Canterbury.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume XIX, Issue 1998, 24 September 1864, Page 3

Canterbury.

Ihb Panama Route.—Captain Vine Hall was expected to leave England on his return to the colony by the mail steamer of August. He would in that case reach Sydney in October, and probably arrive in New Zealand during the ensuing month. Captain Hall, we understand, will be accredited by the Panama Company to enter into negotiations with the Government for tho amicable arrangement of the questionable clauses in Mr. Ward’s contract as it stands by the General Assembly. The Government will probably have impor. tant correspondence on this subject from Mr. Selfe to lay on the table of the Council this evening.— Lyttelton Times, September 20. Sale of Imported Birds. — The birds brought to Canterbury by Mr. Prince in the British Empire were sold yesterday at action by Messrs. OUivier and Sou. They realized high prices, as may be judged from the fact that some of the canaries fetched from £2 5s to £3 each. Three tumbler pigeons were sold for £4 ss. The Acclimatization Society purchased two brown linnets and three thrashes. Mr. Prince kindly presented three bramble finches to the society.— lbid. The Kaiapoi Petition.—We understand that the petition to his Honor the Superintendent from the householders of Kaiapoi, praying that his Honor would proclaim Kaiapoi a municipal district, was forwarded by Dr. Dudley, on Thursday last It was signed by 108 householders.— Press, Sept. 10. Importation of Fish.—We have been favored with the following extract from the British Empire Gazeltee, describing the method pursued by Mr. Johnston in his attempt to bring out that vessel a supply of English fresh water fish for introduction into the rivers of Canterbury : —“Mr. Johnston brought on board no less than 800 young salmon, 600 trout, 200 perch, and 200 .carp, with a fine sprinkling of tench, royal rud, roach, gudgeon, minnows, b'eak, and gold-fish, the greater portion of which had been reared for the purpose in the artificial manner, some under the immediate care of Dr. Buckland, of fish culture notoriety. The tanks in which they were placed were nearly all lined with slate, and so neatly contrived that by means of perforated partitions a constant running stream was kept up from one portion to another with each agitation of the ship. Troops of snails, water-lillies, and weeds of various kinds, were introduced to afford food, as well as to keep the water purified, and in addition, other contrivances for terating the water that the proper supply of oxygen might be kept up. The whole was surrounded with a framework case with double cane matting, which was kept constantly wet during our progress through the tropics, in order to keep up evaporation and lower the temperature. A matter of the greatest im portance, prior to starting with those fish, was the vegetation of the tanks, which was duly provided for; but unhappily, during their transit to the docks in London, the woodwork warped, and some of tho cement attaching the slates gave way, thus rendering rapairs necessary, and dininisbing at the very outset the chances of success. The fish did not thrive well from the beginning, but some seemed to do pretty well, when, in some unaccountable manner, a lump of white lead got into one of the principal tanks, and deprived Mr. Johnston of his last chance of success. He still retains a few goldfish, but all the rest have vanished.” Although the attempt was thus unsuccessful, Mr. Johnston is very confident that a repetition of it would prove more fortunate if the preparations were commenced somewhat earlier, and in other ways ad vantage taken of the experience acquired by the failure of the first experiment.— The Press, Sept. 12.

The Southland Railway.—The Southland News of the 6th instant says :—The railway engine and tender, with some ballast trucks attached, now runs daily several times to and fro on the Oreti railway as far as the Waihopai. Yesterday, a large number of persons travelled on the first railway in Southland, the engine proceeding at the rate of some twenty miles an hour over the unballasted line. The trucks carry the ballast and deposit it on the line at intervals as they proceed. Nothing could be more perfect than the action of the engine on Davies’s new patent, and every one present admitted that the railway was a grand success.