NOTES OF THE WEEK.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 289, 4 July 1868, Page 2

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

The Thames fever is strong on the population, and a good many unsettled spirits are ready to take wing, if the news is at all good by the next vessel. The Wallabi took away 51 in all, sixteen of whom were from the south We may state for the information of those who think about going, that recent news from there, whilst quite confirmatory of the existence of some exceedingly rich claims, state distinctly that there are already more men on the ground than there is room for, and the new ?msh will doubly occupy the limited area on which mining is permitted. In a few days we may expect the John Penn, and we will as noon as possible', place our readers in possession of the latest and fullest particulars. Mr Morrison, London agent for this province, Mr Wrigg, civil engineer, who surveyed and reported on the West Coast railway, and other geutlemen arrived by the Charles Edward Friday night, and have visited the Mount Rochfortcoal mine, will visit the Brunnermine, and other parts before returning. The chief object is that Mr Morrison may be able to testify from personal inspection, to the richness of our mineral fields on his return to London, when he invites the attention of capitalists to the West Coast Railway scheme. They started for Mount Rochfort on Saturday morning, and on' their return will go south in the Charles Edward, which vessel is now being detained for them. Coarse gold was struck on Friday last by a prospecting party between the AVaimongoroa and Mount Rochfort. We have no particulars to hand, but a sample has been shown to a gentleman connected with our office, and there is no doubt whatever of the discovery, though how farpayable, or what extent of ground there is we are unaware. An excellent seam of coal exists on the Waimougoroa, about three miles from the beach, and we are glad to hear that a well known resident in this town has applied for a lease of the ground, with a view to effectually opening up the ground, and bringing the mineral to account. It is of excellent quality, aud a dray road can be made with ease, and at a trifling expense, whilst from the whole route to it being almost a dead flat, a tramway could be readily constructed. Some of this coal has been burned for months past in the smithy attached to the quartz works in the the neighbourhood, and if it is good enough for this purpose, it must be a valuable mineral. We hope to see the mine in success-, ful operation shortly. The following- account of a lamentable disaster appears in the Melbourne Argus of the 23rd:—A disastrous accident occurred off Circular Head, by which three lives were lost—namely, these of Mr Edward Maxted, the master, and two of the seamen of the schooner Helen Ann. The schooner had put into Circular Head, wind bound, and when the weather became again favorable, Captain Maxted, previous to leaving, went ashore with the boat and two hands to procure a supply of fresh water. In returning to the schooner, the boat must either have capsized or else have been swamped, and all in it have thus met their death by drowning. The body of Capt. Maxted, clinging to an oar, was recovered shortly after the occurrence, but life was extinct, although it is alleged there was some in the body. The bodies of the other two men were found. One of the men lost is supposed to be Richard Stephenson, as he is known to have lately come from Calcutta, and an account of moneys received by Richard Stephenson at Calcutta is found on board. The arher man is described on the boticles as Thomas Kelly. A pocket took belonging to John \ Kelly has been found on board, containg the foilowiug entry : —" Left London on the 21st April, 1863, and Downs on 26th April. Arrived at Nelson, N. Z. on the 28th August, 1863. Father's name Denis Kelly, 2, Angel alley Whitechapel, London, E.—as per letter of the 13th January, 1867. Sister's- name—Mary Ann Kelly, 14, Tavistock-street, Bed-

ford-square, as per letter of 20th December, 1866. Deceased's real name is supposed to be John. His age, as stated by bis father in a letter, was 30 years on 21st November, 1866."

The Bruce Herald has " been informed that very lately the snow was lying on the Tapanui Flat, to the depth of two feet. We regret to learn that one human life has been lost. A man named Murray, engaged on the station of Mr Roberts of Arduiore, had been delivering a load of hay at the Bush Inn, Tapanui. on *tho previous Monday, and left for home in the afternoon, talcing tea at an accommodation house on the way. On the following morning the two horses with the dray were found standing before the stable door without their driver, there was a gate about two miles from the station, which must have been opened by the missing man, who was., our informant says, not found up to mid-day on Wednesday, and it was conjectured that he was buried iu the suow. Murray was a man of steady habits and a native of Aberdeen, Scotland. A bullock team from Invercargill for Switzers, in endeavoring to cross the Matura at Jackson's Ford, was swept oft', and bullocks and driver were drowned. Neither dray nor loading have yet been found. The driver is reported to be a tall powerful man, who has long been employed in the carting trade between Invercargill and Switzers, named Peter Paton."

