NOTES OF THE WEEK.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 403, 14 November 1868, Page 3

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

One of the largest cakes of gold which have ever been brought down from Addison's Flat was sold hj' Doherty and party to the Bank of JN~ew Zealand oh Tuesday. Its weight was Il9ozs 4d\vts. This was the result of three week's work in the one claim, and such a substantial return is well worthy of record. With such yields, and with others which we have lately been ablo to report, it is not to bo wondered that our population has been less affected by the Auckland rush, and other attractions ofreeent|oceurrcnee, than any other district on the West Coast. There have been larger parcels disposed of in town from the Caledonian Terrace lately, but this has surpassed anything for the time from the Flat. Any party of miners who are able to receive from the bank coffers four to five hundred pounds in exchange for their months' work may well convert the quotation,and continue to hold as their motto " Better bear the good we have, than seek for that we know not of."

Balls and dancing parties are assuming the form of a chronic mania with the inhabitants of Weslport. The cause is, probably, the absence of other forms of amusement. The regular resorts are Sheahan's Nelson Hotel, and Trimble's Theatre Royal. At Mr Trimble's, lately, there was a masquerade ball on quite a magnificent scale, and at Mr Sheahan's, on Monday evening, there was what was called a Bloomer ball. That is to say, the fair persons whose profession or taste it was to " trip it on the light fantastic toe," added to the fantastic tripping of their toes fantastic trappings in the way of clothes. They wore " the Bloomer costume," or a sort of compromise between the dress which Mrs Bloomer failed to introduce in the world, and the dress in which " Greek pirates " usually appear on the stage —a dress including " unwhisperables," and what, on the authority of Washington Irving, may be designated "provokingly short petticoats." The ball as a matter of course, was a " complete success."

Westport is not the only place where some apprehension of a tidal wave has been felt. In Dunedin, on a recent Saturday, while some public sports were going on in the South l\ecrealion Ground,

some amusement unci not a little consternation wss excited by the fact that just at high water —and the tide was very high—a sharp nor'-east squall came up the harbor, driving the water against the Anderson's Bay road with great force. The cry got up that something was going to happen, a general stampede was the result, and some hundreds of people left the grounds. At first sight there appeared some reason for it, as the water eoutinued clashing over the roadway in quantity, carrying all the loose earth and stones away; but it was soon over and the alarm subsided.

There were two charges of assault to be heard on Tuesday at the [Resident Magistrate's Court, but one of the parties was described by Dr Bruen to be unable to appear in consequence of injuries which he was alleged to have received, and the cases were postponed until Saturday. The names of the parties (as nearly as they could bo distinguished when they were called in Court) were Fredeirck Langmire and Henry Kopmcn. Each was charged with assaulting the other seriousty. Mr Pitt appeared as prosecutor against Langmire, and Mr Tyler as prosecutor against Kopme'n. No evidence as to the circumstances of the assault was given. It is proposed to erect a Masonic Hall and Oddfellows' Lodge Room at Charleston. A prospectus is in course of preparation, and it is expected that a sufficient number of shareholders will be obtained. The Charleston Cricket Club have opened the cricketing season b}' a scratch match, in which Mr Jones's team scored G2, and Mr Simpson's team GO runs, with six wickets to fall.

We are requested by th« Treasurer to the Westport Hospital to acknowledge the receipt of the following subscriptions collected by Mr M'Farlanc, of the Caledonian Terrace : —A. M'Lauchlan, £1 Is; A. M'Crae, 10s; F. Broadman, 10s; J. M'Kinua, £1 Is.

There are now from sixty to seventy men employed in cutting the storm channel which the parties on the Shamrock Lead decided upon constructing froni a creek there to the stream between the Shamrock and Addison's Flat. They expect .to finish their work in a week, and it is believed to be a work which will have a very beneficial influence upon the district.

A largo rush has taken place to the neighborhood of Nelson Creek, in the Grey district, where a newly discovered lead has been proved for a considerable distance. Should the anticipations formed of ifc by miners on the spot prove correct, it is expected, says the Argus, to be the largest rush that has yet taken place upon tho Grey Biver. Earthquakes and other phenomena, of peculiar interest at the present time, are reported in late Indian papers. One paper relates that a shower of earth, moistened with rain, fell at Kootupbur on the 22nd July. Small balls of wet earth, about the size of peas, fell slowly but for a considerable time, on the 15th of that month.

M. Chevalier, the well-known artist, whoso pictures of New Zealand scenery have been so much admired, is about to pay another visit to this colony.

The Tasmanian Government have offered, for the discovery of a gold-field, rewards ranging in amount from £IOOO to £OOOO.

