MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 378, 7 March 1863, Page 6

MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

Condemnation tor Mubdeb..—An Irishman and his wife, named Cox, have been found guilty, at Durham assizes, of the murder of V\nn Halliday, an old woman of eighty, who dwelt alone, near Chester-le-street, in a cottage half of which was occupied by John and Mary Cox. There was but a very thin partition"t>et\veen their compartment and hers, so that they could " hear the slightest sounds the old woman made, even the moving of.her teacups in the tray, and the whispering of her prayers at night." She wa3 healthy andastivc for her age; an orderly, tidy, cheerful old woman. Her husband, a publican, from whom she was separated, allowed her enough to live on. One evening in August, she. had been at a school tea drinking ; she came home at nine o'clock and went to bed. .At four o'clocknest morning, the Cox's raised an alarm, and called the neighbours in to see the old woman; she had been ill-used, as they said, by some persons who had got in at her window. Her skull was fractured in two places, and she had four ribs broken, with many other injuries. She was able to speak confusedly of having been dragged out of bed, and barbarously murdered; she exclaimed, " Oh, that man! he took me by the throat, I tried to shove him away;" and again she exclaimed, " Oh, them Irish!" She was asked by Cox whether it was he that had murdered her, and she answered *' Yes." ■ Before she died, she was overheard to mutter, " God forgive them, —I do." There were some veiy suspicious ..-signs about the appearance of the house, as found when the neighbors were called in. A l;;large spot of blood on the floor had beenjiartly, washed out; and there were stains of blood on a coal-rake and poker belonging to Cox. The boards which closed the window had been torn down, but seemingly from the inside, and the opening was too small for a man to have got through. The door had been locked, and the key thrown away in a field outside; but Cox said he broke open the door when, having heard the old woman shouting and moan-, ing, he went in to help her. The most unaccountable thing is that Cox and his wife, if they did this cruel' deed, should not have killed her outright before they gave the alarm. They have received sentence of death ; but the female being tvith chiid, as found by a jury of matrons, her execution is to he deterred. After the sentence was delivered, a large body of Irishmen who were in court made a movement as if to rescue the prisoner, who had exhibited great callousness, whistling '• Wait for the Waggon," but he was forced, struggling and swearing, out of the dock. The woman made a most piteous appeal for mercy.

We take the following extract from a letter from Malabar, dated October 30th, 1862 :— " We arrived at a cotton famine ; there is not a pound of raw to be had in any of our ba -' zaars. The remnant of our poor scattered native weavers must be starved to death. The farmers around me, are begging for cotton seed of any kind, native or foreign. The collector has not any, nor can he get any, but has again written to the 'Board' at Madras; such is his answer received to-day to my application."

A commission has been appointed by the I Turkish Government to inquire into the working of the bankruptcy laws in different European countries, with a view to retorm the system now followed in the Ottoman Empire. The inquest on the bodies of the men killed by the boiler explosion at Masboro', has resulted in a verdict of manslaughter against George Radford, the boiler tender, and a strong censure against Ogley, the assistant boiler tender. , The house of the agent of Admiral Evans near Charleville, was fired into a few nights ago, and five balls were in the ceiling cf the, drawingroora. ■No one was hurt. In the morning a threatening notice was found tied to the hall door.

Mr Charles Longley, landlord of the 2Tettlebridgc Inn, Nettlebridge, Somersetshire, is in custody op a charge of. having killed his son, a line young man, by stabbing him with a clasp-knife. The deceased had given tup accused great provocation by abusing and striking him. A large quantity of horseflesh is now consumed in Berlin.

The Archbishop of Canterbury was in" stalled, on Monday, with great ceremony, at Canterbury Cathedral.

MANUAL OF THE OTAGO GOLD FIELDS, FOR THE USB OF NEW ARRIVALS.

The proclaimed gold fields of Otago are five in number, namely:—Tuapeka, Dunstan, Mount Benger, Nokomai, and Wakatipu.

The TtMPßKAgoldfield is divided into three districts—Gabriel's, Waitahuna, and Waipori. In the former, mining operations have hitherto been confined to Gabriel's, Wetherstone's, and Monroe's Gullies, the adjacent flats and spurs of the ranges, and the banks of the Tuapeka River. The workings are shallow, rarely exceeding twenty feet. At Gabriel's, the hillsluicers have practically demonstrated the existence of gold in the older tertiaries, constituting what is termed a " second bottom,", and benenth the false bottom originally wrought, auriferous strata, 45 feet in aggregate thickness, have been discovered! At Wetherstone's, a large flat, previously unworkable on account of water, has been rendered available by the cutting of a Storm-Water Channel by the Government.

The favorite mode of working throughout the Tnapeka gold field is by sluicing, the wash-dirt being gravelly and free from clay.

.Wood is scarce at Gabriel's, but there is a fair supply of scrub for firewood in the neighborhood. Lignite is abundant, and easily procured.

The route to Tuapeka from Dunedin is by the main south road via Tokoiuairiro, and thence by the Woolshert and Waitahuna diggings. Distance, sixty miles.

