PROVINCIAL AND GENERAL.

North Otago Times, Volume XI, Issue 349, 25 September 1868, Page 3

PROVINCIAL AND GENERAL.

The " Otago Daily Mail " lias the following : — " Captaini Paterson of the Banshee, has just presented to the Ofago Museum a specimen of native cioth from tne Fijis ; it is called m tho native language Tapu, and is used by the chief as a serene In the letter accompanying the gift, Captain Paterson sa y S : — « On my recent visit to the Ftjis I might have procured a number of articles suitable for tho museum, but did not think it was so far matured as to be open on my return ; I sail again in a few days, and will endeavor to secure as many curiosities as I can." This specimen of Fijian native manufacture is now on view at the museum ; it appears to be formed from the inner skin of tho bavk of a tree, and iB beautifully colored with vegetable dyes ; it measures 12 feet 9 inches by 21 feet 6 inches, and will, no doubt, at the present time form not tho least attractive of the many exhibits now on view." The same journal of the 18th instant reports : — " Wo aro informed, on good authority that the Maories residing at the Kaika saw, on Wednesday, two whales disporting all day between Pipi Karotu and the Heads. Greorgo Robinson, a half-caste, is now in Dunedin, trying to procure the necessary instruments and gear for whaling purposes." The Port Chalmers Correspondent of the " Daily Mail " writes that " the tides, for the last few days, have been very low. Tho form and size of the various sandbanks, that r< duce our safe and beautiful harbor into commodious channels, have been distinctly visible, and the minor channels that intersect and subdivide those vast accumulations of sand, &c., might be plainly seen at low water." A match recently took place between the No. 6 Company, Christchurch EAil.s, and tho Dunedin Artillery. Tho first-mentioned Company was raised by, and for nearly three years under the command of, Captnin Steward, now commanding the Ouinaru Company. The conditions of tho match were : — Ten men each side to fire on their respective ranges, on any day during the third week of this month ; distances, 200, 500, and 600 yards ; seven shots at each ; "Wimbledon lai'gets; Government rifleB and ammunition ; Hythe position at 200, and any position at 500 and 600 yards. The Christ church men fired on Thursday last, and the Artillery on Friday, the result being a victory to the latter by a majority of forty points. The finest shooting in the match was that of Gunner Cato, who made tho splendid score ol 70, composed of 21 at 200 yarcb, 23 at 500 yards, and

