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West Coast Times, Issue 176, 12 April 1866, Page 6

The first visit paid by the Escort to' the Waimea, on the 22nd inst., was an inauspicious one, inasmuch as the day commenced with a misfortune and closed with another. Although the services of the troopers had been engaged by the banks as a guard, the latter provided for tho transportation of the gold dust into town, and accordingly had employed a packer named " Ned" to accompßny the escort, and bring the treasure back with him. " Ned's" journey, however, was brought to an untimely and unexpected conrlusion, for the party had only reached the Montezuraa when one of the horses behind which he was riding suddenly lashed out, and striking the unfor*'" fcupatfl packer between the knee and ancle broke both bones of the leg. A spring cart was at once procured and the poor fellow removed into town again, and he is now, we are happy to say, progressing favorably. This t contretemps delayed the escort some time I but the servico of another packer having been ; secured the Waimea was reached in due course, j the gold received from the Banks, and the escort set out on its return to town. We are j given to understand that the gold received from the Union Bank was packed in a common flour sack and not in proper saddle bags, and that the horse which carried it was an unmanageable brute that required rounding up many times during the journey. Once or twice he bolted right into the surf and one of the troopers had to ride in after him beforo he would come out again. On arriving in town the gold was delivered, when it was discovered f tlmt one bag containg 250 ounces was missing. At once the packer rode back to the Waimea. -^ to see if there had been any mistake made in the delivery but found there was none, and although diligent search has since been made along the road for the missing treasure, ri? trace of it has been discovered. It is feared the bag must haveenher fallen into the surf or into some of the iparshy places bordering the fofderoy roads in ike bush.