OTAGO.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIV, Issue 1020, 7 April 1857, Page 3

O T A G O.

Dunedin Jettt. -We perceive that the Duned in Jetty Committee have at length set to work to lay down the long looked-for tramway on the jetty. This will be a great improvement as compared with the present inconvenient and expensive mode of shipping and landing goods. The quantity of merchandize now imported, and the amount of exports passing over the jetty, are by no means inconsiderable ; and the tramway enabling vessels to load or discharge at any part of the jetty, will greatly facilitate the growing traffic of the Province. The utility of this improvement will be greatly curtailed, however, unless a suitable crane is erected at the extreme end. We hope the Committee will see to this, and also that they will endeavour to get the jetty extended a couple of hundred yards further out ; this would involve no deadly expense, and would enable vessels of 200 tons to load and discharge without the intervention of lighters. We understand that the- jetty is also to be lighted by a powerful lamp — another great desideratum. — Otago Colonist. Considerable anxiety was manifested in Dunedin last week in consequence of a report that Mr. Blacklock, s gentleman lately arrived from Melbourne, h d been lost on his way from Invercargill to Dunedin. It appears that he had lost his way between Mataura and Pap«itura, and was several days wandering about without provisions. He, fortunately, caught a lamb, which kept him in life until accidentally discovered by some shepherds on the ranges. This should act as a warning to strangers to provide themselves with provisions and a -guide on undertaking such a journey. — Ibid. Auckland, says the 'Witness' of the 28th, appears tff be rather dull, the papers containing little else than the reports of the proceedings of the Provincial Council, and the comments of both parties on those proceedings. We observe that the estimated revenue of the Proviiu-e , is £50,000, and the proposed expenditure £21,0 Q0 r Some sweeping alterations have been made in salaries, and apparently it is intended to make tne Super in tendency an unpaid office, as the figures opposite the item are left blank. The Superintendent and his Council have got into a ver}' awkward position in consequence of the Superintendent having accepted the resignation; of Mr. Pollen, whose seat was disputed by Mr. Graham.Mr. Pollen, who is supporter of the Government, wasieturned by a majority of two ; but his majority, upona scrutiny by the Council, was reduced to a minority, whereupon he resigned his seat, and the Superintendent forthwith issued a new writ ; but as the Council, which has the right of judging of such matters, holds- that Mr. Graham is duly elected, there will be one more member elected to the Council than there should be. and what isto be done with him is a subject of speculation. The* Governor has assented to the Land Sales and Leases Ordinance, 1856, and the Roads' Ordinance Amend" ment Ordinance, 1856. This Province has- also been divided into two countries, to be calle I "The Bruce Country," and "Wallace Country." We learn from a private source that the Zingari may be expected here on a casual trip, but there is no prospect of regular steam communication with the seat of Government being established at present. We cannot ascertain whether or not the Resident Magistrates' Extension Act has been proclaimed to be in force in Otago, but ns there have been other mails forwarded from Auckland which have not yet reached us, it is possible that the proclamation may be in a Gazette which we have not yet received. The Clutha. — We lately recorded the loss of the Endeavour at the mouth of the Clutha. We then erroneously stated that she had gone upon the rocks, but from more accurate information we learn that she was wrecked on the sand-spit, and that her being lost waswholly attributable to the negligence of the person in charge, and in no way proves the entrance to the river to be unsafe. On the contrary, the cutter Hope, which is of greater tonnage than the Endeavour was, has succeeded in navigating the river and stemming the tide as far up as the Balloon, a distance of about 1 2 miles from the mouth.— Witness, Feb. 28. Pure Merino Rvms.— The 'Thomas and Henry' has had a remarkably fine passage ; she has brought some superior stock, and lias not lost a single head. She has on board four very superior pure Merino rams, part of a lot which were imported into Melbourne from Germany direct, which were sold by auction, and realised' £37 each. The agents of Mr. Jones, Miles. Kington, and Co., in the moat spirited manner, purchased, on Mr. Jones' acco Hit, four, which we are glad to hear have arrived in first rate condition. The value of this importation to the Colony generally cannot be overrated, and will in time tend to maintain the justly celebiated character of our vrool.—Witnett, Mar. 7. Gold.— We have been favoured with a 1 view of some of the gold found at the South. It the specimen which was exhibited to us was really picked up in> the Mataura—and we have no reason to question the truth of the statement — there can be no doubt that gold does exist ins this Province ; but whether or not it is to be found in sufficient quantities to make it worth the labour of working, we have no means of ascertaining. If gold is found, in however small quantities, in the sand of the Mataura river, there is every probability of iti being obtained in greater abundance in the ranges from which that river takes its rise. We understand that there are* several parties prospecting, but they keep their proceedings very quiet. On the whole, it is certainly not desirable, in the present state of the Province, that there should be any general rush, in search of gold ; for however much the discovery of an available gold fieldi would ultimately tend to develope the resources of the Province, any wild speculation, which would withdraw a considerable amount of labour, would be a serious* loss to the community, and a great inconvenience toindividuals. — Witness, Mar. 7. Reaping Machines. — With the present scarcity of labour, the high rate of wages, and a prospect of a fall in the price of grain, it behoves the farmer to look well about him, and iee what possible s-aving he can effect in the working of his farm; and we are surprised that the* use of reaping machines is not more general than, it is in this Province. We observe that even in Great Britain, where labour is abundant and the rate of wages comparatively low, the use of reaping machines was very general during the late harvest ; especially was this the case in Scotland, where the major part of the crops were cut by machinery. Tkis was no dbubt, to> some extent, caused by the increased rate of wages, which have risen from thirty to fifty per cent, in many parts ; but the application of machinery to all branches of farming is becoming of frequent practice on all farm*, conducted on the most scientific principles. In this Province, in the Tokomairiro, we lately had an opportunity of witnessing the working of a reaping machineon the farm of Mr. J. Cargill, and. we must say thatt it performed its work in the most satisfactory style.. The machine, of the construction known as Crossgill's, improvement on Bella, was originally intended, to He* worked by two horses, but owing to the scarcity {of: heavy draught horses, it had been altered so as to be 1 worked with four horses. This arrangement has someadvantages and some disadvantages, but the machine worked admirably, cutting down ten acres in the day,, and laying it in a sward so as to be easily and quickly gathered and bound, performing the work without im the least shaking the grain,, and clearing the ground! (notwithstanding the fact that a considerable quantity of the crop was laid) quite as effectively, if not moreso, as the most experienced reapers could do. Of course the machine could not be used in bush or extremely uneven land, and the better the ground has been worked' the more perfect will be the operation of the machine. The advantages of it, however, in this country, must be-self-evident to every one who has seen it at work, inasmuch as it enables the farmer to employ the most inexperienced labourer, the mere binding being a thing; easily acquired, and upon which every pair of hands on. the farm can be turned to account ; another advantage which in many situations is even of more consequent •„ is that the grain is quickly placed out of danger front, high winds, which, during this season, have done muoh. damage, to say nothing of the further advantage of getting the crop quickly housed. We understand that there is another machine in operation at the Taiera, but of the particulars of its working we have as yet heard nothing. The machines are somewhat expensive, and it is not to be expected that every cultivator of a farm can be provided with one, but we can see no reason w hjr there should not be a general clubbing together to procure one, or what would perhaps be a better arrangement, that some person should start one, and cut the crops of the district by contract. It would be well' worth the while of the farmers who do not care to get a machine on their own account, to undertake to hire.the services of one, and even by a subscription of a few pounds to assist an industrious small occupier of. landl Vp procure one. — Witnett, Starch 7.