LATEST THAMES NEWS. (PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Saturday evening.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 4002, 20 June 1870, Page 4

LATEST THAMES NEWS. (PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Saturday evening.

MISSING PARCEL. I am utterly at a loss to account for the ! miscarriage of my Friday's despatch. I i placed it in the hands of the captain of the i steamer ' Clyde' (which tenders the ' Wili liams'), and he, upon interrogation, avers [ that he handed it over to the captain of the latter boat, who in his turn declares that he i did not receive it. Some late' intelligence respecting the return rifle match, which I forwarded through the same channel, miscarried in like manner. 1 have ever found the captains and pursers of the Thames and Auckland steamers most courteous and punctual in delivering press parcels, and I therefore tLe more regret that the nesesaity of explaining should oblige me to write as above.

THE COURTS. I sent you on Friday a short r£sum£ of part of ttte very interesting case, Taipari v. Bergin, which was commenced, in the Resi- [ dent Magistrate's Court, and adjourned at a late hour until to-day. It bore directly upon the right of the Maoris to claim possession of the "buildings that have been erected on their lands, Mr. Bergin, a tailor, having re- [ moved liis house from the section it stood upon in Willoughby-street, the said house being claimed by Hoterene Tavpari as his l property. Thei c -was a keen contest of wits between the learned counsel retained on each side, Messrs. Dodd and Shapter for the defence, and Mr. Macdonald for the plaintiff, and many and deep were the quotations indulged in. " Chitfcy on Contracts," and " Woodfall on Landlord an! Tenant," were the favourite authorities. The case hinged upon two main points — firstly, whether the house Was <i fixture according to the meaning of the law ; and secondly, whether the i elation of landlord and tenant really did exist between plaintiff and defendant. The evidence of the carpenter who built the house showed that the sole plates were not nailed to the blocks, whilst Mr. Bcigin deposed that he rented the land of a Mr. Woods, and paid hi'n an enormously high ground rent for it. Beigin aUo paid for the building" of the house, and provided the material. The case concluded this morning, a ad, after learned addi esses fiom both sides, his Worship gave judgment for the defendant, upon the ground that a question of title was involved in the evidence, and it had not been shown that the relation of landlord and tenant existed between the principals.

PJFLE MATCH. A rifle match was shot on Thursday for the possession of the handsome revolver that I stated in a former issue had heen given by Sergeant Hazard as a prize to the highest scorer at 400, 500, and COO yards. There were 15 competitors, who, I am sorry to say, made wretched shooting, the highest score being only 42, the next 41, and the third highest 39. A sweepstakes had been thrown to give a second and a third prize of £1 and 17s. Cd. respectively. Again did Auckland triumph at the Thames, the pistol being won by Volunteer Stewart, of the Auckland Force ; j Volunteer Wbite, of the T.jST.B., and Volunteer TCirby winning the second and third prizes.

THE WEATHER. | Decidedly the so far coldest weather of the season was experienced last night and this morning. A stinging fiosb set in, covering the earth Avith a fleecy mantle, and forming ice of decided thickness on shallow pools in exposed situations.

MINING. Golden Crown : New Lode Struck.— The weekly cleaning up of this company took place to clay. The quantity of retorted gold obtained was 2260z., of which 82oz. were the product of 00 tons of stone crushed at the Tararu Battery, whilst the balance, 1440z., came out of 85 tons treate 1 at the company's mill. But, of this 85 tons, 1G yielded 920z. of gold, or quite sioz, to the 'ton. This precious stuff it seems was taken out of a new leader recently cut in the footwall of the main lode, and which stoikes south-east into a block of oountry never yet prospected, This new leader, or rather lode -for, although the absolute thickness of the stone is only 9 inches, between 3 and 4 feet of the stuff on either side contains payable gold, — is excellently placed for working, the country being both soft and dry. Mr. Richards, the manager, is very sanguine that he has a really good thing in hand. I examined a box of beautiful specimens taken from it

Una Company. — This company cleaned up to-day a good, return— l 47 oz. melted gold being the result. This is the product of eight clays' crushing only, and of the stuff crushed q uite 30 tons were mullock and quartz that had been lying about the claim and had to be crushed to get it out of the way of the contractors. The alterations in the working of the mine, introduced by Mr. Nicholl, the ne«v manager, are very salutary ; for, by doing the entire work by contract, a saving of one-third of the working expenses hag been effected. The difference between last week's expenses and those of the week before is more than £100. I am given to understand that the minimum has not yet beeu reached. On Tuesday next a contract with one of the tenderers will be entered into for driving a tunnel to give another back of one hundred and two ft.et upon the Loyalty vein. This tunnel will be connected by shoot with a new tramway that is being constructed round the hill, at a level of one hundred and two feet lower, and from the level by this tramway another tunnel will be driven by-and-by to clear another hack upon the vein at a level two hundred and four feet below where the oL I workings are now situated.

