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West Coast Times, Issue 332, 16 October 1866, Page 5

A handsome and beautifully executed cross, of solic^gold of tlie Westland mines, has been presented to Miss Julia Matliews, by tho Rev. J. M'Grirr, as a momento of tho services rendered by her, at the concert in. aid- of the Catholic Church funds on Thursday evening last. A very marked improvement in the weather took place yesterday ; scarcely any __vain fell during tho day, and the clouds -which prevailed during the morning gradually dispersed before the afternoon smi. There was sufficient indication, however, {luring tho evening that the ■weather was by no means settled. The third meeting oi the Municipal Council . takes place this evening, at the Gridiron Hotel. The business to be transacted is of much, importance ; and ifc may bf expected thafc there will be a full- attendance oi' C'ouucillors, Mr Shaw, who had obtained leave of absence, having been prevented icom L-avinjj town in consequence -of the detention of Jhs JEgmont. We understand that Blr Barff and Mr Whall, will leave town this morning, by the coach for Chvistchureh, in order to attend the opening of the Provincial Council on Friday next. - The telegraph wires still remain broken, so that we are without communication with Christchurch. In consequence of the continued inability of the river steamers to communicate with the Egmont and the Gothenburg, we are still without our Northern and Intercolonial files. ' ' * * Contrary to general expectation, the port remained closed throughout yesterday, the heavy westerly sea .having thrown up a middle bank, causing a divergence of the river to the north and south. Two channels ivere thus formed ; but each was so ill-defined, that. * c in the face of the heavy sea running, an at- c tempt to work^either woultt have been most « imprudent. Great disappointment was occji- c sioned when it was understood that neither of c the harbor steamers would leave the viver ; 'as ' in the early part of the day reports were cur- * rent that the Yarra and the Challenge - would go out — the former to tender the \ Egmont, the latter to clear the river of the ] outward bounders, and convey the Clarendon t and Alma inside. This rumor was, to a certain t extent, confirmed by the agent for ihe Panama ' Company hoisting at the office flagstaff the * significant blue-peter underneath the house flag, whilst the "Melbourne and Adelaide" flaunted the time-honcred "goose" and ibur stars at their signal pole in Wharf street. Moreover, steam was got up on board the Yarra, and tho bellman gave stentoi-ian notice that "passengers would be conveyed on board," and " for freight or passage apply," &c, &c. Such indications were accepted as conclusive, and the " Panama's" office was soon Besieged by a number of eager applicants for passages, ■who, on receiving their tickets, forthwith betook themselves to the wharf, deposited their Swags and luggage on board the\ Yarra, and patiently awaited her departure. - But the moderate -westerly breeze of the morning increased to a stiff gale towards midday, which 'raised such a "jumble" in the roadstead, juicl^ sent so "hefavy a surf home, that the captain of the Yarra, rendered doubly cautious "by his late mishap, decided thafc il would, be far better to remain snug at the wharf, than risk "being again " piled up " upon the beach, ■with but a very remote chance of effecting ti transhipment, even if he succeeded in reaching the roadstead. Having once arrived at this determination, neither agent noi- passengevs could induce him to depart from it, and a rush wa3 at once made • to the ' company's • office by the ticket holders, who drove the unfortunate agent almost frantic,, by persistently demanding that their cash should be returned. But such a preposterous proposal in a town like Hokitika, where the value of ready cash is as justly appreciated .as in any other part of the -world, svas met by a direct refusal, to the intense disgust of the 'applicants, who vented then 1 indignation hi no measured terms, and eventually threatened all the terrors of the law, botli Lynch and Statute, notwithstanding 1 that the agent assured them the cash should be refunded in the event* of then 1 detention extending beyond the next day.' Such scenes as the above are fur from uncommon in Hokitika, and the life of an agent is in consequence, at times almost unbearable. We have seen those unfortunate ' and muchabased individuals sitting,, with compressed lips and apparent indifference in their allairs, ■whilst a storm oT vituperation in a variety of dialects was heaped upon their cTevofe3 heads by a motley crowd outside, whose only cause 81 complaint was, thafc the port being closed up by bad weather, they considered" themselves entitled (having- paid tlieir passagemoney) to free quarters on shore, at the Company's expense, during the term of the vessel's detention: Intelligence of the missing Christchurch coach has at last arrived, two of the passengers (Captain Smith and a lady) having arrived in' town last night. We hear that the late rains h^ve not been confined to Westland alone, 'as tho country was flooded from the Bealey to Christchurch, all the rivers being impassable. The coach which left Christchurch on Friday "was detained at Caes's

until Saturday rh'gkt, which accounts for the" non-arrival of the conveyance hero to time. We regret to say that tho Teremakau lias broken through tho road in two"places, and destroyed a considerable portion of it. A mishap occurred to the coach in attempting to cross ono of those- gaps, which, happily, was not attended by loss cf life. Wo shall give full details of the journey across from' Christcburch in our next issuo. *