The Westport Times. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1869.
Those who are most competent to judge consider that the correctness of Mr Saxby's calculations has been fully sustained by the state of the tides within the rast few days. They have been of unusual and extraordinary height. Fortunately they have not, in this particular locality, been accompanied by stormy weather. The}* have, indeed, been accompanied by weather of rare and remarkable fineness. More than at any other time within the year, the sea might for smoothness be correctly compared to a mill-pond. A smoother bar or a lighter surf has not been seen for months. Thus the increase in the volume of the tidal wave has not been particularly noticed, nor has any great encroachment been made beyond the usual debateable ground between sea and land. Had it been otherwise—had there been any commotion at sea either a heavy ground-swell or a gale of wind there is no doubt that, here and hereabout, considerable areas would have been inundated. Suppose, for instance, the sea had been breaking for two miles off the shore, as occasionally happens, or that a northwesterly gale had been "blowing home," all the popular expectations of the event would have been realised. At anyrate the surf must have intruded itself as far as the inhabited part of the spit on which Westport stands, though little or no damage might have been done. As it is, none has beeu done, nor is there any likely to be done so long as the weather continues in its present pacific condition. It may be that still higher tides are yet to eonie, but: if they come under the same circumstances as those which have preceded them, they may be looked upon more with delight than with dread.
We b.dieve there was a meeting of the Hospital Committee on Tuesday evening. The irregularity with which this Committee's meetings are attended, through the perfectly excusable ignorance or forgeti'ulness of members as to the dates of meeting, must be our reporter's excuse for his non-attendance. If the Secretary of this Committee does not choose to give public notification of it? meetings, he might, at least, do what is elsewhere the universal rule with either honorary or paid secretaries of corporate bodies and committees—he might send memoranda of the date of met ting to the members and to the representatives of the Press. Wo imagine that neither the public nor the Committee would begrudge him, or the Treasurer, or whoever it may be, the monthly expenditure of ha) i'-a-crown for a " small boy " to give the necessary notification. The present system is a system quite unparallelled, and most unfair to the public, who are presumed to be present at the meetings of the Committee.
An official inquiry into the loss of the cutter Harry Blulf at Charleston will be held at Westport on Friday by the Collector of Customs, Mr Munday. It will be seen that at Charleston inquests have been held as to the death of the unfortunate men who were drowned on the occasion of the wreck, and that, to their verdict, the juries added th e recommendation that distinguishing signals eh uld be used for vessels leaving as well as entering the harbor—a system of signalling which is scarcely practicable, is quite unusual, and, in such a small harbor as that of Charleston, should be altogether unnecessary. Through some extraordinary oversight, if not very gross negligence, the Westport portion of the English mail was not forwarded from Hokitika by either the Murray or the Lyttelton, although there was ample time for that being done. It cannot now be received until the arrival of the Charles Edward o John Penn. The Nelson mail was also carried pist the port by the Charles Edward. A meeting of the Westport Jockey Club will be held to-morrow evening at the Post Office Hotel, for the purpose of making arrangements with reference to tho race-course to be used this season, and of adopting tho byelaws of the Club. Gold has been struck this week by Smith and party on the terrace to the seaward of Hatter's Terrace. The gold was got 270 feet in from the face, tho prospects being oue grain to the shovel, with two feet of washdirt. Mr Tyler's property is to be sold by Mr Mu ro this day, instead of to-morrow, as originally advertised. The average number of children who have attended the Westport school for the quarter ended 30th September is 08. The number on the roll at present is 100—boys G2; girls 38. A special meeting of the. members of the Masonic Lodge is convened for this evening, for the purpose ol bidding farowell to the late Master, Bro. Tyler, who takes his departure to-inoi row. All members of the craft are specially requested to be in attendance. Mr Guinness, who was lately, but not d •finitely, appointed County Treasurer at Hokitika, has been offered, and has accepted the app >intnieht of Warden's Clerk at the Kanieri.
Mr Bees, barrister, Tlokilita, was on Saturday List fined £lO for contempt, of court by the Resident Magistrate, Hokitika. Ho announced his intention to dispute payment. The contempt consisted of some warm language directed at, the Bench. Th,e excitement with regard to the quartzreefs in the Moonlight District is described by the Grey Biver Argus as steadily on the increase in that town, several new discoveries having been made within the last few days. Quite a number of claims there have been taken up, aud companies formed to work them. The preliminary applications have in some cases been lodged at t lie Warden's Office, Col) len. Several claims on recently found reefs have also been marked out above Langdon's Ferry. The specimens which have been brought to town and exhibited are very rich, and the discoveries arc causing the district to bo thoroughly prospected. By the arrival of the John Penn we have Auckland news to the 20th of September. The Southern Cross of that date says:—A e msiderable reduction in the market price of shares in claims, not only in one, but all parts of the field, has taken place. May have pyci-speculated, and these are forced to otter and sell their interests at prices injurious to tfiems dves, and ruinous for the time to the property of others. The value also that shares had attained was, in the majority of instances, beyond the mark, people having been only too ready to buy at advanced prices on the faith of proximity to a good claim, or some other fancied advantage Whilst the fall in thj market price of shares h:.s been ■ general, the development of the field is progressing >teadily and favourably. Claim after claim has, during the month, come upon pood gold. Amongst \Wt most important. find 3 within the past few weeks must be set down that of the rich stone in the shaft of the Imperial Crown Company's ground at a depth of about eighteen feet from the surface. This ground ad- i
joins the Golden Crown Claim. The continued success of the Long Drive mine is unparallelled. The stone now being taken out is expected to average soz. to the pound.
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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 564, 7 October 1869, Page 2
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1,203The Westport Times. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1869. Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 564, 7 October 1869, Page 2
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