At Waitahuna, only a few gullies have yet been worked, and these have yielded magnificent returns. The Woolshed is included in this district. The latter is a branch of the Tokomairiro River, and it is still successfully wrought for gold. Route, as described to Gabriel's; distance, fifty miles.

The Waipori District includes the river of that name and its branches. The workings consist principally of creek and river claims, and hill sluicing. The t-old is coarse and nuggetty, and is frequently intermixed with fragments of quartz. ' A payable quartz reef has been opened up near the river, and two companies of experienced Bendigo miners have commenced operations on an extensive scale. Another reef, from the surface of which some rich specimens have been taken, has been discovered near Waitahuna, in the vicinity of the Burnt Hill. The route from Dunedin is by West Taieri and the Mangatua Ranges. Distance, forty miles. All these localities continue to afford remunerative employment to the miners engaged upon them, and there is ample room for many more. The quantity of gold forwarded from the Tuapeka gold field per escort to the present date is as follows: —■ oz. From Gabriel's District .. ... 384,192 From Waitabuna District, including tlie Woolshed 103,197 ■ From Waipori * ... ... .. 6,155 Total 473,541 Population. — Owing to the superior attractions of newer fields the population of this field is very small. We give the following from the latest official returns :— Gabriel's District ... ... ... 800 Waitahuna district inclusive of Woolshed ... 600 Waipori District ... ... ... 100 Total ... ' .. l»00 Of whom 900 are reported to be engaged in mining. The Dunrtan gold field is situated on the Clutha, or as it is more frequently termed the Molyneux River, at the base of the Dunstan mountains. It also includes a portion of the Manuherikia—a tributary of the Clutha, on the1 east bank; and Conroy's, Meredith's, Butcher's and other gullies, together with the Earnscleugh River, (sometimes called the Frazer) on the west bank, together with some small gullies in the Carrick Ranges. On the Clutha the workings) are at present limited to the river-beaches where fine gold is found intermixed with magnetic irui-sand. The waters of this river are highest in the summer, owing to the melting of the snow on the lofty mountains around Lake Wanaka and Laka Hawea whence the Clutha derives its principal supply. But the extensive terraced country on the eastern bank between the Dunstau Ranges and the Manuherikia presents indications of being highly auriferous. This portion of the district consists principally of terraced plains and " made hills," beneath the surface of which lie immense beds of drift gravel and waterworn boulders. A few short tunnels commenced on the banks of the river, reveal the'fact that under the gravelly superstratum there is a bed of stiff pipeclay, and on this coarse gold is found. When this field is more systematically wrought there is little ' doubt of large deposits of gold being discovered over a very extensive area. The Manuherikia river and its banks are being worked for about six miles from its confluence with the Clutha. Portions of the river have been turned with great success. The Manorburn, a tributary of the Manuherikia has also proved to be very rich.

Conroy's and the other gullies on the west bank of the Clutha have largely repaid the miners engaged thereon. Only the richest portions have as yet been wrought—owing in a great measure to the attractive force of newer rushes, and consequently much available ground yet remains to be worked.

Fuel and Timber are scarce at the Dunstan. The latter is supplied from the forests at the head of the Lakes, whence it is floated down in rafts. Firewood is difficult to obtain and very dear, but very rich beds of lignite exist on various parts of the banks of the Clutba. That at the junction of the Kawarau is very extensive and the fuel of a superior quality.

The climate is almost Victorian in the summer, and very mild and dry in the winter, owing to the moderate elevation—about 600 feet only—of the district along the river banks. In winter also the waters being at their lowest, the largest yield of gold ma}' be expected from this field and the adjacent district of Mount Benger.

The escort returns to date-show that 87,130 ounces of gold have been transmitted from the Dunstan since September last.

Population —At present the population of this district is comparatively small, numbering only 3,700 persons, of whom 2,200 are actually engaged in mining.

Route —There are several routes to the Dunstan. For miners, at the present season, the best and most direct road is by West Taieri, over the Lammermoor Ranges to the valley of the Manuherikia. Distance, about 110 miles, passing the following stations; — Healey's, distant from We9t Taieri 10 miles; thence to Thompson's, 12 miles; thence to Valpy's, 85 miles ■; thence to Hudson's, 5 miles; thence to Newton's; 14 miles; thence to Lowe's, 12 miles.

I The other routes are—one via Wakouaiti j and Shag Valley, and the other through the Tuapeka and Mount Benger gold fields. Persons desirous of visiting the whole of the Otago gold fields'should take the letter route. From the Dunstan they can proceed to the

I* There has not bepn a separate escort from Wai pori since August last. The piwicce of that district i is therefore transmitted from Gabriel's, or arrives in Dunedia by private hand.

Wakatip and Cardrona, and return via Nokomai.

Toe Mount Bekger. (or Teviot) district comprises that portion—about 50 miles—of tli'e Clutha River situated between the Tuapeka and Dunstan Gold Fields. The workings are confined to the river beaches, and the miners are patiently waiting for the waters to subside so that they miy resume operations. A great deal of gold was obtained there prior to the rising of the river., Most of this reached town from other fields and by private hand, no escort having yet been established. The population is now estimated at about 1,000 persons, and these continue to earn fair wages by working in the banks, whilst watching their flooded claims. Route. —This field is most accessible via Tuapeka, following the Dunstan track, which •leads through and in the vicinity of the river.

