SOUTHERN NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1218, 9 October 1874, Page 4

SOUTHERN NEWS.

The skipper of the p.s. Despatch has favored us with a copy of the Hokitika Register of yesterday's date. The news it contains is not very important to readers outside of Hokitika. The schooner Alma arrived off Greymouth on Saturday from Melbourne. Three of N. Edwards and Cos. fleet of steamers remain at Grej'mouth. The Hokitika Borough Council are lying' on their oars in the matter of water supply and drainage, and according to the Register's dictum, ITokitikians have acquired a liking for odours, which to the untrained nose are simply disgusting and poisonous. Ruthlessly and suddenly to deprive such persons of their cherished stink would be worse than to take away from the Chinaman his opium, or from the conjuror his familiar spirit—it would be a species of conversion to materialism. These are the people, says the Register, who will strongly oppose the introduction of a thorough system of drainage, and, although the avowed votaries of stink are few, many Hokitika citizens have a silent regard for this potent deity, and worship him in secret, while calling him all sorts of bad name< in public. The Waimea Foresters have presented a gold medal to P.D.C.R. Brother George Smith. The Hokitiua and Greymouth Tramway Company appeal against the decision of Judge Richmond in banco will be heard on the 9th instant.

The Grey Argus of Friday says : u A man named George Drew, in the employ of Mr It. M'Neill, farmer, Torara Flat, has been drowned in the Inangahua River, opposite Blank's Point, by the capsizing of a dray. Drew, after the accident, reached the shore safely, but in attempting to cross the river to extricate the horses, was carried down the steam and drowned. The body has been recovered." A Christchurch telegram is pubas follows:—The Press of this morning contains tho following paragraph: "The correspondent who sent us the communication lately, describing the capture of the two moas, lias forwarded us another letter, which reports thai the birds havo escaped. This is just what wo expected to hear. Mr R. K. M. Smythe may find it very easy to catch moas near Browning's Pass, but tho difficulty is to bring them to Christchurch, or some other inhabited region, and we feel pretty sure that he will never succeed in accomplishing that." The lease of nearly 400,000 acres of Wnste Lands in Westhuul, was to bo submitted by auction yesterday.