NOTES FROM CHARLESTON.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 509, 27 May 1869, Page 2

NOTES FROM CHARLESTON.

(feom a coebespondemt.) May 4. This is the natal day of our most Gracious Queen, and sure am I that in no part of her wide dominions, upon which the sun never sets, will it be kept in remembrance by more loyal and devoted subjects than she possesses on what was so lately a terra incognita—the West Coast of the Middle Island.

Our new clergyman for the Church of England is now amongst us, and officiated yesterday for the first time (morning and evening) to a numerous and attentive congregation. I observe also that he officiates to-night in the Evangelical Union or Methodist Church (the Eev. Mr White's). This is as it should be, and says something in Mr Flavell's favor. Churchman though he be, he will bo none the worse, but all the better, for " airing his divinity " in a Methodist pulpit, or, rather, " reading-desk." Mr Flavell has an ample field here, and I trust he will be found a man of the right stamp. We require on these goldfields men like the present Bishop of Lichfield, the Bishop of Nelson, Dr Norman M'Leod, Dr John Tulloch, (both of the Church of Scotland,) and many others I could name. Generally speaking, we are an orderly and lawabiding people on these diggings, but there is great room for, and need of, " muscular Christian" pastors, like the rev. geutlemen named. Indeed a clergyman's function (whatever his status, rank, or church) if carried out in its entirety and integrity, is no" bed of roses "in a new country. All honor, however, to the Bight Rev. the Bishop of Lichfield ; he has well earned his mitre and palace, after twenty-five years in the wilds of New Zealand. The weather of late has been broken and showery, but we cannot expect much else at this period of the winter season. The moon changes, however, soon, and we may expect then real wintry weather, and that for the next two months. Indeed, the more distant ranges to the back of Charleston have been more or less snow-clad, or rather capped, for the past fortnight. The digging community have been busily employed during the last week, and, as a natural sequence,there has been less of litigation than usual. I understand that a good many parcels of gold have been brought into the banks during the past week, to undergo the usual smelting and refining processes. On Saturday evening our streets were quite alive with miners, and a great many were in town yesterday, and they are beginning to " put in an appearance " this morning. Indeed, little or no work will be done by tho mining community between noon of Saturday last and Wednesday morning. I observe your Warden's protection extends over to-day and to-to-morrow—ours only for to-day, for what good reason I am somewhat at a loss to conceive.

Our sign and house painters are kept as busily employed as may be. In fact, there seems to be a perfect mania at present for re-painting, relettering fronts, &c, and generally over-hauling against the winter season, already fairly upon us. I observe that in addition to the different verandahs I previously wrote to you as having been erected here, mine host of the European (Mr Charles Weitzel) has erected on pillars a very handsome double lamp in front of his house, Princes street.

Since I last wrote, a few vessels have visited the port, got safely in, aud discharged their cargoes in good condi.tion. The vessels at present in harbor are the Mavis, schooner, from Lyttelton, with a cargo of produce for Mr Charles Gasquoiue, and the ketch Standard, from w estport, with a general cargo. These vessels have duly discharged their cargoes iu good condition, but may be detained in harbor for some time, as the weather by all appearances has set in very coarse aud boisterous, and is likely to continue so for some days.