COUNTRY NEWS.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1995, 27 September 1869, Page 2

COUNTRY NEWS.

On the evening of the 14th inst, one of the Chinamen working on the Lammerlaws, .about six miles from Waipt ri, was fatally injured. The unfortunate man had, it appears, commenced working in an abandoned drive, and while so engaged was bu io l by a fall of about 30. cwt of earth. His mates at once dug him out and removed him to Irs tent, but their efforts to preseve life proved unavailing. H) died on the morning of the 16th inst. A very nice little nugget, weighing about an ounce and a quarter, was found a few days ago by Quirk and party in the Horn (‘ward Bound Claim, situated half way between the Chinamen’s huts and the Deep Shaft, and adjacent to the Wetherstone’s road. The nugget was very much water worn, but had a few specks of quartz sticking to it. Although it bore the mark of the pick, it was only discovered in the sluice-box. Just before going to press intelligence has reached us (Tuapeka Turns] of a dastardly and bruta assault on our respected townsman Mr Clark, of the Masonic Hotel, by two wasgoners named Paterson and Power. The police have secured them. On Tuesday evening last Mr Wm. Sheath, of Tuapeka, met with a painful accidpnt. It appears that in leaping from his horse he slipped and fell with all bis weight on bis hand, breaking the fore-aim between the wrist and the elbow. Mr Halley set the limb, and Mr Sheath is in a fair way to recover. The usual drought of this season has, we ( Oilman / Times) hear from an up-count l y station, had most serious results. The ewes, being in wretchedly poor condition, in consequence of the great scarcity of keep, have been in many instances too weak to lamb, and when this has not been the case, a large proportion of the lambs have been lost through their excessive weakness, and the inability of their dams to supply them with their natural nutriment. Unless rain comes early, the resu ts in some parts of the country, will be very disastrous. The crops, too, of all kinds, are sorely in need of rain, and without it our harvest prospects arc likely to be poor. As yet, we (Tuapeka Times] have only l had to mention Waipori a< one of the best mining districts and most go-a head townships in the colony, but in future we may expect farming intelligence from that place. A considerable amount of ground has been put under crop by the leading business men in the

township, and there is every probability that in a few years agriculture will engage the attention of a considerable portion of the community.

A very handsome specimen of the spotted seal was captured on Friday last on the Kakanni beach by Mr G. Newcy. The animal, which is a female, measures 7 feet 9 inches from the tip of its snout to the end of its propellers, and from tip to tip of its fins, 4ft. It is intended to present it to the Otago Museum.

The Secretary for Land and Works writes to the VVcatherstoncs Deep Shaft Committee that it is the intention of the. Government to subsidise the committee’s efforts, by giving pound for pound to the extent of Mr Reid trusts it will be found to he sufficient to test the ground thoroughly, and that the Government will not he again called on for assistance. On Friday, as Mr Ferguson, of Balclutha, was driving some horses into the township, his horse stumbled, he falling underneath the animal. One of his legs was broken. He was attended by Dr Smith, and is progressing favorably. It has been reported that a petition, calling on Mr Macaudrew to resign his seat in the Assembly, was in circulation in the Clutha district a few days before he addressed his constituents there, and that nearly every elector had promised to sign it. Amongst the passengers by the steamer Gothenburg, on her bst trip from Melbourne to Dunedhi, were three young Chinese women —the first of their sex, we believe, that have come to Otago from the Flowery Land. They were disguised in male attire, hut a close observer could detect, in their voices and general demeanor, as well as in their petite appearance, unmistakeable evidences of their real sex. They arrived in Lawrence by the coach on Tuesday last, leaving their fellow-passengers of the sterner sex to come on by waggon from Dunedin. On the way up it became necessary, at a had portion of the road, for the occupants of the coach to alight and proceed for some distance on foot; but the fair Celestials, when left to their own lesonrces, could only manage to locomote slowly and with great difficulty, owing to the fact that, in common with all Chinese females, they possess feet more rcmaikahle for deformity than for utility. We understand that all three of the ladies are married, and have come lather to join their husbands. —Tuapela Press.