The nomination o£ two members of the County Council for Greymoufch, or of as many candidates as may be ambitious of becoming so, takes place at noon to-day. The annual meeting of the Grey River St. Andrew lodge, S.C., for the installation of officers, took place at the Masonic Hall last evening. The ceremony was very impressively conducted by B. O. Eeid, P.M.. who installed the following brethren in their respective offices :— F. Kent, E.W.M. ; J. Arnott, W.D.M. ; T. Kenrick, W.S.M. ; S. Roulston, S. W. ; P. Boylan, J.W. : F. Finston, treasurer ; S. Roulston. secretary ; R. Wilson, B.LV; L.Elrip, J.D., R. T. Holmes, T. O)sen, stewards ;J". Steel, LG. Previous to the conclusion of the ceremonies tho R.W.M. elect thanked the past R.W.M. and officers on behalf of the brethren of the Lodge, and complimented them on the efficient manner in which they governed and conducted the business of the St. Andrew Lodge during their respective terms of office. The attend, ance was numerous, both, of members of the Lodge and visiting brethren. Music, appropriate to different parts of the ceremony, was efficiently rendered by Bros. Hindmarsh, Hill, May, and Fox, accompanied by Bro. Wylde on the organ. A banquet took place in the evening, presided over by the R.W.M. A pleasant and enjoyable .evening was spent, and the proceedings did nob terminate until a late hour. The Mayor was on the Bench in the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday. There was only one case for bearing — an information against Helena M'Davitt for threatening and abusive language. An application for a postponement was made, for the purpose of procuring witnesses, aud the case was remanded until to-day. An Auckland telegram, reporting the suicide of Diddaras, the city rate-collector, ' stated that it was believed that his accounts were, wrong. -A subsequent telegram says that the accounts were found to be right. At the last meeting of the Hokitika Hospital Committee, a letter was read from the Surgeon Superintendent, informing the Committee in respect to the question put to him as to whether he had been practising privately, that he had always acted in accordance with the spirit of Rule 22 up to the present time, and declining to say anything further on the matter. It was resolved that Dr Maunsell's letter be referred back to him, with the request that he should give direct answers to the question put to him. A narrow escape from drowning occurred in the Ahaura Kiver on Monday evening. A miner named Patrick Colleran had occas:on to visit Callaghan's Creek during the day. On his return to Ahaura in the evening, after dark, he missed the track, in consequence of its being blocked up with timber felled during the clearing the course of the telegraph line. Ho came to the river at a place where the old track and a large slice of flood, and being deceived by the glimmer of. the light he was carrying he walked into the' water and was carried into the middle of the stream, which was rising rapidly owing to the quantity of rain which fell during the day. Being a good swimmer he divested himself while in the water of a heavy swag he was carrying, and this probably saved his life. After several ineffectual attempts to reach either bank, he fastened on to a snag and roared lustily for help. Mr Benjamin Gough, who happened to be attending to his punt a little lower down the river, heard him, and -at oi.ee put off in a small boat to his assistance, and after some difficulty succeeded in bringing him safely ashore. The report ot tho Surgeon-Superintendent of the Hokitika Hospital shows that on the 30th of November there were 35 male anc 13 female patients remaining in the Hospital. The inhabitants of the Wa.un.ea district hare subscribed for the benefit of the widow and orphans of the late Mr James Ridge, the handsome sum of L 123 Cs Cd. During the quarter ending September ,30, the following amounts were deposited in the West Coast Post Office Savings Banks :— Greymouth. L 6645 ; Hokitika, L 3937 : Westporfc, L 4232. The following were the amounts "witb.dr.vwn iv the same period ;— Greymonth, L 5077; Hokitika, L 2255: Westport, L 2364. A meeting of the Waste Lands Board was held at the Kanieri on Monday, for the purpose of holding an auction sale of the sections in that township. Altogether there were twenty sections for sale, seventeen of which were classed as improved. The improved sections, with the exception of one reserved, sold at the upset price, and the total amount at the sale was L 62 15s 3d. By the Kennedy, there returned to Westport from the Queensland diggings some six or seven old residents on the coast who had ventured their luck on a trip to the newgold field, butwho have found that travelling far means faring worse. Some excellent specimens of quartz have been obtained by Mr Bayfiold, of the Bank of New Zealand at Westport, from Overhagen and party's claim at the Waimangaroa,°or rather Mount Rochf orb, the claims being some considerable distanco.up the mountain. The stone (says the Times) is a whitish quartz, showing plain indications of gold, looking as if splashed upon the surface, but gold-bearing throughout. The party working the claim have followed down the leader