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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 304, 24 December 1867, Page 2

To-morrow being Christmas Day, no publication of this journal will take place. The Suez Mail will be brought on by the Rangitoto, which will probably arrive here on Friday afternoon. Amongst the 'events' for Boxing-day we may mention the parade of the Volunteers at the Botanical-gardens, at 3 o'clock, followed by the presentation of the Government and other prizes; the trial of John Barleycorn, at the Temperance-hall, for the benefit of the Nelsou Band of* Hope; the trip of the Lady Barkly to Motueka and back; and the picnic in connection with the El Bethel Scriptural School, in the grounds of Mount Pleasant., Havenroad, courteously thrown open by his Honor the Superintendent, at which the Right Rev. Bishop Suter has promised to be present. The Bank of New Zealand yesterday purchased a nugget, weighing 16 ounces, and valued at £60, which had been found hy a digger iv the Sherry District, one lucky morning before taking his breakfast, iv an old claim, the former owner of which had dug withiu ouly three inches of it. We understand that several smaller nuggets and specimens of coarse gold have been fonnd al. the same place. In conned iou with this subject, we may mention thatthe Bank of New Zealand last week purchased upwards of 300 ounces of Collinsrwood g.ld, aud we understand that the influx of the precious metal from that quarter, though nofc very largo in quantity, is steady .and well sustained. A meeting was held last night in the large r~om of the Mitre Hotel, in order to consider the best means of obtaining access to the Karamea, and which had been convened privately, principally to elicit the opinions of a large number of practical miners who have visited that district, as to the question at issue. Dr. Irvine was called to the chair, and about 60 miners was present, besides Messrs A. S. Collins, Mackay, aud other individuals interested in the matter. The meeting was addressed by Mr Collins and by several other persons, and we may summarise the ■ opinion of the meeting to the effect that Dutton's track was quite impracticable, and that the extension of Rochfort's (the Wangapeka) track, the most southerly, was not advisable at present; of the remaining two, the easiest but the most circuitous, as regards the part of the country which has been proved to be auriferous, was Mr Hough's; whilst Jones's track could be made into a bridle track at a cost of a few hundred pounds, except about 2J miles, which Mr Jones, who was present, declared could not be made practicable for horses at present. We notice a large quantity of whalebone purchased by Mr Hyam Davis, to the amount of half a ton weight, which is now .; lying at his store in Bridge-street, together with :4£ tons of black oil, both being the. produce of the large whale caught off Pakawau about two months ago. : j.