THE Otago Daily Times. DUNEDIN, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2051, 1 September 1868, Page 2

THE Otago Daily Times. DUNEDIN, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1.

From; Otago, on Saturday next, will commence a great ocean race, literally round the world. On that day two English mails will be despatched from Dunedin, the one by Panama and the other by Suez. This is worth noting, not only because it is the first time such an event has occurred in Otago's history,-—rand it will probably also be the last, —but as remarkable in the history of a Province that has not yet attained its majority. Those amongst us who in March 1848 founded this settlement could hardly have expected in little more than 20 years to see two mail steamers, connected with the most powerful steam companies in the world, leave Otago on the same day, girdling the globe, and distributing correspondence throughout both hemispheres. As a sign of progress, such an event is eminently satisfactory ; but as a matter of administrative organisation, it is entirely the reverse. We are; too young a community, too poor and top small a population in New Zealand, considerable as has been the progress of the Colony, to afford such costly and unnecessary duplicate services. The Colony cannot afford to neglect its external communications, for external trade is a necessity to us. We can no more consume bur own wool or our ofn gold than we can produce the manufactures we import. And if we must have trade we must have postal facilities also, for without them trade must languish. We shall soon, too, be called on to decide as to what scheme the Colony shall adopt for its ocean postal services. The Australians are determined to have fortnightly communication with England, which they deem of vital importance to their commercial interests ; and the Imperial Government promises to aid them in establishing it. By our last advices, it would seem that, though advocated by some, the proposal to establish a line of large ocean steamers by the Cape of Good Hope route has not yet met with the amount of support in Victoria that would warrant its being made a part of the postal service of that Colony. We can hardly suppose that New South Wales will much favor such a service, by which, her interests

would again be postponed to those of Victoria ; the more especially as she would lose those benefits which later mails will more especially have shown her she may gain from continuing to support the Panama route. One great defect in the Cape scheme is that, with the exception of a few Cape and Mauritius letters, it would carry no other correspondence than that between its termini. It would, it is true, with tlie Suez service, complete a fortnightly communication between England and Australia ; but it would leave all the North and South American correspondence, whether Atlantic or Pacific, to go round by England to and from Australia. The telegraphic news too that it would bring would be only to the departure of the vessels from their English port. These are not slight disadvantages, and the argument that these steamers would or could carry emigrants from England at moderate rates of passage money, completing their voyages in the same number of days as are occupied by the present Suez-Marseilles" service, does not affect the-question of a Postal Service. It is. generally admitted by all those whose attention has been especially given to.'Postal subjects, that the late Postal Conference at Melbourne was right in declaring ' that any scheme of Ocean Postal Communication will be valuable to each of the Colonies in proportion to tlie number of points of commercial intercourse which it shall be made to include, consistently with expedition and regularity of conveyance between Great Britain and Australia.' Then, unquestionably, a service which, shall occupy the same time between Melbourne and London as the present Suez-Mar-seilles Service, and shall carry the whole of the Mails for Europe, as well as the whole of the American correspondence direct, would be infinitely' superior, not only to the proposed Cape service, but to a second Suez-Marseilles service which carries the fast portion only of the mails at an increased cost to correspondents of 66| per cent, in postage, leaving the heavy mails to go round by Gibraltar to Southampton at an expenditure of six more days in time: thus precluding letters sent by it being answered for nearly a fortnight longer than those sent via Marseilles. Such benefits may be obtained by an improved Panama service.