The hulk of the old steamer Buhy is being converted into public baths at Hokitika, by Mr Charles Williams. We notice by the Hokitika papei's that a considerable number of diggers are expected to proceed to Jackson'sßßar,} r , and other places south, when tho Waipara makes her next trip, upon which she started from Westport on the 10th inst. The committee who had the management of a recent free banquet and public loj'al demonstration at Hokitika, have apparently failed to meet their engagements in the matter of pounds, shillings, and pence, andMrPizzey, the brewer, who was only one of the members, has been summoned and made to pay out of his own pocket for broken and unreturnedcrockery used on the occasion. Now he is called upon to settle other unpaid accounts—the draper for calico, tablecloths, &c.; the band for wind-music, and so on.

A nugget weighing 286 ozs has been exhibited in the window of the Bank of New South Wales at iDglewood. It was found at the now Berlin rush.

Mr Richard Hogan, postmaster, at Havelock, Hawke's Bay, has been committed to take his trial at the next sitting of the Supremo Court at Napier, on a charge of embezzling a letter containing money.

We notice that some attention is being paid by the Otago miners to the Martin's Bay district of the West Coast, and to the Waiau country, Speaking of the Waiau country, a correspondent says : —" Belief is prevalent that it will be the scene yet of a great rush. Speaking from information gained, and partly from personal observation, I have no doubt this portion of Otago will yet prove a rich alluvial and quartz reeling goldfield, far exceeding the Thames." A fine new steamer has been built at Queenstown, and has been launched on Lake Wakatip. Innumerable indications of quartz reefs have been found in the Plain Hills, near Dunedin, and some gold has been got in in the gullies. It is believed that when the proposedrailwayis being made through these hills, a good field will be developed.

Gladstone street or Powell's Wharf, which has been a very isolated and forlorn structure since the inroads made by the late flood, is again being made avail-

able for the purposes of traffic. Under the supervision of the Harbor Master, Captain Leech, a bridge or gangway is being constructed, so as to connect the wharf with the river bank ; and although the wharf is only, in itself, an apology for wharf accommodation, it will, by this expedient, be made sufficiently convenient for the shipment or dischai'ge of cargo. Already the schooner Excelsior, which arrived yesterday, from Dunedin, has been moored alongside it, and, with the gangway completed, it may again be the regular and preferable mooring place for steamers visiting the port. It would certainly be more desirable if, in appearance, it had less design of precipitating itself wholesale into the river, but, so long as it serves a useful purpose, its decrepid appearance may be forgiven, in consideration of the good purpose which it has already served. During the session of the General Synod of the Church of England at Auckland, the question of boundaries between the dioceses of Nelson and Christchurch came under discussion. It had been proposed by the Diocesan Synod of Nelson that the whole of Wcstland should be taken under the ecclesiastical supervision of the Bishop of Nelson; but after full consideration of the matter, the General Synod divided against the proposal, and it was determined that the boundary , line between the Dioceses should be the

River Teremakau on tho West Coast and the River Hurunui on the East. Westland, therefore, south of tho Teremakau belongs to the Diocese of Christchurch. It was stated on Wednesday that the Charleston Cricket Club had opened the season by a scratch match on Monday last. The match, says our correspondent, was between two elevens chosen by Mr. Jones and Mr. Simpson. The scores were not very large, but, as it is the first of the season, the players have not " got there eye in," and tho ground is too rough and heavy to let the ball travel far. The bowling was superior to tho batting. In the latter there is great room for improvement, there being too much of what is termed " poking about the wicket;" but, as the season advances, they will, no doubt, play with more confidence. With a little practice, we think the club ought to turn out an eleven that will try the metal of either Brighton or Westport. The Warden's Court at Westport has lately had a large amount of business to transact. Wednesday there were numerous applieants for head-races, tail-races, and tunnels, chiefly in connection with the working of terraces on the Great North Lead. Head-races were granted to Joseph Forsyth and party, H. W. Bedmond, James Fyfe, James Glass and party, John Cooper and party, W. Bedman, Bobert Wilson and party, W. Harper, Joseph Sullivan and party, John Bray and party, Alexander Peter, James M'Gowan and party, and Thomas H. Norman. A tailrace was granted to Alex. Berne, and Kenneth M'Leod and Thomas Jemison and party had dams registered. Applications for head-races were made by parties represented by James M'Gowan, Andrew O'S-hannassy, and Lawrence Larsen, but the applications were postponed until Friday, to enable the parties to prove who pegged out the race applied for. A tunnel was granted to John Nicholson and five others, extending 200 feet from Ballaarat Creek ; a tunnel of 500 feet to Charles M'Alister and four others at Hatter's Terrace ; a tunnel of 200 feet to James M'Gowan, at the Caledonian Terrace; and a tunnel of 300 feet on the same terrace, to Fergus Bannerman.

