LOCAL AND MINING.

West Coast Times, Issue 53, 5 October 1865, Page 2

LOCAL AND MINING.

Very soon we shall bo indirect communication -with the South Spit by means of a punt which has been constructed for tho purpose of conveying horses and drays, as well as passengers, across the river. She will ply across that part of the river abreast the Spit Hotol to a point on the other side immediately opposite, from which a road is nearly constructed to tho hoad of the lagoon, where a bridgo will complete tho conneotion between tho two spits. This will bo a great convenience to draymen and equestrians travelling south, tho disagreeable (and to the poor brutes dangerous) necessity of swimming horses across thereby being avoided. | The paddlo steamer Ballurat went out on Wednesday morning to tho Itangitira, from which vessel she took on board eightyfive passengers. She thon called upon the Thane of Fife, schooner, from whom nho recoived twenty-one more. The Omeo and Rangitira aro still at anchor, waiting to discharge their cargoes. The p.s. Bruco has irrived from the Sou'h. Sho mado her uppearanco off tho bar yesterday morning, just too lato for tide, which will entail upon her tbe necessity of a twenty-four hours' sojourn in tho roadstead. Pending her arrival insido, wo aro unablo at present to givo any account from tho Far South. Wo, howovor, remarked tbatsho brings back few, if any, miners. The Leonidas (brigantine) is onco moro jn tho hands of the riggers, who aro busily employed getting her spars aloft nnd crossing yar/te, and very shortly it is oxpeoted sho will bo r^ady for for sea. Although this vessel has been sevoro'y tried by hor post misfortunes, sho is, comparatively speaking, uninjured, and will soon be in sea trim again. Many vessels are now lying at anchor in the roadstead suffering a runious dotention through tho want of steam communication with tho shore i and most deeply is it to bo regrottcd that just when their services woro in tho greatest request, the two &tcwn tugi shoujd have ma with such a disaster. Thero are at present t oven vessels in the roadstead — the Omeo and Ranga lii-.i. Bterun nhins, the brig Orft'flievar, brig.infines Clara and 3'iuvnnnh Dnolh, Maria, a three-ma'-ted .-nVii>n r, and fivo other small craft whodo iiaroc:t we know not. That which but < he other day wai tho s'oamoi ""unison ha i now »vory a' wr.ince <> ( Ifting in a fwo;t tiu c mimlored tun n it tho things of tho

past, as, in all likelihood, not a Vestigo of her will be pormitted to encumber tho beach, all wih bo removed, wouthor permitting, for its value as old iron. Tho Samson, which was sold on Monday last, is to be broken up, and already a la ge portion of her machinery has been removed. We were present when tho piston was drawn from the oylindor, and it certainly scorned a remarkably tight fit, for four men at the windlass with a gun-tacklo purchase attached, and thrco more at the cylinder were hardly sufficient to move it. Sho is broken nearly in half, her strength, great as it was, being insufficient to support the immense weight of tho machinery.

Tho business at the Residont Magistrate's Court yestorday waa confined to a fow civil cases of importance to those only who were iminediatoly concerned in tho hearing thereof.

Tho s.s. Rangatiraleft Wellington on Thursday, 28th ult., with forty passengers, chartered by Messrs.' W. G. Turnbull and Co, and ' Messrs. Sidey and Co., of that place, and arrived at Nelson on Friday tho 29th. Loft Nelson on tho following day, with about 100. passengers, nnd arrived off tho port here on Monday morning. Sho brings a large and valuable cargo, consigned to Messrs. Turnbull and Co., of this place. She leaves for Nelson this day, weather permitting, and takes a good number of cabin passengers.

Tho event so long anticipated, prognosticated and longed for, tho sine qua non in some folks' opinion, of all the otbor advantages we possess, has at last happened, and tho river, apparently despising its former crooked ways, is now running straight out to sea, with every indication of having cut a deep channel for itself. Tho widthi however, between tho two parts of the north spit is still so great, that the formation of ft really good passage cannot be expeoted for a day or two ; it is, however, navigable so far as it has been tried by vessels of light draught, for, this morning the schooners Crest of tho Wave/ Florence and Minnie, and a cutter experienced no difficulty in going out ; whilst tho Ballarat, ss., having takon on board a heavy load of passengers from tho Kangatira, steamed safely but slowly in. Wo havo so often hoped that " this state of things may bo of long continuance, &c, &0.," that wo shall hope no longer, but simply expect that tho improvement of tho entrance will no longer be delayed by tho Government.