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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 497, 29 April 1869, Page 2

A new load of gold is reported to have been struck by some prospectors who have lately been at work midway between the Buller river and Addison's, or in the vicinity of what is generally known as the Bald Hill. Gold had previously been got in the same neighbourhood, but the leads were fcliin omd not voiy rioh. party by whom this discovery is said to have been made sunk deeper, and havo come upon a richer and larger lead of wash-dirt, winch is likely to be reached most easily by tunnelling from Dirty Mary's Creek. The wash-dirt is said to be of a different character from that of the other leads, and the gold is rougher than that obtained at Addison's Flat, and is of a deep red color, caused probably by the ferruginous deposits by which some of the leads of the neighbourhood are characterised. The statement is that the ground prospected is capable of paying from .£lO to £l4 per week, and that there is area sufficient for a considerable number of men.

The Westport Amateur Dramatic Club gave an entertainment at the Masonic Hall on Monday evening, and, judging by the very favourable comment made upon it by the large numbers by whom it was witnessed, it was a complete success. Unfortunately for the execution of our desire to give a full notice of the performance, the Club had not the courtesy to afford to the Press the usual facilities of admission, and, though this has been explained as the result of accident, not design, we are necessarily precluded from doing the Club the justice which, by their efforts in every other respect, they deserve. The play selected for performance was the drama "Eobert Macaire"—perhaps not the most suitable selection for an amateur party, but their reported success in its performance must be accepted as proof that they thoroughly overcame the difficulties of its representation. The cast included Mr C. Notman as Germeuil, Mr F. Arenas as Dumont, Mr C. D. Berry as Robert Macaire, Mr F. J. Piesse as Jacques Strop, Mr F. White as Charles, Mr Bishop as Pierre, Mr Charles as Sergeant Loupy, Mrs Nicholas as Marie, and Miss Kate Grant as Clementine. The same ladies took part in the farce "The Goose with the Golden Eggs," with Mr F. P. Atkinson as Flickster, Mr Berry as Bonser, and Mr Piesse as Turby. With regard to the individual representations in either case it is enough to say that those members of the Club who had previously appeared excelled what they had accomplished on other occasions, and the new members gave promise of increasing adaptability for performances on the stage. A material element in the success of both pieces was, no doubt, the presence of the ladies who took part in the performance, and one important feature was the new scenery which had been painted by Messrs Piesse and White, who, though amateurs in that department also, proved themselves possessed of both skill and taste. The performance was" the first given by the Club as a regularly organized local institution, and was for the benefit of the Club funds, it being necessary to provide at the outset scenery and stage fittings. The next performance, we are informed, will be for the benefit of any charity or of any object of public interest requiring assistance—such as the Hospital, the Separation movement, prospecting projects, or purposes similar—and it is expected that the Club will, in some such cause, make their re-appearance in about a month hence. There were eighteen applications for races and dams, and seven othprs for protection of claims, to be heard at the Warden's Court yesterday, but in the majority of cases the parties did not appear. One application, which was granted, was by Williams and party, for eight heads of water to what is known as Spanish Terrace, between the Inangahua and the Lyell. Mr Coe, on behalf of Randell and party, applied for protection for a quartz reef in Irishman's Creek, a tributary of the Lyell, and protection was granted for a month. Hugh M'Master and party received renewal of protection for a tunnel, which they have already driven into Giles Terrace from seaward for a distance of 2,300 feet—the longest tunnel in the neighborhood. Cole and party applied for a lease of seven acres at the

north end of Addison's Flat. James Waugh, who appeared for the party, explained, in answer to the questions of the "Warden, that the party had been engaged for four months' bringing in a water-race, 3000 feet long, 30 feet deep, and about 30 feet wide for about a third of its length. The amount of capital required would be about .£1,500 or .£I,BOO, and it was proposed to employ seven men for six months, increasing the complement after that time. The ground had been worked before, and the only claim contiguous to it was also an extended claim. The "Warden reserved his decision until he should have perused the surveyor's report, which was not completed when the application came on to be heard.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court, on Tuesday, Ann Kelly found sureties to keep the peace for three months, and a man charged with drunkenness was fined. Yesterday an unfortunate man who had given symptoms of lunacy by supposing that the inmates of the hotel at'which he was living were " evil spirits," was remanded for medical examination.

