The Southland Times. THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 1866.

Southland Times, Volume VII, Issue 532, 2 August 1866, Page 2

The Southland Times. THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 1866.

"We understand that there is a probability of Miss Julia Matthews, with talented assistants, visiting !Invercargill, pri»r to their final de parture to 'America and England. Should' our information prove correct, we nay anticipate a theatrical treat of a higher order than has ever fallen to the lot of Southlanders. Mr. Puetteltow is deserving of high eulogium for the exertion* he is making to induce the very first-class artists to visit this town. Is is to be hoped that the negotiations wDI lead to the appearance in our beautiful little theatre, of th© talented ladies and gentlemen whose names have been mentioned aa likely to visit Invercargill. The owners of dogs should bear in mind that the " Dog Ordinance " came into operation on :'"*e Ist August, and that all unregistered animals -: s family are liable to be impounded by the r nd destroyed. It has been stated that - - '_-■-■-■ -■=- "ill place poison throughout the town ; - - 1 -- i -■■ .-•::•:♦:. All dogs not possessing the - - : - ■'.-- •:■■ - --'-■-. ■:' respectability are liable to be 53.7 ' - ■"-: -i ; -a aaT-j-l but no .general planting •:f p -•-■:"•- ••:t"-:-u ■_■":- t'jr : iiia sanctioned by the "''i'"-c A::' TT.j ■-■.;„:'.; ?; commend all who ';_..;:".•:.; ■:.;■■"- thc-7 ti_, ; -. to -.-e.-i;-.^ at onee — the Ac: is i on>: %zd ~ii\ ~:: c-r '- "? be strictly T:;i Er :-«r c: tie Tunfiiit Water Works j IT.*, i.- -il<--, and hi- ::-.;•; : ; erk, Sullivan, have I:-.: -:.--?zzi it u.j D >.:ij. Police Court with .-.,.-:; rirauar-. --■■■-. ■: r~yjnj by "salting" the P J : : - : --- T - .i:.-;r a :~>:-.z iavestigation, both were •-.-1.-^;-:-. : :'or tr^ii : rlij Magistrate at the same *.— ■:• r.--:.-.r-.Lr:-.g. ■'.:.: zi- far as the evidence went L;-"i:;. ; ...id p:-; -jHt be able to show that he hvi r ., lv „ Ij^-1/ r- j.j a party to^the peculatiom "f '-:■-.'■- ■■■-+ a Jo^Ufj .j been carried on for s> con-

From our late "Wellington papers, we learn that the ox-man«ger of the Wanganui Steam Navigation Company has been 'charged with embezzlement, and committed for trial. The general quarterly meeting of the members of the Chamber of Commerce was held jesterpay (August Ist), at their rooms, Tay-street. The only business of importance -was the consideration of a proposal for the amalgamation of the Chamber with the South'and Club, which had been adjourned for debate at a previous meeting. It was resolved that no alteration in existing arrangements should, for the present, take place. The "West Coast Times " 17th July gives the following mining items.—" Very fair accounts indeed have reached us from the different mining centres, where nothing but activity and steady industry prevails. At the Ballarat Bush in the Waimea district, the Hau Hau in the Kapieri, an|l on the large fiat beneath Rosstown, in the Totnra district, deep sinking is being successfully prosecuted, and attended by euoh results as a few months ago was hardly anticipated. In all parts of the district sluicing is followed in all its branches, and yielding excellent returns. At the KaniSri, no less than six steam engines are in full work, besides several water-wheels ; and that their introduction was a wise proceeding, is now universally admitted and fully borne out by results. Late events lead to the supposition that we are upon the eve of extensive and most important quartz i reef discoveries, as a large body of likely looking J stone, by some considered only a " blow- j up," whilst others maintain that a well- j developed reef is struck, was hit upon by I some prospectora about ten days ago. The locality of the find is about twentyseven miles up the Arahura river, at the foot of the snowy range. So far the stono is barren, but its presence is a good indication that other reefs of a rich nature exist in the neighborhood. A reef stone, speckled with fine gold was also picked up in the Totara district the week before last, and these facts have led to the formation of several exploring parties, who are determined to ransack the country immediately under the high range, as the belief is widely entertained that reefs wjll be found intersecting the j mountains in many places." i The " Southern Cross " of the 16th July has the following paragraph, which is of immediate j interest to all the Provinces. We have over and I over again expressed a conviction that petroleum ! might be diicovered in other localities than Taranaki, and wo are now confirmed in the belief that if sought for, it would be found in Southland. The following is an extract from the paper abovementioned: — "That petroleum exists in Nelson Province has been placed beyond question by Mr Halkett, the well-known mineralogist, who has just returned from a visit to the island, where he found the evidences of a full supply of this valuable mineral oil. The place where the oil is found is a new harbor, ' hitherto little known, and situated near the north end of DTrville's Island. Mr Halkett describes this harbor as magnificent, roomy, and with ample depth of water. The oil is seen up the first right arm of this harbor, near to the mo\ith of a small river. Here the oil bubbles up and floats on the surface of the water> with an apearance similar to that of castor oil when mixed with and partly floating on the top of the water. No smell is observable, as the peroentage of oil, when compared with the body of water, is necessarily small, the bubbles of oil having to rise through about a couple of feet depth of water. By dipping the hand in at th& place where the bubbles arise, it becomes quits oily. All around the edge of bay there is found a greasy substance, evidently the product of the oily bubbles which have been rising from ths water for years. This oil spring was first discovered by means of the Maoris, -who observed the oily appearances, concluded that a whale had been stranded, and that its blubber was gradually melting and turning into oil ! It is understood that a lease of the land, with exclusive Tight to bore for oil, for & tract of two square miles, has been obtained by Mr D. Littls and Mr Halkett."