INTERPROVINCIAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 79, 14 August 1869, Page 3

INTERPROVINCIAL.

"We understand that the colour of gold has been found at a depth of 32 feet, in a well sunk in Oamaru. The stuff taken - out "contains also emerald and ruby-coloured crystals, interspersed with black eand^— " Oamaru Times." • - .

" Yesterday,' Brd* inst., a party consisting of Messrsr'Jatnes Blacklock, J. Shearer, J. Kingsland, and' J. Colyer, proceeded by train to the Greenhills, for the purpose of having a look at a quartz reef, which crops out in that locality somewhere. Their opinion of the value of the stono they are not yet prepared to give, as they intend to it yet more thoroughly, and also to extend their search amongst "the neighbouring hills. — "Southland Times,"

Th© "Sydney Morning Herald" writes as follows, and the remarks apply to Otago :— " While a great deal of attention is being given io the cultivation of new crops, a great deal too little attention is being given to a most important indigenous product — timber. There is no' check anywhere to the destruction of trees. Tho settlers aro clearing as the will ; and the lumberers are felling and rolling and shipping away^ without a thought of the manner in which the void is to be filled up. Districts once famous for cedar are now completely denuded of that valuable tree. Large areas well wooded have been laid open, and wo bear tho same cry that issues from other quarters of the globe, where similar measures have been adopted, •respecting the intolerable heat, the scanty fall" of rain, and the dwindling of large rivers to small streams,"

It would appear that after all it may be possible that a living specimen of the gigantic dinornis may yet be captured. Dr. Hochstetter says that in inaccessible solitudes there might still be some living stragglers of that "iant family, " the last of the mohieaiis," and that Herotaunga, in the vicinity- of Auuririri, wag or is the haunt of the last living moas, and the " Wanganui Chronicle " now informs us that "a party who have just returned to Sangitilfei from the Ruahiue Songe (a part never traversed by the Pakeha) state that on two occasions they foel certain that they saw a giant bird stalking up ono of the rugged peaks, at first they took it to be a horse or bullock from tho size, but a closer inspection proved it to be a bird. The ' Natives state that the Moa had a fleshy sort -of hoof with projecting toes, enabling it to travel owr snow or soft ground. The men who saw it state that it travelled fast, by a kind of bound, go'ms; orer a .space of 20 feet at a timo. The party intend shortly going back to endeavor to 3ecure the Moa. If the attempt is successful, such a bird will be viewed with interest by all naturalists."

The special reporter of the " Canterbury Press," recently visited the quartz reefs on Banks Peninsula, on the same occasion as His Honor the Deputy Superintendent, tho Provincial Solicitor, the Provincial Auditor, and Mr. "W. White. He says:— "The whole of the party repaired to the vicinity of tbe reefs, and first met wish Mr. A. Atkinson and party, who pointed out the spot where they found the gold-bearing specimens of qunrtz, which they they had lately exhibited in Christchurch. On the hill where they were working the quartz was to be seen cropping out in several places; in fact I believe that the greater portion of this hill is composed of quartz. "Whilst there I tested several places both on and at a short distance below the surface, but failed to discover the actual existence of gold. On sinking for a short distance underneath where the specimens were suppoaed to have been obtained, I came across another large block of quartz, which 1 think cleraly proves that the hill is composed principally of quartz." " I then descended the hiii for about tlurty feet, and found that the reef had been stripped and was exposed to view, but on examination I found no gold to be visible, and, indeed, had I done so, judging from my experience in Victoria, I should have been surprised as the part exposed bore a very 'hungry* appearance." Ho then goes on to say that he visited the claims where Mr. De Bourbel's men were working, and found that nothing satisfactory had been discovered, and that the unskilful mode of working used by them waa unlikely to lead to lead to any profitable result, but feels confident that by the employment of sufficient capital and the adoption of a proper system of working, the reefa on the Peninsula will eventually prove a scource of profitable investment. As the alluvial diggings, he hardly thinks that they could be carried on in the flats, except by large numbers acting unitedly in order to keep down the quantity of water which would necessarily be met with in the attempt to bottom tho shafts.

Two gentlemen in "Wellington, says the " Independent," a short time ago had the good fortune to invest a little money in two different claims on the Thames, one being the well-known All Nations, and the other the Long Drive. Fortune has been in their favour, and one investor is now in the receipt from his claim of about L2OOO per annum, while the other is receiving the incredible mm of ore* L3OO per week.