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Southland Times, Issue 1144, 19 April 1869, Page 2

Country Sale. — Mr Sunn an elsewhere intimates that he -w 111 hold a sale of S-t >ck and fat Wethers at G-ummies' Bash, to-morrow, 20th inst. Property Sale.— Mr H. E. Osborae advertises a sale of property this day at noon, the sale to take place on the grouud, East end of Yarrow-street. Steam Service. — Keference to the shipping advertisements will show that some alterations have been effected in. tho routes of the Melbourne steamers. The Tararua, previously advertised to sail for Northern Ports on 17th inst., is now to sail this day, proceeding northward as far as Dunedin onlj, where she will reverse her course, and sail again for Melbourne direct, calling at the Bluff on the 23rd instant. Pish for Export. — A correspondent of the ' Westport Times' suggests preserving fish for export. He says : — " I refer to two kinds of fish — that is to say, whitebat and eel?. I devoted two weeks during the last whitebait season in order to discover something of their habits, and be enabled to form some estimate of the quantity that may be procured in a season. I think that, from September to Christmas, they can be caught in large quantities- I have no hesitation in stating that between the periods named ten tons may be procured in the Buller alone. No casual observer can form an idea ol the quantity of these tiny, though delicious fish that pass up the river every day during the season. I have no doubt that a ready market would be found in Melbourne and Sydney, where this delicacy is unknown." Reported Discotery of Quartz in CANTEBBTTItY. — We (' Liyttelton Times,' of 10th April), are informed that a piece of quartz was recently brought to Christchureh by a man who for some time past has been residing on the Maivern Hills, and that on seeing it Mr Ford, who has personal interest ia that locality, started off with a party of men to make further search. Tho specimen is stated to have been about the size ol a man's fist, and rumor further adds that Mr Ford judged it to contain about £20 worth of the precious metal. Colonel M'Donnell. — A statement has been going the rounds of the colonial press to the effect that Colonel M'Donell has received from the New South Wales Government, the appintment of Commissioner of Police in that Colony. Colonel M'Donnell now writes to the Hawkes' Bay 'Evening Herald' that the statement is totally unture. The Paciftc Railway. — The ' Herald' .(Melbourne), sth inst., says : — " The opening of the Pacific Railway, which is announced to take place on the 4th of July, and which will connect New York with San Francisco, will give Australia the means of a more speedy communication with Europe than even by the Isthmus of Suez. From Melbourne to Fiji is 2231 miles, and from Fiji to San Francisco 4719, so that the whole distance could be traversed by full-power ocean steamers, sailing at the rate of twelve knots per hour, in 24 days. The journey across the continent of America would occupy five days, while from New York to Liverpool is frequently performed in nine, making the time occupied between Melbourne and Liverpool 38 days, while from Sydney it would be two days less. In practice, however, the passage would probably occupy a somewhat longer time, as the mail steamers might go a few hun'dred miles out of their way in order to touch at Honolulu. We understand that this route has recently been brought under the notice of the Colonial Office, and that there is some probability of the question of accepting the protectorate of Fiji being reconsidered, as it is not considered desirable that all the coaling stations in the Pacific should be under the control of foreign powers." This may be taken as the solution of the question, why was His Royal \ Highness, Prince Alfred, instructed to curtail his stay in New Zealand, and visit the Fijis. Bishop Selwyn's Successor in ISTew Zeaxasd. — The London correspondent of the ' Argus' says it is understood that the Rev Mr Randall, Rector of Nowbary, will be nominated to the See of Christchureh, and that Dr Harper, the present bishop, having been nominated to the Primacy of New Zealand will be transferred to Auckland. PiiEuno-PNETTMoxiA in Otago. — From the ' Bru ••! Standard' we learn "on the authority of Mr Lilburne, V.S., that a case of pleuropneumonia has occurred in the herd of cows belonging to Mr William Smith, Tokomairiro. •Wq believe the cow had been affected with the complaint "for some time, and no steps were taken to ascertain what was the cause of her illness. She died shortly after Mr Lilburne was called, and a careful examination was confirinatoiy of the opinion that it was pleuro. " The 'Evening Stab.'— The 'Daily Times,' of the 14th April, says : — " The sale of the plant of tho ' Evening Star ' (Dunedin) newspaper took place on Monday, at the auction rooms of "Mr W. C. Young, by order of the mortgagee. There was a large attendance, and spirited bidding by two gentlemen. The plant was eventually knocked down by Mr Ydung to :Mr Henry Driver for £675. A New Province. — The 'Southern Cross' states that a number of gentlemen having property in the northern portion of Auckland, ' contemplate the formation of a Northland Association, for the purpose of securing the separation of Hokianga, Bay of Islands, and Mongonui, and its ireefcion into a new province, to be called Northland." - ■ Adbres9 This- Eyening. — We notice by iidvertis.'ment that Dr Mackern> recently arrived from England, and now on a visit to Southlaad:, will deliver an address this evening, at half*pa3t seven o'clock, in the large store opposite |the Prince of Wales Hotel in Dee streeet. Dr MaoJ<erH'sJeetares while on a visit to Tasmania have been very favorably reported by the press. The charge for admission is nil, and no doubt the room will be well filled on the occasion.

