EXPLORATION OF THE WEST COAST.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVI, Issue 1242, 9 August 1859, Page 3

EXPLORATION OF THE WEST COAST.

We take the following from the 'Lyttelton Time*' of July 6 :— The schooner Mary Louisa, in which Messrs. Francis and Young left this port on an exploring evpedition to the West Coast, returned on Friday last, reporting "no success." The trip extended from Cook Straits as far s<->uth as the Awarua, the river which forms the southern boundary of this province on that side of the island. This point is only a few miles to the northward of Milford Haven, up to which the inhospitable nature of the coast is well known. Indeed, the present trip seems to have furnished little but what is already known on the subject, and certainly has addtd no item of a favourable character to ourWormation. Jackson's Bay was made a chief point of investigation, but beyond a couple of thousand acres of grass on Cascade — or as the whalers call it, Cask-head — point, there was no serviceable land there to be found. Some visions of beautiful stretches of country, as seen from five miles in the offing, turned into eventopped, scrubby bush, when inspected more closely. The mode of inspection was one by which the gene, ral nature of the country was fully investigated ; for, had there been anything like available land within reach of the coast, it must have been seen from the schooner, a< she came up northwards again before a fair, light breeze, standing during the day time about amileoff shore, and lying-to every night. This trip, therefore, confirms the reports of previous explorers by land. The Mary Louisa put in at CoUingwood on her way ; but the report of her passengers, on inspection of that town, of the dig* gingi is not favourable. On their return thej ran into the Sound for shelter, and there were able to b« of service to the Marchioness. The most interesting result of the expedition has yet to be told ; and we give it from the journal or "log" of the voyage, — "June 14. — About thirty miles to the northward of Mount Cook, and ten miles ftom the shore ; clear frosty morning ; sun shining out upon the top's of a rugged snow-capped range of immense height, from the centre of which towered the monarch of New Zealand mountains. We saw what appeared to, be a long streak of mist running from between the two peaks which form the summit of the mountains. Upon a nearer approach we concluded it must be a glacier. At noon, abreast of Mount Cook, close in shore, we could see distinctly that it was an immense field of ice, entirely filling up the valley formed by the spurs of the twin peaks, and running far down into the low laad. It was of a pale green colour, and appeared to be quite a mile in width towards the lower end of the valley. On returning from ths southward, stood in within a mile of the land, and again had the pleasure of seeing it distinctly. It is not so easily made out coming from the southward, as its lower portion is then partly hidden by a lower range of hills."

Thb Latb Mr. Cairns.— -From private advices, .we regret to learn that the body of this unfortunat gentleman was found in a water-hole in the bush, not far from Carisbrook. Mr. Cairns was well known and much respected, for several years in Sydney, as the accountant of the Joint Stock Bank. He also established the branch at Armidale of that bank, He left Sydney, nearly two years ago, for 'Victoria; and subsequently became Manager of a branch of the Oriental Bank at Carisbrook.— S. M. Herald.

Ths French and Sardinians in Shi*lds.— Considerable sensation was caused tt Shields at tide-time on Tuesday afternoon, when the outward* bound fleet was under weigh, by-the Sardinian bark St. Paolo, when proceeding to sea, firing* salute to the French brig of war Agile, which was of course r«ui]HB<4; and both vessels dipped their ensigns, complimentary to their respective national 'flags, while the crews apparently fraternized during the n\ule.—Netoca*tl4 Chronicle.

