Untitled

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 189, 14 August 1867, Page 2

A parade of three of the City Volunteer Companies took place yesterday afternoon od the ground at the rear of the Depot* and attracted a considerable number of spectators. The City Rifles, No. 1. musteriug 35 strong, under Captain M'Tavish; the Cadet Rifles, under Captaiu Wigzell, 40 in number; and the Artillery Cadets, numbering about 30 strong, uuder Captaiu Pitt, were on the ground at half-past 4 o'clock, accompanied by the Volunteer Band whose martial strains added much spirit to the sceue. The Companies were proved and wheeled into line under the command of Captain M'Tavish, and having been put through the manual exercise by Capiain Wigzell, were then marched through the town to the Militia Office, where they were disbanded. *j£. Mr Woodhouse, who, it will be remembered, left town about three weeks since with a party of three meu who had previously explored the table-land lying on the north side of Mount Arthur, aud by whose favorable reports he was induced to make the trip, returned to Nelson, as we have already stated, on Sunday evening by the Lady Barkly from Motueka. Mr Woodhouse has "furnished us with a detailed statement of his journey to the Karamea, which," we think, will be found of interest to our readers, and especially to those who entertain any intention of visiting the new gold-field. The party left Nelson on the evening of the 20th ult. by the Harriett for Motueka, leaving there at LO a.m. on the following morniug. They left Wise's immediately, intending to make Mr Dutton's station in Motueka valley, aud distant about 15 miles from Motueka, the satno night. This thoy accomplished, but found themselves compelled to remain there one night in order to obtain a supply of flour, and proceeded on their journey the next morning as far as the Graham river, which. runs at t lie foot of the spur which forms the first acclivity of. the Monnt Arthur range, aud where the track, known as Mr Button's, commences. It took the party one day to get to the summit of the Loadstone range from Mr Dutton's, and they thence proceeded dovyn a spur leading into a gully below, which is one of the feeders of the Takaka River, by three rugged terraces. They then ascended the spur known as Gordon's Knob, which connects the table-laud with the range above. It took them about an hour and a half to reach the Opening, which forma

the present eud of the track. They stopped there, and proceeded next day, on their way to the Karamea. About noon they found that they had ttken what they supposed to be the wrong route, but which afterwards proved to be the correct one, and retraced their steps to the Opening, whence they struck down the Leslie (called by Mr Duttou in his Report the Mount Arthur stream), which leads directly to what is known as the bend of the Karamea. There they fell into Mr. Rochfort's old track, and camped there, making their seventh day's journey from Motueka. They were detaiued at this spot by rain which fell heavily for three days, and on the fourth, the weather clearing up, they coutinued on their road on the banks of the Karamea (Rochfort's track), and reached the Roariug Lion at noon. They remained there that afternoon, and the next morning they prospected until dinner time, and found in each instance what is known as " strong color," which we may explain, for the benefit of the uninitiated, signifies that evident indications exist of rich yields of gold in large qualities. There is also every reason to believe that heavy gold is to be found iu the Roaring Lion, and especially in the Golden Lion, which runs iuto the former river, and is thus counected with the Karamea, but the waters were too high and too wide to allow of the party bridging them, and as their supply of flour was becoming short, they thought it best' to turn their steps homewards. It was the desire of the party to return by that part of Mr Duttou's track which das not yet been completed, bnt they were deterred by the fear that the recent heavy fall of snow would prevent them from making their way by that route, and their surmises afterwards proved to be correct. They therefore returned by the same road, making the "Karamea Bend, and continuing on the same route as they had previously taken, until they reached the Opening on the table-laud, where the} r fouud that a supply of provisions had beeu left by Gorduu aud his party, who had been engaged in cutting the track, which they were compelled to discontinue in consequence of the snow. ludeed, at the spot where these provisions were left, in a fly- tent, broken down by the weight of the snow, the snow was four feet deep. This supply in all probability was the means of saving the lives of the party, whose pvovisions had for the two previous days been quite exhausted, and who were already suiferiug from the results of fatigue and hunger. They were compelled to remain at the Opening for three days," hoping that either a thaw or a sharp frost would enable them to proceed on their journey. The latter proved to be the case, and they were thus able to proceed on their way to Motueka, passing the scrub below Gordon's Knob, which is about 12 feet high, and which was then totally covered with snow. They camped at a small valley below Mount Arthur, next day proceeding up the Loadstone, and then descended the Motueka valley, stopping at Remnant's, where they were most kindly and hospitably received. On the same evening they reached Motueka, and left on the following day for Nelson in the Lady Barkly. From the above narrative it will be seen that any attempt to penetrate the Karamea district until the weather has become more settled aud temperate, and a heavy fall of warm rain has taken place, would be attended with the greatest danger. Mr. Woodhoiue aud his party speak in most encouraging terms of the Karamea district, and though evidently reluctaut, to foster extravagant hopes, are strongly impressed with the idea, that it will prove one of the richest gold-fields

which have yet beeu discovered in this colony. It is to be regretted that the extrtme inclemency of the weather during part of t! eir trip, should have prevented them from prospecting more extensively than they were enabled to do. Mr. Woodhouse believes that the commencement of Mr. Dutton's track from the bottom of the Loadstone spur might be much improved by making a zig-z:ig cutting, which would render it fit for foot or horse traffic, and which might be effected at very- trifling cost and labour. At the top of the range, too, below the Loadstone, he is of opinion that the track might be rendered far easier for pack truffle by makiug a sideling lowor dowu than the present one. When fat meats, or sauces composed partly of I utter, are taken, and cold drink directly after, the butter and fat are rendered concrete, and separated from the rest of the aliment. This congealed oily matter, being th'en specifically lighter than the remaining contents of the stomach, swims on the top of the food, often causing heavy, uneasy, pianful sensatiou about the cardia aud breast, aud sometimes a feeling of scald iug and anxiety; at other times, when the stomach regains its heat, the fatty matter is rejected, by little and little, from weak stomachs, in oily regurgitations, which are very disagreeable. Iu such cases a little compound spirit of hartshorn, with a glass of warm water and sugar, will couvert the fat into soup, and give instant relief. — Sir James Murray's Medical Easays. The Italian papers continue to give very interesting accounts, in a geological sense, of the land convulsions ou the borders of the Lago Maggiore. Some time ago a small village on the shores of this water disappeared within the bosom of the lake, its imrnersiou being caused by an extensive landslip. It now appears that, for several months, the rejziou aijaceut to the Tyrolean Alps, to 'he Lago JMaggiore, aud the Lago di Guards*, has lu'en subject to a series oi convuisio s, recurring at periodical intervals, by which the inhtibivauts have been kept in u state of great apprehension. The shores of the latter lake isave been upheaved for a space of 10 miles by violent oscillations, suid enormous m ;sseb of stnue aud earth continually fall from Monte Balbo, occasioning the utmost consternation among the inhabitants of the valley.