riverton has not yet arrived, the boat in which it had been placed not having been able to reach the port ; and for the present it would be most difficult to land a safo or other heavy articles. The miners in the Longwood Ranges are doing well, and the indications of rich quartz reefs that have been dis- | covered has induced several to prospect high up in the ranges. Berndstein and party left Riverton on the 4th July on a quartz reef soarch, and other parties are preparing to follow. In addition to this a company of twenty members has been formed to pay four experienced miners to prospect for a month in order to determine the value of the reel's known to exist in the Longwood Ranges. An experienoed Victorian and West Coast miner has informed us that he consiiders the Riverton goldfields will prove highly productive ; that he has interests in four claims, aud without working continually himself, he makes from fifteen to twenty pounds per week. He states that the beach claims are inexhaustible ; that every storm washes up auriferous matter equal to what has been previously taken from the claims ; and that by steady perseverance the miner may, on the Riverton goldfields, earn as much as on auy diggings in New Zealand. A large quantity of gold is still in the hands of the miners. We would desire to call the attention of the members of the Southland Club to the general annual meeting which will be held to-day (Wednesday), the 11th July, at the Southland Club. This is the chief institution in the Province ; it has worked evenly and well, and reflected credit upon the town ; every vistor that has arrived here expressing an opinion that there was nothing in New Zealand that surpassed it, if, there was its equal. That the accommodation is excellent, there can be no question, and that its conduction has been satisfactory, all agree. If it were practicable to extend its operations ; to have a collection of works of reference, such as M'Culloch's Commercial Dictionary, Beeton's Dictionary of Universal Information, and the like ; it would become of still greater value. We hope all the members will make it a duty to be present. The Southland Club has hitherto been well sustained, and it is to be hoped that the support given during the ensuing year, will fa.r exceed that of the present. It will be seen from our advertising columns that a special session of the Provincial Council has been called. We understand that it will not be of many days' duration, the chief subje .its to be considered being the railways and the sending home of an immigration agent. The members of the Council are summoned to meet on Wednesday next, the lSth of July. Mr. William Todd sold yesterday (Tuesday, 10th July) at his rooms, Dee-street, the wreck and cargo of the brig Calypso, stranded at Stewart's Island. The amount realized was £220. The following i3 the stats of H.M. G-aol for the week ending Tuesday, the 10th instant. Sentenced to penal servitude, 6 males ; sentenced to hard labor, 7 males and 1 female. Lunatics, 5 male? and 1 female. Debtors, 3 males. Total, 21 males and 2 females. Received during the week, 4 males. Discharged during the week, 3 males. Increase for the week, 1 male. From enquiries we learn that the seaman who was recently operated upon at the Hospital for concussion of the brain, i3 progressing favorably, and Dr. IvTonckton considers his recovery almost certain, although he cannot afSrra that he is yet out of danger. We understand that the Riverton coach was much impeded in its run down, owing to the flooded state of the rivers, and the " bad condition of the roads. That on more than one occasion great: risli had to be run in order to bring the mail into town. In crossing the Waimatuke River the safety of the horses, coach, driver, &c, was in great danger, owing to their losing the usual track, and getting amongst quicksands. Fortunately no serious accident occurred. The Daily Times of the 3rd July has the following remarks on -a recent invention for extinguishing fires. It Bays : — " An invention for extinguishing fires has attracrcd great attention in Francs and England during some months, on account of its cheapness, portability, and readiness of application by any person on an emergency It is a French invention, and is known by the appropriate name ' L'Extincteur.' From the notices in the public journals in France, England, and Scotland, its meiifs appear to have, been generally and severely tested with the mostsatisfactory results. Many years ago a fire unnihilator was invented by Phillips. Why it was not brought .into more general use can hardly be explained, for it is ■ difficult to say in what it failed to effect the proposed object. But L'Extincteur seems to have been received with more favor, and to have passed through more severe ordeals. The licensee describes its advantages by stating th&'Jto can to kept on any premises, m .

