CANTERBURY.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 417, 22 October 1861, Page 3

CANTERBURY.

(From the Press.)

Accident. —A dreadful accident occurred at the Springs station a short time ago; a man named John Strange was gored !>y a bull, and died the next day of the injuries received. It appears the hull was one of those sent out by Earl Spencer, of which two, Regicide and Dover, were bought by Messrs. Brown, Cox and Co. Dover was drowned in a creek some months ago, and Regicide has become savage, as all bulls do as they advance in age; but Strange had managed him without fear or difficulty for more than a year. The bull was only turned out with the milking cows in the middle of the day, but was always stabled at night —in fact, except in very fine weather, he was tethered in the paddocks. The cows were brought in by the boy on horse back, who then rode away to fetch in a horse , and Strange seeing the bull walking away, followed him on foot and alone. The bull turned on him and knocked him down, and, when struck with a stick and irritated by the dogs, became infuriated, and gored and tossed the unfortunate man for a long time before assistance could reach him. The affair was witnessed by a girl who was in a neighboring field, who after some time attracted attention by her cries, when Mr. Draper and his brother ran to the spot, but were unable to drive the bull off until the boy arrived with the horse. Strange had, it appears, been to Weedon's public-house and procured some spirits in the morning, and, though not intoxicated, had drank sufficient to render him imprudent, as he had never before attempted to face the bull when not secured by a tether. The inquest was held at Dilloway's, Riccarton, before Dr. Coward, when the above facts were given in evidence. The jury-found a verdict of accidental death, but expressed their opinion that bulls should be confined to paddocks.

Governor Browne.—Who is the most unpopular man with the natives in all the world ? Why, undeniably Governor Browne. Whose native policy has been acted on in the last six years? Governor Browne's. What measure has the Governor proposed which the Assembly has frustrated? Not one. What policy has the Assembly forced on the Governor which he has accepted in spite of his better reason? None whatever. Lord Grey may build up as many theories as his ingenious mind can extort from blue books, but the fact remains, that the policy of Governor Gore Browne's reign has been his own —that the natives do not regard it as the policy of the settlers or of the Assembly, but as the policy of the Governor, and mistrust him accordingly. This is the opinion without dispute of all those who are best acquainted with the native mind in the Northern Island at present. We confess with shame and sorrow that the colony has been accessory, after the fact, to the war; but the policy was not ours in the first instance —it was the policy of Governor Browne,and the Native Land Purchase Department.

Coal.—Though we have not yet found the glittering talisman supposed to work most of the wonders of the world, Mr. Haast, the government geologist, has hit upon something else not a whit the less valuable. In the neighborhood of the Malvern Hills, a bed of anthracitic coal of large extent has been discovered, which, at a trial since made, has been proved well fitted for steam and manufacturing purposes. The value of this discovery to the province cannot well be overestimated, as it is the first coal ranlly fitted for steam purposes hitherto discovered in this part of the world. With a tramway to Christchurch and the Heathcote river, the coal field might be opened, and a very considerable trade carried on at once; and when the tunnel is completed, should the subsequent workings of the coal field carry out the opinion formed of its value at the experimental trial recently made, a large foreign, trade may speedily be expected. Even for purposes of fuel it would be well worth the cost to construct a tramway to Christchurch. The present price of coal. in that town is £6 per ton, and firewood fetches an equivalent rate. — Lyttelton Times.