CANTERBURY.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 156, 19 April 1859, Page 3

CANTERBURY.

(From the Lyttelton Times.) The arrival of the steamship Armenian from Calcutta, via Mauritius and Sydney is an event that deserves notice. .She. has been chartered by Mr. J. Cracroft Wilson, (formerly a resident in and well known for his services in one of the most disturbed districts of India,) to convey himself and his family from Calcutta to this colony, where he intends for the future to take up his residence. Calcutta was left on the Ist January, and thence the Armenian went first to the Mauritius, taking to that colony 500Cooli<s, part of a number of 57,000, who have been imported into the island by its Government. In Port Louis the Armenian remained a week, aud; thence sailed with a cargo for Sydney, which port was reached io 31 days, a passage almost unprecedented. In Sydney Mr. Wilson re maiaed three weeks taking 55 horses and sundry cargo on board the steamer for this port, and sailing on the 29th, reaching Ly.ttelton harbor

in exactly nine days, during only one day and a half of which time she was under steam. Three horses only died on the passage, and the rest are landed in excellent condition. Indeed it would be strange if horses were not safely imported in such a vessel. The •/Armenian is a particularly,.fine ship, full rigged, and fitted with an auxiliary screw power equal to sixty horses. Mr. Wilson, who performed the most dangerous services against the rebels in. India without a scratch, has been so unfortunate as to break his collar bone on the voyage by a fall down the hatch-way before reaching Mauritius. In the disturbed state of the country, there was no opportunity for obtaining the specimens of deer and other game and animals which Mr. Wilson had intended to bring, and the only zoological specimens from India are, on this occasion, two hares and a Bokhara jackass. The Armenian returns to India in a few days via Sydney,' where she will take in a cargo of brood mares. The Steam Service.—The Lytielfoii Times of the 9th gives the following particulars of negociations now said to be pendiug relative to the future routes of the Coleman steamers ;— " We understand that negociations are now pending between the General Government and Mr. Culeman for the establishment of the following scheme of postal service— 1. A direct communication between Sydney and Auckland by the Lord Worsley. 2. A direct communication between Melbourne and Nelson, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago, carried on by two steamers. The one starting from' Melbourne on the day after the arrival of the English mail (say the sth of each month) and returning to Melbourne by the 16th of the following month, in time for the despatch from Melbourne of the homeward mail. In the meantime the second steamer would have started on the sth of the second month with the New Zealand mails to perform the same trip. 3. An Inter-Provincial service from Manakau and Auckland so arranged as to make the trips of the steamer which performs this service, about intermediate between the trips of the line, No. 2, as regards the Northern settlements. Tin's is, in substance, the plan which Canterbury memoriiilised for ; and if agreed upon, and carried out effectively, it will, we think, give satisfaction to all the provinces. The Deal Boatmen.—Mr. H. J. LeCren has entered into an engagement with six of these men to proceed to Timaru, there to take charge of the boating of that landing place for the term, to commence, of one year. Mr. Lej Cren offers the use of his boats at a moderate j rental, and guarantees a stated amount for the year's return; he also assists the men and their families to go down to Timaru, and offers to sell them land for occupation on moderate terms. This offer has been readily accepted, and will, we are sure, be carried out by both sides to the advantage of all concerned. ■ It is certain that the experience of the D»ul boatmen will enable them to work the Titnavu boating business more satisfactorily than it has hitherto been performed. The General Government has considered the propriety of appointing a Resident Magistrate specially for Lyt.tulton, and has selected Mr. A. Chethatn Strode, late Resident Magistrate at Diuiedm, to fill the appointment. Mr. Strode has been for some time on a visit to England, on leave of absence, hut is shortly expected to return to the colony. Mr. Hall's duties will then be confined 'to Christchurch and the Plains.