OUR GOLD-FIELDS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 112, 15 May 1867, Page 3

OUR GOLD-FIELDS.

To the Editor of the 'Nelson Evening Matl.' Sir, — Tlie public have, I am sure, learnt with much satisfaction that his Honor the Superintendent has taken meusures to send out another <; search party : ' to fiud a practicable track, to the Kararnea, and will heartily-wis-h them success. My object in writing to you is not, however, to refer further to the Karamea, but to another tract of country much "nearer home, which is said to be a goldfield. I have heard it most confidently stated that in the Moutere hills gold is extensively diffused, aud would maintain a large digging population. If such be the case, it certainly should be followed up. Can you aud will you do anything in. the matter? If after preliminary inquiry there appear good grounds for believing that a gold-field really exists, so near our towr^ awaiting development, a public meeting might be called in which the subject would be ventilated, and if thought expedient, brought by deputation before the notice of his Honor, who would I believe, be readily induced on cause ehown, to place a sum on the estimates for a bonus to any one finding a gold-field at the Moutere, or say auy district draining into Blind Bay. £50 spent in advertising would call a great mauy intelligent prospectors into the field, who would soou find the gold, if it is there. Only uo mistake must be made iv .defining what a payable gold-fieFd is, and ensuring the payment of the bonus if fairly earned. Our Colliugwood experience in this respect must not be lost on the Government aud Council. I am, &c, ' Gc-AHEAP. May 15.

The Provincial Council of Otago was opened for the session on the Ist instant. In the course of his address, the Superintendent said that the Provincial Executive had resisted the action of the General Government with regard to the gold-fields, and that a vote by universal suffrage would be taken throughout the province to decide by whom the gold-fields should be managed. The supplips would be taken irrespective of the action of the General Government. The Superintendent advocated the separation of the two islands, and alluded to several of the intentions of the Government. We take following extracts from his speech : — "I have also written to his Excellency the Governor of Tasmania, with a view to introducing the salmon into our rivers from that colony. Before the session in over I hope to submit some practical proposition for your approval, in order to this end. It will be recollected that, some years ago, the Government offered a bonus of £500 as an inducement to tho manufacture of paper from the native flax. There is reason to believe that had the amount been larger, a paper manufactory would have before now beeu in operation. I trust you will euable me to offer a more adequate bonus. The attention of the Government has beeu directed to the vast importance of Russian flax as a staple article of export, aud I propose to place a small sum on the Estimates for the purpose of stimulating agriculturists to cultivate the plant, for the advantageous growth of which it appears that this province is peculiarly adapted. Among the important works for which you will be called upon to provide, a..d to which I deem it right especially to allude, is a formation of a track to the West Coast. lam giad to say that we have obtained the sanctiou of the Provincial Government of Canterbury to form the track through that province to the Haast. The opening of such a means of communication cannot fail to be of immense advantage to the mining population iv both provinces." Prom the following extract from the Grey River Argus of the Sth inst., it seems not improbable that the Government will yet cancel Mr. Macandrew's appointment, and that in refusing to delegate the usual powers, it has only taken a preliminary step: — "A private letter from Dunedin states that it is rumored in well-informed circles, that the General Government, intend to follow up their proceedings by disallowing Mr. Macandrew's election — the Constitution Act giving the Governor power to veto any election at any time within three months. Mr. Macandrew was simply gazetted as "having been elected," and that announcement did not in any way interfere with the Governor's power of veto, but leavea him still at liberty to exercise it." The following are the latest Dunedin telegrams bearing upon the state of affairs in Otago, which we quote from the Grey River Argus of the 9th inst. : — It is understood that Mr. Macandrew contemplates and hsid decided on ordering the removal of the store of gunpowder from the magazine to Waikari, in which place it would be within convenient reach of the volunteers. The people of W 7 aikatip and Arrow districts have decided in favor of the General Government. In the Provincial Council last night the Treasurer (Mr. Yogel) moved resolutions to the efiect that the Council considered the course pursued by the General Government to be an infringement of the constitutional rights of the province. The Provincial Council is very unanimous, and the Executive are supreme. Tbe feeling outside against the Genera] Government is intense, and most violent measures (the seizure of the Custom House and secession from the General Government with an appeal to the Queen) are said to be canvassed even in high official circles.

