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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 481, 23 March 1869, Page 2

On the several terraces forming the Great North Lead, in this district, the miners have been better able to proceed with their work during the past month than at any time since Christmas, the supply of water having been somewhat more abundant. In this district, as well as elsewhere, however, water is still much wanted. On Eochf ort Terrace, several parties are now engaged putting in new tunnels on the same level as that of Adamson and party, by whom gold was lately struck. On Hatter's or M'Gowan's Terrace, a number of the claims are turning out very satisfactorily, and on the terrace to the northward of that, known as Christmas Terrace, several parties who have lately returned from Auckland are setting in to work. At the Orawaiti some new dams are being constructed for the purpose of washing tailings from Giles Terrace, and still further south, some parties are again prospecting on Ballarat and Bald Terraces. The Caledonian township does not present the busy appearance which it may at one time have done, but the prospects of the district are as favorable as ever, and there has not occurred anything to shake the belief that the run of gold found on these terraces extends yet a considerable distance further to the northward. Our Charleston correspondent reported, in his last letter, that the Charleston men were declared the winners of the foot-ball match played on St. Patrick's Day. "An Addison's Flat man " insists upon it that he is wrong, and that there was no victory to Charleston, the first goal having been won by Charleston, ani the second by Addison's Flat, while no third was won, on account of it being too late to proceed with the game. We have a fear that the ** Addison's Fiat man" has indifferent recollection of the termination of the game, for our correspondent's account of the match is corroborated by the Herald, which says:—"The first two goals were won by Charleston, and the last by Addison's." In the same report it is stated that the contesting parties wore a distinguishing uniform j Addison's, white cap with green piping j and Charleston, green caps with white piping. There were three booths on the ground for supplying the necessary stimulus to the inner man; — the principal one, and that which evidently possessed the chief attraction for the crowd, had been erected by Messrs Behan and Kelly, who in the space of a few hours took the almost incredible sum of overJB2QO. The booth was very artistically decorated with emblems symbolical of the country to which certainly the majority of those present belonged, consisting of the shamrock, harp, and a banner, on which was displayed the motto, " Cead mille failthe."

Attention has lately been called in some Home papers to the dangerous dyes used in coloring flannel and woollen articles. Stockings of one color have been known to produce annoying skin diseases, and others have exploded when placed near a fire. A similar case has occurred in Hokitika, and is thus referred to by the local correspondent of the Greymouth Star; —"A case of virulent poisoning from wearing those fancy, highly-colored socks has recently occurred in this town. The sufferer is Mr Alfred Dyson, mine host of the British Empire. It appears that on last Thursday week he purchased several pair of socks, and put on a pair of them the same day. The color of the feet of the socks was magenta. Throughout the day he experienced an uncomfortable sensation in his feet, which he describes as similar to that resulting from wearing tight boots. At night, on removing his socks, he found that the soles of his feet and that portion of their sides which had been in contact with the magenta, all red and covered with small pimples. In the morning the pimples had increased to large pustules, which shortly afterwards burst, and his feet presented a most alarming appearance, Dr Dermott was called in and at once defined the cause to be the magenta socks. Mr Dyson has since been under his skilful treatment and is recovering, but it will be a considerable time before he is able to get about, as the skin on the soles of his feet has entirely peeled off, leaving a rawness which precludes him from standing. This should be a caution to wearers of 'pretty* socks and stockings." On last Wednesday evening, about a quarter past nine, a fire broke out in the office of the Hokitika Daily Newt. While the compositors were at work flames were seen proceeding from a store room. The fire bell was immediately rung, and the brigade mustered speedily, but by the time they arrived the men in the office had got the fire subdued. A large quantity of paper and valuable printing material was injured and destroyed. In the Bankruptcy Court, Hokitika, Alfred Armstrong Pennefather, hotelkeeper, Waimea, has had his protection withdrawn, his certificate suspended for twelve months, and the order of discharge suspended for six months. It appears that, in the last attack on the Natives, Colonel Whitmore fell in with the enemy on Saturday morning, and surprised them under the cover of mist at dawn. A gallant attack was made on the encampment, and the enemy were quickly driven out. A masked reserve, under Colonel St. John, had been very advantageously posted, and the Maoris retreated right on to it. A smart fire was immediately opened on them, and was most fatal in its