The next homeward mail, via Suez, will be despatched from Hokitika by one of M'Meckan and Blackwood's steamers due there on the 16th May, under contract with the Government.

Mr Harvey and Mr South, of Hokitika, are at present on a visit to Westport as a commission to take evidence in an important case, regarding a consignment of flour, and between Spence Brothers and Duifield and Co. of Adelaide.

Mr Donne, M.P.C. for Brighton, proceeded to Nelson by the steamer Bruce yesterday. The barometer, according to the statement of the Harbor Master, was lower yesterday than it has been for a long time —quite low enough to indicate a hurricane. At Westport the weather was dull, with heavy rain. A very necessary local work is the formation of a road from "Westport to the Orawaite. Lately a considerable piece of ground through which the road passed has been fenced in, and the road is now not only difficult, but absolutely dangerous. The subject will be brought before the Progress Committee, and we hope, through them, before the Government.

A bottle manufactory, producing bottles superior to the imported article, has been established in Melbourne.

Otago has beaten Victoria in another rifle-match, by 78 points. Mr Vogel lately visited Auckland, with the view, it is said, of negotiating for funds for the Otago railways, and also to initiate a scheme with the Opposition members for the release of the Middle Island from liability in Native matters.

Mr David Main, one of the few survivors of the wreck of the London, and Mr J. W. Rosser, well-known on Ballarat, were lately shooting on Lake Burrumbeet. The boat capsized, and Rosser died from exhaustion after being rescued. Main recovered. Mr Haughton has resigned the office of Under-Secretary for Defence.

Mr Cassius is a candidate for election as County Councillor in Westland, in the place of Mr Sale, resigned. The Greenstone diggings are still represented as rapidly declining. A man named John Waterhouse has been cleverly apprehended at Hokitika for a forgery committed at Nelson. That unfortunate little man, Schaffer, has had his sentence of imprisonment in Melbourne gaol remitted. His countrymen will probably send him home. Mr Sale left Hokitika by the Omeo. Previous to Ms departure he was invited to a farewell supper, at which Mr Bonar was the chaimian, and Messrs Cassius and Harvey were croupiers. The Archdeacon, the Judge, the Resident Magistrate, and Wardens were present. The will of the late Mr John Jones has been proved in Dunedin. The personalty in the Colony was sworn as being under .£27,000.

A man was found incapably drunk in the streets of Dunedin last week, and on him was found £I4OO worth of gold and notes. The plant of the Holritika Evening Star has been purchased by Messrs Jones, Cobb, and Harris, and is now published as the Star of the Evening. It is said that the price paid was .£I6OO. The Dunedin Star has also been sold, and bought by Mr Henry Driver for £675. A new arrangement has been made in the programme of the Prince's route. The Galatea will leave Auckland for Fiji on the 18th of May next, and will afterwards visit Tonga, Tahiti, and the Sandwich Islands, leaving the latter on the 18th July. The inhabitants of Hokitika have at length resolved to place the Hospital under local management. The Rev. T. Flavell, the future incumbent of Charleston, arrived by the s.s. Great Britain.

The storm of Sunday caused heavy floods both at Hokitika and Greymouth. Fences and outhouses were blown over in all directions, and so hard did the wind blow that some portions of the Greymouth Tramway wore covered with sand. The Hokitika Race course was encircled with water, a creek having been formed on the sido opposite the Grand Stand. The houses in the vicinity of the cricket ground at ono time had a foot of water in them, and the gardens attached were, in some instances, almost totally destroyed. In the town all the low-lying portions were under water, and in Tancred Street the horses had to be removed from Cobb and Co's stables, the water coming in to the depth of about a foot. The various wing-dams stood well, but the river made great havoc on the bank below the punt.