AUCKLAND.

Southland Times, Issue 1174, 11 June 1869, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

Our files are to the 27th ult. We extract the following : — BEPOBTED QOH) DISCOVEBY AT WAITAKABEI. A report was prevalent yesterday evenintr in town that gold had been struck by accident in cutting a road at Waitakarei, and that the quartz taken out was richer even than that first found at Hunt's claim at the Thames. Of the truth of this we (" Herald ") have no positive proof. It was, however, very generally believed in, and yesterday evening a prospecting party of three who had received the information as to the exact locality of the find, took a trap from Messrs Quick's livery stables, and started at once. This party intended only to proceed as far as "Wallace's Hotel, on the Great North Boad, last night, and then to proceed through Waikomiti into the ranges this morning. The trap was ordered to meet them in three day's time at Wallace's Hotel. THE WAIKATO. Extensive preparations are, it appears, being made by the friendly natives resident in the vicinity of Ngamawahia to provide suitable entertainment to the King party who may come down to meet the Governor. The friendly chief Te Wheoro, we now leain, has taken the matter in hand. He has invited the King, Tamati Ngapora, Eewi, and all the leading men to visit Ngaruawahia, and the meeting between his Excellency the Governor and the natives will take place on Tuesday. — '* Southern Cross," 27th. GOLD FROM THE THAMES. The Eoyal Alfred, which arrived last night from the Thames, brought up 1100 ounces of gold from the Shotover claim, and which was lodged in the Union Bank. —Ibid. THE WAIKATO. — PBOPOSED MEETING BETWEEN THE GOVEBNOB AOT) KDTG PAETT. Alexandra, May 24, 2.50 p.m. Manuhiri and other members of the King party are to arrive here on Friday next. They will meet the Governor at Ngaruawahia on Monday. — ' Southern Cross,' 26th. DEATH OP MB H. DE BURGH ADAMS. It is with deep regret that we have to announce the receipt of intelligence by the last mail from England of the sudden death of Henry De Burgh Adams, Esq., Principal Purveyor to the Forces at the Curragh. The sad news was conveyed in a private letter received yesterday by Mr L. Nathan from Mr Matravers, and, being written on the eve of the departure of the mail, was of a necessarily brief nature. — ' Southern Cross.' THE THAMES GOLDFIELD. Shortland, May 21. The races are over, but the protection not. I regret to say that the holidays granted by the Superintendent have been, and are, a source of distress here. I do not blame the Superintendent, as he was not aware to what time the Duke would stay in the province ; but he might have made a weekly notification of protection, or given three days on the Duke's landing, and three on his departure. The miners suffer much from these frequent holidays, but capitalists more. Their money is lying idle, and it would not be fair for them to provide labor for others in the same mine who wish to keep holiday. In the matter of legal companies there is no hardship, as the directors or legal manager can at all times carry on the work by the employment of labor ; but in private mines, which are not in company, there is a great hardship. It may be that there are shareholders and part wages men working — the former, wishing to keep up the whole of the holidays, deprive the working men from doing any work ; for it is not feasible that shareholders employing labor would allow their wages' men to do the work of those absent working shareholders. I sincerely hope that the Superintendent will in future consider the great interest at stake here, and abridge the holidays as much as possible. Ata rough calculation it is estimated that these holidays will be a loss of at least £10,000 to the field. A number of shares in the Eureka Gold Mining Company have recently changed hands above par. This is one of the best claims on the field, and has been recently brought under the Mining Company's Act. It is situated near the All Nations, find adjoining the Moanatairi Co.'s ground and other good claims. A crushing of 200 tons of stuff will take place at once, and other quartz taken out will keep a battery constantly employed. A piece of wanton destructiveness took place a few nights ago, and for what reason no one can divine. Mr Workman, of the | Goldeu Crown, hoisted a very rich flag — j iv honour of the arrival of the Duke — close to his house, and during the night some miscreants took it down and totally destroyed it. Mr Workman has offered a reward of £100, and I hope the perpetrators of this deed willbe discovered. Tbeflag was of no party color, and was the finest I have seen in the province. The race ball is to take place to-night, at which the elite of this place will be present. It is likely to be a success. We have magnificent weather, which is being lost as far as mining is concerned. Now is the time when the claims ought to be put into proper order for the winter working. The Thames Crushing Company's machine is again at work, crushing for Hunt's. The machine to be erected on the Golden Crown claim is progressing. This machine will combine all the latest improvements for quartz crushiug, and is estimated to cost £6000. It is said that _ over 24,000 ozs. of gold has been taken out " of this remarkable claim.

I THE CLIMATE OF ENGLAND.

The able scientific contributor to the ' Taily News' remarks that a question of great interest ia suggested by the consideration of the weather which now so commonly prevails during our winter months. It seems impossible to doubt that the climate of England has undergone a change of late years. In looking back over the records of the past quarter of a I century one notices a marked prevalence of mild and moist winters. Now and then there has been a bitter spell, but scarcely a singleinstance has been recorded of long-continued frosts, such as used to be experienced of old. If we compare the account in Gilbert White's " Natural History of Selborne" of the winter weather experienced less than a hundred years ago, we are yet more struck by the ( change which has taken place. White's account, for example, of the winter of I 1776 describes a state of thinga such as I has not been seen in England for many years. The cold weather began on the 7th of January, and on the 14th the narrow roads were filled with snow to the tops of the hedges. From this time the ■now continued to increase and stopped the road waggons and coaches, " which could no longer keep their regular stages, especially on the western roads." On the 22nd White went to London, and. he remarked that the metropolis exhibited a still more singular appearance than the country, being completely bedded in snow. The frost in the erening of the 27th, and afterwards for four following nights, was so intense that the Thames was frozen over both below and above the bridge, and crowds ran about over the ice. The snow remained twenty six days without melting on the houses in the city. Whether we suffer more from the gales which accompany the milder and moister weather of recent winters than from the biting frosts of the " old fashioned" weather may be questioned. The destruction of life and property during a great gale attracts more notice ; but it is probably less terrible in its real effects than the " wave of death" which the registers ot mortality exhibit when a bitter season is passing. To the strong and hearty the frosts and snowa of a bitter winter may seem genial and invigorating ; but they bring death with them to the weak, the ailing, and the