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Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 716, 27 September 1870, Page 2

The Bank of New Zealand skipped 5210z. 14dwts. of gold, on Saturday last, by the steamer Kennedy for Hokitika, the duty upon which amounted to ,£(55 4s 3d. The Suez mail is due in Melbourne today, and will be brought on by the next boat from Melbourne, arriving in New Zealand about the 3rd proximo. The war news is certain to be important, as the mail will bring nearly three weeks' later intelligence. There was a heavy surf yesterday on the Buller beach—the result of some gale at sea. Fortunately the tides, though high, were not at their extreme height, and abreast of the town a natural protection has been formed by a heavy deposit of shingle. The sea appeared to encroach most between the houses of Dr Thorpe and Mr Fleming, and, with higher tides and heavier sea, that situation is likely to prove a particular point of weakness. At high water, the steamer Lyttelton crossed the bar, on her passage to Nelson, steaming through the surf without apparent difficulty, although subjected to some smart shocks from the heavier seas. The Aurora Australia was seen in the southern skies, on Saturday evening, in great beauty and variety of color. Old residents in the colonies have seldom seen it, in these latitudes, more brilliant and more beautiful. Coming at these times of war and bloodshed, some ancient ladies persist in explaining its occurrence by very different theories from those of men of science. A large snag was taken from the river-bed on Saturday last, and deposited on the bank where the stone is being deposited for the protection of the river. The contract for its removftl was undertaken by Mr W. Pell. The Christy's announce a farewell performance at the Masonic Hall, this evening, previous to their departure from the Coast. This final opportunity of testifying to the varied and undoubted ability of this talented troupe will doubtless be largely taken advantage of. A Gas Company is proposed to be formed in Greymouth, and application has been made by the directors for permission to erect gas-works, lay mains, break streets wherever necessary, &c.

At Addison's, as elsewhere, the continued dry weather is making itself felt by the miners in the scarcity of water. Nearly all the claims in that locality are idle in consequence, and Patrick O'Toole and party, who have the best supply, holding the prior right to Mountain Creek, are already short of their full quantity. This party brought in 156 ozs. of gold yesterday, the result of not quite four weeks' work.

An accident, luckily resulting in nothing more than a good ducking to several individuals, occurred in the Buller river on Sunday evening, at a point just above snag fall. Four amateur boatmen, Messrs Bull, Bond, Costello, and a carpenter named Jack had proceeded up the river in a wherry belonging to a boatman named Christie, and on their return, in passing down the rapids struck on a snag, capisizing the boat and the four above-named into the river. Fortunately the depth of water did not exceed four feet, and in the space of about three quarters of an hour they were taken off the snag by a party who had gone up the river in the surveyors' canoe. In consequence of some dispute between Mr Simjjson, the present proprietor of Cobb and Co.'s line of coaches, and his late partner Mr Kiely, the latter seized one of the vehicles at the South Spit, and no coach was despatched from this end to Charleston on Sunday. Mr Simpson was absent at Charleston when the seizure took place. The coach was despatched as usual from Westport yesterday, and the mail from Charleston was brought through on horseback.

Mr Kynnersley, as member for Westland North, and Mr Harrison, member for Westland Borough, receive a severe handling from the Nelson Colonist on the subject of their obstructiveness in the House of Eepresentatives at the close of the session. The Hansard report of Mr Kynnersley's explanatory remarks in the House is not yet available, and we prefer to give that in its entirety, when received, with some of the Colonist's remarks, and a defence of Mr Kynnersley by Mr Arthur Collins.

The Melbourne mail, ex Eangitoto, was brought on by the Lyttelton. Owing to the very small volume of water now in the Grey river the coal trade is at a perfect standstill. Barges capable of carrying 24 tons with difficulty succeeded in getting down on Monday with 6 tons, and since then cannot get down the river with even 2 tons. The Lyttelton obtained 10 tons as a special mark of favor, leaving 6 tons as the entire quantity available in Greymouth until an alteration in the river admits of operations being resumed. Meanwhile coasting steamers must coal at Hokitika. Breeze, the Hokitika bellman, convicted of assaulting Thomas Buxton, landlord of the Dorado Hotel, Hot itika, has been fined .£lO, and ordered to pay £8 4s costs. Mr South was for the plaintiff, and Mr Harvey defended. According to the evidence, the assault took place at a public meeting, held at the Town Hall, on the 7th hist. Breeze was questioning one of the speakers, and on being hustled by the bystanders threatened to use his stick. The interference was repeated, and the defendant struck Buxton on the head, inflicting a slight wound. The Loyal Greymouth Lodge, 1.0.0. F., M.U., have arranged to celebrate their third anniversary by a supper and ball, on the 14th October.

