Provincial News.

Southland Times, Issue 757, 2 December 1867, Page 3

Provincial News.

A correspondent writing to an Auckland paper on the Thames Goldfield lays : — " 1 proceeded to the quarters of two old and experienced Victorian diggers, whom I had known in Auckland. My friends and myself subsequently visited almost every claim in the district, and after minute investigation we came to the conclusion that there is not a payable goldfield at Kauwae* ranga. There are only four to six good claims that are being worked. I call them good because, from the indications seen and the specimens obtained, the inference is that they will ultimately prove payable. But up to the time of my departure from- the Thames, every ounce of gold which | they supplied had cost double its value in the \ current coin of the realm. We must also bear in mind that it is doubtful whether a 'reef,' in tha full meaning of the term, has been yet discovered. In Australia, certain indications and appearances are generally followed by certain known results, i.e., a good specimen from a claim will be" followed by a find of more gold, &c. This is not the case at the Thames. You may there get a fine specimen from a leader, or what may be perhaps called a leef, and there your good luck ends. You may work on for days and weeks, and yet may perhaps never come to another 'specimen, 1 or see any further indications of gold. This is no doubt owing to the fact that the district in the vicinity of Shortland has experienced Bevere and peculiar convulsions o* nature, by which the gold-bearing quartz has been knocked about, hither and thither, in a most extraordinary manner, destroying that uniformity which is generally perceived, mora or less, in metallic lodes. As for alluvial gold, there is none at Kauwaeranga. Every portion of the ranges has been well examined by the diggers. You can scarcely go over 50 feet of any portion of the land at present open to them, without finding the surface scratched, in some cases to a considerable depth. An immense amount of labor must have been expended by them. In the most unlikely places, near the summit or peaks double the height of Mount Eden, you perceive drives piercing the solid rock several yards. Down the sides of the gullies and along the margin of the streams, you have similar appearances presented to your view, where it is evident that days and even weeks of persevering labor must have been applied by the indefatigable miners before they desisted from their efforts."

It has been for some time reported that the Otago Provincial Government contemplated the formation of a settlement at Martin's Bay. This country is described aa being well adapted for agricultural and pastoral purposes, and the harbor one of the bast on the West Coast. The Daily Times, 20th inst., writing upon this subject, says : — " A very important expedition is about taking place, under the auspices of the Ot&go Government. It has at length been determined that a settlement should h* piant»d on the West Coast of the Province, and something be done to connect it with the Eastern settled districts. For this purpose a steamer is being chartered, and a numerous party, including surveyors, are going round. A great deal of interest is attached to the venture, and sanguine hopes are entertained that material benefit to the Province will result from it." We hear that His Honor the Superintendent (Otago) will be one of the party, and Mr George Green, who claims a large extent of country in the locality under a native title, has telegraphed to Dunedin, stating his willingness to join the expedition it the steamer calls at the Bluff for him.

Mr Balfour, C.E., has prepared a report of his examination of the beach, harbor, and river protection of Hokitika. From the digest of the report, which appears in the local papers, we learn that Mr Balfour recommends works that will cost in the aggregate £7300, but does not consider the whole of this expenditure immediately necessary. As to the protection of the beach against further encroachments by the sea, he suggests what is to be done ought to be done promptly. By the addition of some comparatively inexpensive works, Mr Balfour thinks the beach may be effectively preserved at its present line. Some few additional groins and about thirty chains of double staking would form a safeguard against the sea. The total cost of these additional works, Mr Balfour sets down at the very moderate estimate of £1500. He attaches great importance, however, to the policy of " leaving intact all the protection provided by nature," and strongly condemns the removal from the beach of any driftwood or shingle. Mr Balfour repeats his opinion expressed on the occasion of his former visit to the port, that nothing can be done with the Bar. He considers, indeed, that any nieddiing with nature would only tend to make matters worse than they are. Any works which might be attempted, he says, with the view of making a permanent channel would only have the effect of extending ! the bar further seaward ; whilst works within the sand spits constructed with the view of confining the river mouth, would not only be uncertain in their action, costly, and liable to be swept away by floods, but would greatly increase the difficulty of re-launching stranded vessels into the river. The danger which was once supposed to exist of the river leaving the town, and taking the south channel, appears to have been somewhat exaggerated. Mr Balfour considers, however, that it existed, and that it was necessary to guard against it. He believes that, by " careful watching and judicious strengthening and extending the protection works, the river may continue to be successfully controlled." .For this purpose Mr Balfour names in his estimate a sum of £900. For river facings and additional wharfage accommodation, he sets down £490 i), making up in all, as wo have said, the total of £7300.The list of exports on Saturday, says the Otago Daily Times of ihe 25th inst., included 48 bales of manufactered flax. This flax was prepared by Mr Mansford, near Port Molyneux, and was forwarded by the Omeo to Melbourne, by Messrs Dalgety, Battray, and Co. The exports of the same day inoluded a boiler and engine, intended for the manufacture of flax. These have been purchased by Captain A. S. Murray, and were forwarded by the steamer Taiaroa to I Port Molyneux, where they are to be erected for the preparation of thß Native flax upon a plan which Captain Murray has found, by experiment, to be calculated to produce a warkatable article,

