RIVERTON.

Southland Times, Issue 1666, 22 November 1872, Page 3

RIVERTON.

(prom our own coeesspondent ) November 20. A meeting was held in the Courthouse on Friday evening for the purpose of organising a regatta, to come off during the Christmas holidays, when the following gentlemen were appointed a committee to make the necessary arrangements : — Messrs Instone, Mills, Tall, Longford, Murchie, Grant, Printz, Acheson, and Cook. Mr Mills was appointed treasurer, and Mr Murchie secretary. As the tide will not be favorable for the regatta being held on Boxing Day, it was proposed to have Caledonian sports on that day, and the regatta on New Year's day. A feature in the latter will be a ladies' race, with a coxswain. A good round sum has been already collected, so that the affair should prove a success. On Saturday last a party of seven men arrived here from Preservation Inlet, from whence they had walked to Mussel Beach, where they procured a boat, by which they were enabled to reach Orepnki, walking from thence to this place. Five of the men were employed by the Preservation Coal Mining Company, and

owing to the non-arrival of the vessel which was expected with stores, the men were reduced to sore straits from the ■want of the common necessaries of life. For some time before leaving they had to subsist on Maori cabbage and fish. Last week a log hut at Orepuki, occupied by Mr Couples, was, with ita contents, completely destroyed by fire. It appears that the inmates, on going out, left a fire burning, and it is supposed that a spark had caused the conflagration. The Mary, cutter, returned, here on Saturday last after a four months' sealing cruise. She brings some 350 skins, and would have been more successful if the weather had been less unfavorable.