CANTERBURY. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Otago Daily Times, Issue 236, 22 September 1862, Page 5

CANTERBURY. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Christchurch, 13th Sept., 1862 Tke exodu* of enthusiastic gold-seekers irotu Cauterbury has been, not checked, bat somewhat moderated in character by the last news received from Otago. A large number of those who went off in the first rush have since returned, not because they were unlucky at the diggings, but because they could never get any where near them from want of provisions, and tliH amount of personal experience, combined with all that we have heard from official reports and other communications direct from the diggings themselves, goes fur to shew the absurdity of men rushing off at the first news of a fresh discovery, unprovided with any fit implements for work, or even with provisions lor their support, till the scene of their intended operations can be reached, It seems extraordinary, that men who are already earning high wages, and have an unlimited amount of work before them, should b-go ready to throw away these advantages for the sake of the limfted chance which an already crowded gold field can offer, but there is something magical in the sound of that word gold, which upsets all ordinary considerations, and alt remonstrance and reasoning are unavailing and idle. Meanwhile a great desire has been shewn on all sides, that the Provincial Government should bestir themselves to some purpose in an endeavour to find an available Held in our own Province. A deputation waited on the Dqmty-Superintendent and the Executive, to urge upon them the advisability ot at once sending out prospecting parties, and the result was that the Government undertook to stud out two parties, of four men each, to prospect hi the Waitaki district to the south, and. the valleys of the Hakenui in the north. The former has already started, the latter, which h to be under the direction of Mr. Jfaast, the Government Geologist, is awaiting his return from Otago. Mr, Haa&t long ago, when the Provincial-Government oill-red it reward of £1030 for the discovery of a gold-field, expressed himself very confident that gold would ultimately be discovered within the Province, and he will now have a capital oppor.umty of making his words good and pocketing the reward, or his share of it, into the bargain. The Littleton Times strongly disapproves of this proceeding, andquotes from a letter, v written by one of the most experienced of the Dunedin merchants," in condemnation of the insanity of our Executive in encouraging an immigration of gold diggers, and the customary train of evils. But the same principle was asserted in the offer cf £1000 reward above mentioned, in compliance with resolutions unanimously agreed to at a large public meeting, and I do not remember that the LyMelon Time* opposed that offer. Certainly the public feeling is in favor of the steps taken by the Government.

- Some excitement has been occasioned in Christchureli lately by the discovery of a supposed murder, and a certain amount of mystery which appears to hang over the circumstance. On the iWrd August a man named Stubbi left the Koyal (Jak». a public-house in Christchurch, on his way towards'his home, somewhere in the direction of Jticcarlon, some three or lour miles distance, and was not again heard of. Inquiries were made without success, and the Avon was dragged, with no other result than finding a cap recognised as having belonged to the missing man, who was therefore supposed to have by accident fallen into the water and been drowned. A few days ago the body waa discovered and an inquest held, but it seems that in the mean time some suspicions had been excited in the minds of the p:>Uce, which, it is said, have been increased to something very like certainty by some circumstances that hive come to light during the investigation. I can give no particulars, for the inquest has been held with closed doors, and the press been warned by the Coroner and the Inspector of Police that the publication of the evidence, or any detailed notice of the subject, would materially impede, if not altogether frustrate the ends of justice; and though I have heard many reports of supposed discoveries, it is very possible that the popular rumour may jjoint altogether in the wrong direction. The inquest was adjourned last night to the 25th inst., to give time for the production of farther evidence. I pass at once "from grave to gay." Thatcher has just returned from giving a series of entertainments in Lyttelton, where he appears to have met with his usual success, anu^here indeed his visits, aa giving the inhabitants something to laugh over, was likely to be unusualiy welcome. There is an amusing story going, of how one thin-skinned gen-1 tlcrnan endeavored to escape the dreaded lash by privately making things pleasant with the satirist'; and hovr, as might be expected, he failed ignominiously in the attempt. Another, or possibly it may have been the same party, attacked Thatcher in the Lyttelton Times, under the norn de guerre of "Observer," for personality and unwarrantable invasion of the boundaries of private life, with little further result however than furnishing Thatcher next i evening with materials for a few counter obserservations, though this was by no means one of " the inimitable's " happiest efforts, being in fact nothing beyond a rejoinder in the commonest (v quoque or " you're another," line of argument Thatcher is now back again in Christchurch, and is in as much force as ever. Christchurch has been unusually well off lately in the way of amusement. Mr. Julian Hall, the celebrated Polyphonist, as he calls himself, after a very successful career in the northern Provinces,