Por the past week, the hard-labor prisoners in Westport Gaol, have been employed in valuable, though uncomfortable, work, cutting drains in some of the back streets, and opening others in which the drainage had become interrupted. The work has already been useful in draining considerable areas of wet or damp ground in situations where the existence of such ground was calculculated to be very detrimental to public health, and although the accommodation of the prison is not of a kind favorable to the convenience of prisoners returning at their diet hours or at evenings, with wet feet and draggled moleskins, the public advantage sufficient to make up for the loss which individual prisoners may experience in their domestic life, The amateur dramatists who have been lately studying " parts" for a public performance have sufficiently advanced with their studies as to have hopes of making their debut on the evening of Monda}' next. They are to have a rehearsal tomorrow, at half-past three o'clock, in the Theatre Pioyal, the free use of which Mr Trimble has granted for the performance. The entertainment will be for the benefit of the widow and orphans of Major Von Tempsky, and it is expected that some of the late Major's countrymen residing in Westport will take part in the programme for the evening, by giving their assistance as vocalists, either solo or in chorus. Messrs Bull and Bond are the contractors for the erection of the Westport Athenteum, with the building of which the}' are now proceeding. They are also emplo} r ed in the construction of some fencing around«the Government Reserve, which should have the effect of giving the official quarters a more compact appearance than they have hitherto possessed. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, on Wednesday, the only police cases were two charges of drunkenness, in each of which the delinquents were fined, or ordered to be imprisoned.

Richardson, the fisherman, went oyer the bar on Wednesday in his boat, and, although late on the tide, he was rewarded by catching a gi'oper fifty pounds in weight, and a considerable number of rock-cod and mullet. In the roadstead, and in the river, fish are at present very abundant, and form a considerable accession to the meat supplies of the town. In consequence of the cost of carriage, the digging districts only partially share in the advantages supposed to accrue from fish diet.

Miss St. Dennis, the actress, has committed suicide, in Victoria.

From a gentleman who has arrived from Mohikinui wo learn that the Amateur sailed thence on Tuesday evening. It was expected that the Enterprise would sail last evening. They bring cargoes of Mohikinui coal, for which Mr Garvin is agent, and on board the Amateur there is also some cargo belongto Mr Stitt, storekeeper, who is giving Up business at Mohikinui. The preparations for the launching of the cutter Volunteer were so far advanced that, it is expected that, by this time, she has been successfully floated. On Tuesday next tho Supremo Court sits at Westport. The calendar of criminal cases is light. The most importaut mining case is that of Luke and party v. Perry and party. In it the members of the local bar and other legal gentlemen have been retained.

The weather for tho past few days has been the finest and the most genial that has been experienced in Westport for many mouths, After the heavy rain-fall and low temperature which have been, for a very long time, the experience of those residing on this part of the West Coast, it is almost a degree too warm, but that dependeth much upon constitutional temperament, or on the consumption of physical stimulents. It has induced,, among many, a desire that Westport were provided with public baths, but, witli water abundantly supplied, facilities for washing, with a due observance of decency, do not exist.

Mr Garvin has brought from the Mohikinui coal-mine a few tons of coal of a superior quality, and has readily disposed of them in town. But for the dulness of trade at Mohikinui, in consequence of which there is no other inducement for crafts entering that river than for the purposejof loading up with coals, the coalmine there would have proved, ere now, much more remunerative. The coal just landed is nearly equal in sample to the Grey coal, and though, as yet, the owners of the mine have had many difficulties to contend with, it is to be hoped that their past labor will, at no distant date, be rewarded by a plentiful supply, a ready market, and cheaper freights. Mr SlralihofF, Gladstone street, has, we notice, been appointed agent for what, in an Anglicised form, is called the " South Australian German [Newspaper." To Germans, who constitute a pretty numerous, thriving, and industrious section of our digging community, a good newspaper in their native tongue must be a " welcome guest," and the Zaitunc] is admittedly one of the best newspapers whether German or English, published in the colonies, and one of its features is a German tale, parts of which, in book form, accompany each publication. His Honor Judge Clarke arrived in Westport on Thursday, by the steamer Kennedy. Another passenger by the Kennedy was Mr Button, who is engaged with Mr Pitt, by Perry and party, who have a case in the Supreme Court, with Luke and part}', miners at Giles Terrace. We understand that on the rising of the Court here, Mr Button proceeds to .Nelson, being engaged in the case of Aptcd v. Kj^nnerslejr, Part of the object of Captain Stack's visit to this district is to enlist men for the Armed Constabulary. We believe that out of this district and that of Charleston, eight or ten men have already been obtained.