, Out of evil frequently arises some good, and the losses of the Royal Mail Com-, pany by the terrible earthquakes in the West Indies necessitated their purchasing other steamers; whilst sickness cured them of sending only a branch steamer to Colon. To replace tjhe Rhone the Company purchased the Neva, anew boat of upwards of 3000 tons burthen. Her maiden trip to Colon she accomplished with great ease, in 17 days, for she was 36 hours at Water Island. Consequently, instead of the mails arriving at Wellington on the 21st, they came in early on the morning of the 18th of August, or, allowing for difference of time, in 46$ days from Southampton. Had the Neva steamed direct to Colon, she would have arrived in 15| days, and allowing one day for the Isthmus and 25 days for the passage between Panama and Wellington (which would, even for the present roundabout course of the steamers only necessitate a speed of 10£ knots an hour), the mails would have„ been delivered at Wellington in 42 days from Southampton, and by branch boats could readily have been conveyed to Melbourne and Sydney in six days more, or 48 days from Southampton, Such a service would be made to alternate forttoightly with the present.Marseilles-Suez Service from Melbourne, would deliver all the mails,, a^ad not a portion only, in the stipulated time, and would supply a direct link of communication between these Colonies and the two great commercial Continents of America, which cannot be supplied by any other route. We can hardly, suppose that the commercial in-, terests of Australia will permit the abandonment of a route affording such postal and other facilities, to substitute for it even a duplicate Suez or Cape of Good Hope service.

The most noticeable item in the recent news from Australia is that which records the appearance of the tidal wave on the coasts of New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania. We now know that this disturbance of the ocean, the result of spme volcanic action,, extended simultaneously over a large portion of these seal. On the morning of Saturday, the 15th instant, while the tidal wave alarmed the inhabitants of New Zealand and the Chatham Islands, it equally alarmed the residents of Sydney and Newcastle, Adelaide and Hobart Town. It is singular enough that the port of Melbourne was not visited by these most extraordinary phenomena. On no part of the Victorian coast did they make their appearance. Nor were they observed at any point north of Newcastle. Probably, however, we may hear some further details on the subject as vessels arrive from time to time : for ho doubt the tremendous uprising of the waters was observed at sea as well as,pii the coast.. ■... The accounts received from the Chatham Islands on Friday last forcibly remind us of the very similar occurrences at the island of St.1 Thomas, in the West Indies, some months since. When we come to hear the narrative from the residents on the Ohathams— when they describe the appearance of the great breakers suddenly rising up before them andpouringinupon their settlements, spreading destruction on all sides—we shall recognise the; counter part" of the scene witnessed at Sfc. Thomas. The next volcanic disturbance we heard of was at Hawaii. This was on the 28feh of March. The tidal wave was assisted in the wreck of destruction by the eruptions of the volcano ; and both together created such havoc that the* face of the country was altered beyond recognition. Whole villages were swept away by a wave which, at one place, rose to a height of forty feet; while vast chasms suddenly appeared in the midst of cultivated fields. At various points in the Pacific Ocean, volcanic action appears to have taken place at short intervals daring the present year; not only in places where volcanic

action might have been expected, but in places least familiar with such unwelcome visitations. At San Francisco and Sacramento, for instance, we have lately heard that smart shocks of earthquake were felt on the 26th May and the 29th of June; and the same papers which brought us this intelligence also informed us of an earthquake felt at sea on the 18th of May. The brig Brewster, when in' latitude 447 north and longitude 129.35 west, experienced a shock which 'so shook the vesselas to throw the men off their feet and the watch below out of their berths. The doors of the galley were thrown from their sides, and. the crockery in the pantry was broken.' A\- noise like distant thunder preceded the shock. The impression made upon the crew was that the vessel had struck upon a rock, and all hands rushed to the pumps to ascertain the fact. Again, on the 18th of June last, shocks of earthquake were felt at various points in the city of Sydney, and more distinctly in several towns to the north, in the Hunter River district. Earthquakes have never been felt in Sydney before ; not, at least, within the memory of the present generation.

This is a subject which will no'doubt occupy the attention of scientific men here and elsewjiere. The various occurrences to which we have alluded have, in all probability, some links of connection, and irresistibly suggest the idea of continuous volcanic action extending throughout the Pacific Sea.

