NOTES FROM CHARLESTON.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 417, 1 December 1868, Page 3

NOTES FROM CHARLESTON.

(from a correspondent.) Not. 28. It is well known to master mariners 'trading on the West Coast that a fresh survey of the coast is necessary, inasmuch as the Admiralty charts are "wrong hy several degrees of latitude and longitude. There are also many shoals and rocks which are not marked on the charts. I see that the General Government have, with praiseworthy promptitude, caused a survey of the entire coast to he taken. The survey party, under the charge ofLieut. Woods, assisted by Mr Knight, have made a survey of Jackson's Bay, Bruce Bay, Abut Head, and some of the principal headlands down south ; and Mr Knight is now at Cape Foulwiud, where he expects to be for three or four weeks. In all probability the party will visit Charleston, and make it their next station. When the survey is finished on shore, the s.s. St. Kilda will be •employed for the purpose of finishing the marine survey of the coast. The weather has been very unsettled for the last eight days, but, strange to say, it has been just the weather appreciated by the Charleston folk. In fact the country is so situated, and some of the rich cement claims are in such outlandish localities, that it requires rain every three days to keep the miners supplied. The sea has been rolling into the bay with great fury, but, fortunately, there have been no craft in the harbor. To pronosticate correctly about the weather is no easy task, but by all appearances we should expect fine weather till full moon. "We have a prospecting association of some kind, but I can hardly tell what they are about. I believe they have some party out on the hunt for gold, and it is to be hoped their labors will be rewarded. The opinion of many sensible miners is opposed to the paying of parties to prospect, and in favor of track-cutting in the interior as the best means of opening up the country. Had it not been for track-cutting, I I am afraid Hokitika and her would not have thriven as they have •done.

An accident of a rather serious nature occurred oju the 24th at Sardine Terrace. A man named John "Williams was at work in a drive in his claim, when a large piece of cement fell from the side of the drive, and broke his leg, close above the ankle. He was conveyed to the Hospital, and the bone was set by the surgeon ; and the patient is now recovei'ing. " Know nothing, fear nothing "is a well-known maxim, and it has been illustrated on different occasions on the West Coast by the foolhardiness of parties venturing into rivers and dangerous places without the slightest •caution whatever. Last week, for instance, a young man who has been trading to the Buller with a spring cart was rather bold in venturing to ford the Totara when there was a heavy fresh in the river. The result was thathelostmost of his wares; his spring cart was washed up on the beach; and he narrowly escaped with his life. It was not warning enough for him. He tried the same game, and was washed on the beach again. On both occasions Mr Lomore, the ferry-man, exerted himself to the utmost in rescuing him from his perilous position.

A flock of 18,000 sheep havebeen sold in Victoria, for 5d each. They were infected with seab ; two different squatters repudiated the ownership of them; and the inspector sold them by auction -for behoof of whom it might concern.