BRITISH COLUMBIA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 93, 4 March 1862, Page 6

BRITISH COLUMBIA.

New Mines.—The Bulletin is furnished with Victorian papers to the Ist instant. The Brituh Columbian (New Westminster, , 8.C.) says :— " From a letter written by Mr. Al'Leau, of "Kamioops, we obtain the following interesting information: • A number of men have been engaged in mining on certain streams emptying into the head waters of the Thompson. Five men took out 1,100 ozs., or say 18,700 dol. in one day ; 55,000 dol. by six men in seven weeks, and 14,000 dol, was taken out of a piece of ground twelve feet square. Two men had taken out 45,000-dol. in coarse gold, in which were the following nuggets :—one 71b, one 15J ozs, one Hi ozs, one 10 ozs., &c, the smallest piece being 25 cents. The greater portion of tha above gold had been placed in the hands of Mr. M'Lcan for safe keeping, and the statement is perfectly reliable. This goes far to prove the correctness of the opinion held by gentlemen in Lytton, Yale, and Hope, that all that large region of country watered by both branches of the Thompson, as well as their numerous tributaries, will equal, if not surpass, the famous Cariboo." The Colonist remarks that the high ranges north and south, which form the boundary of the Cariboo goldfields to the eastward, li'ive often been mistaken by miners for the Rocky Mountains. These are, however, a distinct claim, as the valley of the Fraser lies between them and the great range. A line of bald hills similar to those in Cariboo extend along the west bank of the Fraser on its leaving its source in the .Taspar Pass. Tha Peace River, on which rich diggings have been found, takes its rise about sixty miles north of Port Groorge, and flows through a trap in the Rocky Mountain into Mackenzie River. The hitter stream is larger-than the Fraser, and empties its waters into the Ai'dic Ocean. Gold has also been found on that portion of Peace River east of the Rocky Mountains. Ki'iss and his partner made 100 dollars a day, working with a rocker, on this side. Heavy Bags op Gold.—Three bags of gold dust were brought, on the last trip of the "Caledonia," from the Cariboo mines, each of which weighed eighty pounds. Silver Ore.—lt is stated that a vein of silver ore of great value has been disoovered in the neighborhood of Cariboo.— Han Francisco Herald, Nov. 2.

' } Plumbago.—Our readers will be aware that a c plumbago mine of great extent exists in the Pakavau j, district, Massacre Bay, which, although known for ' the last five or six years, has never been thoroughly r investigated. Several attempts to introduce this artis cle into the English market have been, fruitless, hell cause only the stuff from the surface (naturally of a 0 very inferior quality) has been sent there. V/e are p now happy to state that this mine has been taken up '' again lately, and that brilliant results have been the 11 consequence of so spirited an enterprise, A shaft of some fifty feet deep_ has been sunk, and au article of a very superior quality, nearly equal to the celebrated c Borrowdale plumbago, has been found already, and s there is no doubt that, by going down another fifty or ~ sixty feit, which is the intention of the proprietors, c the same far-famed quality will be found. We are s informed that a whole mountain of some hundred feet f in height is formed of this mineral, and1 that the more > valuable pieces being of a steel-grey colour, and c unctuous to the toucli, are of a slaty appearance and of considerable size. These pieces are entirely ivith- ' out grit, and will be used for pencils only; the loose stuff in which these are found is far superior to :my 1 black lead in the market. The next wool ship from j here is goinsr to take the first shipment to the London , market. We wish success to Messrs. Wisen'iavern and Wpyergang, the proprietors of this mine, and J hope that that the New Zealand plumbago will soon f have the same cood name as the world-renowned . Borrowdale graphite.