The Westport Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1869.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 572, 26 October 1869, Page 2

The Westport Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1869.

The latest mining intelligence from the Karamea is that there are eleven men still at work on the beach, eight of whom are making good wages. A party of three have been engaged for some months taking in a race. They have cut three thousand feet of timber, and have laid about half a mile of fluming. A party of seven, who for some time past have been working on the banks of the Buller, have determined upon returning to the Karame.i, where they got good prospects on their last visit. They have resolved upon chartering a small craft to convey their provisions and implements, and their intention is to form a raco and lay down five or six heads of water a little higher up than the party at present working there. Several miners who have worked in the neighborhood of the Karamea state that the prospects warrant them in supposing that the population will bo considerably increased there before many months. At present there is no store, and miners must fetch their own provisions, though the few who are now on the ground have ample supplies for a month or two. A meeting of the Westport Jockey Club was held at the Post Office Hotel on Saturday evening, for the purpose of deciding upon what ground the Christmas races should be held. Mr Jones, of the Orawaiti, stated that, in the event of the Club determininng upon holding the races on his ground this season, he would immediately proceed to clear the ground and rander the race-course, already marked out and partly formed, a good and suitable course for racing purposes. As the outlay which would be incurred by him to render the course clear and level, would be considerable, ho first thought of seeking the equivalent of the right to a stand on the ground during the races, but, lest that should be considered an interference with the race fund, he sought nothing but a guarantee or understandini; that the races should be held there, and he would undertake that the ground would be in good condition for racing upon. A resolution was passed accepting Mr Jones's offer. The next meeting of the Chili will be held on Tuesday the 2nd November, when collectors will be appointed to canvass the town for subscriptions, and when the stewards of the races will be nominated. By selecting Mr Jones's ground, a great deal will be saved in funds this year, which last year had to be paid for the use of ground, removing fences, clearing, levelling. &c.' Mr Barrie, Mr Gracey, and Mr Riding waited upon the District Engineer, Mr Dobson, on Saturday, cs a deputation from the diggers of German Terrace. They were accompanied by Mr John Munro ami Mr Kobt. Whyte. They represented to the Engineer the necessity for a track to German Terrace, and the Engineer promised to represent the matter to the Government. He suggested that the preferable track would be by " Scotch Lizzie's," but promised to inspect the ground before definitely recommending any route. The small specimen of quartz which was brought to town by the surveyors from the Cascades—situated about twelve miles up the Buller—has been inspected by severalnersons aequaiuted with auriferous quartz, and they pronounce it to be quartz very similar to that found at the Thames. Some have even found gold in it, but we imagine that they are slightly imaginative. One man, however, is sufficiently sanguine to be encouraged to proceed to the locality where the specimen was found. He proceeded there yesterday, and is hopeful of discovering a reef. Mr Broad, Warden and Resident Magistrate at Charleston, went to Nelson by the steamer John Penn. He proceeds to Wangapeka, to take temporary charge of the goldfield there, and to decide whether it shall be held by Nelson officialdom or by the bona Jide digger.

Mr Tatton, dentist, arrived in Westport by the steamor Kennedy, and intends to remain here for a few weeks. Mr Tatton visited this district once before, and he will, no doubt, " draw " as well now as he did then. E. Masters. Esq., Mayor of Greymouth, left for Melbourne by thes.s. Omeoon Thursday night. Before going he left a letter with the Town Clerk to the effect that as he did not expect to return this year he resigned his office. The Council accepted the resignation, but arrived at no conclusion as to the election of a successor. A Hokitika telegram of the 22nd inst. reports a new rush to the Big Paddock, Tho prospects are from lgr to ldwt to the dish. The sinking is only six feet. The rush is likely to turn out" well, but there ore plenty of men in the neighborhood to take up the ground. The Brighton rush is progressing steadily. There are sixtyshafts already in progress. Mr W. 11. Harrison offers himself as a candidate for one of the seats for the Grey District in the Provincial Council of Nelson. The Grey River Argils is informed by Mr Wylde, the Engineer and Manager of tho Grey Eivcr Coal Co., that a fine seam of coal has been discovered on the Coal Reserve, which can bo worked with the greatest ease, as it rises from the river, and can be drained without the aid of machinery. From his recent researches on the Kelson sideof the river, My Wylde was led to believe that the run of the auriferous quartz reefs would be throuoh the Coal Beserve on the Westland side, and in the course of operations undertaken by him to prove this, he made the equally pleasing discovery that a hitherto undiscovered seam of coal exists in such a position as to enable an enormous supply to be obtained for many years at a very small cost. The rise of flour in New Zealand, says the Melbourne Arrjus, has re-acted on the Melbourne market and has caused a rise. Here, says the (Treymouth Stat, is an extraordinary commercial phenomenon. Flour rose in New Zealand because it had risen in Victoria. Now it rises in Victoria again for causes discovered to exist in New Zealand, so New Zealand has a second time put another pound or forty shillings on, in consequence of the advices which have reached here from Melbourne. When the news goes back again to the sister colony another rise will take place, and so the two colonies will " See-saw, Margery Daw ; one side up and the other side up," until the little game is brought to an end and consumers have been subjected to a commercial pressure until no more can be borne.

Whooping-cough is just now very prevalent among children in Greymouth, scarcely a child who lias not previously been affected escaping. The same epidemic exists in Hokitika, but is not so general. Severe colds and cougliß among adults are also the rule, with very few exceptinns. A Provincial Art Exhibition is to be held in Christchurch at an early date.

A few years ago certain islands were called "Feejee." Subsequently it became "Fiji," but now the English residents on tha Islands themselves adopt the title of " Viti." Which is it? A shock of earthquake was felt, on October 18tk, in different parts of the Province of Otago, particularly at Queenstown. A block of quartz, weighing 721b5., found at the Little River, New South Wales, has yielded £I3OO worth of gold. A determined suicide was committed about midnight on the sth of October, at the Australian wharf, Melbourne. The watchman on board the steamer Omeo saw a man walk deliberately up to the edge of the wharf and throw himself into the river. He at once gave the alar&,and assistance was quickly rendered. The body was recovered in about twenty minutes, but the man was quite dead. The name of the deceased is Robinson ; he is said to have only lately returned from New Zealand. Since his return he has been drinking heavily, and in all probability was suffering from delirium tremens when he threw himself into the river. A discovery of cannel coalhas been made in the northern portion of Auckland, on land occupied by Europeans.