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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 475, 9 March 1869, Page 2

It will be seen by our shipping intelligence that that wonderful achievement of marine architecture, the steamer Woodpecker, has been driven ashore at Patea, and totally wrecked. The very insignificance of the little Woodpecker, and the expeditions which she accomplished, sscured for her many "friends and admirers" on this part of the coast, where she was for some time stationed, and the information of her loss will truly be heard of " with regret." Another of the parties at work on Rochfort Terrace, to the noith of Westport, has struck payable gold, and there is every prospect of gold being now found throughout the entire area of the terrace, which is at least two miles long. The gold now struck is in a claim situated about the middle of the terraoJ, belonging to Adamson, and party, who yesterday applied at the Warden's office for protection of eight men's ground. They had driven atunnelint the terrace about 1300 ft in length, and have come upon a layer of wash-

dirt a foot in depth, and thickening as it goes further into the hill, with gold in payable quantity. The Westport portion of the Suez mail was only received here on Sunday and delivered yesterday. Hokitika and Greymouth received their letters by the same mail upwards of eight days sooner. The Post-office officials, in their wisdom, sent the Westport letters to Nelson, and there they lay for a week. Apropos of the mail 'arrangements, we notice that if letters and papers from the Southern provinces are addressed " Westport, Westland," which is incorrect, they arrive in a few days, being sent overland and via Hokitika. But if a correspondent has any geographical knowledge, and addresses Iris letters " Westport, Nelson," they take about three weeks or a month to reach their destination. If the Post-office clerks would condescend tolook at the addresses for two seconds instead of one, they would probably save a great deal of unnecessary circumnavigation and many unhallowed expressions on the part of an injured and irritable public.

We hear that a number of men who have been at work in the neighborhood of Mohikinui have lately gone north to the Wanganui and Earamea beaches, and they have been joined by several persons from Westport. The great difficulty with which diggers have to contend in these localities is the distance over which they have to convey their provisions, but at present there is an abundant supply of fish in the rivers, and the beaches, if properly wrought, are capable of paying fair wages. At the Custom-house, yesterday, duty to the amount of £lB7 Is 2d was paid on 14960zs 9dwt 9grs of gold shipped by the Bank of New South Wales to Hokitika. The import duties received at the Custom-house last week amounted to £BB4 1 Is. Several persons who have for some months past been waiting at Auckland, in the hope of the Thames district being opened up, have returnedto Westport, and we hear of some hundreds being now on their way back to the West Coast. As the steamer Kennedy was leaving Nelson, the Rangatira arrived there from -Auckland, crowded with passengers, and it is said that the accommodation of the John Penn was also fully bespoken by returning diggers. Many of those landed at Nelson are understood to have started overland for the Lyell and the Grey. It is the remark of those who have already returned to Westport, that hundreds more may be expected; that, in fact, "they are bound to come back."

We invite the attention of our local readers to the announcement that there will be held, this evening, a meeting " to consider the advisability of petitioning the General Assembly to constitute Westland North a county, and endow the same with a local government." The place of meeting ia the Masonic Hall ; the hour, eight o'clock. Captain and Adjutant Stack, who has been for some time engaged on other duty than that of inspecting the Volunteers of Westland, was a passenger for Hokitika by the steamer Kennedy. Some of the Charleston men lately challenged the men of Addison's Flat to a game of football on St Patrick's Day, to be played on the beach near Charleston. The challenge, it will be seen by advertisement, has been accepted. The first escort from the Greenstone diggings arrived in Hokitika last week, bringing lOOOozs of gold. The local correspondent of the West Coast Times, writing on the Ist, says that during the last fortnight a new feature in mining has taken place. There is, however, just now a good deal of gold offering, the late rains having enabled the miners to wash up a considerable portion of their stacks of dirt. There has not been any new ground opened during the above period, and the rushes which took place to the Junction, although there are a good many men, have not all turned out. satisfactorily. The Duke of Edinburgh Terrace still continues to be the leading place. The Nelson race meeting is expected to take place on the 6th of next month, during the Duke of Edinburgh's visit to the Province. As the racing at Greymouth will be over, men and horses from the West Coast are expected to put in an appearance, and horses are also expected from the North Island. Altogether fourteen races are advertised, extending over two days, but it has been suggested that one day's racing for really valuable prizes would be preferable. The first day's racing will include the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap plate, of 100 sovs, the Galatea steeple-chase of 100 sovs, and a match for 50 sovs between Mr Redwood's Manuka and Mr Stafford's Lady Florence. The second day's racing will include the Turf Club Plate of 100 sovs, and another steeple-chase. The steeple-chases are expect«d to be especially attractive. At Christchurch there are also to be races during the Prince's visit, including a steeple-chase in which the stakes are .£175, the Galatea Cup £ 100, and a handicap flat race, a hurdle race, and a selling race. The exact date is not fixed.

Mr Brandon, Manager of the N. Z. Bank at Napier, has been thrown from his chaise, broke his leg, and was otherwise seriously hurt. A correspondent of the Charleston Sera Id, who signs himself D. Kelly, communicates the following information, and desires the attention of the police of Westport to be directed to it: "A young man of the name of Thomas Boyle left the Four Mile about five weeks ago, under the following circumstances:—He worked with Andersen and party up to the day he left for Westport. When leaving he intimated that he would he back after a day or two, as he only wanted to see a friend at Westport. Consequently he left his blankets and most'of his clothes afterhim, which shows plainly he intended coming back. But, strange to say, he has never come. I believe he had from £lO to jE2S on him. He was a native of England, and a young man of very temperate habite."

The nomination of candidates for the representation of Duncdin in the House of Representatives, ia the room of Mr JPaterson, took place on Tuesday last. Mr Thomas Birch, the Mayor of Dunedin, and Mr J. G. S. Grant, were the candidates. The show of hands was in favor of Grant, but Mr Barch demanded a pell, and there is very little doubt that he will be elected. The late fire at Christchurch seems to have been confined to Bailey's timberryard 'behind Cashel street, but fee destruction of sheds, timber, &c, was considerable. It originated in one of the work-shops at eleven o'clock in the forenoon.

Another case of small-pox is reported at Bangitikei. The Provincial Government repudiate its liability for the expenses, £BO, incurred by the health officer in the former case, saying that the patient should have been taken 'to the hospital like an ordinary case. The Wanganui people are highly indignant. A man named John Venrick has been "stuck up" on the track from the Blue Spur to the 'Christchurch road, and was robbed of £l3. The police are in search of the "highwayman." A banquet, at which more than two hundred attended, was given at Evans's Bed Lion Hotel, Hokitika, on St. David's day. The company "was not limited to Welshmen, but there was a considerable number of them present to do honor to the memory of their patron saint. Mr Mark Sprot was chairman, and Mr B. W. Jones was vicechairman. On the same occasion a handsome gold watch and appendages were presented to Mr Sale. Brother Charles Bowman has been installed as R.W.M. of the Kilwinning Masonic Lodge, Charleston. The legal oyster season commenced on Monday, the Ist inst. William Lloyd, Ambrose Eyles Moore, and John Munro are gazetted as duly licensed to act as Custom-house agents at Westport. The Eev. Mr Flavell, who is to be pastor of the Episcopalian congregation at Charleston, is now on his way to the colony. A person giving the name of Sir Frederick Alfred Chambery Foster, Baronet, has been charged at the Nelson Police Court with obtaining £5 from a hotel-keeper by false pretences.