OTAGO.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXI, Issue 2603, 21 November 1865, Page 5

OTAGO.

The latest date is the 10th iustaut. There were no commercial trausaotions on the 9th, it being kept a close holiday in Dunediu, in honour of the Princo of Wales's birth-day.

THE EXPEDITION TO THE, AUCKLAND ISLAND^). H.M. Colonial war-steamer 'Victoria, 1 Commander Norman, arrived here yesterday morning, from hef expedition to the Auckland Islands, in search of shipwrecked persons who, it was supposed, might bo upon those islands. The result of the voyage is that no person has been found on the Auckland group, or upon any of the ethers visited by Commander Norman ; nor was any trace of shipwreck discovered beyond what has already been reported by Captain Musgrave, who commanded the c Grafton* at the time of her wreck. That gentleman accompanied the expedition j and we hear that ho thoroughly agrees in the conclusion tbat there can be no living person on the groups of islands viiitedi or skirted during the ' Victoria's ' cruise. The 'Victoria 1 left Melbourne on the 4th of October, and arrived at the Auckland Island* on the 10th. A search of the northwestern shares of the. main sisland was com-* menced on the 11th, and was, continued until the 14th, whoa the ship w»s anchored in Boss or Lowry harbour,' the site"df the'once Enderby settlement. There the search was vigorously continued ; and the remains of tho man found and buried by Captain Musgrave were 'exhumed. The object was to ascertain, by an examination of , the skull, &0., whether there was any signs of the deceased's death having been caused by violence; but no such sign was .'found. Enderby Island was next i visited j and the starch was then continued round the western and south-western shores of the 1 Auckland Island; the abip being held from half-a-mileto a mile off the shore, and a sharp look-out kept for anything like a landing place. Nothing of the kind could be

' discovered -only almost perpendicular olifft mot the oye. Carnley's Harbour was outored by the westerly entrance, and every arm of the place was searobed. For fifteeu daystherewas asuccesiion of heavy g»los, but every possible interval between tlidin *was< used by three parties who landed and ascended differonfc mountains, whence good views inland wore obtained. Here, as elsewhere, nothing was discovered to indicate the presence of human boings on the island. During daytime, while making the oircuit of tho group, guns wero fired oveiy two or three hours ; and at night blue-light* were burned aud rockets thrown up. The same things were done in the subsequent Searches at other groups of .islands. But to make assurance doubly sure that the 'Viotorift should biing relief to any shipwrecked men on the Auokland Islet, if it can be conceived that any there are, numerous pigs, fowls, &c, were put ashore, together with a stock of provisions; and at different points notices were oreoted, stating where tho latter would bo found, and by whom they had boon lauded* Leaving the Auckland Islands, the ' Victoria' was ■leered &5.15. to Campboll Island. The senroh there was oommoncod on the north-east side ; and as tho weather wm very unsettled, thice parties were a<»ain tent on shore, and tlioy inado their way in different directions to points whence tho breadth of tho island, aud tho bays on its westerly side, could be overlooked. Again every one returned with the conviction that fcheie was nothing human and alivo on the island. Thence a course was shaped' N.E. for Antipodes Island, which lies about 1794° E. ; and tho island was reached just in time to encounter a very severe gale. During its greatest fury, the ship was kept as snug as possible \mder the lee of the island ; and afterwards, under very light sail, she was taken round, so that the shores could ,be examined at a distance of not more than a mile. No harbour, not au inlet, nor a trace of a landing-place could be discovered. The cliffs are nearly all perpendicular, aud 500 ft. or 600 ft, high, with deep water close up. There are a few small islets, but all of them are within a mile of the shore ; and nothing like a real danger to a vesHol passing the island could be seen. Soundings were talcen, and 60 fathoms of water found closo to the i ocks. The ' Victoria' now proceeded about due north to what in called Bounty Island— in reality a group of rocks without a sign of vegetation, and with various outlying dangeis to navigation. The group appears from the atlas to be in about 47 deg. S. (or as nearly as posssible in the parallel of the south end of Stewarts Island), and 179 deg. E. After examining tho group as closely as possible, dining Sunday last, tho 'Victoria* started on Monday morning for Port Otago. coals and provisions being needed. These the Provincial Government have directed to be supplied, no doubt, on the statement which we have authoritatively published, that the General Government desired that such aid should be given, at whatever port in the colony the ' Victoria' might touch.— Olago Daily Times, November 9.