The Nokomai Gold Feld may be regarded as only partially developed. It includes Victoria Gully and the Nokomai River—a tributary of the Mataura, and the large valley of the Nevis Stream—a branch of tre Kawarau. Potter's and other rich gullies are in this district, the eastern boundary of which joins the Dunstan Gold Field, the dividing line being the tops of the Carrick Ranges The population is at present but small—probably about 300. 1,984 ounces have been transmitted per escort since the discovery of the field; but large quantities are known to have reached town by other channels. Miners are still doing well there, although the difficulties attendant on finking have disheartened many. Timber is plentiful on the Nokomai River. Route. —The best route is by the Main South Road to the Molyneux Ferry, thence to Longford, on the Mataura River. From this point the road keeps on the west bank of the Mataura to near M'Kellar's station, a-few miles below which the Mataura is again crossed, and the east bank of the latter is then followed to the Nokomai. Distance about 170 miles.

The.WAKATii'u gold field is the last discovered. It comprises the upper portion of the Cardrona River, the Arrow River, better known as Fox's, the Shotover River, sometimes perversely termed the Overshot,;and several minor streams, tributaries of Lake Wakatipu. The Cardrona is a branch of the Clutha which it joins near Lake Wanaka. It is 26 miles in length, but the upper part, about eight miles, of the valley alone has yet been worked. The population, never large, is now estimated at about 400. These are doing well, and some of the claims have yielded enormously. The Cardrona may be regarded as another gold field in reserve for future occupation. The - Arrow and Shotover Rivers are branches of the Kawarau. The workings on and around these are very extensive. The Arrow is being worked for 25 miles from its mouth, and the Shotover for a still greater distance. The beds and beaches of both rivers, and their banks, together with numerous tributaries and branch gullies, afford ample remuneration to many thousands of miners, and it is no exaggeration to term this district the richest gold field in the world. Up to the present date the escort returns show that 44,079 ounces have been forwarded thence to Dunedin, since 28th December last, and large quantities have been sent to the coast via Invercargill, and by private escort. The present population is estimated at about 8,000 persons, of whom 6,000 are miners. The climate of this field is fine and salubrious. Very little rain falls—the rivers being supplied by the melting of the snow on the lofty mountains which everywhere surround the workings, are high in the summer. It is confidently anticipated that a rich harvest will be gleaned from their beds in the winter season. Timber is everywhere abundant. Route. —There are two main routes to the Wakatipu:—One, via West Taieri and the Dunstaiif whence the road branches off; the short road being by the ranges abutting on the Kawarau River, and a more circuitous track is by the Clutha River to Wilkin's Station, and thence crossing at the Ferry and following up the Cardrona to the Crown Ranges, at the western ba?e of which is the Arrow River. Distance from Dunedin, via the Kawarau, 160 miles; and via the Cardrona, 190 miles. The latter is the most level road.

The other route is by the Molyneux Ferry on the Main South Road, thence by the Longford on the Mataura. From the Long-ford,' the road keeps along the west bank of the Mataura—through the Province of Southland —to the Dome Pass: thence through the Pass to Trotter's Station at the foot of Lake Wakatipu, whence the journey is completed by boat. Distance to the Lake about 200 miles ; thence to Rees1 Station, on the Lake, by boat, 26 miles; thence to the Sbotover River, 4 miles, and to the Arrow, 12 miles. In addition the proclaimed gold fields, there are many localities in which mines are working with more or less success. The Lindis diggings, near the Lindis Pass, at the eastern extremity of the Dunstan Mountains, was the earliest discovered of the Otago gold fields. A few miners are yet located there. The distance from Dunedin is about 160 miles via Wakouaiti and the Shag Valley. , The Dimstan River, in the Manuherikia Valley, has also been proved to be auriferous.

In Shag Val'ey there are several small gold fields. Oi these, the principal are known as the Highlay diggings. The workings are at Timbrell's Gully and Deep Dell Creek —tributaries of the Taieri River—and at Murphy's Flat, about seven miles from" Mount Hiuhlay. Coal Creek, about twenty miles above Mount Highlay in a northerly direction, has also been paospected with success. The population is at present very limited, but these localities will probably receive more attention ere long. The best route is by way of Wakouaiti. Several promising gullies have recentlybeen opened out in the western slopes of the Umbrella ranges, near the Mount Benjrer cold field ; and on Switzer's run, bt-tween the Umbrellas and the Mataura, a number of miners have set in, and are making good wages. The best road to these localities is by the mam south road and Molyneux Ferry, thence by Roberts' station northwards. The Wakaia river and other creeks in the .same direction have also been found to contain payable gold. Gold has also been discovered on the_ sea, coast at Moeraki beach, where it is intermixed with iron sand and fragmentary gems. On all the roads, provisions can now be obtained at inns, accommodation houses, and stores, and when these fail, at any of the numerous stations.