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Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 185, 4 March 1868, Page 2

The Caledonian Terrace.—The news from the terrace is of a cheering nature, as Archie Stewart and party, Rowlandson and party, and the Welshman and party have finished their tunnels, which are between 500 and 600 feet in length and have come upon the s tme lead as Ormsbee and party. A rush has taken place, but the precise locality is not known, but it is supposed to be on the north bank of the Oiawaiti River, on the same line as the Caledonian and German Terrace Leads. At the Duke of Edinburgh Lead, on the flat, abo it a doren shafts have gone down, some 50 or 60 feet. The miners are sanguine as to their success, as the dirt is looking well. On Poverty Terrace several tunnels are being driven, but up to last evening none of them had come upon the run of gold. Macquarrie and party have commenced to wash, therefore the value of the ground will soon be tested. A grand opening ball Was held on Monday evening at Steele's Nelson Hotel. As Mr Steele is so well-known as one of the of the original prospectors of the Caledonian Lead, combined with the fact of his having been recently married, a numerous company assembled for the double purpose of attending the ball and welcoming Mr Steele's newly-married bride. Plenty seemed to be the order of the evening, while the " pop " and " fiz ' told of the numerous bottles of No. 2 that were being drunk to celebrate the occasion. Dancing was kept up with spirit, and the ball did not break up till late into the small hours of the morning.

Discovery of a Body on the Banks of the Buller—Peter, the Greek, brought down news from up the Buller of the discovery of a dead body lying on the banks of the Matakitaki in an advanced stage of decomposition. The body was perfectly naked, with the exception of a pair of apparently new boots. From the condition of the body it was impossible to ascertain whether death was caused by violence or otherwise. It is supposed to be one of two men who have been missing for some time from Matakitaki. The Buller Diggings.—From accounts received from these diggings last evening, it appears that the population stills keep up, —the majority ot whom are doing a little more than earning a living. The gold is coarse and snotty, some of which partakes more of the character of small nuggets, averaging from one to three pennyweights. A small parcel was purchased by Mr Martin last evening. Education. —This subject which, at the present time, is engaging the attention of all civilised communities, seems likely to get some ventilation in Westport. We understand that the Westport Educational Board will meet on Thursday evening at 8 o'clock at the Court-house, but are not informed what their labors are to be ; but some

immediate measures are wanted to provide education for the many ignorant children iu the district, and as there is a likelihood of our getting a Q-overnmeut school erected, let us hope that the board will be enabled to grapple successfully with the many difficulties in their path.

Concert in Aiu of the Parsonage Fund.—The attendance last night at this concert was very good, and the audience were in a most enthasiastic mood, the various songs and choruses being received with the most deafening applause. The programme containing the words of all the songs was a great help to the enjoyment, and was carefully compiled. It would be invidious to particularize any performer, as all vied with each other to secure a success.

A Westport Insolvent.—We clip the following from the Melbourne Age respecting a late resident of Westport , —Edwin Gkragh, late of Westport, New Zealand, publican, now of Melbourne, out of business. Causes of insolvency: Losses in business. Liabilities, £915 ; assets, £2 10s ; deficiency, £93 10s. Mr Courtney, official assignee. Australasian WesleyanMethodist Conference.—At a meeting of the above conference in Melbourne on the 28th January, it was resolved that following new circuits should be formed, among which it will be perceived is Westport:—Richmond River, in New South Wales ; Peak Downs, and Warrego, in Queensland ; Wangaratta and Walhalla, in Victoria ; Mount Remarkable, in South Australia ; Rangitikei and Westport, in New Zealand. At the same meeting the following circuits asked for additional ministers, viz. : —Wellington, Nelson, Dunedin, Invercargill and Hokitika. On the following day the Rev. James Buller, of Aucklaad, brought under the notice of the Conference the request of the New Zealand north district, " that the northern district should be divided into two districts, the new district to be called the ' Central District,' and to include the provinces of Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough and Napier. The request was complied with.

The Auckland Goldfields.—The Dunedin Evening News has the following respecting the Auckland goldfields : —" We are indebted to Mr Campbell, of this city, for permission to make the following extract from a private letter received by him from Auckland on Thursday, and dated February Ist : ' The goldfields here are very different to alluvial diggings, there is nothing but quartz, but some of it is very rich, running 1 oz. and over of gold to the pound weight of stone. I've seen this myself, so you may depend on it as correct, in fact many of the claims will be homeward bounders as we call them ; no doubt it will take some time to thoroughly develop them —the great present drawback being want of machinery . . . Wages here are very low, you may get a man to work at the diggings for £1 per week and upwards —and find himself—and in Auckland there is little or nothing doing. Of course there are plenty of chances at the diggings themselves. At present most of the men working there being hardup, cannot hold on, and are willing to sell out at a very low rate. Of course this is all speculation, as a man might buy into a claim for £2O and it might might give him from £lO to £ls per week in a short time—or it might turn out wrong. Of course one must use one's own judgment about it. In about a fortnight about 50 miles more of the country will be opened up, where, I am assured by an old miner who is working with a party of Maoris, that there is payable alluvial diggings—he says he has obtained gold that will pay. We shall soon know about it, as there are a good many West Coast men here waiting until the ground is open for prospecting.' " The Queensland Diggings.—The Queensland Guardian has the following respecting the Gym pie Creek diggings: —" Notwithstanding so little gold has yet come down, it is satisfactory that there is an average increase, it is estimated, of nearly five hundred a week to the population, while scarcely any are leaving the diggings. On our return we only passed one digger, who was suffering from blight. This cannot last for ever ; a time must come when the field will be over-populated. How long that time will be depends wholly on the extent of'the field. If there be no mo>-e auriferous ground to be discovered, the present population is amply sufficient for the present field. Let everyone remember on going to this field he has to find out for himself whether there is any room for him, and that he may have to work long and hard, and spend money, before he finds this out. It is all a lottery. The country is new ; the probabilities are in

favor of this field proving very extensive and moderately rich. He h k ß a good chance of doing well ; this is all that can be positively said.'*

Wool Sales.—The latest accounts of the wool market in England show a decline of from 1-J to 2d to per lb. ; and the Home JSTews of 20th December, in speaking of New Zealand wool, has the following : —" Tnough the quantity in the market was considerable, it offered but an indifferent selection, irregular, ill-conditioned parcels being the rule. The quality among these wools gets coarse, and the breed falls off in comparison to former years. Prices very low ; cross-breeds entirely neglected." Our own immediate locality is not much interested in fleece, yet the depreciation in the quality, and consequently in the value of our staple commodity, has no doubt a considerable influence in the colony's present dulness.