GENERAL NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 881, 31 October 1871, Page 2

GENERAL NEWS.

The Auckland papers give the following particulars of a recent accident at the Caledonian claim, causing the instant death of a miner named Thomas Dunstan. Dunstan was at work on the main workings of the mine, towards the Golden Crown boundary. He had just discharged a blast, and with the usual precaution of an experienced miner, proceeded towards the lace, sounding the walls and roof as he went. Just before he reached the face an immense block, evidently loosened from its connection by the concussion, fell on the unfortunate man, striking him on the face and extending downwards to thechest, which was completely crushed in, and also cutting and bruising the body in various places, lacerating one of the arms frightfully. Death must have been immediate. The rifle match between the Dunedin Artillery corps, and the Hon. Artillery Company of London, was won by the former by 52 points. The estimates for building the goods wharf at Grahamstown amounted to £4500. The "Hawke's Bay Herald," of October 10, says:—lnformation was brought to Dr Spencer yesterday afternoon, to the effect that a man was lying a* Mrs Morton's boarding-house in a state of insensibility, with his head battered in. On going to the house mentioned, he found that the information was correct, and that the man (whose name, it appears, is Joseph Cawley, and who has been recently working on the Taupo road) had been lying there since Friday night, and had neither spoken nor eaten Bince that time. His recovery is very doubtful. Dr Spencer immediately gave notice to the police with regard to the matter, and they set about to ascertain the circumstances under which the assault had occurred. These circumstances will, no doubt, come out in evidence, so

that it is not desirable them in detail here. "We may say that we learn the assault took place at a house in the Shakespeare road on iViday evening; that Cawley was struck on the head with a poker several times $ that he was afterwards brought home by one of the individuals who waa present when the assault took place ; and, furthe-, that he bad a considerable sum of money on his person when he left Mrs. Morton's house in the afternoon, and that he has none now. The U.S., N.Z., and A.M.S.S Com. pany's steamship Nevada left Auckland with forty passengers for Sydney on the 12th. October 15th, at quarter past eleven p.m., latitude 3404 S., longitude 16604 E., night dark and hazy, discovered a barque close ahead crossing our bow, showing no light, and passing her before we could stop, her spanker boom just scraping along our port side; feeling certain there was no damage done on either side, continued on our course. At daylight discovered that our stem was a little injured, showing that we must have struck the barque probably on her quarter. October 18th, saw a barque steering north; arrived at Sydney October 19ch, at twelve a.m.

A gentleman, who recently lauded in New Zealand from the Gulgong diggings, gives the following items respecting them:—"There are about sixteen or seventeen claims held by parties of six in each, who are obtain*' ing gold in large qualities. Any quantity of shepherding is being done by men and boys who get from 12s to 15s per week, without tucker. The sinking averages 200 feet, of which 60 feet is in solid rock ; therefore blasting goes on day and night. The ground is patchy, and those who are lucky enough to strike the lead get from Ito 3dwt. to the dish. Water is 3s per cask. Provisions are rising in price ; meat is from 4d to 6d per lb. ; bread, 9d, lOd, and lid per 41b loaf. Carpenter* and jobbers to the extent of about 200 men are earning a bare subsistence. There are from to 15,000 men doing nothing. The diggings are private property. One gentleman aMr House charges £SO before he allows a man to put a pick in his ground, and 30 per cent., in addition, on the gold obtained. The other —a Mr Horaar—charges £1 per month and a fifth share of the gold found.

A little book has been published in Bordeaux, at the price of one franc, which will afford collectors of horrors more satisfaction than can be generally procured for that. It purports to be a list of German exaction, robberies, and cruelties in France. One we select because it i 3 described in the letter of a German soldier to his '" honoured god-father " which is stated to have appeared in the " Volkszeitung " The writer say : —" Nancy is a beautiful and rich town, but there are in it many wicked men who combine in bands to kill the sentinels. On the 16th of this month (October) one of these bands fired at a Bavarian soldier on duty, but Almighty God protected him, ho that he was not killed but only wounded in the knee. This band was captured ; it consisted of 200 men. Each one of these was made dig his own grave, and they were killed one after the other, in such order that the man whose turn it was to be shot next bad to lay his predecessor in the ground and covered him up and then received his own volley."