— Nelson Examiner. \ A Snip on Finn at Sea. —A passenger on board ' "I'lmpcratrioo Eugenic, writes: —While ths barque '" "I'lmperatrico Eugenic," Captain Airth, cominan--1 der, was proceeding.on her voyage from Port Natal, 5 Cape of G-ood Hope, to London, on the 21st instant, 1 at midnight, in latitude iiflZ N., longitude 9'2i W., ' with light wind from S.S. W., the officer of the watch J perceived a. peculiar glare of light bearing S.S.E., [ which was surmised to be a vessel on fire. Captain ; Airth, with a view to render any assistance in his J power, immediately hauled up to the wind, and pro- * cesded in the direction of the light. The surmise 1 proved to be correct, and about three o'clock, a.m., ' he came abreast of the burning ship, being about two ■ miles distant. A good look-out was kept both below ■ and aloft, a lantern being also hoisted in' the furo*irigging, in addition to the usual ship's lights, as a 'I guide to any persons who might be afloat in boats or J on any portion of the wreck. "At this time the vessel | i had parted with all her masts and rigging, and was :|one mass of fire from stem to stern. We proiceedel about five miles. Captain Airth tiien jtaokod and approached the wrack wlt'iin less than aqmrterof a mile, The ill-fated ship presented a grand but fearful spectacle, rising and fiill- : ing with her bend ;to the wind, with the swell of the j ocean, the stanchions and large portions of her uneonsumed timber standing out in bold relief against the glowing furnace within. She was now in places burnt to the water's edge, and had all the appearance of a vessel of large size, but from the ravages made by the flre it would be impossible to arrive at any correct conclusion with regard to her tonnage? We bore spoke the barque " Lady Cecilia," bound for Cork, which vessel had approached doss to the weather side of the burning ship, and, like ourselves, had seen nothing whatever to indicate that anj' human life existed in the vicinity. Captain Airth finding that any further search would be fruitless, bore away, and proceeded on his voyage. The wind freshened,, and in about two hours we lost sight of the wreck. The night was beautifully moonlight, and the wafer smooth, aud as the ship on fire was iii the regular channel track, there can be but little doubt that nil on board Imd been taken off by some passing vessel. She had apparently been on fire for some eight or ten hours.— Sun, 26th Novembar. AwFPt. Wreck ov a Livejii'ool Vessel— Narrow Escape ov the Crew.—Particulars have been received in Liverpool concerning the total loss ot the schooner " Shark," of that port. She had been chartered for a voyage to the West Coast of Africa, and sailed from the Mersey in June last, under the command of Captain Duke. Her voyage was successfully prospcutod until the Bth of August, when, entering the Rio Congo, she ran ashore at a point known as Shark's Point, anil almost immediately became a total wreck. The cargo was valued at £6000. After she was driven on shore the natives gathered from the interior on to the beach in great numbers, and, despite the exertions of the captain and crew, took pos-se^sion of the cargo. The natives were armed " Musso'ongos," and were armed with muskets. They immediately commenced shooting nt the unfortunate crow, who were obliged to make Jieir escape in the schooner's boat to save their live 3. After they lefts the vessel the natives contiuue:! to" ire at them until the current carried them "out of ■ange." Her Majesty's ship " Arrogant" arrived at llio Congo—Laving received intelligence of the oat•age—about eight days after ; but, in the laeantbsio, -lie natives had taken the vessel to pieces to get the ron and copper bolts from her, and with these, the :argo, sails, spars, and copper from hei hull, they nade off into the interior. Before leaving the Congo, he " Arrogant"' destroyed a number of huts which he natives had constructed on the beach.

