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Southland Times, Issue 1243, 26 April 1870, Page 2

Two small keys, found in Tay-street, are in the possession of the police, and will be returned to the loser on application at the camp. An effort was made, we understand, by the local Government, to induce Mr Fox to extend his visit to Southland. A telegram received from him yesterday, however, expressed kis regret that arrangements already made would not permit his coming to Invercargill. He at the same time intimated a wish to see His Honor the Superintendent in Dunedin, and it is probable that Mr Wood will comply with the desire, and proceed by the Phoebe to-day. If so, it is to be hoped His Honor may use his opportunity to enforce tbe claims of the unpaid departments. The Rev. Mr Rishworth, the newly-appointed Wesleyan pastor for this district, commenced his ministerial duties on Sabbath last, in the chapel, Leet-street. In the morning he choose for his text, second Corinthians, sth chap., 20th verse j and in the evening, Revelations, 17th. chap., 13th to 18th verses inclusive. Both discourses were excellent, in matter and manner, and were listened to with much interest. The church was well filled, especially in the evening, when it was quite crowded;

The twenty-seventh session of the Otago Provincial Council is to ba openei this day, the 26th in9t. The amount of gold received by escort from all the Otago golifields during the quarter ending 31st March last, was 32,0670z5. With reference to the fire on board the s.S; Claud Hamilton (says the Wellington Tndepen - dent), Messrs Johnson and Co. have received a letter from her owners, Messrs M'ileckan and Blackwood, from which the following is an extract : — " We are sorry to inform you that the Claud Hamilton, when coming up the Bay^ was discovered to be on fire in the forehold. Luckily, it was soon extinguished, and no great damage was done. There wa3 only wool and flax in the hold, and in our opinion the wool wa9 the cause of the fire, for some of the wool which had not been disturbed since it was stowed in New Zealand, was nearly red hot when landed. It was very dirty and greasy, and everybody blames the wool. The flax was only burned on the outside. About twelve or twenty bales will require repacking on account of wet, &c." The early closing movement has been adopted by the drapers of Wellington. The Kauri gum, so long a valuable export from Auckland, is said to be getting scarce. It is rumored that the veteran Dr Lang will be sent to England by the Sydney Government, in order to aid in a sound immigration movement . A case of triple birth has occurred in Dunedin, as will be seen by the following notice in the ladies' column of the Daily Times :— " On the 13th April, at her residence, Filleul-street, the wife of Mr Joseph Kirkby, of three daughtersone still-born." At the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, one inebriate was fined ss. W. Birchall got judgment against two men named M'Math and M'Leod, for £3 103 each, service of entire hone, with costs. A similar claim against Forde was disputed on a point involving guarantee, particulars of which will be given next issue. Boss v. Ekensteen and Hall, was a case heard on interpleader, to prove right of plaintiff to certain property formerly belonging to a mutual debtor, a nd which defendant had seized. Judgment for plaintiff, with costs. Ah Auckland correspondent of the SatoJce's Bay Serald says that " some of the Constabulary/ begin to appear about town in the new dress, which looks well and becoming. The good behaviour of the men is very apparent, and is making them popular. With the exception of a small section of the press, which seems bent on ' running a muck* with all and sundry, however .remotely connected with the present Government, the Auckland journals do not appear to see unmitigated evil in the establishment of what will undoubtedly be by far the best force yet raised in New Zealand." The New Zealand Gazette of April 9, contains the returns of agricultural statistics for the provinces of Wellington and Marlborough. The estimated quantity of wheat produced in the former is 55,082 bushels; of oats, 87,919 bushels ; and of barley, 15,169 bushels. The estimated quantity of hay is 5770 tons, and of potatoes, 658S tons. The total number of acres -under crop in Wellington is 184,274. In Marlborough, the estimated quantity of wheat is 58,963 bushels ; of oats, 23,572 bushels ; and of barley, 58,319 bushels. The estimated quantity of hay is 879 tons, and of potatoes 1373 tons. The total number of acres under crop is 24,003. -___Entollig«noo to hand from.ihe "Nevis during the , week (says the Cromwell Guardian of the 16th), is as follows :— The find of one ounce of gold to the dish is confirmed, with the explanation that it was simply a patch, and that patches of a similar kind are not uncommon. The shaft is down about 50 feet, and although the richest part of the ground is but patchy, the prospect of getting on to a lead is satisfactory. They are at work on a false bottom of stiff clay. O'EEare and party have been at work iv the vicinity for the last nine months. They have completed a tail-race three-quarters of a mile in length, and after sinking three shafts, were compelled to knock off in consequence of the accumulation of water. With the view of draining the ground, they are putting in a tunnel, and at the time our despatch left they were in expectation of striking gold every minute. They had got in about one thousand feet, and at various places had to cut through the rock for distances of seven and eight feet. The European population was on the increase, but that of the Chinese diminishing. We have been permitted to make the following extracts from private letters from a gentleman in Auckland, engaged in flax dressing. They will set at rest some points on which information has been frequently desired. The writer says : — "As far as I can gather, the system of dressing is the same with you as with us, but the fibre produced in the north is superior, not from better machinery or dressing, but from either a better climate for bleaching, or better flax. • • * The flax per "Percy," the sale of which was reported by Devitt and Hett, was, I believe, a parcel dressed at Raglan, on our west coast. It was a very good sample, and consisted almost entirely of a species of flax called by the natives "Tihore," which is the best we have up here, and is scarce, very little growing, except in the disturbed native districts. Still, our ordinary flax, dressed properly, realised £45 per ton, and there is no great difficulty in producing fibreequaltothat. * * * The whole of the husk should be loosened off the fibre by the beaters, else the drum is not set properly, there ■hould be no " edges" not done, except perhaps the red line on the extreme outside of the leaf, The " tips" should be done to within an inch or j so. * * * If you use steam, be sure you have power enough. A ten-horse engine has j quite enough to do to drive four mills and scutch at the same time. * * * Although the process looks so simple, it requires constant attention, especially in the field."