SOUTHLAND.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 1, 2 May 1863, Page 3

SOUTHLAND.

We hare extracted the fallowing items of in* telligencc from the Southland Newt of April 25th. M he general opinion teems to be that the balkway now being laid down on the North Road will not stand any length of time. If it tides us over the winter, it will have served its purpose, and next year we have no doubt the road will be thoroughly well made. The other day a team of eleven horses had to he yoked to a loaded dray in order to extricate it from a hole which it had got into near the Waiopai Bridge on the east road. A numerous prospecting party is gathered together in Invercirgill just now, waiting for a favorable slant of wind to start for the West Coast by the "Nuzget." We hear that the members of it are well up in the task they have taken upon themselves, and that they will be 41 welt found" for several months.

At the Fort of luvercargill for the Quarter Wed March 31, 1861, the gross value of Imports, was LI 24,866—0f exports, L 31,157 6s Id The duty collected on the imports was LI 1,390 Qsild. _ u Fires IN ixvKßCAßOlir.Lv—Within the tastffei? days this town has twice beet! threatened with tit», aud there can be little doubt but that a serious conflagration would have ensued had it not been that the ou break on each occasion was promptly discovered; while the recent heavy falls of rain prevented the flames from spread-i-ifc so fast as they otherwise would have done. The first took place about dusk on the afternoon of Wednesday last, when a large body of flame was seen to issue out of one of the ehimneys of tlie Albion Hotel, and after dashing wildly about for a few seconds, it suddenly disappeared. That the flames must have been communicated to the adjoining buildings is certain, had it not been for the timely assistance that arrived. The second outbreak took place about three o'clock the following morning, when a tenement occupied by a tailor and clothier in Detf-street, was discovered by the constable pa the beat to be in flames. With some difficulty the fire was got under before much damage had been done.

The" Sir William Eyre" has arrived at the Bluff at last, bringing 387 passengers. The number originally snipped was 409; the deaths during the passage was unusua.ly great, being 22; the births were 5. It was supposed she had put into one of the South American ports, in eonsequence of there being sickness on board, but it appears her detention was at the Cape of Good Hope. She left the Clyde on the 21st December, and running short of *ater, bore up for the cape,where she anchored on the 10th March, and remained days.