SirotdvEß Bridge. — The 'Wakatipu Mail ' says : — " It is stated that Mr Aldrich, contractor for the Shotover Bridge, proceeded to DnnecUn this morning for the purpose of obtaining the consent of Government to use birch instead of totara piles, on account of the I difficulties his men experience in obtaining the | latter. Mi* jßobertson informs us that his firm is prepared to supply any quantity of totai'a required, at a rate named by him to Mr Aldrich previous to his tender being received. Unless the public, money is to.be squandered; the bridge, as regards, this matter must be built in accordance with the present specifications ; and wo are satisfied the Government, when the thing is pointed out, will not sanction a repetition of the telegraph-post failure which transpired between Clyde and this town about three years ago. If Mr Aldrich objects to fulfil the conditions othera can be found to carry them out. Supposed Wreck. — The ' Melbourne Herald," sth April, publishes the following : — " A telegram was received this afternoon by the hon. the Collector of Customs, from the Customs Agent at Portland Bay, to the effect that a bottle was picked up yesterday on this beach, containing a paper stating that three men were shipwrecked on Julia Percy Island. The paper bears no signature, and the writing is very ind'stinct, but it requested immediate assistance. Can I send the lifeboat, with full crew to search the island ? Immediately on the receipt of this telegram, the Hon. the Commissioner of Customs gave orders that the lifeboat should at once be sent to the island, with a good supply of blankets and provision for the shipwrecked persons." Government House. — We learn from the- Wel'ington papers that the tenders for the new Government House have been Opened, and one accepted. Tile ' Independent/ 6tli April, says: — "The contract for the new Q-overnment House has been taken, and it is satisfactory to find that our local contractors are able to successfully compete with others in a larger way of business in the sister provinces. The tender of Mr B. Smith, with certaii modifications, has been accepted for the sum of £10,583. It is well to know that the modifications referred to do not at all reduce the size of the building dr the accommodation originally designed, and that the house will be complete in every respect, wanting only the furniture to render it habitable. The instructions to the architect being to limit the co3t to about £10.000. Poet Natal GoLD-FiELDS.-The Argus ■ Bth inst. Bays : — By the schooner Bella Kose, which arrived from Port Natal yesterday, we "have news from that colony to the 25th of , February. The diggings are situated at a distance of from 800 to 1,000 miles from Natal, and almost as little was known of them in Durban %s in Melbourne. The St. Kilda, from Melbourne,, had arrived, and the diggers whom she conveyed from this port were not a little disappointed with the prospects before them. They had an interview with Mr Hartley — one of those on whose authority the first story as 1 to- the richness of the gold-fields of the African interior was circulated — and they did not . hesitate to express an opinion that the rush was what in this colony would be called "a storekeeper's rush." The greater number of the St. Kilda's passengers, it is said, would return by her (o this port. The news, however, seemed to have created greater excitement in London and New York than it did in Melbourne . ' From both England and America several ships with miners were expected to arrive. One speculator .from London had brought out a < quartz-crushing machine, and he intended to uiake his way to the interior notwithstanding the unfavourable, nature of tbe reports."