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West Coast Times, Issue 314, 25 September 1866, Page 2

A telegram was received from" tho 'Provincial Secretary's office yesterday morning, acknowledging the r&eipt of the petition on the subject of the Representation of the district in the Q-eneral Assembly, and promising its immediate transmission to Mr Moorhouse at Wellington. ,

\ Considerable commotion was caused in [R.'vell street, about six o'clock last evening, I in consequence of a horse, attached to ono of tho lij;ht express waggons plying in the town, bolting off at full speed. The animal had been ,ieft at tho door of Mcsnrs Bailie and Humphrey's store, near the Theatre, when it by 'sonic means took fright and started away at la furious rate, scattering everyone right and left, and narrowly avoiding 'trampling on two or threo children. One or two adventurous individuals made efforts to check the headlong career of the affrighted animal by standing before it, at a very respectful distance, throwing up their arm', and- producing a sound compounded, of a calf's bellow and the " h-s-s-s-ll " by which housewives scare away a predatory Wt ; but on the nearer approach of the horse, valor gave way to prudence, and the remarkable agilily discovered by these individuals in rushing into stores and down rights-of-way, testified their dislike to il closer acquaintance. The>choru3 of unearthly yells which sounded from all sides increased the auimnl's terror and speed ; a party of troopers and other horsemen followed' on his trail, succeeded by a "motley multitude glad" of a little cheap 'excitement and the pleasures of a hunt, until at last the horso passed under tho verandah of *the Ghlway Club Hotel, whero tho wnggon^came to grief, tho near fore-wheel striking a post, and reducing the machine to a heap of ruins. • The ibrco w.ith. which tho collision took placo may bo imagined from tho fact that every strap of tho , harness either snapped or gayo way, thus immediately liberating the- hoivo, which again bounded off, receiving a check of scarcely an instant. He was, however, pursued and brought back uninjured, but the waggon is utterly destroyed.

j By "the coach leaving ito-day for Christchurch, a memorial has been forwarded to the Superintendent, praying that fie would appoint a Commission to 1 sit iv Hokitika, and enquire into the claims of a number of sec-tion-holders, whose rights arc affected by some of the Eeservcs that arc scattered 30 numerously over the map of Hokitika. It will y be remembered that on the visit of Mr Moorhouse here last July, he promised that such a Commission should be appointed on his return to Christchurch— a promise that he seems, in the bustle of many more important duties, to have overlooked. In the case of one class of the memorialists, without some such mode of settlement, ther-3 are likely to ariso difficulties tUat can only be decided in the higher courts of law, as the residents thereon, having received notice from the Commissioner to remove their buildings by the 25th proximo, have determined to refrain from doing so, and instead carry their case, if possible, into the Supreme Court before 'a jury. Whatever be the claims of the parties in question, thei«o is no doubt but that the matter of theso Reserves has caused great injury to-very many of our townspeople, and the appointment of a Commission would amicably sottle a great uurabor of vexatious disputes.

We aro happy to state that tho Ho Ho lead, which was lost near Tucker Flat, has agafn beeji picked. >Ip by » pa-rty of onterpviaing

Soolsinon, who, aftor many wook's prospecting, struck gold in a sixty-foot shaft which adjoins tho last payable claim on the load. So far the prospects obtained aro not very brilliant, thq bast we havo yot heard of, not giving moro than tun grains to Iho dish ; but tho discovery iß' important, a3 it proves beyond doubt that tho load continue*, aud may yet be tracod for miles. There is a fine range of country ahead, containing many likely hills and gullies, which we have every confidence will be yot proved auriferous. A heavy rush resulted from tho Scotsmen's discovery, and the supposed lino of lend is marked out quite half^a-milo wide. Th,e lead of gold lately struck in a terrace on the north bank of the YTereraakau, about four miles above its confluence with thaoggpv has been proved narrow but rich, as those parties who have, fprtunately for tkemsolvos, secured it, can occasionally wash half an ounce to tho dish. The direction, of the lead is at present nearly north and south, which will take it far inland of uny of tho beach or low terruco workings that fringe it. A groat many miners liave left the rush disappointed, turning their faces southward for the Waimea district. • Situated in a somewhat s outlandish locality, [it is seldom that news from the Fourteen Mile Rush up the Kanieri reaches ti§. A few' stray items, however, which we havo lately heard, concerning the doings of miners who -are at work there, encourage us in hoping that the back country will yH afford a 'profitable field for mining enterprise, as a considerable quantity of gold is getting hvtno vicinity of Long Ford, some of il. being a v vory superior sample indeed. Ono man carried into tho Eunieri' township several ounces of heavy water-worn gold, in pieces ranging, from 1 dwt. to 13 dwts. each. v He refused to make known tho precise spot from which it was obtained, further than that he found" it in the bed of a small tributary g£ the River Kanieri. The mown, which reached tho full at thirtyeight minutes after one o'clock .yosterday morning, presented an extraordinary appearance last night. Shortly after midnight it faile^d to give any effective light, and became obscured by a deep, lurid, flickering red, which had all the somblance of the reflection of a great fire — its flame and its smoko contending with each other. This strange phenomenon lasted for a considerable time, until shortly after two o'clock this morning the moon became invisible, -The explanation of the phenomenon is furbished by the almanack for tho year, which announces a total eclipso of the moon on September 24 and 25, visible in Now Zealand. Tbo middle of the eclipso 'took place at forty minutes after ono o'clock ; the end df the total phase' at twentySeven minutes after two ; tho last contact with the shadow at tweuty-sevou minutes after three, and the last contact with the penumbra at twputy-four minutes after fdur. Late intelligence whieti has reached us from tho Scandinavian rush, tolls a most satisfactory talo of mining affairs in that locality. Tho first hill opened, is turning out magnificently— quite equal, and in some instances far surpa-isiug the anticipations in- , dulged in by claim holders ou obtaining their first prospects. Throughout the hill, gold has been distributed with no niggardly hand, and one or two of the claims would not have disgraced in yield, the richest gullies opened in 'Victoria's palmiest days. Ono party is sanguine of obtaining from 200 ounces to 300 ounces each share, and another can wash Jozto the dish out of tho face of a drive, 'taking the dirt roughly from the "stoup." In this claim a single drive running along the boundary, yielded 150 ounces. Every > claim in work on the hill is paying well, and wo believe that wo are quite within bounds, in stating that not one of them will give less'than L2OO per share. Last week the seventh hill on this lead was rushed, some parties having struck 4 grs. and 5 grs. to the dish in a tunnel in its northern slope. Wo have 'not yet heard the result, but "fre.l confident some payable claims will be found there. The country between Scandinavian Hill and Stafford Town is disappointing miners who hold shares there, as the lead (if such'it can ba termed) is patchy, poor, and -narrow, and many men have, in consequence, deserted it — to attend, however, a more promising locality, opened on Friday last, between Ballarat Hill and Stafford Town, where, on the evening of the day ■■ named, a shaft was bottomod on a hill similar ( in formation to the others, which have given such satisfactory returns on the same line of country, and prospects of from £dwt. to ldwt.