The Hokitika papers received by the Kennedy contain no local or mining news of interest. On Monday, which was the Prince of Wales' birth-day, business was suspended, and the day was thoroughly held as a holiday. Neither of the Hokitika papers had received the news which wo published on Tuesday, of the battle of Okutuku.

The police have, during the past few days, been going their usual rounds for the purpose of inspecting the dates of all business and other licenses. Those who have not provided themselves with such necessaiy documents, or who may have allowed the dates to expire, had better see to procuring the same early, before incurring a penalty as well as the cost of the license itself.

The scandal with regard to the Rev. Mr Taylor, of Melbourne, some account of which we gave lately, has been revived. One lady denies, on oath, the charges brought against her. Extensive frauds upon the Melbourne Custom-house have been discovered. The fraud was effected by means of false invoices.

The Grey River Argus, of yesterday, states that the new rush to Nelson Creek is reported to be a really good one, and is anticipated to prove the largest which has ever taken place in that district.

We observe that at a meeting of the Grey Steam-Tug Company, on Saturday, the secretary presented a balance-sheet showing that during the last three months the p.s. Dispatch had earned £I7OO in towages, and the working expenses amounted to £SO7, which left a sum in the bank sufficient to pay a dividend at the rate often per cent., leaving a balance to credit of £166. A saving in the working expenses of the boat of £IOO per month had been effected.

We hear that the majority of the parties who are putting in long tunnels at Giles Terrace and Deadman's Terrace, are so far advanced with their work that they expect next week to strike the gold, and to extend the pegs of their claims. At Ballarat Terrace, in the Caledonian district, a few days ago, an accident of a serious, but fortunately not fatal, character occurred. An extensive land-slip seriously injured the tunnel; of Capper and party, and completely closed it. It is alleged that the injury was caused by an adjacent water-race, and the case is likely to occupy tho attention of the Court. Mr Coe has visited the ground, for the purpose of assessing the damage done. Major Hunter, who was killed at Okutuku, was 34 years of age. He was the brother of the officer who was lately killed at Ruaruru. News of their death will reach their aged mother in the home country within the period of a month. Tho Wanganui Chronicle apologises for any errors or omissions in its publication, as two of its printers are helping to keep the Wcreroa redoubt, We understand that the Gift Auction, which is being organised by members of the Church of England, for tho purpose of defraying the debt on the harmonium, and for other Church purposes, will take place next week. The promoters will be thankful for the receipt of as many further contributions as the friends of tho Church may be pleased to present for the object for which the auction is to be held. A Nelson hotel-keeper advertises for a barmaid, for a " highly respectable hotel," and requests tho applicants to enclose their carles- de visile.

The Governor, Sir George Bowen, is expected to leave Wellington on Mondaynext, for Wanganui, after visiting which he will probably visit Nelson, and the West Coast.

The steamer Kennedy, which arrived from. Nelson on Tuesday, brought sevei-al passengers more or less distinguished in connection with the interests of Westport or the West Coast. There was Mr. Blaekett, the Provincial Engineer, who has come to Westport for the purpose of examining the banks of the Bailor, with a view to determining tho best way of protecting thorn from further encroachment at those points where damage has be«n done, and may again be done, to the serious detriment of this port and its people. And thero was Mr. Harrison, M.H.B. for Westland, who returns from his political duties at Wellington to resume his more local political duties in the County Council at HoMtika, which Comity Council meets tomorrow. And thero was an old resident of Westport, Mr. John Southern, who, with his partner, Mr. Creswick, has returned here to undertake the business now carried on by Messrs Smith and M'Doweih drapers, Gladstone street. There was an expectation that Mr. Greenfield, tho Provincial Secretary would have visited Westport, in company with Mr. Blaekett, and we believe that sitch was his intention, but latterly he has been seriously ill. It is possible that he may yet pay a visit, at an early date. Since Mr Blaekett'a arrival; he has been busily engaged surveying and sounding tho Bullerand its branches, and he will, no doubt, at earliest convenience, submit to the Government a report upon tho works necessary for the protection of the river banks, or for the diversion of the stream from its design of washing away i the town. It is to bo hoped that he may discover that the cost of any works required will not. amount to anything like the sum he is stated to have suggested to tho Superintendent as the probable expense. We understand that Mr Hughes and Mr Milne were deputed by the Progress Cummitteo to wait upon or communicate with Mr Blaekett, and, it any communication were necessary, they have no doubt done so.