THE SOUTHERN CROSS, Friday, January 6, 1854.

EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY. The 'Panama Star' contains a singular account of the discovery of quicksilver, on the river Ucayali, in Peru. This river is one of the tributaries of the Amazon, a river at the present time exciting the attention of the commercial world in an unusual degree. The account says : — " A person travelling by the river Ucayali, for Paruro, has discovered, a short distance from the shore of the said river, a chalk hill, at first appeared to him to be of little importance, but, as a pastime, he took several pieces for examination, when what was his surprise to find a gold ring on his finger apparently converted into silver. "It at once struck him that this earth must contain quicksilver, and he continued to inspect further into the hill, until bis surprise increased

by coming at hlij||a to a lake of fine quicE^ef, of some twenty yar"ds in circumference; and on. more minute examination, he found, in various 1 parts of the hill, tlfops of quicksilver filter through J a kind jof yelloW partly Concealed among I the herbs. " .«-- 1 " Within five days Dr. Eenia will be en routem with a sufficient force to commence the work aw the rich copper mine of Chacbahuala> It- ia expected in this Province that these tnines willfl within two months, prove a second Copiapo, i^| respect to these same copper veins, which contal^f an alloy of 1800 marks ■ ." Fifty years ago, a man excavated the vein to the depth of fourteen yards, and the result was, that the layer of copper disappeared, changing to pure silver. From this silver the ornaments of the church in this city, still in existence, were made. The discoverer worked alone, and aJtiH| his death no one was able to discover themj^^H of the mine. In this way it is expected PVH^^| Renia will, without doubt, having worked tnrou|^| the copper layer, meet with a compact bed <^P silver. . "In conclusion^ it is said that within sixty days the gold washings of Santiago de Borja will be discovered, and the hill of Chachahuala will^ be reduced to solid silver, and afterwards ,^fl quicksilver mines of Ucayali." , )^H

Bolivia — Discovert op great GoliW Mines. — 'La Libertad,' a paper published in Crujillo, says tbat every day increases the desire there to have the road opened fron? Bongara ,to the Amazon, owing to the extraordinary reports which have reached Santiago de Borja, where the road terminates, regarding the discovery of gold in the beds of the Amazon and its branches. The reports previously received here of one man being able to take out twenty-five pounds daily are confirmed, and it is added positively that these rich washings extend for forty leagues. Commandante Najar reported some time since, that in a handful of sand more than half would prove gold. From Chachapoyas to the margin of the gold district is thirty-six leagues, and the journey can be made on foot in four days. — Panama Star. Turkey. — The Sultan accedes to the propositions of the Four Powers, on condition that Russia shall evacuate the Principalities, which is an event considered to be impossible. New terms of negotiation are to be devised. Meanwhile a third Russian army of eighty thousand men has crossed the Pruth, and entered the Principalities. The prospects for a speedy steam communication between Australia and Panama are improving. Howard's new steamer, the ' Golden Age,' is about to sail for Australia, via Liverpool, where she will probably fill up the berths not taken. A pamphlet of 32 pages has recently issued from the London press, and been republished in the United States, entitled " the coming struggkM among the nations of the earth." It is atfexpds^H of the political events of the next fifteen years,^ described in the prophecies of Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Apocalypse. The principal events predicted are the seizure of Constantinople and the overthrow of Turkey, by the Emperor of Russia ; the overthrow of Austria by France, and the consequent destruction of papacy ; the conquest of the continental powers by Russia ; the extension of the eastern, possessions of Britain, and the first stage of the - restoration of the Jews. — Polynesian, Fffo. 12.

There Lave been quite a crop of ' Government and Provincial Gazettes' printed within the last ten or twelve days, which the pressure arising from more urgent matter has hitherto prevented us paying attention to. The first in order was dated the 23rd ult. ; and its contents may be thus briefly summed up : — Mr. Charles De Witte is proclaimed to be a naturalized subject of her Majesty from the 17tU October last. A list of the Books left by the late Sir Everard Home, as part of a Public Library for New Zealand, is published. The income and Expenditure of Auckland, Russell, and New Plymouth, for the quarter ending 30th Sept., 1853, is furnished. Also a return of the Births, Deaths, and Marriages registered at Auckland and New Plymouth, during the same quarter. Te Kerei, of Waikato ; Te Putuatua, of Ohinemutu; Eruera Kahawai, of Puhirua ; Rota R§*~i ngiora, of Rotoiti ; and Parakaia Tararoa, of 1 Tarawera, have been appointed native assessors J for the districts of Waikato and Rotorua. This 'Gazette 1 concludes with a lengthened paper from the pen of Dr. Thomson, 58th Regt., containing his " Observations on the Climate of the North Island of New Zealand." Another ' Government Gazette/ dated the 28th. ult , announces the appointment of Daniel Pollen, Esquire, M.D.j as a J.P. for the islands of New Zealand. Edward W. Stafford, Esq., Superintendent of the Province of Nelson, is nominated to be the person to receive and refer claims to land arising out of contracts made with the New Zealand Company. Information is given of Her Majesty's approval and confirmation of the three following Ordinances :—: — Land Registration Ordinance. Naturalization Ordinance. And an Ordinance to admit Barristers, Attorneys, and Proctors to practice in the Supreme Court, other than those admissible under the Supreme Court Ordinance. Frederick Hanneken and Frederick William Alexander Millar, are proclaimed to have been naturalized subjects, — the first from the Ist of January, 1845, — the latter from the Ist January, 1848. The Provincial Gazette, of the 24th ulto, reproduces the two preceeding proclamations j the A notice of Dr. Pollen's appointment, and a repriny of Dr. Thomson's observations on the climate oi( f the North Island. CT 1 Tenders for a signal mast and other goar cap£ . nected with the Harbour Department of Manu/Jau are invited. Tenders to be left afc the Superintendent's office, on or before Saturday, she 7th inst , at Noon. The last Government Gazette issued is dated the 3rd inst. Proclamation is made by "R. H. Wynyard, Chief Officer in command cf her Majesty's Military Forces within the colony of New Zealand," that by virtue of her Majesty's letters patent, he has taken the prescribed oaths and, on the 3rd inst , assumed the office of Governor. The following gentlemen have been called to the Legislative Council of the General Assembly. William Swainson, Esq, of Auckland, William Henry Kenny, Esq., of Onebunga, Frederick Whitaker, Esq., of Auckland, John Salmon, Esq., of Auckland. The honourable Henry Petre, of Wellington, Henry St. Hill, Esq., of Wellington, John Yeeden Lloyd, Esq., of New Plymouth, George Cutfield, Esp., of Plymouth,

Ralph Richardson, Esq., of Nelson, Henry Seymour, Esq., of Nelson, Mathew Richmond, Esq., of Nelson, John Charles Watts Russell, Esq., of CanterEdmund Hookc Wilson Bellairs, Esq., of Otago. In conformity with her Majesty's instructions, the following gentlemen have subscribed the proper oaths as members of the Executive Council for the Islands of New Zealand, namely ;— The hon. Andrew Sinclair, Colonial Secretary, The hon. William Swainson, AttoVney General, The hon. Alexander Shepherd, Colonial Treasurer.