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Otago Daily Times, Issue 408, 11 April 1863, Page 4

Tlie sittings of the Supreme Court having terminated, the police business was transacted at the Court House yesterday. Tlie charge sheet did not present any features of interest.

At the Police Court, yesterday, the Resident Magistrate expressed his disapproval of the conduct cf parties concerned in many cases, especially summonses for the recovery of small debts, who entrust such business to the discretion of mere lads, instead of appearing in propria persona, or being represented by a proper pevson. In the instance -which culled for Mr Strode's remarks yesterday, the parties, who are carrying on an extensive business in this city, were plaintiffs in about, half-a-dozen cases ; and sent, as their representative ; a lad, apparently their shop boy, whose limited experience and youth certainly justified the Magistrate in the course adopted—that of sending the juvenile for his employers.

Cobo's coach, and the passengers by it, from the Dunstan, had a very narrow escape irom a terriSc accident on Wednesday night. Those in aharge of a great American waggon had camped on the hill, about two miles from Hoer's accommodation house, the waggon being not drawn up close to the inner bank. This block of the way could not be seen by the driver ot the coach until he was too close upon it to pull up; aud with admirable nerve and skill, he "tooled" on his team, and got safely past the waggon, although there was not more Gin. of soil between the off wheels and the edge of tht bank. Had the horses swerved or started in the slightest degree, everything would have gone down a steep bank of 100 ft.

spectators,

Tlie L 250 stakes for the great trotting mjwtch tp-3ay, between Mr C.C. Colo's blk. g. Rocket and Mr Bird's b.g. Major, were last evening deposited with Mr S. E. R. Jones, of the Provincial Hotel, together with the cash for a LSO bet between the principals. The race is fixed for two o'clock to-day, on the Silverstream course, and there will no doubt be a goodly gathering of

The sale of the Bchmore Station, by Messrs Wright, Robertson and Co., at the long room o1 the Commercial Hotel, yesterday, created much excitement. A great many gentlemen interested in pastoral pursuits, and the principal merchant? and bankers in the town, were present. Th Ben more Station comprises some 200,000 acres oi country, on the borders of the Upper Waitaki. Between 14,000 and 15,000 sheep were guaranteed, besides 30 head of cattle, 19 horses, 4 teams of working bullocks, 20 acres of freehold land, and the station improvements. The property had been well advertised, and several boua fide competitors were present. The price commenced at L 25,000, from which it rose first in bids of thousands, then in five hundreds, and finally in hundreds, to L 36,000, at -which figure it was finally knocked down, to Messrs Campbell and Lowe. Mr Robortso. officiated as auctioneer. The terms were, onethird cash, the balance by long bills bearing ten per cent, interest. After the sale, the company did justice to an excellent champagne luncheon provided by the auctioneers. The whole of the proceedings passed off very satisfactorily ; the bidding was spirited; and amongst the bidden: was a gentleman from Tasmania, and one froiii Canterbury. The Run is the largest, and one o; the best, in the Province; and although the price fully satisfied the exp&ctations of tho vendors, ii was not considered,by any means, that the buyers committed themselves to too high a figure.

The social' monotony of Port Chalmers was agreeably interrupted on Wednesday evening., when a ball was given in the building opposite the Royal Hotel, under the management of a select committee of ladies, aided by T. A. Mansford, Esq., R. M., who kindly officiated as master of the ceremonies. Though capable of accommodating a large party,'the building in which the ball took place is not remarkable for the style of its interior decorations, but with a large fleet of shipping in the harbor, this disadvantage was easily overcome ; a supply.of. bunting.representing at least half-a-dozen nationalities having been obtained, and displayed with such taste as to convert the plain building into an assembly -room of very considerable attractions. By the presence ol a large number of ladies, including guests from Duncdin and irom ships in port, and by th<_varietv and elegance of their ball costumes, these attractions were, of course, very materially enhanced, and, by judicious management and ths general disposition of those present, the party was quite as pleasant as it was fair to look uponOn the conclusion of the first part of the programme an adjournment was madt to the largest room attached to the Royal Hotel, where, as the delegate of the committee^ Mr Mallach had taken care to provide the supper table with, all the delicacies which liberality and excellent cuisine could produce. During the suppeilhourihe company was presided over by Mr Taylor, M.P.C, and, as he was supported by such gentlemen as the commander of the Aldinga, Gothenburgh, John Duncan and Chariot of Fame, there was no lack of gallantry, or enthusiasm in the manner in which the one £toast of the evening—" The Ladies"—was proposed, received, and acknowledged. On being resumed, the dance was kept up to Mr Meyer's excellent music, until tho lights of the chandeliers paled before that of the morning'sun, when, after the well-selected programme had been most thoroughly exhausted, the united company joined in singing the National Anthem, and the gentlemen ventured, to give three hearty cheers in celebration of the perfect success of a meeting which is sincerely expected by all to be only the precursor of many equally as pleasant und not less successfully conducted,