A deputation of gentlemen waited on the Rev. Dr Burns last evening, and presented the handsome gifts that have been exhibited in the windows, of Mr Salomon's shop for the last few days. There were present Messrs Mercer, Kilgour, Soune3S, Oliver, and Thomson. Mr Thomson; after a few appropriate remarks, presented the various articles, and the Rev. Doctor replied as follows :—Dear Friends—lt is impossible^ for me to be anything but gratified, and gratified in no ordinary degree, with such a testimonial as that which you have been commissioned to present unto me. At the came time, unfortunately, it is just as impossible for me to find suitable words in which to give adequate expression to those gratified feelings. The testimonial itself is a thing of such costliness and beauty, that to see it is to admire it. Each separate article composing the testimonial is itself a perfect gem of art —a specimen of most exquisite workmanship. And now, when I look upon them all gathered together before me, I feel that it would indeed be surprising if such an assemblage of brightness and beauty should fail to command the highest admiration of every one. I must, however, say that its intrinsic excellence and beauty ia not, in my estimation, thechief or highest recommendation of this testimonial. These costly pieces of plate, no doubt, possess a value of their own which no criticism can deprive them* of. Still, when you inform me that the purpose and intention of you and your friends in making a gift of them to me, is that they shall remain in aj'y house as a valued and abiding token of your personal esteem and regard towards myself, it is then that th 9 effect of this intimation' is seen in imparting a new and special character of sacredness to'1 your gift, enhancing its value, and changing its nature. I, indeed, put a very high value upon your elegant gift; but I put a far higher value, and value of a very different kind, upon those warm and" kindly feelings towards myself that prompted the gifts. Your testimonial hath found me far advanced down the vale of years—laid aside from public duty— my work on earth apparently veiy nearly done—my remaining days or years probably few and brief—still the memory.of your present kindness will all the more be -a source of pleasing remembrance to me. It will soothe me in many a weary hour.' If will accompany my latest steps to the brink of the grave. And then, in accordance with your own kind wishes, the different articles of this testimonial will be equally divided amongst the different members of my family, who, in sharing the inheritance of their father's testimonial, will, doubtless, fail not to take up the inheritance of iheir father's gratitude. .

The drama of "The Child Stealer" was produced at .the Princess Theatre last evening. There was a fair house ; and we understand that the drama passed off satisfactorily. -r-The .farce; was "Toodles."—Both pieces are to be repeated this evening ; ard to-mor-row, Mr J. E. Tayler, the Champion Skater, is to make his appearance.

The following paragraph, from the Tuapelca Times of the 29bh ulfc., will doubtless prove interesting to many of our readers :—"A petition, signed by nearly 200 residents of the Teviot and neighborhood, was lately forwarded to the Chief Postmaster for a biweekly mail from Lawrence to the Teviot, and we are very glad to learn that the Post-master-General at Wellington has promised to accede to the wish of the inhabitants in establishing a bi-weekly service along that route."

The Sydney Mint issued 226,000 sovereigns during July last. It received 71,000 ounces of gold for coinage. During the seven months of the year from January to July, the, Mint issued 1,378,000 sovereigns.

A medical gentleman was engaged by the New South Wales Government a short time ago, to travel through the United Kingdom, the Continent of Europe, and the United States, for the purpose of visiting the various Lunatic Asylums, and collecting information with regard to the treatment of insanity. He returned to Sydney the other- day, bringing with him the results of his search for information, which will be' presented to Parliament next session in the, shape of a Report.

Recent advices from England with respect to the preserved meat shipped from Australia are highly satisfactory. Ths London correspondent of the Sydney Herald writes on the 19th of June as follows :—" The possibility of exporting Australian beef and mutton to Europe has been demonstrated most conclusively by Mr Tallerman, of Victoria, who has just arrived in this country with samples of preserved colonial meat shipped via Panama. In such excellent condition are the beef and mutton thus brought to England by their enterprising importer, that there exists little or no doubt of a ready and profitable sale awaiting the various cargoes now on their way here from Melbourne. The process employed by Mr Tallerman wa3 fully discussed some months since in the Melbourne papers. If differs essentially from that introduced into New South. Wales by Mr Mort, whosa