A most singular specimen of the fish tribe was discovered oil Saturday morning last by Mr Brown, draper, of Gladstone street, on the beach between here and the Orawaite. He was taking an early stroll at about half-past eight in the morning, just about low water, when he observed a large fish of some kind splashing about in a shallow, and evidently making desperate but ineffectual efforts to get to sea again. A dog that was with Mr Brown made a rush and seized.the fish by the tail, breaking the vertebra?, after which it never moved again. On going up to it, Mr Brown discovered, to hi? astonishment, that it was an enormous fish of some eleven feet in length though of slight bulk in proportion. He al once got a dray and had his prize conveyed to town, and sold it to a fish dealer who exhibited it at the Little Grey, at a charge of Is per head. It has been erroneously stated to be a king-fish, but it has not the slightest resemblance to that fish. Others again, with equal incorrectness, set it down as a large specimen of a frost-fish, though how either opinion could be formed, seeing that it as totally different in every respect from fins, skin, head, &c, we are at loss to imagine. In the first place it is between ten and eleven feet in length, its depth about eighteen inches, and its circumference about forty inches in the thickest part. It has a very strangely shaped and bony head, a kind of forehead, if we may use such an expression for want of other means of description, and suout projecting some eight inches from that to the extremity of a somewhat trumpet shaped mouth. The lower jaw by some means had been destroyed but the upper was perfect. There were no signs of any teeth. The eye was singularly bright, perfectly flat, and about the size of a half-crown, and the tail was fluked. A red dorsal fin two "and a half inches in depth ran the whole length of the fish, but there were no other fins of any description on it. The tail was fluked, we were informed, but the clog had bitten it off, and by some means it was missing. The skin was rough and thick like that of a shark, with five longitudinal bands of small rough protuberances running like ribands the length of the fish, and from its head several horny feelers like stalks of corn, eighteen inches in leDgth, projected. Its weight was variously estimated, but we should set it down at about 200 lbs. probably rather, but not much, less. Altogether it is a most curious specimen, and is well worth preserving forsending away. Its skin is so thick that it could easily be stuffed, and we hope this will be done before it is too late. It has been sold to a man who is taking it down to Charleston for exhibition. At the Dunedin Criminal sittings Mr Besemeres, proprietor of the Evening News in that place, was tried on the 15th inst. for libel on Charles Stephen Beeves, and Michael Murphy, in an article accusing them of being Fenkms. The defence was not guilty, that the alleged libels were true, and that it was for the public good they should be published. A very lone trial, about which a considerable amount of excitement was shown, resulted in the acquittal of the defendant. Samuel Symms, convicted of obtaining money under false pretences, was sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labor.

The Westport Public School will be •opened on Monday next, free of charge to parents, aud the hours are fixed at from 9to 12' in the morning, and Ito 3 in the afternoon. We are happyto afford this information gratuitously, but the readers of our evening contemporary will see it advertised. The resolution of the commJttee was that notices should be published in both local papers, but the committee have not yet thought fit to send any official announcement to thisjoffice.

The escort from Charleston came up en Tuesday, andbrought about 45000z of gold. We have not full particulars because, for some strange reason or other the banks choose to be,very reticent on the matter. What possible objection the can have to giving information of this kind, is one of the banking mysteries in which banking representatives in small places delight to envelope themselves. The above is an approximate estimate, and verv nearly correct. On AVednesdy the Union Bank and the adjoining block of buildings had a narrow escape from fire. It appears that by some means the iron chimney in the bank sitting-room became so heated as to set fire to the ceiling, and the danger would soon have extended had there not been a good supply of water and an abundance of buckets in the tanks of thebank and the storeof Smyth and Co., next door. Thanks to these causes and prompt assistance, the fire was got under without much damage, but the occurrence should be a warning to the public to be more careful with the dangerous fire spouts that are used as chimneys. We are surprised that a bank should have such fire-places, and -should have supposed that they would have preferred the increased safety of a brick chimney.

A ridiculous but obvious error was made in our yesterday's Caledonian correspondence. Smith and party, of Ballarat Terrace, were represented as making .£BO per week per man, this should have been £lO per week per man. Our only regret is that the original statement was not correct. We do not think it is generally known that the volunteers of Westport have had a soldier in every sense of the word allotted to them as a drill inspector. Sergeant Hugh Robertson, to whom we refer, has not only commenced his duties, but has already gained the goodwill of those under his tuition. He was formerly sergeant major of the 50th and is the holder of clasps for Inkerman, Alma, and other Crimean battle fields. He also held a high Turkish honour, and in addition is an excellent drill. It will be a thousand pities if through any causes hinted atelsewhere the services of such an instructor should be rendered nugatory.

