WELLINGTON.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 18, 22 January 1869, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

We take the following items from the Independent, Jan. 14 : — As a slight indication of the progress of Wellington we have the satisfaction to announce that the Independent of this day is printed by steam, being the first newspaper ever printed in Wellington by steam power. We are informed that several parties have gone to the vicinity of the mouth of the Karori stream to prospect for gold. The Otago Government has offered a reward to gold prospectors in that prevince, and the Superintendent has addressed a circular letter to the Wardens of the various goldfields relative to the subject. Mr Warden Eobinson says in reply, that it is the general opinion of miners that no true leads of gold are to be found in Otago. He adds— -'As a j rule, mining in Otago is conducted by sluicing, and tho limited character of the !

present diggings must be ascribed, not to the want of knowledge of the existence of more ground containing gold, but to the lack of water to work more than the claims actually in occupation. Want of " fall " also, for tailings, prevents good ground being worked in many places. Thus it will be seen that no great immediate advantage could be expected' from the discovery of other auriferous deposits in the vicinity of the present workings, unless indeed, they could be wrought by other means than the hydraulic power. As regards quartz again, what appears to be wanted, is rather the way to work the reefs at present known than to search for more.' Tenders for the erection of three lighthouses and one beacon on the New Zealand coast, two of the former being of timber, the other of stone, and the beacon of wrought iron, are invited by Mr Balfour, the Colonial Marine Engineer. The tenders are to be sent in by the Bth March next. One of the lighthouses is to be erected at Cape Campbell. By the last mail Captain Bishop, of the Wild Duck, received a letter from Messrs Shaw, Savill & Co., stating that all the arrangements were completed respecting his new ship, which had been put into the hands of Messrs Steel, of Greenock. She will be 835 tons register, including poop and deckhouse ; and of the following dimensions, 183 feet in length, 32 feet in breadth, and 19 in depth* She will be class A, and a first-class ship in every other respect. Her cabin will be fitted throughout iv a superior manner, and the side staterooms will be of larger dimensions than those of the Wild Duck. She will of course be a clipper. The Tandleton Castle, built by the same firm, did the passage from London to Calcutta Heads in 78 days ; and the outward passage ia 80 days. We understaad that a similar class of ship, but rather larger, is now being built in the Clyde, for Messrs Shaw, Saville, & Co.'s Canterbury line.