26 at COO yards. At tho latter rungo ho made five bull'B eyes and two centres in his seven shots. Tho next highest score was made by Sergeant Rule, Christen urch, who scored a total ot GG points. Tho following woro the total scores : — No. 6 Company, C.R.V., 504 pointB ; Dunedin Artillery, 551 do. The Auckland correspondent of tho " Daily Timos" writes as follows : — This being the period of tho anniversary of the Tliam s goldfield, Mr O'Keefte deoins it important to placo upon record a few statistics showing its progress during the past year. The goldfield was proclaimed on the 7th of August, 1867, and about 7,000 acres were then opened for prospecting. The area now available is 3i0,000 acres, or about 700 square miles, extending from tho Thames River to Cupe Colville, and tlienco by tho Eafat Coast to Whangamata. The number of claims taken up for quartz-mining amounts to about 1,500. occupying an area of not more than 10,000 acres, Tho actual amount of money invested in shares in sevoral of these claims amounts to about L80.000, giving employment to 6000 men. The value of permanent wooden buildings iu Shortland it about L30,"00, and in Graham's town about L30,000. Buildings are in daily course of erection, and these townships aro rapidly extending. The value of quartz-crush-ing machinery driven by steam on the Shortland branch of the goldfiuld is Lil6,000, and of machinery ordered and now being set up L22,000, thua giving a total of 400-hor30 power, capable of crushing '100 tons of quartz daily, which at an average yield of 3oz. of gold to tho ton, would give I2,000oz., at 50s. per oz., say L3000 per diem, or nearly ouo million sterling per annum. This average is much below the results of past crushings on tho field. Increase the crushing power, with, improved machinery, and the yield of gold must be proportionately increased. Tho owners of the crushing mills employ permanently 400 men. Tims there is established within a year a substantial and increasing industry, benefittiug aliko tho province and tho colony. On tho aftornoon of Sunday, the 20th inst. (writes tho " Daily Times)," " a most melancholy accident occurred at tho Taieri. Alexander Ken 1 , a boy not lour years old, was playing with his brother on tho bank of the river, when he fell in. Tho brother iramediately gave tho alarm, and the child's mother, who was near, ran immediately to the spot, but. tho child had disappeared. Search was made all the day for the body but without success, but yostorday morning Constable Carter having obtained, the uso of boats' and the assi-tance of a number of neighbors, discovered it. It has been deemed unnecessary to hold an inquest. The father of tho deceased, Mr John Kerr, has been in the employ of Mr James Sbiiud for some time, and great sympathy is expressed with him at his bereavement." That gallant representative of a portion of the native race in tho Assembly, Meti Kingi, has, wo are given to understand, volunteered Ins services for tho froiit, and btatca that his tribe will light with him. Kingi has before done good service. By all means we say, lot him go. — N. Z. Advertiser. It is stated by an Auckland journal that a very valuable discovery of cold lins been made at Jtapa, ono of the Society Islands. A largo number of Europeans are already on tho diggings, and it is said aro doing well. One person had found a nugget of solid gold which weighed nearly one pound. Capt. Heymet, of the Kate Grant, states that coal has also been found at the fcocicty group. The " Otago Daily Mail" observes that several of the Dunedin bakers and grocers are selling the 41b. loaf at 7d. but does not see how that price can pay. On Sunday, 20th instant (reports the local journal) two whales were seen within a short distance of the beach at Tiraaru. One of them must have been a very large ono, judging from the jets of water it threw out. The fish havo not been seen off our coast for some years, though formerly they were in such abundance as to justify the estxblishment of a whaling station, which existed for some little time. Tho steamers and coasting crafts along the coast have driven the fish away to more congenial haunts. The " Southland News" of tho 15th inst. has " much pleasure in announcing that the vitality of the trout ova brought from Tasmania by Mr Howard, curator to the Acclimatisation Society, has remained unimpaired notwithstanding the very severe weather encountered by the Prairie on her voyage hither. The best proof of this is the fact that some eggs wore hatched on Sunday last ; and Mr Howard feel' confident even now, after the whole of those at all injured in tiansit havo been removed, there will bo between eight nnd niue hundred fish produced." Tho " Grey River Argus," of the 17 th inst., says : — "News was brought to town yesterday, by a storekeeper, that a nugget, weighing 120 ounces, had been found in a claim in the Moonlight District, and that it would be brought donn in a few days. Should this prove to be coirect, the nugget just unearthed is the larg< st yet found on tho West Coast." Tho " Wellington Independent," of the 8th inst., 8a y S : — «« It has long been knowu that a deserter from the 57th Regiment, named Kembell Bent, was among the Maoris. It is behoved that ho was the man who shot Colonel Hazard, it being currently reported that that gallant officer said before ho died ' It was that scoundrel Bent who shot me.' This renegade was observed a-iiong the natives at the recent alfair at Te Ngutu-o te-manu, where his treacherous and disreputable career wa9 ended by a shot from one of our rifles." The " Wanganui Chronicle" gives the following particulars : — " Among tho ' loot' of Te Ngutu-o-te-mauu was found a curiosity in tho shape of a species of diary, kept by an Englishman, named Kembell Bent, a deserlor from the 57th Regiment, and who has been with the disaffected natives ever since he deserted from the Queen's army, now some years, aiding and abetting them in their defiance of law and order. It cmi be gathered from Bent's diary — queer, disjointed, illiterate sentences, not very easy to understand, and bearing evidence that the man was gradually forgetting the English tongue — that he thoroughly detested his hfo among tho savages, bitterly deplored his renegade conduct, and wibhed to return to his countrymen, was even at times under an overpoweting impulse to throw himself into their hands, but tho dread of an ignominious death detorrcd him." The deserter ha3 received his deserts ; his death in the field fighting against his own countrymen is, in our opinion, as ignominious as it is possible for a death lo be."