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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 132, 7 August 1866, Page 3

An extraordinary instance of the good fortune which attends the miner ou this coast is mentioned by the Grey River Argus. Fleming and party, seven in all, have just cleared out of a claim on the Sunday Flat, about a mile up the Teremakau River, after seven months' work, with £10,000. ■/-- The Hokitika Chronicle does not give a very favorable account of the commercial condition of the district. Our contemporary says: — Commercially, the present aspect of affairs is somewhat gloomy. Depending solely upon the yield of her gold-fields, Westlaud is just now suffering from one of the usual reactions incident Lo all gold-pro-ducing colonies. Trade during the past week has been decidedly more than usually depressed, and neither importer nor exporter, retail man nor merchant, can congratulate himself upon any large accession of profits. Two of the Bruce Bay rioters, William Quinlau aud William Ryan, were tried at the Supreme Court, and discharged. The Chronicle remarks :— By one of the 'glorious uncertainties of the law,' the men accused got off 'scot free,' much to their own intense satisfaction, but to the chargin of many. The prisoners had been arraigned, condemnatory evidence against them given, cross-examina-tion concluded, and the prisoners counsel had nearly reached the peroration of a veiy elaborate defence, when his Honor discovered a flaw, a legal stumbling block, a loop hole of escape for the lucky individuals in the dock. We recently noticed the capture of a live seal at Gillespie's Beach. Another, and a much larger, specimen of the same amphibious animal has been since caught by two diggers near the Three-mile, and gave them some trouble to do it. Strange Company is sometimes to be met with in the coach on the Hokitika and Christchurch road. A correspondent of the Canterbury Press writes as follows' to that journal : — I lately made a journey from Hokitika to Christchurch, which would have been entirely agreeable had I not been seated between two madmen, of which one was i morose and the other whimsical. The latter was certainly amusing, though perhaps it was fortunate there were no women in the coach, as one of his extravagances consisted in divesting himself of his trousers, and running up the hill before us, carrying them under his arm. At another time he begged hard for a newspaper to light a fire in his boots, and so warm his feet. We learn from the Hokitika Chronicle that the Kanieri Creek has swarmed with mullet, which have become an easy prey to numerous eager augiers. Many of the fish caught have been very fine ones, and have proved a welcome addition to many a miner's table. A Wellington paper states that Mr. FitzGerald, after complimenting Mr. Stafford on the ability with which he answered all

speeches made while he was in his place, said that of course he could not expect him to reply to observations made in his absence. He then indulged in a little chaff at the three other members of the Government for their reticence, and presumed that they were obeying the following precept — " Silence is the eternal duty of man." This was rather hard hitting, but it is true. It is in fact becoming more obvious every day that the members of the Government, excepting always the Premier, consider themselves very little more than departmental officers not by any means called on to discuss any questions of legislation, policy, or Government. The tVestland Observer says : — More delightful winter weather than we have experienced during the past week could not be desired by any person living in these temperate latitudes. It has been milder aud more agreeable than has been experienced by many persons who are old resident in different parts of New Zealand— calm, bright, sunny days, succeeded by clear, frosty nights. We learn from the Times that good accounts are still received of the produce of such claims as continue to be wrought at Hiiut's Beach and its neighbourhood. The peculiarity of the claims ou that beach are that, after a north-west wind, the gold on the beach is constantly renewed. Thus, in one claim which has been wrought several times, 32 ounces were recently obtained. From Brisbane, July 12, we learn that the tenders for the Torres Straits postal route are as follows : — James Coleman, to run four steamers at 10s. 6d. per mile ; Bright Brothers, to run the Hero for £1600 per mouth; the A.S.N, and Netherlands and. lndia companies jointly, £43,000 per annum; Mr. Delden, on behalf of the Dutch company, £30,000 per annum for three paddle-steamers.