results. The enemy retreated down a wooded gully, and the fight lasted four hours. Tito Kowaru narrowly escaped by swimming a river. The Warden's Court was occupied for a number of hours yesterday with the hearing of another ease between Brown and party and Perry and party, Giles Terrace. Mr Tyler appeared for the complainants, and Mr Pitt for the defendants. The complaint was that the defendants were working within ten feet of Brown' and party's tunnel, and were not securing their tunnel, so as to prevent accident or loss. A number of witnesses were called for the complainants. For the defence, no witnesses were called, but Mr Pitt took several objections, which were sustained by the Warden, who held that it was to the complainants' second tunnel, and not the one in question, to which protection extended; and the complainants were non-suited. In the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, Alice M'Farlane was brought up on a charge of assaulting George Gourlay. The prosecutor did not appear, and the defendant was discharged. A man named Hildebrand was charged with assaulting Ann Kelly. The complainant sent an excuse for her non-appearance, and asked the case to be adjourned. The defendant was allowed 10s as expenses. A Volunteer parade is appointed for this evening, at eight o'clock. On Saturday a human body, and portions of a coffin, were exposed by the encroachments of the river near the cemetery. The remains were removed, placed in a fresh coffin, and buried within the cemetery. The body is understood to be that of a man who was drowned a few years ago, and who was buried on the sand-spit, which then extended nearly three hundred yards more to the southward. An action in which Mr William Johnston, solicitor, of Dunedin, sought to recover from Messrs Gillies and Street £2OOO damages, for the publication of two libels, alleged to be written of him in his profession, came before the Supreme Court at Dunedin last week; but on the second day of trial, the parties settled their differences amicably. The prisoners are now at work " grubbing " and levelling Bright street, with the intention, we presume, or we hope, of that street being metalled and made available for traffic. The representatives of the Buller district in the Nelson Provincial Council are now Mr. James M'Dowell and Mr R. C. Reid, the latter having been nominated and elected without opposition on Saturday.

We notice that but a very small number of our contemporaries in New Zealand have complied with the Act of last session, by which it is required that the imprint of a newspaper should be according to a particular form. The whole Act was a piece of antiquated legislation, reviving in the colony much that has long ago been abandoned in England, but as there are penalties attaching to a breach of nearly every section of the Act, newspaper proprietors need not wilfully lay themselves open to those penalties, when they can without inconvenience avoid them. The Greymouth Star ventures to take a different view of Mr Lowe's Wardenship from that taken by the other journals in the district. It says:—" From his previous intimate knowledge of the district, and his recognised ability as a mining surveyor, Mr Lowe will bring a practical knowledge to bear upon the questions at issue before him, perhaps, greater than is possessed by any Warden on the West Coast." A correspondent of the Argus is of a different opinion. He says:— " It is with feelings of disgust that the miners of the district hear that a young inexperienced man has been appointed Warden—having friends about, has been pitchforked into a position, for which he is unfit. His admirers say that he will gain experience, while the gentle public have a decided objection to be made subjects for an experiment at, no doubt, a fearful cost to themselves." Tenders are to be called in a fortnight for the erection of a new Court House, at Charleston. The proposed building will be in front of the present Court, and will have a frontage of 40ft to Camp street, with a depth of 18ft. A meeting was called by advertisement for Saturday evening at the Drill Shed to take steps for holding a regatta on Easter Monday. Mr Sheahan was called to the chair, and on the motion of Mr Simpson, seconded by Mr George Clarke, it was agreed to carry out the object of the meeting, and a committee for the purpose of arranging the preliminaries and collecting subscriptions was appointed, consisting of Messrs Simpson, Clarke, Morey, Roache, Monahan, John Beid, and Smythson. The Committee met last evening, when it was decided that the regatta should be held on the Queen's Birth-day. The Union Bank shipped by the steamer Charles Edward, which sailed for Nelson yesterday, 18670z5, 17dwts, 6grs of gold. The following further particulars of Te Kooti's attack upon Hohoia's pah has been received by telegraph:—Te Kooti first advanced to the pah under a white flag. When his intentions became evident the garrison opened a brisk fire, and he was ultimately repulsed with the loss of seventeen men. There were two friendly natives killed. Te Kooti then sapped up to the pah, and accomplished the task in three days ; and, there being no further chance of successful defence, the garrison surrendered. Te Kooti then attacked a small pah, occupied by a Frenchman and some natives. The Frenchman was killed and one friendly native was wounded.

A boy nine years of age, eon of John Connelly, of Connelly's Hotel, Eanieri, has been drowned while bathing in the river Hokitika. Tenders are invited by the Westland Government for making a dray road from Qoldtborough to the Junction of the Greenstone with the Teremakan, and also for a bridle, road from Chesterfield to the Greenstone Soad. Mr Doig, residing at Green Island, Otago. has committed suicide by h ft"g'ng himself. An inquest was held, and a verdict of " temporary insanity " recorded.

