Kaitangata.

».,. ♦ ■• (From our own Correspondent.) July 18, 1874. AVe are often hearing accounts of eruptions faking place in various parts of the world, caused by volcanoes, but I expect that wo, here in Kaitangata, will wake some of these mornings to find ourselves nearly burned up. The No. 1 Companys' mine, which has been burning for a length of time, has broken out, and is now burning most fiercely. Efforts have been made to extinguish it, but with no success, and the attempt has been relinquished. The Tuapeka is again in working order, and making her rounds successfully. The river has risen considerably since my last letter, owing to the fresh weather, and heavy falls of snow up country. It is affirmed by some that the river has never been so low as during this winter. Our roads are now in a most frightful condition, and very few drays have ventured down for coal. The Tuapeka keeps Balclutha residents ia that commodity, for which I am sure they will feel very thankful this cold weather. We have had a heavy fall of snow, and the ground is very hard, owing to the severe frost. The frosts have been so severe, that the plough has been stopped for a short time. Farming operations are progressing favorably, most of the wheat having been sown. I notice that Mr Smaill has a very good braird of wheat already in one of his fields on the Balloon. Mr Macdonald, storekeeper, still continues to extend his premises. "What uned to be a public house, is now being converted into a large store. I wish him every success with it, as I have always considered his present building quite inadequate to his business. He is also about to have erected a planing machine, the need of which has long been felt,