THE SOUTHERN PROVINCES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume II, Issue 444, 15 April 1865, Page 4

THE SOUTHERN PROVINCES.

The mail from the South which arrived yesterday by the Wellington brings nothing later from Wanganui than what has already appeared in the letter of our special correspondent of the Bth inst. We learn, however, from the Wellington journals that General Cameron had arrived at Waimate. and that it was anticipated that if the onward progress of the troops was not. interfered with they would meet the military part}' from Taranaki in about a fortnight. We also learn that the native chief who has accompanied Sir George Grey to Auckland is the son of Mete Kingi, a youth just entering his teens, and who has been sent to Auckland as the most suitable place for the purpose of being educated. Mete .Kingi is the friendly chief who, lately with his men. performed good service at Wanganui. In Wellington all is as dull as could be expected. The opening of the theatre by the supernumeraries of the Auckland companies, was anxiously looked ibr as a change from the universal dulness and ennui so characteristic of the life led by those who inhabit that " City of the Sleepers." Wellington. Incendiarism seems to he resorted to as a new means of raising the wind, amongst our southern fellow colonists—the victims being the insurance companies. .A n attempt of this kind was made recently in Wellington, but discovered by strangers in time to save the premises. In Otago and in Southland incendiarism is also likely, unless the greatest precaution be taken, to become the royal road out of pecuniary embarrassment, in the present crisis of' the Middle Island. One man namened Ifiordan has been apprehended and charged with this crime, as perpetrated with the intention of defrauding the 2s'ew Zealand Insurance Company. He was fully committed for trial on the charge. It appears that the prisoner had had a house in Hope street, which a short time ago was burnt down, and which had also been insured in the New Zealand Company. In Southland the attempt seems to have been made by a stranger, if we may judge from the following evidence:— Mrs. Hannah Birt deposed —T reside in Speystreot. Between three and lour o'clock last Saturday morning I was awakeneil by the smell of something burning. I jumped out of bed and ran into the kitchen, and saw flames through a Tat-hole in the floor, not far from the fireplace. 1" called out " (ire," and my husband came and got a pail of water, and threw it where the tire was. Then I" threw a second pail of water, which had no effect. He told mo to take the children out, and he said " Get me the axe, and I'll chop the partition down." He chopped down the partition, and threw in another pail ot water. Tins had also no effect, and 1 theu put mj' hand in and drew out a quantity of burning rags and threw them ou the floor, and the fire then went out. The rags were soaked with kcrosine, mingled with tallow or suet. The weatherboards next to the rags were burning. The fire in the kitchen was out at dark on Friday evening.

The murderer of the German, Charley, is not as yet discovered, though a reward of £200 has been offered, or a free pardon to any accom-

pi ice", not tlic actual murderer, -who may turn Queen's evidenco. Mr. A. J. Burns and a Mr. W. J. Dyer are candidates for tlie vacancy in the House of Assembly, caused by the resignation of T. B. Gillies, the late Postmaster General. By way of Kelson we glean from the Colonist of the 4th inst. the following news from the Okitiki gold fields :— " The local Steamers Wallaby and Nelson arrived from the Okitiki on Saturday, .bringing 92 passengers. The Wallaby brought 2813 j ounces of gold, and the Kelson 154, all of which was entered at the Customs; but- there were sundry smaller quantities in the possession of the passengers, of which there was no official account. The excitement appears to have considerably abated, and the return stream of diggers has begun to set in. The Alhambra left the Okitiki, going " south about" for Otago, and arrived at Port Chalmers on Friday, with a large number of returned diggers, an hour or two before the departure of the Titania, which arrived liere_ yesterday afternoon from Otago, bound for the Okitiki, with 74 diggers oil board. The Titania expected a full complement of passengers, but the arrival of the Alhambra with so many returned men, conveying what was deemed discouraging news of worked-out ground, and. difficult country, deterred many intending passengers. •' We learn that great numbers are returning overland to Canterbury and Otago ; and in the town of Okitiki itself "there are at present fully 3000 men " hanging about" and doing nothing, which, says our informant, "is by no means a healthy sign." Numbers of those who have returned report that new arrivals aye disappointed, because, after travelling about considerable distances, they find only large tracts of worked-out ground. This is the shady side of the picture; but even those who return admit that gold is to be found almost everywhere about, but they will not be content with small gains. Hence the returns of many."