We understand that a subscription is being made to a fund having for its object the presentation of a piece of plate to the Eey. T. A. Fen ton previous to his departure for England, by a few of his late congregation and personal friends in Dunediu and its neighborhood, as a mark of their esteem and respect during a period of eleven years' usefulness among them. It is proposed that nil moneys coliouted shall be handed over to Mr Fenton, with a request thit he will, on his arrival at home, select a suitable testimonial with the following inscription engraved on it : —" Presented to the liev. T. A. Fenton, M.A., by a few of his late congregutiou sind personal friends in Obigo, New Zealand, on his departure from amongst them, as a token of esteem and respect." Tho subscriptions are limited to 20s. ;

An announcement appears iv our advertising columns from the principal butchers in Dunedin t that in consequence of tlie arrival of a cargo of fat cattle they are enabled to reduce the price of meat twopence per pound.

Mr Drake, who has recently discovered a route to the West Const of Canterbury, by the Taramakau River, had to adopt tho Maori plan of crossing- several large rivers on a " mokihi," or a raft of flax,stems. Mr Drake explains the mode of making (hose rafts, as follows : —" Aa many persons may be ignorant of what a mokihi is like, I will endeavour, by a description of making one to give some kind of an idea of it. The flax stalks are laid on the ground overlapping one another so sis to breuk joint the thick and thin ends together, according to the length you intend to haVe your craft. You continue adding flat

'stalks to tiie bottom tier, until you .have a round; | bundle some two ieet in diameter, .which you: j securely bind together with the flax leaves. I i should mention, your bundle has to be tapered j slightly at both ends, but far more towards the: bow than the stern. , Another.similarly-sized bundle lias now to be formed and securely lashfd. I Those two bundles are now fastened together, not close together, but a foot apart, the vacancy being filled with more flax stalks, when the whole is: securely hound together.' Our mokihi was about; fourteen feet in length, and three feet six inches', in width hi the stern, five feet in the waist, and. running to a point at the bows, where a small quantify of light scrub was bound to'render the mokihi more substantial in case of running foul of a snag, or a rock:; .;A few flax stalks are bound to 'the sidesof the mokjhi, in form of a bulwark, and the Now Zealand. craft is completed. They <\re buoyant, and perfectly safe, it being almost impossible'to capsize them. The only danger is that they may not be securely bound together, and may come asunder while! you are navigating them. They are useful, however, only-in floating down the stream. On our return from the south, it took us just one hour to cross the River Taramakau at the bar with our flix

vessel."

Mr ,T. M.. Wolfe had the pleasure of seeing the: Princess Theatre crowded last evening; and of being received.by the audience in a way.that showed a hearty desire to convince him that, as stage manager .and actor, there and at the Royal, he had's: cured the good opinion of the patrons of the drama. The old favorite, " Damon and Pythias," is a play that affords scope for very much of very vigorous declamation, in which Messrs Holt and Wolfe, as the friends, were most successful in pleasing the audience; and Mrs Holt did, full justice to the psrt of Calanthe. Miss Ada Hart was enthusiastically encored in the Highland Eiicg; and Mr R. B. Dale sang lt Vilikins and his Dinah " comically enough. The afterpiece was the romantic drama, " Mary, Queen of Scots."

The amount deposited in the Lancashire and Scottish Relief Fund box, yesterday, was lla 6J-d.

■ We hear that the Marsh froupeah'exceedingly— clever body of girl-actors in all sorts of pieces, nnd especially in burlesques and musical comediettas—will shortly appear in the Masonic Hall, Princes-street. Tho place is a miserable one; but the troupe may manage there for a time.

It will be remembered that a Captain Dixon. some short time ago, claimed the reward from the Provincial Government of Canterbury, for the discovery of a payable gold field, at or near the Taramukau river, on the West Coast of that Province. During bis recent exploration, Mr Drake visited the locality, and gives the following account of it: —" While on the subject of gold, I may as well make a few remarks on Captain Dixon's reported discovery. The locality pointed out to me by the Maoris and white men, is on the southern side of the Taramakau, some thirty or forty chains from the mouth of the river. A small creek, scarcely carrying a sluice-head o/ water, here empties itself into the river. At the mouth of this creek his vessel lay. The rock here is still a clay slate, and the river has worn y. channel through the slate to the depth, in places, of thirty or forty feet. On the clay slate rests a heavy drift, which I suppose is, with the creek itself, Captain Dixou's gold field. The country may possibly be highly auriferous, but ten or twelve men had visited it prospecting, and were unable to find more than the colour. I tried, myself, a few dishes in the creek, but I could get nothing more.1' :