Perry's Machine. — The total return from the sixty tons of Moa Claim stone lately crushed at this machine ia about 470z. of melted gold; 41oz. 12dwt. were melted on Thursday, and to-day a fewounces obtained from the tailings -were added to it. The batteries are now crushing a lot of stone from the Atlantic Claim, and a very good show it makes upon the tables. I saw a few handsome specimens taken out of the truck at the machine door. If the stone only yields as well as it looks, the return wpl be a heavy one.

Belfast Company. — The lower levels of this mine are again being worked, and excellent atone ia taken out daily, some of it thick with gold. The next crushing is likely to be a good one.

LoNft Dkive : Heavy Yield. — Cleaning up after five clays' crushing of general stuff •with ten head of stampers, besides 4001b. of specimens which were treated in the single stamper, was proceeded with to-day, but only partially completed — all the amalgam from the general stuff, and a considerable quantity from the specimens, being yet to be l'etorted. A first instalment of the gold, in the shape of a splendid, cake weighing 4650z. sdwt., was deposited in the Bank of New Zealand at seven o'clock this evening, and the balance will be brought in on Monday. About 2500z. more are expected.

Bull's Machine. — First-rate stone from the Ruby Claim is going through the three-stamper batteries. The tables vsrere richly selvaged when I examined them to-day. Two tona of rich stuff from the Sheffield Claim, Hape Creek, were going through the two-atamt)er battery.

The Kuranui Mach nb will continue crushing for the Long Drive Company on | Monday, and the battery 13 likely to be kept going until Saturday. Thirty head of stampers are still crushing Kuranui mine stone, wbioh is yielding heavily, The sixstfttnper battery continues moving for the All Nations Company, whioh will indulge in the luxury of a cleaning-up about Wednesday next.

(FROVt SA.TURDAY'3 "EVENUTa MAIL.") The Alburnia.— A further parcel of 320z. Bdwt., the final cleaning up for the Alburnia Company, was deposited in the Bank of New Zealand to-day, arid melted. It only lost a few pennyweights, for the weight after melting -was 31oz. 18dwt. Bgr. This makes the total yield, of the 140 tons crushed, 2200z. 19dwt. Bgr. of melted gold.

The MoanatjUabi No. 2. — A parcel of stone^ for the tributers of the Moanataiari No. 2 yielded 23pz. 17dwt. of retortedjjold, \7hich was deposited in the Bank oiNew

Zealand yesterday. It was melted and reduced to 230z. 9dwt. 12gr. (from Saturday's "thames advertiser.") The Batteries.— During the week the various crushing mills have been steadily employed, and we are glad to notice that several mills in the creeks, which hitherto iave been of little benefit, have started to work, and are likely to be profitably employed during the winter season. This is particularly the case with some of the mills on the Upper Karaka. There appears to be some life infused into the Taraiu district of late, and, notwithstanding bad roads and other drawbacks, there is every likelihood of more work for the mills in that district than formerly. The construction of a wire tramway in the Te Papa gully, in connection with the Hape Creek tramway, will ensure a plentiful supply of grist to the mills in that creek. In the other creeks , and on the flat the mills are almost all at work. The Hape Creek battery, Te Papa gully, is now engaged on a large crushing for the Pretty Nelly Claim, Hape Creek. The F.M.K. battery is also on full work on stone from the Flagstaff Claim, Murphy's Hill, and a lot of stone from the Armstrong Claim. Vickery's machine, on the Karaka, is at present engaged on a crushing from the City of London (late Towel* of "London), next tjie Queen of Sheba. The Una Company',^ machine is, as usual, fully employed for the company. The Onkiuiniia Company 's mill is f till busy on the company's stuff. The Hokiano V battety is crushing stonefram the McTsaac's Claim, head of the Karaka, and the Hokiahga mine. » The Halcyon battery i& now engaged on a lofc from the Earl of Erin. Souters machine is employed with ten head of stampers on Flying Cloud stuff, and the single-stamper mill is busily engaged on a (fine lot of stuff from the Golden Spur Claim, Hapo Creek. The Hauruci machine has 12 head of stampers permanently employed crushing for Dixon's No. 1 Goldinining Company. The Criterion battery is now employed crushing a lot of stone from the Golden Ace Company's mine. Weapon's -machine is still at work on the Yale of Avoca stuff. The Australasian Company's battery i? crushing a lot of stone from the True Briton stuff. The Tramway battery is now employed on a crushing for the Cure Company. The Wajotahi machine is at present employed on a lot of stone from the company's mine. I At GooDALL'rf battery ten head of stampers are now engaged on a fine crushing for the Inverness. The Morning Star battery, Moanataiari Creek, is in full work- for the Dauntless and Siuk-to-Eise. The Moanataiari Company's battery, is again at work on stuff from the company's own mine. Partington's machine is fully employed on stuff from the Shotover. Russell's battery, Tararu, has ten head of stampers at work on a lot of stone from the City of Dunedin,