Local News and Notes.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 22, 15 July 1863, Page 4

Local News and Notes.

Again is the Dunedin mail missing; and until the rivers recede, so as to allow of the passage of the coach, it is doubtful when we shall hear from the metropolis. By way of Invercargill we have received our North Island files, from which we make a few extracts respecting the Maori war.

A letter from the Shotover says:—" C. Williamson, Esq., our newly-appointed Commissioner, together with Sergeant Neil, proceeded on Friday morning, at an early hour, to about 6 or 7 miles above Skipper's Gully, to decide on some cases of importance. It is a fearful journey to encounter at this season of the year. They returned yesterday evening, about 4 p.m., drenched to the skin and covered up to their eyes in muck."

A correspondent says:—" A carpenter has arrived from Queenstown, for the purpose of erecting a Police Camp at Skipper's Gully. Sergeant Neil proceeded there this morning to mark out a suitable site for it, but had to return from Stony Creek, it being flooded, and he, of course, could not cross it. He suffered a good drenching with poor chips, who accompanied him."

The s.s. "Nugget"—or, as she has been re-named, the "Alexandra"—having completed her repairs and refitment, is advertised to start on Friday for the head of the Lake, the Twelve and Twenty-five Mile. The improvements that have been effected in this smart little boat are considerable, and we have no doubt she will be found a most desirable addition to the steam craft of the Lake.

On Saturday night a robbery, which for coolness and adroitness might do honor to the highest professor of that school of art, occurred at the shop of Mr. Procter, watchmaker and jeweller,"of this town. That gentleman had just left the shop, and on his return, after an absence of but a minute, found that a hole had been cut in the canvas, just beneath the window, and three watches abstracted. Information was at once given the police, and though up to the present time the thieves have not been secured, hopes are yet entertained that they will not long succeed in eluding the vigilance of their pursuers. An accident happened at Twelve-mile Creek, on Saturday, to a man named Cadwell, under the following circumstances:—A party of four were working on a terrace 50 feet above the creek ; they had knocked off work, and were about to go to dinner, when one of the men noticed that the ground on which they were standing was giving way. He had just time to spring on one side and cling to a tree, when some tons of earth slipped and carried his mates with it. Two were brought up in their descent by some obstacle or other, but one poor fellow was carried by the mass into the creek, and was severely injured, his frontal bone being fractured, with depression of portion of bone, which had to be elevated and spiculae removed. He is, however, comparatively well, and should erysipelas not set in, will soon recover. The other men were bruised considerably. Dr. Evison attended the sufferers, and had great difficulties to encounter in getting to their hut.

To-day a ceremony will take place in Queens- J town of more than ordinary interest, viz.:—the I laying the corner-stone of the new Freemasons' Hall, in Uamp-street. From the number of gentlemen of the mystic craft resident in Qut enstown, we have no doubt the ceremony will be an imposing one; and we hope the weather will, contrary to its late practice, refrain from casting a damp on the proceedings, I We beg to call attention to the necessity of Government immediately having a bridge erected across the Creek in front of the camp buildings. \ This is necessary not merely for the sake of accommodating the public, but in order to protect life, as we yesterday witnessed a most narrow escape—to wit, the butcher attempting to cross the creek with meat for the camp would inevitably have been drowned had it net been for timely assistance. He was swept away by the rush of water and hurled down the stream for a considerable distance. We would also call the attention of the police to the fact of a man , having rigged a plank over the creek and charging sixpence each for passengers. It seems strange that a man summoned should have to pay toll on his way to the Court House.

A foot race for £2OO a-side is announced to I come off here on Friday next between Emery and Telford. As both men are reported to be in good condition an excellent race may be expected. We understand that an enterprising speculator has determined to take up some of the rich agricultural land between Frankton and the Arrow for the purpose of cultivating a market garden. The absolute necessity that exists for fresh vegetables on the Lake is so obvious, and has been so often demonstrated, that we think it unnecessary to make any remark on the subject. The prevalence of scurvy, however, on the Upper Shotover, and the district generally, increases daily, and promises before long to prove a serious evil. Unless, therefore, some step is soon taken that to some extent will supply the inhabitants with vegetable food, we may now nourish an enemy in our midst that will prove our destruction. I The following has reached us by the last mail from Melbourne. It has no date, but must be from the Yarra Bend :—Q. What Australian ' bird is like a Tom cat ?A. The Emu (He-mew)! |