TIMARU. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESRONDET.) Timaru, January 8th, 1866.

North Otago Times, Volume V, Issue 99, 11 January 1866, Page 3

TIMARU. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESRONDET.) Timaru, January 8th, 1866.

The weather on New Year's day was delightful, and by the middle of the day some hundreds of holiday folk from Timaru and the neighbourhood had assembled at the Otipua Creek, to witness the Bulldck races and otheV sports advertised to take place there. Shortly before two o'clock, five (horned) steeds were brought to the startiug place. The race was in heats, and was won in good style by Mr Fitch's bullock. The race caused much amusement, which was not lessened by one of the iockeys " coming to grass." A duck hunt was the next eVent. The duck, personated by Mr Fitch in a home-made dingy, played round his pursuers in a manner that would have made hia capture hopeless, had not a swimmer got possession of One of his paddles j thus crippled the duck took to the water, and was shortly caught. The duck hunt was followed at rather long intervals by jumping in sacks, a wheel barrow race, foot races, and a hack race, for which five horses started, won by Mr S. Morrison's horse. Mr Fitch's house, the Sportsman's Arms, in front of which the sports were carried on, ia very pleasantly situated near the Otipua Creek, and the spacious balcony belonging to it served admirably as -a grand stand. Mr Fitch deserves much credit for his enterprise in getting up such a pleasant day's amusement. The number of ladies and children present added greatly to the pleasant liveliness to the scend. The only accident which occurred wo? td one saitt culottes, who in returning, was thrown frdm a spring cart, and received a'heavy but not dangerous fall. Our races for next month are begining to take a prominent place in the public favor, and deservedly so, as sufficient inducements are furnished by the programme for really good horses to contest the prizes. It is a question, however, whether the J.C. would not have done better had they had Cine of their large stakes run for on each day, instead of both being on the same day. On Thursday, the sites for booths on the Race Course were sold by auction by Messrs. Stubbs and King, and realized respectively: — General License. — No. 1, £11 ; do. No. 2, £12 10a. Wine and Beer.— No. 1, £7 10s ; No. 2, £7 ; for two Horse Guards, £8 15s ; one Aunt Sally, £1 2s j Boxing Booth, 10s. Mr Fi Wilson was the successful tenderer for the right of erecting the Grand Stand for the sum of £26. The repairs to the Telegraph are yet iri abeyance, and there appears to be a probability that several days" will elapse before communication is restored. Business has improved — harvesting is going on busily. I regret to have to inform you of a fatal accident which occurred on Saturday morning ahout 9 a.m., to a daughter of Mrs Marshall at the Rangitata. The poor child which was only about thred years old had been seen playing with her sister, aged about 4 years, a short time previous to the discovery of her death, which was made by one of the boatmeri engaged in working the Ferry, who in wading through a shallow branch of tho river, about 20 yards from tho house, found the child's body in water scarcely 18 inches deep. Every available means of recovery were resorted to, but without success. A narrow escape from drowning occurred a day or two previously to a horseman crossing the Kaknin. The weather yesterday was so warm that we shall be likely to hear of more casualties through the rising of the rivers. The brig Rona arrived last evening. She is chartered to take a cargo of wool to Lyttelton.