We have been furnished "with the following information concerning" ~the~3avings' Bank and money order departments of the Post-office, Invercargill. During the month of October there was deposited in the Savings' Bank the sum of £500 12s ; of this amount £338 15a was paid in by thirty-seven depositors, as additions to ■ sums previously to their accounts ; the balance, £166 17s, being lodged by new depositors. Twenty-seven. persons withdrew during the same time the sum of £270 19s lOd, showing an excess in favor of deposits of £229 12s 2d. In the money order office there were issued to ninety- | five persons orders on _ other offices amounting in all to £396 12s 4d, while forty orders were paid by the department amounting to £161 13s 6d ; shewing that £234 18s lOd was sent by persons in Invercargill to other places more than was received from other offices! From Queenstows, Mr Warden Broad, writing at the end of last month, reports that " several new claims have been taken up at the TwelveMile, Lake, and there is every prospect of that locality increasing in importance. There is a run: or of the Big Beach at Shotover being taken up by a new company, and worked on an improved system. It has rained- heavily during the month, and the creek and river claims are flooded. The Bluicers are, however, doing well, their races being full of water. In the Uuper Shotover, several parties are doing exceedingly well, 'ihe Wire Eope Company will wash up in about a fortnight, and a yield of about 300 ounces is expected. Clement's party have been doing well ; they picked up a. specimen a few days since weighing 27dwts. Gardiner and party have washed up, the result being 200 ounces, a very fair yield, although not quite equal to their expectations. Leyden and party are about constructing an expensive tramway, and driving a tunnel about SOU feet in length into Race Course Terrace. They will also have to flume the head water across the Shotover. The Scandinavian Quartz Company sent down a cake of 135 ounces about three weeks since, and another a day or two ago of 93 ounces. The stone in Southberg's claim is said to be improving. The population of the district is 1260, of whom 675 are Europeans, and 10 Chinese miners." Of the Cardrona, Mr Broad says that it continued to progress, and is becoming every day of more importance. " Xhe population is steadily increasing, and the yield of gold in proportion to the inhabitants is astonishingly large, much above the ordinary average in otuer districts. Last week the agent ot" thu Bank at (Jroinwell took down, I am told, nearly 40U ounces from the Uardrona. In addition to this, a certain quantity was brought iuto Arrowtowu, and a good deal held by the miners. The number of persons actually on^aged in mining is about 120. Several shares have been sold recently iv some of the claims at .the cad of the lead, the average price being about £zSO. The following pamed are all in lull working order, and getting gold — Austin and party, Homeward Bouud (Jo. Pirate Co., tiic Geo. tfrey Co., Fox aud party, , Patterson and party. Further up the creek King aud party, who have boeu prospecting for two years trying to iind the continuation of the lead, have at lust been successful, and struck payable gold. Further in still, Caidwell and party aud Pearce and party have obtained good payable prospects. Jdeveral new stores have been built ; and the miners have erected neat iron or Btone houses for thein- | selves, giving the place an appearance of comfort and permanence not often seen in outlying diggings. I would not recommend any miner to go to the Ciirdrona who has not sufficient I capital to live upon for three or four months ; i it is by no means a poor man's diggings, as the ground cannot be worked without the erection of costly pumping gear, aud no small outlay for timber, &c. I do not, however, know a more promising place for any man with a little money, and who is not afraid of hard work, and will keep himself steady. I have not yet had time since my return to visit the Twelve-mile. I understand, however, that some of the sluicing parties have been obtaining handsome returns, and a few of the old residents have returned from the West Coast to try their fortune again in the Arrow district. There is, I hear, a probability of the Criterion Quartz Company's claim being worked again. Most people believe that, with economical management, it would pay very well, and it would certainly be of greafc benefit to the district to get the stampers at work once more. The estimated population of the district is 800." It is stated in the West Coast papers that the Bank of New Zealand has opened an agency on Waite's Pahiki, and is also about to erect a handsome building at Westport. At the present time any informt»tion as to the past history of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh will be read with interest. We take the following extract from an English paper of 1858, a3 to his first " going to sea" as a naval cadet. His Royal Highness was first introduced to the quarter deck on board the Euryalus, at Spithead, on the 27th October, 1858. The report shows that " Prince Alfred will enjoy no immunity from his Hoyal rank ;" that " his outfit is no better nor niorj extensive than other- young gentlemen who are studying to enter the service The Prince slings his hammock on the lower deck and berths himself therein Hie same as the other cadets, and his kit has no superfluities." It will from this be seen that if this has been adhered to, his Royal Highness has had nine years experience of a sea lite, with all its practical teaching. His first voyage was to Corunna, where he was of course feted by the Spanish authorities, and had an opportunity of seeing the monument to Sir John Moore. He subsequently went to Lisbon, and after that up the b traits." "It may not be generally known," says the Braidwood Despatch, " that the order of Freemasonry is very popular among the Chinese. Members of the craft muster in great force in the Braidwood district of New Sonth Wales ; and we have bson informed by some gentlemen who were present at one of their lodge meetings the other night, and who were initiated into the mysteries of the Chinese order, that they carry out all the mystic rites arid ceremonies with which Freemasonry is endowed to a far greater extent than the European orders. On the occasion of the visit of the English gentlemen to whom we allude, the Chinese lodge at Jembaicumbene, there were no less than 400 members present — all Chinese. These gentlemen were made members that night, with about fifty Chinese. The proceedings commenced at high twelve at night, and it was sis o'olocik in the morning before the | English viaitjQi^* tju?n pgnfe