General Daulle, of the French Engineers, has written to La Liberie an account of a cannon with divergent tubes to throw musket bails. The number of these tubes will be iv proportion to their cah'bre 5 and they are. so arranged tbat at a distance of 600 metres the balls will be spread over a space of 15 metres, and at nearly equal distances from each other. -The charge of powder is calculated to propel two balls at oricefrom each tube, the trajectory of which will be the same as that of a large projectile from the same cannon. Thus a field-piece will be capable of holding 16 tubes and discharging 32 balls at once, which at a distance of 600 metres will strike upon a space occupied by 50 men in two ranks, those of the second rank being liable to be struck by the balls which have passed through the first. This new cannon is of iron, which is a more durable metal for the purpose than bronze. Coral fishing is carried ou at different points of the basin of the Mediterranean. The French have, from time immemoiial, devoted themselves to this iudustty on the shores of Algeria. The coral produced on the coasts of Sardinia' grows more particularly in the depths of Carloforte, of the Maddalena aud of Alghero. At the latter place, where the submarine vegetation in question is most abundant, the total number of vessels engaged in the fishery cannot be estimated at fewer than 290, of which 150 are Neapolitan, 20 Tuscan, aud 20 Sardinian, maimed by 1930 men. The work commences each year in March and ends in October, The value of tbe coral exported annually is 1,500,000fr. The pale pink kind, which is most esteemed, sells at a very high price ; this is a matter of fancy and taste. A piece of rare beauty, • weighing nine ounces, was lately bought for 2000fr. The ordinary price is 600fr. the kilogramme. Red coral is worth 150Pr. ; ihe white, which is very often deteriorated by perforations made by v-orms, sells at 60fr. Corals of all kinds are for the most part sent to Torre del Greco, near Naples. The Sardinians and Tuscans forward the produce of their fishery to Genoa and Leghorn. From the 1.500,000fr. mentioned above, 1,1 70,000 fr. must be deducted to cover expenses. There remains, therefore, a net profit ol 330,000fr. to be divided amongst the few employers who are at the head of the fishery. Au act of justice to the reputation of those no longer existing is never out of place, least of all, perhaps, when the dead are suspended in the butchers' shops awaiting our consumption. A few years since some investigations of the muscular tissue of fatted beasts seemed to show that degenerations of structure resulted from the fattening process, and that our Christmas cattle, instead of furnishing types of. rude health, were really serious invalids. The result of more recent research tends, observes the Lancet, strongly against this view. Id would seem that the fat which is found in connection with muscular structure under these circumstances is interstitial — it is between the fibres, and not in them. The contrary idea probably arose from mistaking the adipocere which is formed in muscular tissue during decomposition for .fattji matter produced there during life. We have pleasure, therefore, in correcting an impressiou that might prevail injurious to the reputation of our fat beasts, and in stating our belief that, as a rule, the Christmas meat is not less healthy than it looks. The Rev. D. Wilson has expressed to the Rev. N. Orniiston, a missionary curate in the parish of Islington, his strong disapprobation of the conduct of the latter gentleman, in seeking the Rev. Mr. Mackonochie in the confessional at St.Alhan's. in the guise of a penitent, aud there making loud protest against "Puseyism." The Bishop of London has also intimated the deep regret with which he has heard of the occurrence. 7.

Caprice is shown in hair as much as in head-dresses. The departure of the powder and pomatum age is no doubt a sign of sensible progress in this matter ; but what can be the charm of those great blobs which you wear at the back of your neck! Why appear double-headed ? I am told that tliese excrescences are mostly artificial; at least, they are artificially stuffed out ;' but they represent no possible form of nature, except it may" be some hideous swelling analagous to Ihe Swiss goitre, only behind instead of before. Why not let the hair follow either its own natural way, or at least some way which hair is known to follow in some living creature in the animal kingdom? If possessing a face to which curls are a becoming accompaniment, you like to wear your hair in some other way, choose some f^rm which is probable or possible. There is less excuse for these great lumps at the back of the head, inasmuch as there is a good deal of liberty allowed in the arrangement of the rest of it. ludeed, there are signs of "crops," as they are somewhat curtly termed, becoming common, if not fashionable. At any rate, they have the advantage of following one natural disposition of the hair, and suit many faces remarkably well. But there never was a head yet which looked the better for a lump as big as a cocoa-nut attached to it. — Leisure Hour. A world without plants would be, not a wilderness — nothing halfso pleasant as that — but a stony solitude. The word "desert" suggests but a faint idea of Avhat a plain less world would be ; for even the desert has iis oases, and bears at least the traces or remains of lif-. Consequently, plants are mixed up with every epoch and event of our existence. Besides their inestimable usefulness, they are ornamental, and suir^estive of hio-her thoughts. Wiih flowers we crown the blushing bride ; with flowers we bedeck ihe pa! id corpse. The spring flowers on the graves of those we love are typical of the resurrection we hope for. Garlands and bouquets are universally the sign of rejoicing and the recompense of virtue. Green boughs show their welcome to the returning hero, the liberator, the messenger of peace. An olive-branch announced the subsidence of the deluge. The forest was the Druid's temple. — Once a Week. *