The Suez mail was due in Melbourne on the 18th inet, and is expected to arriva at Hokitika to-day, by the Rangitoto. Messrs B. C. Haggitt, J. T. Thompson, and George Cook, Dunedin, hare been appointed Commissioners to inquire into the present mode of preparing Crown Grants, particularly the mode of describing lands granted by both words and plans, and to suggest any alteration or improvements in the present mode. Mr Haggitt is to be chairman. The following tenders have been accepted by the General Government: —Cape Campbell Lighthouse, Carter and Co., Wellington, £I9OO,- Cape Farewell, S. Brown, Wellington, £2496; Flat Rock Beacon, E. Mills, Wellington, J8390. The tender for the Nuggets Lighthouse is not yet decided. A humorous correspondent of the Nelson Evening Mail, referring to the expected visit of the Prince, suggests that a procession shall be formed in the following order:—"Bankrupts, Mortgagees, Mortgagors. This is supposed to comprise the entire population. Should there be any left, they can bring up the rear." It is positively decided that the Duke of Edinburgh will visit Hokitika. He is expected to arrive about the ISth of April. A man named Patsey Caldwell was severely kicked by a horse at the Greymouth races, but is now recovering.

Application for a prospecting claim at Canoe Creek was made to Mr Dutton, Warden at Cobden, last week. An extended area was granted. The Argus says:—The ground is about mid-way between Canoe Creek and Bazorback on the North Beach. The locality is in the scrub just off the beach, in new ground which has never been touched. The applicants say that there is any quantity of ground, that the stripping is three feet, the wash-dirt two feet, and they can easily make £1 per man per day. Afoot-race for £SO a-side took place on Friday on the Grey Race Course between R. Howe, of Hokitika, and D. Duncan, of Greymouth. The distance was a quarter of a mile. Howe won easily by about seven yards. The rifle firing for district prizes has taken place at Hokitika and Greymouth. Nineteen members competed atGreymouth,and thehighestscores were made there. The highest scores for the prizes stand at present thus :—Private G. W. Moss, Greymouth, 53 ; Private Smith, Greymouth, 50 ; Ensign Fisher, Hokitika, 49; Sergeant Thomas, Greymouth, 47; LieutColonel Preshaw, Hokitika, 45 ; Dr Morice, Greymouth, 44; Corporal Bunting, Hokitika, 43; Color-Sergeant Fringle, Hokitika, 42; Captain Evans, Hokitika, 40. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, Hokitika, Thomas Park has been charged with assaulting his son, William Park, aged 9 years, by chaining him by the wrists and ankles. This affair has been some time before the public. It appeared in the evidence that the boy had fallen into bad habits for one so young, and on several occasions had received corporeal chastisement for faults •uch as stealing money, &c The father finding that the use of the cane did not produce the desired effect, conceived the rather novel idea of becoming his own gaoler, and, to try and cure the boy of his evil habits, had him chained up with an ordinary dog-chain, and confined him to his bedroom. He, howover, by his own admission, could get in and out of bed when he liked, and he also admitted that he got enough to eat —the fare being bread and water. The bench dismissed the information, but at the same tine told the father that it was a foolish method of punishment, but there did not appear to have been any great ill-usage. They also advised the father to have resource to the cane again, in case of future delinquencies. The circumstances under which Samuel Finlay, a miner at Charleston, met his death are thus stated by the Herald : —lt appears that deceased's mate had just returned into the drive with the empty truck, and observed to Finlay that it was about time to knock off, as day was breaking. Deceased remarked that it wanted nearly a half hour to change their shift and thought they had better go on working, and after a few minutes his mate heard a fall of cement and looked round to see what was the matter, and saw a block containing about Bor 10 tons lying on his companion. Finding that he could not help him, his mate rushed to the engine and got assistance. Tho parties then dug the loose white ■and from under him and liberated him, but life was extinct.

A party who lately went from Invercargill on a prospecting excursion to Stuart's Island have returned with very favourable reports. The existence of quartz reefs of unusual dimensions has been placed beyond doubt, although their character has not yet been fully tested. The Brighton correspondent of the Charleston Herald, writing of matters in that district, says:—" In mining matters, this district cannot be said to bo retrograding, but rather to be giving signs of improvement. Many parties are now beginning to turn their* attention to ground sluicing, the general impression being that this method of operation will pay admirably even for the working of abandoned ground or ground hitherto but partially worked. In this opinion lam inclined to participate. Other parties, again, are driving for the second bottom, a few having been successful in obtaining it."