WEST COAST GOLD-FIELDS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 18, 24 March 1866, Page 2

WEST COAST GOLD-FIELDS.

THE TWELVE-MILE. Since my last report the Aveather has been very unfavorable for prospecting, travelling, or completion . of mining enterprises, and the heavy floods have done, great damage to dams and races, in many instances completely demolishing the work of months ; but as it is an " ill wind that blows nobody good," those whose water supply in fine weather is nil have been very busy washing, and on the whole the yield of gold is good. If I was to particularise individual success, I could easily fill your columns ; but your space is too valuable, and 1 do not consider it a fair . test of any field. I prefer taking the whole result, and as a whole the Grey district (of course it includes the Arnold and its " denizens ") will compare favorably with any gold-field now working, and as a poor, man's diggings has no equal. I don't mean that it will keep poor men poor, but that it gives a living; . to all— a good rise to many. Two small creeks being opened at the Little Grey, and 25 miles north of the saddle, cause a considerable rush from most parts of this district, and as it was

limited, caused disappointment and immediate return; Tins was followed by a new rush to Okarita, not, as you are aware, in consequence of authentic information, but as it would seem in consequence of the distance and great difficulty in getting " there, which lends enchantment to the view, and changes grains to ounces, small leads to rich and extensive goM--fields. Private letters, as usual, did a good deal of ■mischief, hurrying hundreds away who will have great 'difficulty in getting back. Brown has a good claim, and writes for Jones ; Jones writes for Robinson; who is up country, and the ball is set rolling, and great is the rush in consequence, notwithstanding public and authentic information to the contrary. The return stream has now set in, and fresh ground daily 'taken up, particularly at Red Jack's, which has suffered less than any other part, and is very prosperous. Louis Edin and Co. have commenced a new race out of the main creek. M.J Moore and Co." extending theirs down to new terraces. Below the stores the creek has never been bottomed, although tried by several parties. A strong party have now set in to do so, and as they propose to erect a water wheel for drainage, &c, and having means and experience it is believed they will succeed. A rush set in to the north branch of Red Jack's, which is said to be payable ; but as yet nothing is known of it outside of the prospectors' Mends — G. R: Argus.

Born under Steam. — An unlooked-for incident occurred on hoard the Royal Shepherd, during her trip from Port Adelaide. Mrs. Patchell, wife of the Rev. Mr. Patchell, was safely delivered of a daughter. The interesting event took place on Thursday morning. Fortunately Mrs. llennie, the lady physicienne, was on board, and kindly officiated as accoucheur. There were five or six other ladies in the cabin, who "•ave what help they could, but the weather being rough, they, for the most part, required • nursing themselves. Happily the affair passed off satisfactorily. Captain Ward and the steward exerted themselves to make things comfortable, and both, we understand, took turns in dandling the little stranger, until the mother could take charge of it. Mrs. Patchell and the child were safely landed at the jetty after.dark, and were taken to the Weslevan manse.— ■Wallaroo Times.

Killing a. Man with Whisky.— 7 An inquest was held at Manchester on the body of a laboring' 'man" named James Smith. A witness stated that two" gentlemen came into the vault of the Dog Inn^ in Deansgate, and asked for the deceased. ■ On his*' arrival one of the gentlemen said to the deceased, "Could you drinlc a pint of whiskey?" arid the deceased said, " Yesi" A pint of wliiskey was then ' ordered, and the deceased put the measure to his lips, and drank it off without a stop. A half gallon of ale was subsequently ordered, and of this the deceased drank two small goblets. Ann Smith:, wife of the deceased, said she left her husband perfectly sober at . seven o'clock. When he came home he appeared very drunk, and sat in a chair. He made ho answer to her questions. His eyes rolled wildly and he appeared to be suffering. He died soon after. The jury returned a verdict of, " Death from excessive drinking." Coroners' juries have a penchant for appending explanatory and censorious clauses to their verdicts ; had the jury who inquired into the death of this poor wretch nothing to say respecting the two ''gentlemen" who supplied him. Sensational Story op an Infernal Machine to kill Judge Field.— Washington, January 16. — Three days ago— Saturday, January 13— the Hon. Stephen J. Field received through the mail from San Francisco, a package addressed to him, and mailed at Sari Francisco in December— the date too obscure to be deciphered. On stripping off the wrapper, a small box was disclosed. A peculiarity in its appearance attracted attention ; and it was taken out of doors and burst open by being thrown against a stone pillar. All means of determining its mode of construction were thus destroyed. The cause was then discovered to be a powerful torpedo, filled with Minie pistol bullets and powder, and doubtless so arranged as to explode by the friction of • opening. Pasted to one of the' fragments of the ' box was found a printed newspaper paragraph re- ■' lating to the decision of October 31, A 864, in. the' Pueblo case of San Francisco. The Judge had just received his San Francisco mail of the 21st December, and was opening it in his room in the presence of Judge Lake, when the torpedo package came under notice. He opened ( the lid of the case about' oneeighth of an inch, when he discovered that it appeared to be held by a wire. He then called Judge Lake's attention to it, and under the impression' that it might be a torpedo, it was taken out of the room and opened in the manner above mentioned. On Saturday, 3rd instant, a most successful launch was made at Wilsoa's shipbuilding yard, at Duvauchille's Bay. This event is of considerable interest and importance, not only to the district but to the Province, as it establishes the fact that vessels of considerable size can be built and safely floated here. The vessel was built for Mr. E.C. Latter ; she is to be a screw steamer, and is said by many competent judges to be a very fine vessel. Her dimension are as follows : length of keel, 9S feet ; over all 114 feet; breadth of beam, 20 3-12 feet ; depth of hold 8 3-12; she is rigged as a three-masted schooner, and will bt propelled by screw engines of twenty-five horsepower, nominal, but which will work up to 100 horse-power. They are made by Delamy & Oakes, Phoenix Foundery, Greenwich, and are said to be beautiful specimens of engineer's work. They are on board the Victory. On Thursday, it was hoped that the preparations for the launch would have been complete, and a great number of people assembled to witness the event, but unfortunately for them, before arrangemnnts could be made, the tide fell, and all Ind to go away ; but on Saturday all was ready, and Mrs. Latter, at the moment of the vessel moving, named her the Wainui, and she glided most graced fully into her proper element, amidst the cheers of the spectators. She was found to draw only 4 2-12 feet forward, and 4 8-12 aft. proving that her buoyancy was greater than had been calculated, and that she will be a most useful craft in the bar harbors of the colony. Her burden, builders' measurement; is 204 tons. We hope to see many more vessels of equal and greater ! size than the Wainui built at Duvauchille's Buy, by Mr. Wilson, who has now proved himself so competent a shipbuilder, and shown the capabilities of the yard for turning out vessels of superior class. — Canterbury Press. Ateociotjs Mckder.; — The Kolland,s Plains correspondent of the Manning River News, says, I have to report a frightful affair this'week, namely, a man murdered while he was asleep in : his bed, James Daly, better known about here as Jim -the tailor, a laboring man, and generally spoken of as a quiet inoffensive sort of a person, had been ploughing on Saturday, for Mr. Henry Wilson, in whose employ lie had been for the last year or so, and if appears that after tea he wont to bed as usual in the barn, about 20 or 30 yards from the house next -morning, Mr- Wilson called him to breakfast, but receiving no answer went to the barn, and there found the poor fellow lying dead, his skull being fractured evidently by a bullet, a little above the left temple. It is to be hoped that the perpetrator of so cruel and cowardly a murder may be soon found out.