for some distance, and are now siukiug a shaft to strike the reef. Yesterday being the first Wednesday in December the Grey District Acclimatisation Society held their regular monthly meeting which was attended by both towa and country members. The business brought forward by the secretary, and the correspondencerelating thereto, were fully goneinto, aud very satisfactory statements respecting the position or the Society were made. Comma* nications from kindred societies in Auckland, Christchurch, and .Nelson, respecting pheasants, quail, larks, and trout were read"! and some of the latter were ordered to be sent for at once from tho Canterbury Society's ponds. Some of the trout importation were also ordered, on arrival, to be dispatched up-country to a stream on the Hikam.itua station, where a portion of the creek is to be selected for them by Messrs Johnston and Fergusson. The place so selected is near to the station, and the young fish can bo coustantly supervised by Mr tfergusson and his station hands. The balance of theso fish are to bo distributed* amongst other suitable places, and in order to arrive at a knowledge of such, it \vould bo very desirable lot goa-

tl'jmm interested in this matter to at onuu correspond with Mr Payne, the honorary secretary of tho society. As soon as tlie hares (daily expected from Melbourne) arrive, a meeting of the committee will be ( called, wben the manner and places of distribution will be decided upon. Those districts which subscribe to the objects of the society will alone be cutitletl to participate ia the distribution. It is to be hoped that more interest will be takeu in the objects of the Society by residents of tho country than has yet been shown, that interest hitherto been exhibited chiefly by gentlemen | residing in Greymouth. The new road between Hokitika and Boss (says tho Nctus) is gradually drawing the traffic froro the wearisome beach. Mr Eae is building stables in Hokitika, and will shortly transfer his horses fvoin the South Spit. He will also use the new road for tlie mail service, aud, no doubt, other passenger vehicles will compete with him. The distance ia apparently greater than by the beach, but the journey by road is infinitely preferable, and will be cheaper, as there is but one ferry. Tho South Creek road will be finished by Christmas, which will enable travellers to avail themselves of water carriage for more than halt the distance. The Donnelly's Creek wire-briige appears to receive no attention from tbe authorities, although some time since one of the wires was broken, and now the boarding is getting loose. An expert would effect tlie necessary repairs in a day, and we think thai; immediate steps should be taken by noinebody to get the work pub in hand. The telegraph line is ueavly cleared, and .most of tlie posts aye on the ground, The road widening at the Ross end is Jstarted, anil the Woodstock end will be commenced in a few days. ; A meeting of the residents of Totara Flat an I the surrounding districts was held at Lardi's Hotel on the evening of Saturday, 30th. November, for the purpose of arranging the preliminaries for the approaching Totara llaces and Athletic Sports. Mr A. Lardi was in the chair. It was decided the sports should come ofFon Thursday,26th December, and the following day. The following gentlemen were appointed to act as ' Stewards :— Messrs C. F. C. Algie, A. Nicliol, G. Nelson, N. M'Kinley, and G. M'Nally, with. Messrs oames Marshall and D. Magee as treasurer and secretary respectively. A subscriptionlist was handed round the room, and a considerable amount was subscribed. Messrs Marshall and Lardi were appointed a canvassing committee to report on Monday. On Monday, a meeting of the stewards was held at Marshall's Hotel, when the canvassers submitted their report. A programme was drawn up, which we publish in ; another column. It will be seen that the bill of fare provided by the stewards i 3 both varied and attractive, as it includes, besides horse and foot racing, vaulting with the pole, and quoit and pigeon matches. . Concerning the Port Darwin gg}d fields, the Brisbane- Telegraph remarks :— "Out of 220 men specially engaged to join the overland telegraph expedition under Mr Patterson, we learn that only two were found possessing sufficient faith in the so-called Port Darwin ' gold field ' to remain there. These men were at their request left behind, and they arc firmly resolved to prospect the country thoroughly before they return. From all that we learn of this supposed auriforous region, we are led to the conclusion that there is not the slightest prospect of any payable alluvial gold field being discovered in tbe northern territory. * In the New Caledonia Moniteur, we read the following news from the mines :— -By the steam transport Nance, which touched at Pam, we have received news of the discovery of a second copper mine, said to be richer than the first. The Depeclie, which arrived ■at Noumea on the sth of November, brought with her 1006oz 6dwt of gold- about 31,343 grammes. Gold extracted, but not-,ye* amal-g-uiu.vu, udiuuuiiuj, tv iuiu. s niluam)- unra.not been forwarded. . These were the results of the crushing of 6S tons i of quartz.