constant state of readiness for an emergency ; that it occupies no more space than a bucket ; that every drop of its contents exerts a deadly effect upon flame ; that a child may use it effec. tually ; that it is -warranted harmless to life and property ; and that the water projected being only the vehicle for conveying the flame-subduing gaßj no trace "of the accident remains in deluged rooms, spoiled furniture, or damaged merchandize." The experiments recorded appear to bear out these recommendations. In London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Nottingham. Woolwich Dockyard, and other places, special trials have been instituted, to test the efficacy of the invention and its real utility is borne testimony to by more than, one firm -whose property has been saved by its use. To Dunedin, built of such inflammable materials, should the merits of L'Extincteur prove equal to those claimed for it, it will prove an inestimable boon, as promptitude in extinguishing fire is of the utmost importance. It will be seen that a consignment has already arrived by the Pasithea and it would be well if Mr "Reid, the agent, would institute such experiments as would ea tisfy the public of the valua of an invention which appears calculated to confer so great a service upon the community." The subjoined encouraging items of mining intelligence we clip, from the Wakatip Mail, 27th June : — " Another striking proof of the auriferous nature of this district generally was supplied us on Monday, when we were shown a fine sample of gold — about 70 ounces — which had been obtained at Bucklerborn, Head of the Lake. The metal is well worn and coarso all through. It had been sold by a party, we believe, of three men, who were about proceeding to the West Coast mines. |rlt is said that there is plenty of ground — both terrace and stream workings — which would yield on an everage say £4 per week. But this is not the only place in the district holding out such inducements. There are the Twelvemile, Lake, the Moke Creek, the Big Beach, Shotover, and other places where scores of acres are open for the industrious miner who can be content with a fair wage. These epots, however, are now, comparatively speaking, forsaken ground — forgotten — partly, no doubt, on account of preference for quartz reefing, and partly from the circumstance that ' distance lends enchantment to the view.' It is really sad to see thiß state of things -our population dwindled down to one tench of the number the country is amply capable of remunerating. Possibly the advocates of Chinese immigration may consider here is a field for ' John ' ; but we say 4 this is a field for our own countrymen who are starving in Auckland and elsewhere — not considering such important items ns addition to our population, or increase in the wealth of the district. While on this subject it may be noticed that not long since a number of able-bodied copper miners left Adelaide for the home country, because of the superabundance of labor, and consequent low wages given. These were mostly thorough practical miners from Wales, and it is needless to" dwell on the advantage of their presence here, when we consider that the Wakatip district is rich in copper m well as iu other metals." We extract the following from the Argus summary for Europe, of the 27th July : — " Parliament was prorogued on the Ist instant by Brigadier-General Carey. The close of the session was marked by a contretemps which has been much regretted. The Appropriation Bill, at the date of our last summary, was in the hands o, the Legislative Council, who retained it for a tinie mainly to secure the payment of the judgments in the taruT actions. On the last day of May, however, the Council were persuaded to pass the' bill, the representative of the Government, Mr Henry Miller, stating that he did not know when the prorogation would take place. As soon as the bill had been passed, the hon. member produced a message from the Acfciug-G-overnor, announcing that Ms Excellency would visit the Council Chamber -on the following day, to give the Koyal assent to certain bills. It was at once apparent that prorogation next day was contemplated, and great indignation was expressed at the want of consideration shown to the Council, and the apparent disingenuou3ness of the representative of the Government. It is stated on his behalf, that the date in the message had been left blank, and that it was only filled up and handed to him the moment the Appropriation Bill was safe. The majority of the Council believed Ihemselves insulted, and the consequence was a "count-out.'