INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1066, 25 April 1873, Page 2

INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

There are fish in the" Auckland waters known as the Barrier fish; but they are very fare; and are only met with in the vicinity of the Great Barrier. They are something the shape 1 of a schnapper, are a bedutiful crimson colour, and have green gills. When boiled, they do not change color in the least. Several have been lately caught and placed in the Auckland Museum.During the hearing of a recent case' of selling liquor on a Sunday, preferred against an Auckland publican, Inspector Brohain told the Bench that in his opinion "it would be far better if the public-houses were allowed to bd open on Sundays; the police would then be cognisant of what was going on. At present the sale of liquor could not be prevented." Tho case in question broke down. The Nelson Mail states that the designs for the New Provincial Lunatic Asylum have been received, and that that of Mr Beatson, of Wellington has been selected.

It is stated that among the attractions on exhibition at the Hokitika Hospital Bazar there is a " real New Zealand alligator," contributed by Dr. Dermott. In Dunedin there is a man with a number of stones on exhibition, several of which be says are petrified snakes, and which he exhibits as evidence that if we have no snakes here now New Zealand did not always enjoy that immunity. The correspondent of the Bruce Herald remarks—" I have seen these stones, and they may have been snakes, lizards, birds, &c, as described by the exhibitor, but I could not see it. I might perhaps be able to read a sermon in stones, but my eye has not yet been sufficiently educated to perceive snakes of the past in stones of the period." Dacre Bruce Barclay, charged lately with a breach of the Medical Practitioners Act, and remanded from Hokitika to Akaroa, was on the Bth instant, charged at the latter place with having obtained by false and fraudulent representations several sums of money from the Rev. W. Aylmerand others, at Akaroa, such money having been subscribed for the purpose of securing the services of a medical man for the district. The Magistrate ordered the accused to be imprisoned for nine months, with hard labof.

Mr U. W. Aitkin, of Clifton, Waiatt river, writes to the Southland Times qualifying the report that a live Moa has been seen on his run. He says:—" A shepherd lately in my employment certainly brought in the stdryj but for his "intelligence" I certainly would not vouch, and no confirmation of his tale has yet been found, although a careful search has been made, both for the bird and for tracks. These are the facts. I think nevertheless that if the moa still survives, the we«tern bank of the Waiau is as likely a place as any in the Island in which to eipect it might be found. The alleged gold discovery in the the Whangarei district, which was spoken of in the Southern Cross a few days agOj is reported on good authority to be likely to turn out well. It would be premature at present to say that a payable goldfield has been discovered, but it is certainly quite on the cards that a second* Thames ma/

"be found in the ldtig-depressed North, Which has never Vet. been properlyprospected. The finding of payable gold within an easy distance of Whahgarei harbor would indeed be a valuable addition to the resources of the province. In a few days some further intelligence may be expected from the locality, and, if it be corroborative of that which has preceded it, golden days are in stdre for Whangarei. Anything like a rush, however, in the "absence Of fuller information, is to "be deprecated. The Timaru Herald is noted for its querulbiishess in regard to the mariner in which its telegraphic communications are forwarded, but its complaint on this occasion'may fairly be excused. In a recent 'issue it says:—We had flattered ourselves that we Were pretty au fait in making OUt'telegraph news, but we confess the 'following item, received amongst the last English news, completely floored us. It was as follows: "Astratus contest transfer of elived." Some curious 'reader may perhaps put this into Queen's English. An amalgam stealer was 'recently cleverly captured at the 'Caledonian mine, Coromandel. A systematic robbery had been long suspected, and at 'last to catch the thief a constable Was concealed in the machine house. He' was regularly built into a small space, over 'the 'battery office, from which he could obtain a good view of all that proceeded in the machine house. Here he had to remain for twelve hours, amidst Smoke and dust arising 3 from the engine and boilers. Shortly before three o c clock in the afternoon, or just before the change of shifts, he observed a man named Richard Sullivan, alias James M'lntosh, whose duty it was to take the silver and amalgani out of the berdans, and place it in an enamelled pan in readiness for the amalgamator, take a 'piece of rag out of hts breast, and squeeze portions of the silver through it. This he noticed several times. Finally; Sullivan left the main building, and went into the old battery building, which is on the lO'wer leVel. Constable Grace then burst-out of his position, pounced on his man, and arrested him. The capture was "a clever one, and Very great •credit is due to Constable Grace for the intelligence which he displayed throughout. His position was not at •'all-an enviable one while he was on the watch, for even the food which he took ■with him soon became so far penetrated with dust and smoke that he cbuld'not eat it, and he had to remain in'his uncomfortable position, doubled Up in the form of the letter Z, without food for "fully I'2 hours. The Arrowtown correspondent of the Dunstan Times states that Chinese labor has come considerably into fashion of late. "European workmen -are scarcely to be had fdr any money ; and 'to 'find a 'man wanting Work is •almost a~s difficult as to find a good cldim. Tii building the "stonework for i the 'Presbyterian Chinese 'labor 'was 'profitably employed ; and taoW 'OU'r "improvement Committees have'bf Often the ice, and John Chinaman may 'be seen repairing the streets, j These Celestial workmen are really! very efficient, and I 'question Whether Europeans would do taore. The "wages paid to the children of the Plowery Land is five shillings per day." A fatal accident occurred 'on the 27th ult. at Cardrona Creek Otago resulting in the death df a man named James Parkins. It appears deceased was driver of a bullock team, and at the time of the accident was accompanied by two men, named Hogg and Clark. Hogg, an inexperienced hand, was driving the team, and when descending a 'Cutting from Mount Iron Terrace down into Cardrona Creek, near Sprott's Creek-, the bullocks swerved off the road, and before Parkins or Clark could jump out, the waggon upset, threw all three men to the ground-, and rolled once completely over the body of Parkins, jamming him from the chest downwards under the side-board and fore wheel, leaving his head, chest, and arms free. The accident occurred about five o'clock, and Hogg being disabled, and Clark too excited; from the influence of liquor and the shock combined, for much good; the unfortunate deceased man was left with the weight of the waggon and greater portion of the loading upon him for more that an hour. Between, six and seven o'clock} Mace, a carrier, brother of the Messrs Mace of Reeftdn, passing that way* saw at a glance what had occurred. He left his oWfl team Uncared for, and encouraging Clark to the rescue, dragged off the loadings levered up the Waggon, and drew out the dying man; who died shortly after his release from his horrible position.