Yesterday was the first day of the Jewish year 5631, and Wednesday week, the sth October, is the Day of Atonement, better known as the White Fast.

Clarke, Evans, and party, who were a long time engaged in mining in the Charleston District, have bottomed a paddock at Orwell Creek, Napoleon. The bottom was touched at 30ft, with 2ft of payable washdirt. There is an immense body of water, but the company's machine is equal to the work of draining it. The ground is dipping very fast towards the creek, and the washdirt is getting thicker. John Vincent, a colored man undergoing 21 years' imprisonment in Hokitika gaol tor attempting to murder the barmaid of the Provincial Hotel, made his escape into the bush last week when employed behind the gaol with the hard-labor gang. Messrs David Jones, and Co., the wellknown drapera in BalJarat, have sold thenstock and business to their neighbors, Messrs Christie and Co., for £90,000.

A wrestling match between Stables, the Australian Champion and a Frenchman, named Doggan, has taken place at Sydney, for £25 a side, which resulted in the defeat of the Gaul. Stables gives it as his opinion that the Frenchman is a dangerous customer, and with three months' good training, will be a match for anyone in Australia. Ballarat has been proclaimed a city. The .Otago and Southland "Union Act comes into force on October 6th.

The House of Representatives, during last session, sat 54 days. Exclusive of committee work, the sittings averaged over eight hours, and on 29 occasions the House did not rise till two hours after midnight. Dr Hector, says the Star, is likely to be inGreymouth shortly, on a tour of inspection to the coalfields. It is to be hoped that the learned Doctor will include in his tour a visit to the Buller district, and especially those localities to which the Mount Rochfort coal may, by geological signs, be expected to extend. Francis Inne3, late Deputy CommissaryGeneral, has been tried at Auckland on two charges of embezzlement. To the first he pleaded not guilty, but was, after a long trial, convicted ; to the second indictment, after the verdict on the first had been returned, he pleaded guilty. The Crown Prosecutor stated that, as the prisoner had pleaded guilty to the second indictment, the Crown was willing to enter a nolle prosequi on the first. To this the Chief Justice acceded, and then proceeded to sentence the prisoner to five years' penal servitude, the sentence being accompanied by a most solemn and affecting address. Mr Thatcher, the Inimitable, seems to have been taking liberties with the name of the King of the Sandwich Islands in his songs at Honolulu. He was licensed to give a second entertainment, but it was on the express condition that he should not mention the name of his Majesty. Messrs Hooper and Dodson, Nelson, have added to their brewery a boiler of twentyfive horse power, and weighing eight tons. A Wanganui paper reports that typhus fever has broken out amongst the Maoris at Otaki, and that eight persons have already died from it, wMlo many more are ill. A battery for Culliford's claim, Wangapeka, was expected to be forwarded from Melbourne on the 17th inst. A battery for the Waimea Crushing company, also for Wangapeka, is shortly expected at Nelson. A passenger from New Zealand to San Fransisco has been drawing upon his imagination in communicating news to the Honolulu papers. He stated that, in New Zealand, last year, the earth became absolutely bare of vegetation, and it was not an uncommon

sight to behold a band of starred horses racing over the plains in pursuit of one of their number 'who had been fortunate enough to pick up an empty gin case in the neighborhood of some abandoned mining camp, that being the only available fodder. The Perseverance Company, Collingwood, Bent 180 ounces of gold to Nelson last week, the result of a fortnight's crushing. In Bendigo, lately, in a Warden's Couri case, the litigant, after consulting counsel, and putting him in possession of the "particulars," wound up with, " Look here, Mr I'll give you a shnre in the claim, but if you lose, I'll break your neck." Undismayed by the dread alternative, the counsel very pluckily took the case, won it, and saved his neck. He declined, however, the share, only accepting his fee. It is reported as likely that the pedestrian championship of New Zealand will shortly be contested by Bolton of Nelson challenging Twohill, the winner in the Greymouth contest. The Victorian Government have sent to India for a first-class hydraulic engineer, to cjntrol the water-works of the Colony.