The Improvement oe our Coinage. — Thereare at present circulating in the British islands four distinbt kinds of pence,, with their satellite halfpence and, farthings. In tie first place, there are the heavy pieces, popularly known from the broad band surrounding both obverse and reverse as "ring" ponce Of. these, which were struck at the old Soho Mint by Messrs. Boulton and Watt between the years 1797—1799, 16 go to the pound avoirdupois, and they have certainly woi n remarkably well, although they must have worn out a vast number of pockets in the 60 years of their existence. At the close of 1799 pence, halfpence, and farthings of respectively I^, 36, and 72 to the pound were struck by the same firm, and these circulated alone with their weightier brethren until 1805, when a further improvement, as it was deemed, took place. In that year 24 pence, 48 halfpence, and 96 farthings to the pound weight were considered fair proportions for the copper coinage, and, new dies having been got up for the purpose, Boulton and Watt again set to work in producing these comparatively light coins. It will be seen thus that within a space of eight years three kinds of inferior coins were stamped into vitality and became current. This was not, however, considered sufficient, and an Irish coinage of great extent, and in which the one pound weight was divided into 26, 52, and 104 pence, halfpence and farthings respectively, took place in 1806, and continued to go on simultaneously with the last-named English variety up to 1823. In that year the Irish coinage was abandoned, and, although there have been distinctive copper .tokens struck since for the Isle of Man and for tha States of Jersey, of like proportions to those for Ireland, yet it may be said that the arrangement of 24 pence, 48 halfpence, and 96 farthings to the pound weight has prevailed throughout Great Britain ever since 1823, and is that of the present day. It will be admitted from this record of facts in conuexion with the copper coinage that there is a sufficient medley of recognixed and legal pieces of money in circulation among ' us ; but there is, in addition to these, as most know to their cost, a very large percentage of non-recognized and illegal discs of copper, of which the public can " make neither head nor tail," and which are discreditable to an enlightened community. Is it not high time then, we ask, that, whether the decimal system be adopted or not, the whole confused jumble of copper coins, nearly 6,000 tons in weight, should be sent once more into the foundry, there to be united with some more spiritual, or at least more valuable, metal, and be re-issued in a uniform and handsome shape ? By judicious combinations of metals lightness, beauty, and value may be attained, and these are the desiderata for a new coinage. In the United States' Mint experimental pieces have been issued of nickel and copper. How these will stand wear time will reveal, but their dull gray colour is not pleasing to the eye. and they are of dumpy. form— too thick for their small diameters The bronze coins of the Napoleon 111. and those of the Victoria Canada mintages ai c, indeed, models in this last respect. For ourselves, we believe that the new clay metal aluminium, which promised to revolutionize in other respects the world of metals, will be found a most excellent material for admixture with copper for the purpose in question. It is true that its properties are not yet fully developed, but enough is known to augur for aluminium a brilliant and useful future. Mixei with copper indifferent proportions, any shade of colour between those of zinc and fine gold may be obtained, and we look forward to the day when Dr. Graham, of the Mint, and seme of his scientific confi ires shall arrive, by experiment or otherwise, at an amalgamation of aluminium and copper, from which may be cast a new coinage — decimal or duodecimal— that, with the aid of the engraver's art and the skill of the machinist, shall surprss in proportions, colour, and practical utility the coinage of every other country. This matter has been dwelt upon at some length, because it is right that the public should comprehend it thoroughly, and be thus enabled to bring the force of their opinion to bear upon the Government in effecting a wholesome and necessary reform. Ma. Disraeli professes to bow to put lie opinion, and declares that it is the most potent of all agencies. If we can enlist it, therefore, in behalf of a decimal coinage, the good work in introducing it may be said to begun. — Mechanics' Magazine. Wno Shall Decide? — In order to put an end to the controversy respecting the capture of the " disputed" gun at Alma, we have been favoured with a copy of an official document from the Horse Guards which sets the question at rest, and like the fable of the chamelioa's colour, shows each party to have been right and each wrong. From this it appears that, contrary to general belief op the subject, the two guns taken at the Alma were both captured by the English— one by Captain Bell, which was immediately hurried to the rear, and one which was taken by the Guards, and left in the batteiy till the follow ing day, as " The Writer of the Notice desciibed. It was the confusion consequent on the belief that this latter was the only gun taken which has led to to such conflicting statements as to its having bee"n wheeled down to the river or left in the redoubt. The fact of both guns being taken on the same spot, and within five minutc3 of each other, only served to make the confusion which arose oue of the two events being regaided as one still worse. The matter now, however, is most satisfactorily cleared up — Times.