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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 528, 10 July 1869, Page 2

It will bo seen by our latest telegrams that the steamer Bruce, -whose name has been so intimately associated with the settlement of the West Coast, and whose " disastrous chances" and"hair-breadth 'scapes" have been so numerous and extraordinary, has at last been overcome by the elements. She was driven on the beach at Greymouth a few days ago, and "now lies she there," a " complete wreck " —" broken into halves." Such "is the last scene of all" in what may well be called her " strange eventful history." The hills behind Westport had a more wintry appearance on Thursday morning last than they have had for several seasons, the snow reaching to an unusually low level. With the wind blowing off the land, there was on the following night a very sharp frost, which left a coating of ice on all comparatively still water. During the day the weather is usually pleasantly temperate, with clear sunshine. During the other hours of the twenty-four, the t-'iuperature is very different, and the hotel-keepers and drapers are experiencing a largo accession to their trade in " nightcaps." The manufacture of aerated water, as a local branch of trade, is at a lamentable discount.

A decided " hitch " has happened in our arrangements for the £>ublication of our Illustrated Monthly Summary in time for the English mail. The portion of the necessary work which we had done in Melbourne was completed, andtheparcel was forwarded by the Alhambra, but, with the usual luck of goods consigned to Westport, the parcel is apparently at present making a geographical survey of the colony. At anyrate it has not come to hand, nor can it bo traced at Ilokitika or Nelson, and as the Kennedy is about the last chance of despatching papers for the mail, the Postoffice officials, we fear, will not have the gratification of conveying to Home readers, at this particular time, our Number One. There is one thing certain, however. Barring further accident, the paper will bo in time for the next month's mail; and that's a consolation.

Within the past few weeks some heavy parcels of gold have been sold to the banks in Westport by claim-holders on the Shamrock Lead and on the- Caledonian and Giles Terraces. Several claims on the Shamrock Lead have more than fulfilled expectations as to their richness, and in most of the tunnel claims on the Northern terraces the wash-dirt is proving to be of considerable thickness and highly auriferous. It is expected that the next returns of the export of gold from this district will show a considerable increase in the quantity exported.

Subscribers to the Westport Hospital should remember that the adjourned meeting for the annual election of a Committee takes place in the Court-house, at three o'clock this afternoon.

At the spot where the sea lately encroached upon the beach, and necessitated the removal of the school-master's residence, the sarf has now deposited some hundreds of tons of shingle and snags, and to the northward the beach has been considerably made up. Towards the end of Molesworth street, however, a large slice of ground has been taken away, and if the process of removal continues to go on at the rate it is now doing, the value of freehold property in the neighbourhood will soon be exceeds.gly mythical. The Rev. Mr Walsh will officiate in the Catholic Church to-morrow morning at nine o'clock. In a short time, we believe, attendants at this church will be summoned by the tolling of a bell which has been purchased in Dunedin, and which is now on its way to Westport in the steamer Beautiful Star.

Dr Giles, our Resident Magistrate and Warden, delivered a lecture at Charleston on Thursday evening, on " Circulation and Repiration in Animals."

The English Mail was due at Melbourne on Thursday last. The mail leaves Melbourne for England on the 18th. The growing of beet-root, for the manufacture of sugar, is being encouraged in Canterbury. By our latest Melbourne files we learn that the publication of the weights for the Melbourne Cup had caused a considerable improvement in the betting market, a considerable amount of business having been done immediately thereafter. The horse that met with most support was Sheet Anchor, about whose chance many people appeared to be particularly enthusiastic. He was backed to w n £, 10,000, at prices ranging from 1000 to 30 to 1000 to 50. Detective was backed at 100 to 6 ; The Earl at a 100 to 5 ; Marksman and Manuka at 100 to 4 each; Barbelle at 100 to 3; Freetrader at 100 to 3; Barwon and Shenandoah at 100 to 20 each; Strop, Cyinba, Phosphorus, and Salem Ssudder at 500 to 10 each. We notice by the Greymouth-papers tliat the machinery for tbe Moonlight Quartz Crushing Company was brought over from Melbourne by the s.s. Alhambra. A large public meeting has been held in the Masonic Hall, Dunedin, to consider the question of a further loan in aid of the wnr in the North. Five resolutions were passed, declaring that public feeling was opposed to < 'tago being a party to a further loan. The South was responsible for past liabilities, but the North Island in future ought to manage and pay for their own affairs in reference to the war. A man named Kingcotte has accidentally shot himself dead on the station of Mrßlakiston, at Cragieburn, Canterbury. Late telegrams state that two hundred Aimwus have marched against Te Kooti. The mutiny of the constabulary at Matata has terminated. Seventeen new Justices of the Peace have been created by Mr Stafford, principally gentlemen residing in the Auckland Province, on the East Coast. The list includes Mr Button, Mayor of Hokitika. We notice that the first of the stores destroyed by the late fire at Greymouth has been re-built an I occupied, Messrs Hamilton and Nicholhaving commenced business on their old site. Mr Swan, the representative of the Auck land Gold-fields, recently introduced a bill into the House of Rspresentatiyes to confer on the holder of a miner's right the privilege of voting for the Superintendent of a province. The motion was defeated, on the second reading, by forty-six to fourteen votes. A large meeting has been held in Invereargillonthe subject of the annexation of Southland to Otago. A resolution in favor of it was rejected by two to one. The general impression is in favor of Counties and Koad Lourds.