_ It.ia yetiincertain who are to-be representative! of the General Government in the county of Westland. Many rumors hare been afloat ; " Among the latest, says the West Coast Times is the report that Mr Sale, the present TTnder- ; Secretary for the Goldfields, is to be promoted over the head of Mr Bonar, the present Goldfields Secretary, as the Chief Executive Officer of the General Government in Westland. Mr Karl ran Damme writes as follows :— " A correspondent in Fiji, whose letter has reached me by the Otago, via Auckland, supplies the following copy of the official estimate of this year's exports from these islands :— Cotton, £60,000; cocoanut oil, £9,000; beche de mere, £600; tortoiseshell, £1,000; wool, £320; fibre coir, £1,000; all other exports, £1,000; total for 1867, £72,9201 A note at the foot of the return states that the next year's cotton crop will be double that of this year, while the total exports for 1860 were only about £8000. The last annual report by the British Consul gives the population as follows : — Whites, 450 ; natives, 300,000. My correspondent, in describing the late horrible massacre of missionaries, mentions that poor Mr Baker was killed by a single blow, bis head being taken off the body from behind by one cut with a tomahawk. The bodies of Mr Baker, and the nine- native missionaries killed with him were immediately cut up, portions being Bent to the tribes at friendship with the murderers, but Baker's and one other body were reserved for the feast, of the town in which they were killed ; and, with all the hideous ceremonies usual on such occasions, were duly prepared and baked in a native oven. „ The black man's flesh is said to have tasted sweet and savory to the cannibals, but poor, poor Baker had a bilter flavor, which disagreed with their stomachs. Thakombau had promised to send 5000 stroag fighting men to punish the murderers, as soon as the yam season was over — in October, I believe." ...... The fourth Annual Show of the Oamaru Agricultural and Pastoral Society took place on Thursday, 14th November. Want of space prevents our giving a full report, but we extract the following from the Daily limes, 16th Nov. It says : — " The number of entries was very largely in excess of those of any previous year, the competition in Merino sheep being very extensive, and the merits of many of ; the exhibits so nearly equal as to give the Judges no little difficulty in deciding their respective places. There were no less than eighty-six exhibits of Merino sheep, and twenty-seven of long-wools. The show of entire horses was magnificent, and such as the district may well be proud of; indeed, the draught horses indeed were Very much admired. The least satisfactory part of the Show was, perhaps, the cattle, in which the exhibits were few in number. There were, however, among those few, some very good animals shown, whose merits obtained for them the award of prizes and honorable mentions. In pigs there were eleven entries. A very pleasing feature of the exhibition was the presence of exhibits of sheep from the flocks of Mr Hamilton of Southland, and Messrs Studholme of Canterbury. The former gentleman was very successful, carryiug all before him in the long-wool classes. Messrs Studholme also, who showed a splendid pen of twenty rams, which were much admired for their size and quality, obtained honorable mention. The chief honors of the day, in Merinos, went to Messrs E. A. and R. Julius, who obtained the gold medal for the best ewe, and also for the best three rams, 4- tooth and upwards, besides several other prizes." The Adelaide Telegraphic correspondent of the Argus, under date 13th November, says ;— " The officers of the Galatea who have returned in the Flinders from their kangarooing excursion in the Peninsula, express themselves as highly delighted with their reception and treatment as well as the sport. Some statements have been made in town ! reflecting unfavorably upon the conduct of a well* ! known member of the Upper-House, who has been the host of the Prince at his station near the Lakes. The matter had reference to the great corroboree on Tuesday night, and one of the dailies having this nurning commented severly upon the alleged occurrence, the son of the honorable gentleman has to-day taken the law in his own hands and thrashed the sub-editor, who is supposed t ) have been the author of the obnoxious article. The statement is that the Hon. Mr Baker wanted the native women to dance at the corroboree naked."