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Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 202, 24 March 1868, Page 2

Piles for the New Jetty.—The whole of the red pine piles for the new jetty are being cut> and brought from the bush near Palmers ton-streets The sticks are remarkably straight, and we are informed that no finer specimens of red pine timber are to be found on the West Coast, than the sample at present being obtained for the above purposes. The Weather. —The weather on the Coast has been so variable lately, that no prognostications can, with any safety be made, and the usual signs known to the weather-wise, are strangely in fault, when applied to this locality. We trust however, that as the glass has gone up the last thirty hours, that it may be a sign of improvement, which is so much needed, by the miner's generally. Interesting Instance of Existence without Food. Captain Stevens, of the brigantino, Maid of Erin, has in his possession a small terrier dog, which has passed through a period of existence without food or water, as long we should imagine, as it is possible for animal life to exist, under the circumstances. The last time the vessel sailed from Melbourne, for Hokitika, she carried a deck cargo of sheep, and the night previous to their being brought on board, the hatches were battened down. The Captain missed his dog, but as he was suffering with the mange, believed that he had gone to some quiet place on shore to die. On arriving at Hokitika, after a sixteen-days' run, he was surprised one night, by hearing a feeble moan, accompanied by scratching at the bulkhead near his bunk, he had the bulkhead broken down, and out crawled his faithful dog, in a most pitiable condition, completely cured of the mange however. Food in small quantities was given to him, but his appetite was ravenous in the extreme. He slowly recovered health and strength, and although he now accompanies the ship, he has a wholesome dread of the hold, where he once suffered such an unwilling imprisonment. The cargo in the hold consisted of flour, which the dog had not touched. The Mokihinui.—The accounts received from Mokihinui, speak of a small parcel of gold having lately been brought down the river, and sold to Mr Stitt, who reports that one of the lumps weighed 25 dwts. In consequence several miners have gone up the river, in the hope of obtaining something payable, Trade continues quiet. The Volunteer, cutter, has gone there for coal which she will take to Picton. The coal is getting into notoriety, and although not quite up to the standard of coal found on the Coast, is well adapted for stoves, and open grates. The smell from it whilst burning is slightly sulphureous, but the quality is improving as the seam is opened. One of the drawbacks to its more extensive use is its high price, £3 10. per ton here, and although the expenses of a new undertaking of the kind are naturally heavy, we are convinced that with a cheaper rate, such an increase in the consumption would begin, that would make up for any decrease in price. In the present state of the trade, anything that will tend to keep the money earned in circulation within the district, is so material, that it would be folly to comment upon it; but no branch of industry is so likely to improve the general business tone of the district, as the opening up tho coal-fields in a more extensive, and systematic manner. Gaol Returns.—The following returns are kindly furnished us by the Governor of the goal, Mr Maguire. Returns of H. M. gaol at Westport, for the week ending March 22. Received—hardlabor men, 2 ; committed, for trial, 2 ; total, 4. Discharged—hardlabor men, 3 ; debtors—males, 2 ; females, 1 ; total, 6. At present confined—hardlabor—males, 8 ; females, 1; debtors—males, 3 ; females, nil; committed /or trail—males, 5 ; females, 1. In default of bail— males, 1. Total confined, 18. Gold Exports.—The following is a return of the quantity and value of gold exported from the various ports of New Zealand for the year 1867 : Auckland, 6637 oz.; Havelock and Picton, 501 oz. ; Nelson, 9123 oz.; Westport, 86,413 oz.: Brighton, 44,427 oz. ; Greymouth, 127,997 oz.; Hokitika, 243,309 oz.; Okarita, 98 oz.; Dunedin, 149,364 oz.; Invercargill 015 oz.; Bluff Harbor, 3 oz. Grand total, 686,753 oz., of the value of £2, 700,275. The quantity of gold exported in 1869 was 735,376 oz', there being a in 1867 of 48,623 oz.

Bishop Selwvn.—The Metropolitan of New Zealand, who is expected to visit the Colony shortly, to settle matters in his Diocese before taking to the duties of his Bishopric, has in a monetary point of view become a great gainer by lus new appointment. He was in receipt of £(300 a year from the Church Missionary Society, but the Bishopric of Lichfield, which he has accepted at the desire of the is worth £SOOO a year, and a palace. Odd Fellowship.—As some comfort to the members of this useful and extensive Society, we clip the following from the Invercargill J\ eekltj News. " At the Odd Follows' Anniversary, held recently in the Marlborough Province, Mr Judge Ward in replying to the toast of " The Guests," said, "he felt it an honor to be present at the gathering of a Society whose chief object was 'to comfort the fatherless and the widow.' If there was one precept in Scripture easier to follow than another, one which all men, especially bachelors, should feel it both a duty and a pleasure to obey, it was that which enjoined them to comfort the widow, They would find that obedience to the sacred precept carried with it its own reward in every case ; but especially where the comforted widow was young and goodlooking. Touching the funds of the Society, of which they had heard so flourishing an account he presumed that their prosperous state was owing to the fact that a widow's pension ceased on her marrying a second time. It was laid down in a well-known English work —' The Pickwick Papers ' —on the authority of the celebrated Mr Weller, that ' more widders is married than single women.' Hehadnodoubtofthe accuracy these statistics, and predicted that the drain from the Society's purse on this ground would be very small, in a colony where so many benighted bachelors exist."