The Westport Times. SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 1870.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 697, 13 August 1870, Page 2

The Westport Times. SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 1870.

A telegram to hand, yesterday, states that Mr Justice Clarke has tendered his resignation, owing to the dangerous illness of his wife. The Grey River Argus of the 10th inst. says "It is now ascertained that the steamer Tauranga, Captain Bolger, was in collision with the coal ketch Enterprise, and foundered with all the passengers and crew on board—in all 21 souls. The Enterprise struck her near the engine compartment. It is believed she sank at once. Cries were heard a short distance from the spot where the collision took place. As we have formerly stated, the Enterprise crew got into the boat, and were afterwards picked up. The boat had no rowlocks, and she could not go to windward. The Court of Inquiry find that blame is attached to Willis, master of the ketch, for carrying no lights. This melancholy event has caused great sensation in Auckland." The Loyal Westport Lodge, M.U., have decided to celebrate the third anniversary of the foundation of the Lodge on the 20th proximo, when a ball will be given at the Masonic Hall, Empire Hotel. His honor Mr Justice Ward will leave Charleston for Westport to-day, to attend the District Court sittings here on Tuesday. Among other improvements going forward we notice that Mr John Corr is erecting a new front to his premises in Glad-stone-street. The premises, once occupied by Messrs Whyte and Pirie, are also undergoing alterations, previous to being opened as an hotel by Mr M'Eae. The road between Westport and Charleston, in the vicinity of the Steeples, is staled to be in very bad condition, in many places almost impassable. It is to be hoped that the District Engineer will give the matter attention at his eailiest convenience. Writing on the prospects of the Wangapeka quartz reefs the Examiner says :—At present, mining operations at the Wangapeka are in a most unsatisfactory state. Men have been so long on the ground, as to completely exhaust not only their means but their credit, ami those who have pushed on their work so for as to make extensive drives, an<t get out considerable quantities of stone, find after all their labor, sure as they are that excellent results will be obtained, that for want of crushing machinery they cannot turn to account the gold they have toiled to procure. For tho complete removal of this unfortunate state of affairs, we are led to believe there must be a combined effort by tho Government and the people themselves, as so.ne parts of tho necessary work can only be carried on by public and others by privnt3 enterprise. Recent reports on quartz sent to Melbourne by the Culliford Company, prove that gold is to be obtained in quantity large enough to satisfy tho most eager speculator; but further tests are needed of stone contained in other claims, before any large spins can be raised for the erection of machinery, and some trustworthy report on the extent and pospects of tho whole field would go far towards procuring the means for having these tests made. The Canterbury Chamber of Commerce recommend that duty should be levied upon the gallon of proof spirits, and that a proportionate allowance should be made for spirits under proof. Tho effect of such an alteration would be to greatly reduce the duty on all case spirits to the extent of Is 6d to Is 9d per gallon.

A calumny on Colonel M'Donnell and Major Hay, published in the Wanganui Herald, charging these officers with the murder of a half-bred named Louis Baker, on the East Coast, on the 7th February last, has been satisfactorily disposed of by the Post, by publishing the real facts of the story. Baker, who had been fighting with Te Kooti, and allied with Kereopa, had been taken prisoner, and waß on his way to Ohinemuri, under escort of the officers named. Before starting, Baker was warned if he attempted to escape he would be shot. He took advantage of Colonel M'Donnell dismounting to adjust his saddle to attempt his escape, and he was fired at and shot accordingly. At a recent meeting of the Nelson Association for the Promotion of Science and Industry, Mr Mackay read a paper on " Technical Education as suited to the wants of New Zealand." Under the head of Mining and Metallurgy he says:—For mining, study geology and paleontology for a knowledge of mineral-bearing strata; mineralogy, for the properties, applications, and characters of minerals; chemistry, for the testing and analysis of ores; mining engineering and surveying, for the best methods of working mines, and the adaptation of machinery thereto, as well as to the dressing of ores, the surveys and plans of mines, and measurement of miners' work. As a proof of what skilled appliances are capable of effecting in the dressing of ores, the Schemnitz (Hungary) miner is able to work actual gold ores broken from great depth, which, beside a little lead, contain no more than one part of gold in 228,000 of stone ; and the Russians work, in their stream-works, sand containing only one part in half a-million. A knowledge of metallurgy is of vast importance in a country where gold is one of its principal products. By the barbarous processes, for they are nothing* else, that are at present in vogue for the saving of gold, it is estimated there is a loss of thirty to thirty-five per cent.—amounting in Victoria alone to ,£1,000,000 sterling annually—nine-tenths of which could be saved by the art of the metallurgist.