CJSSAIt DUCOItN'ET. Fiffy-ons yars ago there was born at Lisle, in France, at Ihe dwelling- of n poor shoemaker, a child which scarcely seemed a child. It. had no arm*, lt.s legs were lirrls; :iio:-c than bony stalks, while it had but film- totvs on each tiny foot. Yet the good shoemaker and his wife loved this poor infant, anil named it Ciusar. Why they gave so helplc.-vi a child tlii.-s high-sounding-name I cannot tell; they certainly could not liuvl; done it from any iiope .that lie would ever become n soldier, like tile mighty Roman, who made it immortal. Yet Caesar they called Mm; and he proved himself worthy of his name. Little Ocsar, finding he had no arms, began very early to make use of his feet. When he became old enough to think, he did not lie down and cry " I can't do anything; I've got uo arms." Not lie. He had too noble a spirit for that. But he began to do with his feet and toes what other boys did with their hands and fl/igei's. Thus, with his feet, Cresar threw the ball, cut with n knife, drew lines on the floor with chalk, anil even clipped figures from paper with his mother's scissors ! And he did these things well, too —better than most, boys of his age. Bravo, little Ctcsar. One day Caesar was found with a pen between his toes, trying to write the alphabet on paper. This fact was named to an old writing' master, who was so pleased with tiie boy's efibrts, that iia offered to tench him to write without pay. The ofter was accepted, and in one year the armless Caesar wrote batter than any boy in the old writing master's school. Again I say—Bravo, little Ctesar. Having thus reached the head of the writing-class, i Cfesar tried —not his hand, but his foot, at drawing, i Yes, at drawing ! He covered liis copy-books with] Bketche3 and designs, which were so striking as to; attract the notice of an artist. The good artist was astonished. He got Cajsar admitted into the Academy of Design. "Will you believe it ? In a few years Ciesar won the highest prizes in all the classes I through which he passed. Then the peojile of Lisle efied—" Bravo, Cie;ar Ducornet!" Tuey were proud of the boy who painted without arms ! Ca!3ar now adopted painting as his profe-:sion. He went to Paris, joined the lioyal Academy, and won the second aud third medals. His. pictures and portraits were in great demand. Princes and noblemen became his patrons. His works were placed in churches and picture galleries. Some of them were of great merit as well as of great size, and are still carefully preserved. But how could he paint large pictures 1 I will permit a gentleman, who once visited him while he was at work, to tell yon what he saw. He says :— " We shall never forget the impression we received upon entering his painting-room. There, extended upon an easel, stood a huge canvas, on which the .image of the General was beginning to assume the 'semblance oflifa ; and across tlie whole extent of the canvas ran, with considerable agility, like a ily upon the wall, the stunted trunk of a man, surmounted by a'noble head, with expansive brow and eye of lire: and wherever this apparition passed along the canvas, he left the traces of color behind him. On approaching a few paces nearer, we were aware of a lofty but slender scaffolding in front of the canvas, up. and down and across the steps and stages of which climbed, and crouched, and twisted— it being impossible to describe how —the shapeless being we had come to see. We saw then that lie was deprived of arias ; that he had no thighs; that his short legs were closely united to the trunk ; and that his foot were wanting "of a, toe each. Byone of his feet he held a palette—by ths other a pencil ;in his mouth also he carried a large brush and a second poncil. And in all this harness lie moved, and rolled, and writhed, and painted in a manner more than marvellous! For some minutes we had remained standing in the middle of the rocin, forgetful of ceremony, and stupefied and mute, when there proceeded from this shapeless being a voice, musical, grave, and sonorous, saluting us by name, and inviting us to be seated. Then the apparition, gliding down the whole le;igth of the scaffolding to the ground, advanced, or rather rolled towards us, and with a bound, established itself ou a sofa at our side. It was thus that we found ourselves for the first time in the company of ■ Cfesar Ducoruet, the historical painter. "In the course of the conversation that foUowe.l, this singular phenomenon exhibited so much joyous humor, so inueli frank cordiality, as won our ali'eetipns_ completely. Forgetting everything else, we saw in him only a distinguished man, whose friendship we coveted, aud, with unreflecting instinct, we held out our hand. Ducornet smiled sadly, with a look towards his armless shoulders." Thus did this wonderful man conquer his difficulties. For thirty years he toiled on in this way, until his feat were struck with paralysis. Then his great heart broke, and on the 26th of April, 1330, Caesar Ducornet died in the arms of his father, and of a friend who had loved and. served him with a father's affection. -