the dish obtained. The necessity of steam power, as an essential aid to the miner in extracting gold from deep and A'et ground, is now so universally recognised that, when circumstances permit of its introduction, no time is wasted in puny manual efforts, but machinery is at once procuced j and tho result has ever proved the wisdom and economy of the measure. Iv all countries where gold miniug is recoguised a 8 a legitimate occupation, tho formation of companies for the purpose of moro effectually working jjround only partially exhausted by the unmethodical labor of tho first discoverera, has been resorted to, to supply that necessary combination of labor and capital, without which no extensive • undertakings can jbe Guccessfully prosecuted. For many years this system has been adopted in Victoria, and has been the means of there introducing a great variety , of appliances, devised by the ingenuity of man, for tho extraction of minerals. Efficient pumping gear was early recognised as indispensible, and many descriptions of pumps were from time to time introduced, ascending in . regular gradations, as exigencies demanded, from the common tin hand-pump to those ponderous machines, to drive .which- powerful engines are indispeusiblo. Tho example sot by Victoria has been early followed by Westland, wliere'mining has assumed a phase necessitating the introduction of the ' co-operative system ; accordingly many mining companies have formed in the older districts — amongst which the Kanieri stands pre-eminent. Several steam engines arc at work there, driving nearly as many kinds of pumps, some of which answer fairly whilst others are pronounced to be decided failures. In a former issue, wo alluded to the Star Company as the first to erect on engine to which w,as attached two sets of elevators ; but the expense attending the wear and tear of the latter was so great, that it was determined to send" to Melbourne for iron liftpumps to replace '"them. Mr Shearer, the company's engineer, was despatched on this ' mission, and three weeks ago returned; bringjpg back, not Mio pumps expected, bufc one on, quite ft different principle, Paring hw #t&y in

Melbourne, an opportunity was afforded him of inspecting sovoral centrifugal pumps, aud he was bo impressed with their excellence that he purchased ono at a high figure, and has been employod sinco hi« return iv getting it into position, and on Saturday laet tried it for the first time. Yesterday we saw it in full work, and. were quite uutonishod at the immense volume of water thrown, which, we feel confident, could bo little lest. thin 1000 gallons per minute— go great wa» the di»charge that the tail-race mv not abla to carry it off, and pumping Imd to bo fttupended/or a time, in order to enlarge tho race, and lay down a lino of sluice-boxes at tho head of it. The pump is an undoubted success, but requires great driving power— more, in fact, we fancy than the Star engine will be able to supply continuously — excellent piece of machinery, though, it is acknowledged" to be. It can, however, keep up three-quarter speed by using a pressure of 001 b». of •team, and on an emergency can attain full speed "by the aid of 201bs. extra. At three-quarter speed the pump will throw 9JJO gallons a minute, and we feel confident that auch a discharge will bo more than sufficient to keep the workings dry at the present lerel. The pump i» simply constructed without boxes or other paraphernulia peculiar to the ordinary lift and force pumps, consisting merely of a circular chamber, to which i» attached a ten-inch ditchargo pipe above, and a feed-pipe of similar dimensions below. Within tho chamber is a cust-iron disc or ,fan, which rerohos upon a spindle with great rapidity, and throws the water up in a continuous stream through the discharge-pipe. The chamber should not be fixed more than twenty feet above the bottom of the pump well; but the extraordinary velocity with which the face -revolve* supplies sufficient power to lift the water full forty feet abuve it. The" manner in which the pump. is placed in position reflects the highest credit on the company and its engineer, Mr Shearer, — for a moro substantial pieco of work of the kind we never before examined. The Star Company's plant is now the most perfect in Westlaud, and is well worthy of inspection.

Yesterday, >the port was favored by a splendid entrance, and a bar across which a dingy might havo been paddled with safety. Unfortunately there were but-few vessels to take advantage of it, as, excepting the Jane Lookhart, none of the heavier-bottomed regular traders arc due, aud she failed to put in her expected appearance. lv % tho morning the William Miskin ran in, and tho two ketohes Elizabeth and Elfin left the river, both refusing the services of a steam-tug, and favored by. a slant of v,',mi off shore aailed in capital stylo across the bar.