* Iu thus happened that although General Carey had intimated his intention to be present next day (Friday), the President had no other course under tiie standing orders than to declare the sitting adjourned until Tuesday. No difficulty, we are glad to say, occurred. Although the Council were not formally iu session, the President, a majority of the members, and all the officers of the House, were in attendance when his JDxceUency presented himself, and the Lower Chamber having been summoned, the Acting-Governor read his speech in the usual way, and declared Parliament prorogued to the 12th July." ;;■ *■■ The Argus of the 27th June, says : — "Mr Verdon, the Treasurer of the colony, -sailed by the mail steamer lust month for London, accompanied by Captain Payne. His business, ostensibly, is to represent the question of our defences to the Imperial Government, and to ascertain what can be done as regards loans for water supply, railways, defensive works, &c. A suspicion prevails, however, that he will be expected to render such service as may be in his power to Sir Charles Darling, should the House of Commons grant tbe committee of inquiry which the late Governor, before leaving the colony, intimated his intention to ask for." The Grey Mlver Argus says: — "A very interesting discovery has been made in the neighborhood of the Darkies terrace, North Beach. It appears that the miners working on this terrace stored then- water in a natural formed reservoir, some 300 yards behind the terrace. A few days' 1 ago the water in the dam commenped to subside, and it became evident there was a leak Bomewhere, which was at once searched for, and found to be a small opening in the rock. Curiosity prompting a further examination of the hole it was discovered to be a well-like fissure, about thirty feet deep, down which the explorers were let by a rope. This led to a small passage, and iwo or three similar holes had to be descended, when all at once the party came to a very extensive cavern, the lofty roof of -which was studded with stala' tites and petrifactions. The appearance of the cave is described by those who entered it as exceedingly beautiful, and wdl worth the trouble of reaching it. It is quite probable that many similar cavities exist in the limestone rock terraces both north and south of tho river ; in fact it is known that a great portion of the hill at the upper end of the town is honeycombed with fissures and caverns,"

We clip the following from the Sydney Mail, 23rd June. It says : — " News has been received from Chili of a small naral engagement between some Spanish and republican shins. We get the account from the republican side, and some deduction must be made from the description on that score. But the Spanish ships are said to have suffered most, and to have lost moat men. Neither side, however, won any decisive victory. The ships fought for a couple of hours and parted. One ship was destroyed or captured. Carpenters ■will mend the damage, and as to men — nobody counts a few human lives when pride and passion provoke a war. Spain, however, has clearly got into a hornet's nest, and will not get out without humiliation. Its conduct throughout the affair has been unjustifiable, and can only be considered dignified on some defunct theory of Quixotic honour. The war was not necessary, and might hare been avoided if Spain had not been so absurdly punctilious. The chief point of interest to us is that, in undertaking to blockade the coast. Spain has undertaken what it cannot perform. The blockade is very incomplete ; and exports of breadstuffs, though made more expensive, are frequent. Imports seem to come in quite fast enough. More than enough we do not want, as ■we do not wish to see the market borne_ down to an unremunerative price by the time our own growers have the produce of next harvest ready for sale." The Oamaru Times, 28th June, in an article upon the proposed Ram Fair, thus speaks of the Pastoral and Agricultural Association. It Ba y ß . — " It is, we believe, on all hands conceded that if the Northern District of Otago may boast of any institution more than another, that institution is our well-known Pastoral and Agricultural Association. Since its establishment, its success has been most gratifying, and this, as will doubtless have made itself apparent to every one, is chiefly attributable to the unanimity of purpose which has at all times animated its promoters. The sheep-farmers and settlers generally, as Well as the other members of the district community, have regarded it a primary duty to foster and help on the working of Society — the interests of all classes have been studied, and all classes in return have contributed each their quota to the maintenance and efficiency of the enterprise. And to be successful, of course, in a district where the total population cas. scarcely be reckoned by thousands, this system of pulling all together is indispensable. Their splitting up into fragmeuts and factions would be the fisst thing to le3ssnits influence and, consequently, its usefulness, 'if not, unhappily, to point to its J speedy dissolution. May this undesirable con summation be far removed from our Northern Association ; yet it is not without feelings of some uneasiness that we perceive that the decisions arrived at, at the reeent Annual General Meeting of the members of the Society, have in some quarters been viewed with disfavor, and we must, therefore, urge upon all interested the desirability of taking steps to rub down any little angularities which may have presented themselves in consequence of such decisions. "We, of course, are fullr alive to the fact that to please everybody is impossible, but that is no reason whv the recent proceedings should not be calmly and dispassionately reviewed. It had been considered a settled thing that our great annual treat — the show of stock, produce, and implements of husbandry — should take place at a time of the year most conventent for all parties, i.e. just before sheepshearing and harvesting operations. At the meeting referred to, however, the important project of the establishment of a Earn Fair was brought on for discussion, and supported by everyone present very warmly.