VTomas's Cares.— '■' A woman lias cares and pains which the heart of m:m never know.?. When a man ains he is called a fool and lie's laughed at., and it all passes over in a week : but the woman who lias listened to that man's lies, and who has believed his sweet promises, and who lias gone to his treacherous arms, is hissed and spitted at, and slimmed by all. She must sorrow and starve and bear their harsh words all her life. And sometimes worse things happen, Luke, —ay ! even in such spots as these, far far from towns where they say the "bad man dwell. Sometimes there's murder done, Luke. Sometimes the mother hates that for which innst mothers would freely die, and kills it, harky'ee ! kills it out of her way." These words were pronounced in a hoars-: whisper, and her eyes glared fitfully round. They both rose shuddering. " That's what it is ye men do : ye coax, wouisn to sin, and then yo drive them to sorrow ; and then ye drive them to crime, to prison, and to death."— Tin; Old Jiomnn Well: A Romance of Dark Streets and Grimn Lanes. A Kotal. Stag Killed with a Stick. —One dny last week, while the Earl of Stamford and Warrington and party were out stalking in the Rotliieniurchus forest, a number of labourers, at present employed in executing certain improvements about the handsome shooting lodge recently erected in Glenmore, wore ordered by his lordship to join for the purpose of driving the deer in the direction of the shooting- party While thus engaged one of the men. John Grant, labourer, Dushlcr, observed a, lloyal stag coming at the top of his speed in a' straight line to ■where he stood. Seeing, if the deer wus to follow the course he was on, certain destruction was inevitable, he made a hasty preparation for defending himself from the fury of the maddened animal, and, happening to have a stout brunch of a fir tree in hi 3 hand, just as the stag was near upon him, be took aim, and gave the nninial a desperate blow on the brow, which brought him to his knees ; essaying to rise. John repeated the dose, and in a few minutes the lioyal qtag breathed bis last. It was a splendid animal, having a head with nine tines. One of the gent|ctiipn handsomely rewarded the courageous' Highlander for his intrepid daring, in laying (lie an tiered monarch of the forest with sucli a novel weapon prostrate at his feet.— Elyiii Courunt. JSabta- Life qr Maiiajie dk Pomdadquji.—'The Jaily in-question was not on.c of these high-born dame.s. fjhe was the wife of a financier, and the daughter of lyi army oor.iivictor.' Her mother was one of the worst types oi' the kind, who sheltered her own immorality! under the garb of philosophy. Her husband must have been indifferent to family morality, generally ; . when from the hands of his uncle, M. le Nonaazit de Tournehaim, ho received as a bride, five or six years before, the daughter of a woman whose intimacy was; a dishonour to that sains uncle. The bride Ksrself was too young to have any will of her own, and was, probably, but too glad to escape from t'ns influence of parents with whom, in refinement, taste, and a brilliant education, she could have as little aliinity as with ■her insignificant husband. TJiu i:ii-l-'.\ii'u, soon deveoping into a beautiful and acooir.piished woman, pave signs of latent intellectual power, the extent of which even ter unprincipled mother l.ad not suspected. The young .Madame, trying to satisfy the wuntw of her heart hy those of her head, soon gathered around her the first authors, artists, poets, and wits of the day. The coir.-err-a.tinn of those men was pcntr-nlly about itie King. From them she listened to the tale'of his battles Vrith all the enthusiasm of a woman for acts if heroism. By them she heard 'vlaj.-m-.e de Chatcjinroux extolled for what she had incite;! the King to do for the glory of his country. Madame d'Kliok's fc'lther own ambition stirred. Her heart beat quick \vjth the j!pGyia'ct|mi of having heard that, whim a child, a Soothsayer had predicted to her mother " she would become part and parcel of the King." The mother had treasured up this prophecy, which shows hov,superstition in bad natures hold's faster than religion, while the fulfilment of it proves how we work out our own fates for weal or woo.—" The Secret History c-f the Court of France under Louis XV. By Dr. Challice." The attention of shipmasters is directed to the fact that before leaving Lytlelton on his last passage Captain Smith, of the Reliance, purchased a copy of the New Zealand Provincial Almanac, not being able to procure a Nautical Almanac for 3862. By calculations made from declinations given in the Provincial Almanac, Captain Smith was out by some miles. This ought to caution masters of vessels to look well at almanacs before using them. — JJoliart Town Advertiser, February 3.