CHARLESTON NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 336, 28 August 1868, Page 2

CHARLESTON NEWS.

A farewell dinner to Mr Lightband took place at the European Hotel on Wednesday evening, there being between thirty and forty gentlemen present. After the usual preliminary toasts had been acknowledged, the chairman, Mr Dwau, proposed the health of the guest of the evening, which was drunk wi h all the honor?. In responding to the toast, Mr Lightband remarked that he felt the attention was particularly flattering considering the short time he had been resident in Charleston, and that he had every reason to be grateful for the kindness which had been extended towards him, during hislimited sojourn. In returning thanks for his own health being drunk, Mr Broad, the present Warden and Kesident Magistrate, took occasion to refer to Mr Lightband's past services, and mentioned the circumstance of his being spoken of in Hochstetters great work, as the discoverer of the first gold diggings in New Zealand, at Collingwood, where he was engaged in mining pursuits for many years.

A variety of toasts and sougs were indulged in during the evening, and altogether the affair was as pleasant a social gathering as has taken place for some time. We need scarcely add that the dinner provided by the worthy hosts, Messrs Weitzell and Co. was of the verv first character.

Another machine and water wheel at the Back Lead was christened on Wednesday. It is in the immediate vicinity of the Cosmopolitan and others and is supplied with water from the same race. M'Mullen and party are the proprietors of this, the latest addition to our machinery. The wheel is 25 feet in diameter, and drives a battery of four stampers of two hundred weight each, and in this respect differs from its neighbours who have got a larger number of stampers of less weight. There has always been a difference of opinion as to which is the best plan, and though most of the batteries have light stampers, the advocates on the other side point to the Nile Company's battery, Davis and party, where the efficacy of a small number of heavy stampers is very weil shown. The bar on Wednesday was remarkably smooth, but no shipping were about to lake advantage of its condition. Two boats load of amateurs however, pulled out some two miles to sea, with the object of Ashing, but as only porpoises were met with, the fishing part of the excursion proved a failure, but a trial of speed took place between the two boats, to enable the worthy citizens to show their muscle. This ended in fraternization, and a general exchange of Btores, the first boat out having exhausted all its stock in going over the bar. The fortnightly escort on "Wednesday took away an unusually large quantity of gold, a parcel of. 2250 ounces from Brighton being included, besides an extra parcel from the Bank of New South Wales. The quantity in all amounted to 4947 ozs 0 dwts 14 grs. [As will be seen in another column, the local paper's report differs from that of our correspondent.]