OTAGO.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1354, 2 February 1865, Page 5

OTAGO.

By the the s.s. Lady Bird we have dates to the 30th ult. We take the following from the Daily Times: — Ckicket.—Canterbury v. Otago.—Next Saturday, a match is arranged to take place on the Dunedin cricket ground, between the eleven who will have the honour of representing this city at Canterbury in the ensuing month, and the second twentytwo of the D C.C. We trust that the weather will not interpose to prevent the match, as many votaries of the game will doubtless be glad of an opportunity to see our own team working together previous to the event of the season, and to form some good opinion of the chance which they stand against our Canterbury frie ids. Our eleven start with their friends for Christchurch, in the City of Dunedin, on the Ist of next month, and we wish them a pleasant passage and a successful return. The names of the Canterbury players are as follows, and, with three exceptions they are the a* la<?t year 11. P. Lauce, captain } Huimett, GowHshaw, Dickinson, Mytton, M'Donnell, Bale, Stevens, J. W. Stevens, Tduiuint, Young.—Jan. 19. The Exhibits bt thk Ramsay.—Only a few cases of those brought by the Ramsay have yet been received at the Exhibition Building; and the contents of these have been opened out and partially arranged. The space in the hall and in the gallery which is marked as " reserved for tlu> Indian Collection," is still bare; but a number of oases containing these exhibits were understood to .be on their way up from the port yesterday afternoon} and it is hoped that, by the middle of next week, the Indian Museum will form one of the chief attractions to visitors. The steam engine, which was brought out for working the apparatus for dredging the harbonr, was in motion yesterday afternoon. It is a 60-borse power side

lever engine, with a fly-wheel ten feet in diameter, and weighing 2\ tons. With about 12lb pressure of steam yesterday, it was making 50 strokes a minute, and was working at something under 30-horse power. The water for condensing purposes, is obtained from a Well, sunk beside the bed of the engine; and after passing through the condenser it is returned to the well. From its thus becoming heated, it decreases the vacuum,andreduces the power of the engine ; but, unfortunately, at present, there is not much weight of machinery for it to drive. The engine is a nice piece of work, and has run with more than average smoothness during the short period it has yet been worked. It was constructed by Messrs. Hawthorne and Co., of ■ '-"'th, who have also supplied the dredging apparatus. Tut: machinery, which is geared up with pulleys and straps, i: eludes a boring machine, which is exhibited by Mr. i . Iliackadder; a lathe ; a small horizontal •

steam engi.:e ; a chaff-cutter and a maize grinder, made by liicli.uond and Chandler, of Salford, Lancashire, and cxhi'.i'cd by Messrs. R. Henry and Co. A circular saw is hc in? fitted ; and a neat cylinder printing machine for book work is in place under the shafting. A good deal of additional machinery is, we believe, expected from the Ramsay.—Jan. 28. The Escort.—The usual fortnightly Escort arrived in town yesterday afternoon,, bringing down the following quantities of gold :— ()/.. dwt. Queenstown ... ... ... 1,084 &' Arrow River 852 0 Dunstan 1718 15 Manuherikia <149 15 Tuapeka 2107 13 Waitahuna 403 0 Dunstan Creek 1693 10 Hyde 57 L 0 Mount Benger 272 0 Hamilton 95.3 10 Total 10,056 3

Hope Reviving —After all, it is not unlikely that his Excellency will visit Otago. From a private letter written by one of the members of the Ministry, we are able to say, that when the last steamer left Auckland, Sir George positively intended to proceed to Otago, immediately after the arrival of the English mail, and the Esk was under orders for the purpose. Supposing he adheres to his intention, he should be here in the coarse of to-day or to-morrow, Our readers must not assume that lie is. certain to come. It would be unsafe to place any reliance upon the intentions of one who alters his mind so rapidly as does his Excellency. Supposing that lie do come, Sir George will very neatly have done Mr. Weld and and Major Richardson out of the honour of bearleading him—Mr.Mantell will probably be the chosen attendant. The whole thing will read very like a repetition of the Ngaruawhia business, where, after some amount of bye-play, his Excellency gave his advisers to understand he would not go to Ngaruawahia if the escort of Mr. Whitaker and Mr. Fox were to be forced on him. Referring to Sir George Grey's fickle purposedness, a good story has lately reached us. In the days when he was stationed in South Australia, before he attained to his present prominent reputation, he was known among his circle of intimates as " promising George," on account of his proneness to made pledges without redeeming them. It is only fair, how ever, to say in reference to the engagements he has lately broken, that no official account has yet been given of the reason of his conduct. If, as has been asserted, the Commodore and General jointly urged the strongest objections to his leaving Auckland, Sir George might have considered himself bound by their representations, especially advisers were absent. The subject is, however, one altogether too intricate for investigation ; but we may point out this, that the public have a right to expect some official explanation concerning the reasons th.at prevented his Excellency's presence when such elaborate preparations were made to receive him. The affording such an explanation seems to be a mere measure of courtesy, from observing which his Excellency, however high his position, should not deem himself precluded.—Daily Times, Jan. 30.