VICTORIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 535, 19 December 1857, Page 5

VICTORIA.

i■: := The '.Age 1 of..thy,l3tli ; .says:—An extensive, ;•.conflagration ..has taken .place: in Castlemaine, ■ resulting: in the, destruction of a considerable amount of property, but. fortunately no loss of ■life., .At a late hour.on, Wednesday night, the fire broke. out in a: boot, .store, in Market-square,: . and the frail building' was soon reduced to a . ; heap of cinders. The flames soon extended to .the,: Royal Hotel, and thence to the Theatre : and both buildings being constructed of very light combustible materials, they were also burnt to the.'ground;;. At Ashbj', thd same night.'a Similar; disaster'took place, resulting in the complete"destruction' of the produce stores of Mr. Abbott, at;the corner of Pakington and King streets. „ ' Latet'''accounts state: that 'Messrs." Gingelland-'-Eainer, (the .Litter the well-known director-"of the" Serenaders^) have been great, sufferers-through'the .destruction of the .Royal Hotel^jbfy Which '.they were the lessees; but it is consoling to some extent to find that the former gentleman is still a candidate for municipal honours,' while the latter is to be the object of .v. a Complimentary benefit, which Mr. Ashten, 'the? proprietor of a large equestrian and/ gymnastio corps, has promised to assist in giving.' Wesregretto learn that the Opera Company arelgreat-losers, Mr. Hqskins, j Miss Harlattd, andoifoers; of the troupe;having i had their wardrobes'Btirneti.' "' " Parliament ". (says the ' Age'of the 17th), "may conclude its labours-to-day; but, at all | events,1 it'is difficult to^ conceive what could remain to occupy the Legislative intellect after to-morrow. After its. fitfuland boisterous career, the Session promises ;io.,die easily,- 'and the forgiving. Victorian public will assist at its obsequies with great! composure." The same paper has the following paragraph : "■—" We were shown a fine sample of colonial flax,"grown'in thevicinity.of Toorak. The'seed was sown in September lastj'.andl the stalks are now in flower,'and about 3 feet 6 inches at present, and it is not yet at its full growth.' -Flax growers .say it is as fine a sample of; flax as any they ever saw in Europe." The Victorian Government has determined to establish another new township in the Ovens district, and -has selected as a suitable site the junction of the Murray and Ovens Rivers. We take the annexed paragraph from the.' Argus' of the 17th :—" Last evening a meeting of the friends and admirers of the late Father Matthew was convened at the Mechanics' lustitute, : for th&«purpbse of considering the best means of co-operating with the committee in Cork, -Ireland; appointed to procure the erection of some enduring monument to the life and services of that great benefactor of mankind. The attendance was deemed to be too scanty to proceed to the business of the meeting, numbers having been kept away by-;the departure of th;e English mail, and others by the doubtful | state, of the weather. In consequence, the meeting agreed to adjourn to a future,day." ■ The following is from the ' Age' of .the 17th: ■ — '■" The dust. storm on Friday, besides being j attended by considerable destruction of property, was marked •by the death of two poor ! ,c;hildren at Emerald ■ Hill. '0n the succeeding j day an inquest was: held by Dr. Youl, at- the | Marco Polo-Hotel, on the bodied of Alfred H. I Powell and Eliza Powell, two children of tender age.. The deceased were engaged in sailing toy- | boats at an old water-hole, forty feet from the J Sandridge-rc-ad, in company with a brother, when they were all 'precipitated into the water , by the violence of the storm. The. latter was ; ; recovered, but the other two were unfortunately drowned.: The jury returned a suitable verdict." -I

Under the head, of " Mining Prospect," the ' Mount Alexander Mail' has the subjoined remarks.:—" For the first time during many months the escort from Bendigo is less than that of. Castleniaine. From the former place the escort conveyed only 6856 ozs. 10 dwts., "while Castlemaine contributed 7778 ozs., exclusive, of the Tarrengqwer gold (2060 ozs.), which, until very lately, was included in the Castlotnaine returns. That locality is as much a part of the Castlerhaine district* as the Whipstick or Bpsom is of Sandhurst, and the yield of gold therefrom must not be ; regarded.;as a. returnfrom a distinct .and separate gold-field. The day is not far distant when the twelve miles of coiiptiy between Castleniaine and Tarrengower

will be. tracked by' gold "diggings. '." It is now so throughout a great part, and a little indus tnous research will prove the truth of what we now assert—that a golden chain unites the two townships, though only a few of its links have yet been discovered. The alluvial diggings in our immediate vicinity present the''most encouraging prospects, and the yield from them for the last two or three weeks, by encouragin"population, has given an impetus to trade that is felt throughout.the neighbourhood."