Is is satisfactory' to find that the notice of the government has been at length drawn to the dangerous practice of removing wood from the beach, and the attention of those in the habit of doing so, is especially drawn to a regulation published in the Gazette in the 27th of June, and which the authorities now advertise for general information. As will be seen, no one can remove drift wood within one mile of the Buller river, without the permission of the Harbor master. Any one infringing this rule is liable to a penalty of Five pounds. The Revd. Father Hickey arrived in "Westport by the Kennedy, and intends stoping a few days in the l district. His object is to gather funds for the endowment of a new Catholic University in Dublin, and in the places he has hitherto visited he has been most succesful in obtaining liberal contributions from persons of every denomination. However widely people may differ in faith, they can conscientiously give their mite in support of such an institution as Father Ilickey is now pleading for and we cordially trust his exertions here may meet with a respose equal to his most sanguine expectations. He will preach a special sermon before he leaves, addressed not only to his own ilock, but to every other denomination, and as he has earned a high reputation for ability and oratorieal power we have no doubt his eloquence will loosen the purse strings of all his hearers. Instances of success are we are.glad to say at last crowding into the Buller, and our lately depressed condition will soon be exchanged for a happier state of things. In another place the Caledonian's future looms up brightly and from Addison's we are glad to say equally good accounts are to hand. The Shamrock lead is still the fortune giver of this part, and every day proves its in golden returns. Yesterday Lioehan and party from the Shamrock came in with thirty seven pounds of amalgam, as the result of "their party's exertions for the past

fortnight. As each ounce of amalgam is roughly estimated as worth a guinea it is clear that a very tidy raise has been made by them in that time. Their claim is situated at the head of the claims nearly applied for. A meeting of the Athenaeum Committee was held' on "Wednesday, for the purpose of considering a letter received by the chairman from the Provincial Secretary, as follows : " Superintendent's Office, Nelson, June 26th, 1868.—Sir—I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the dates quoted in the margin hereof, wherein you apply for a grant towards the erection of a building for a public library at Westport. In reply, I have to inform you that as the Council voted £2OO only for all the districts on the South-West Goldfields, until the requirements of other districts have been enquired into, the Government are not prepared to state how much will be paid to the AVestport Library. I have the honor, &c, A. Greenfield, Provincial Secretary. P.S. —No public money can be given unless the building is erected on Government land, aud is vested in trustees for the purpose of a public lihrary." The italics are Mr Greenfield's, so, as far as Government are concerned, the Athenaeum may thank them for nothing. The conditions are impossible in the first place, the red tape in the second will extend over another year, and the Government may pride themselves on having choked at the outset a most useful and beneficial institution. Whether Pr Giles' visit may alter the present unpromising aspect of affairs remains to be seen. The committee now await his return.

Some time ago a cricket club was inaugurated in Westport, but for some reason or other unexplained, it fell to the ground. Under any circumstances it would have been hybernating during the present season, but we fear it will not readily be resuscitated, even when the summer comes on. In the interval however, it has been suggested that a football club, should beformed, and as such exercise is most suitable to the winter months, we hope the suggestion wall be acted on. The difficulty that ' cricketers meet with in attaining suitable ground, will not apply to football, for it can be played anywhere, and either hard beach at low water, or soft sand above high water mark, will equally suit its admirers. It is a healthy, manly and exciting pastime, and we should like to see some of our youthful athletes engaged in it.

Am accident happened on Thursday at the new rush, Caledonian, to a man named Hughey, of M'Lean and party, which fortunately did not turn out so serious as at first supposed. By some means he slipped and fell from the top of the terrace to the surface working at the tunnel mouth, a height of about twenty feet. Though the injured man received a severe shock, Dr Bruen who was promptly in attendance, informs us that no bones are broken, though it is possible that the socket of the thigh is injured. "We hope soon, under the well-known skill of his medical attendant, that the sufferer 'will be well and about again. In ( our Caledonian correspondent's letter our readers will see reference made to the discovery of a main bottom on the Caledonian lead. If the information we have to hand is correct, the find is deserving of far more notice than our correspondent gives it. It appears that the owners, Marshall and party, have Worked for several months without reward, and have even been ridiculed for their perseverance. They have tunnelled six hundred feet, and now have come on gravelly wash-dirt, said to be six feet in depth and also astonishingly rich. We cannot say whether the sample was salted or not, but an informant in whom we place most perfect reliance, tells us that he saw less than half-a-dishfull of dirt taken from the heap, which on being washed returned a pennyweight of comparatively coarse gold, the pieces being about the size of a pin's head. If the whole yields a tenth part of that amount, the lucky share-holders have an actual homeward bounder, and their success will stimulate thousands to go, and we hope, do likewise. This is at the extreme northern end of the Caledonian, on the German Terrace side. All the arrangements for the election of a hospital committee, are now made and as will be seen in another column there are close on thirty can. didates from which the thirteen will be elected. The voting will be by ballot, and voting cards will be provided for subscribers. Senior-Consta-ble G-oodall, assisted by some of the Provisional Committee, will conducct the election at Addisons flat. Mr. Braithwaite also helped by delegates from the committee, at the Caledonian, and Mr Whitcford acting for Dr Giles, in Westport.