(jiHlsr'ng at least by tbe newspaper report-*) i)f i3 btc-n here for fhe last week, and I suppose meiitares proceeding to Dimedin, if the diggings w 11 leave anybody there to listen to hi n His iwi'form'nise is something like that <»' \V')()d;ti, Km , ( 1 Stanley, and some others, com listing ia t-.w, i>jrsonification of vari»M characters in rapid succession, and was clevvr enough to deserve a better attendance than hehad the fortune to attract. Then the Garrick Club have just given one public performance, nnd propose another next week. This club, the institution of which I mentioned some time ago, is composed of amateurs, principally among the tradesmen of Christcl urch, and seems Jikely to prosper. They have converted the Foresters' Hall into n, temporary theatre, and must have spent not a little money and pain 3to provide the excellent scenery and costumes exhibited on Wednesday evening. Of course, with the usual ambition of amateurs, they scorned the idea of dok'g anything but Shakspeare, and selected " Julius' Caesar" for their coup d'essai ; the motive for which selection, I conceive, to lie in the fact that it contains but one female character, and[is thus better adapted to the requirements of a cornpuny which ia rather weak in performers of the gentler sex. However, they got through their work viry creditably, indeed; and, if they continue as they have begun, they will be a considerable addition to the public amusements of the place. The railway contractors continue to make greater progress than they have been able to do till within the last two months, owing to a fortunate change in the strata through which they are driving, from the black rock so much dreaded by Messrs. Smith and Knight, to some formation of a much softer description. t During last month the work was pushed on to the extent of 146 ftet. One quarter of the distance through the hili is already accomplished, and unless some unforeseen difficulties occur, there seems every probability of the tunnel being completed 'within the time specified in the contract. A great want ia now felt in Lyttelton of a deep water jetty, where vessels of all sizes and tonnage might load and t discharge their cargoes. At present they are entirely dependent upon small lighters, and it is obvious how great an impediment this must cause to traffic, and that it must have a very injurious iniluence upon freight. The Provincial Engineer, in his annual report, proposes the construction of a jetty in counection with the railway at a cost of £100,000. Whether or.no this plan will be carried out I cannot say, but the Lytteltou merchauts are fully alive to the necessity of such a wharf, and as the ca-»e is so plain, and affects not the port only, but the whole country, there is no doubt that the Council will respond liberally to the demand of a grant for such a purpose. An attesupt is being made to supply Canterbury with coal from tha Waihoihi pits ia Auckland. The first cargo h daily expected, and should its quality give satisfaction, it can be imported regularly, and sold at a price which will be a great improvement oa even the X 4 10s. a ton, at which the coal merchants seem to think they are doing something extremely liberal and patriotic in disposing of tbeir coal even during tbe summer. It is quite surprising, when there is such a plentiful supply of fuel within the province, to t>ee how tbe inhabitants are willing to get it from any quarter but off their own lands; but I hops that a plan proposed by the Provincial Engineer, in the report 1 just mentioned, will now be adopted, sis it is supported by bis authority—viz., the formation of a Hystem of tramways to give access to the timbered district* of the peninsula. There is wood enough there to provide all Canterbury for many years to come, and all that U wanted is a little outHy in constructing roads by which the hewn timber may be brought down to the beach, and shippjd for Lyttelton or Christchurch.

I regret to have to announce two fatal accidents as have occurred during the past week. Mr. Charles Leech, overseer at Mr. W. Lee's station at Atnuri, was killed by a dray load of timber being upset upon him, and Mr. J. Deal, of Papanui, fell' from his dray while on hU road to Christchurch this day week, and was so severely injured that lie expired on Monday last.