project is regarded here with some interest by several of our scientific men, althoughnot afew of our experienced shipping firms express their belief that the preliminary experiments are being conducted on too large a scale. We trust not. There is .plenty of room for the profitable development of both MrMort'sand Mr Tallerman's systems/should they succeed in meeting the wants of the public. The beef and mutton shown by Mr Tallerman appear to have a wonderfully fresh and sweefc taste. The meat is cured in the usual way; by pickling or smoking, the bones being~first cut out, so as to lessen the cost of carriage. It is then bound tightly with string, wrapped in linen cloths, and packed in seeds or tallow, the clotb<j preventing the tallow injuring the meat, which isexclrded from the air by means of the tallow. The successful character of Mr Tallerman's experiment may be inferred from the fact that the tallow in. which the meat was packed did not in any way melt during its passage through the tropics, but arrived here in a hard and solid state, like Wax. It is proposed to retail the meat at 7d per lb for beef, and ;d per lb for mutton, which prices are low, considering that lib of preserved Victorian meat is equal to 21b of ordinary English butcher's meat. Low prices, be it observed, form an essential condition of success." .:

"We understand that Mr Proudfoot's tender for the Kakahui Harbor works has been accepted, and that the works will commence forthwith.

The following account of the meteor seen in Melbourne on the 20th ult., : is given by the Herald of the following day:—"Last evening, at about 25 minutes past 9 o'clock, a most brilliant meteor was observed in the eastern region of the sky. Its passage was in the direction from N.W. to S.E.^ and it was visible for five seconds. It appeared of the size of a large oranjge, and was of a bright sea-green colour. The light it shed was so brilliant as to dim the gas-lamps, and bore a strong resemblance, from its intensity and metal 'ie lustre, to the magnesium light."

The following letter from the Fiji Islands has just been received by the Banshee, and fcas been handed to us for publication:— "Levuka, 23rd July, 1868.—Here I am, at last, in Fiji, after, a passage ,of 15 days from Dunedin, having had a narrow escape from? running on a reef near L&viika. I can tell you I -would never wish to live in a better place than Fiji. The climate is splendid. True, it is rather hot; but that is only in the middle of the day. I have been now travelling among the natives for the last month, and I enjoyed myself very well, although they were burning and killing each othernotmore than 15 or 20 miles from where we were. Things are rather unsettled in reference to the natives, as King Thakambou has been defeated; so that makes the mountain tribes very independent and. saucy. But in about a month, all the petty chiefs and the King are going to collect their men from round the coast, and are determined to go right up the mountains, and drive them out. AH the fighting is confined to one island, so the religious natives will get on better this time. One party will go itito the mountains at one side, and another party at the other ; so there will be waiiri work there in a short time, The " devils"-4hat is .what the mountaineers are called— are friendly enough to the white settlers: it is the missionaries and native—teachers that they try to kill and^eat. cThey ajre cannibals iv tie mountains yet^ .If^he.Jv-hite men get killed, they bring it on^hemselves. There are two men-of-war in Levuka just now j so I am told that they are going to send some of, the Bailors up the Rewa. river to burn down some villages, so I fancy the "devils" will be quiet enough directly. The Brisk will leave i ere to-morrow, for : Sydney, and she takes two men out of the island, altogether. What do-you think it is for ? One brute, because a native boy annoyed turn, took up.',a red hot -iron, and branded him on the back. The natives fined him LI, but he would not : pay, so he is now going to be taken to Sydney. The other one was for a: robbery. Another man, because he thought that he could not get enough work from his men, tied one up and flogged him, and then rubbed hot chili peppers on his sore back. He has been fined L!SO by the British Consul and Thakambouj but he refuses to pay it until an American man-of-war comes in, as he claims to be an American subject. These are the kind of men that will get the whites into trouble, lam now. just starting for a place called ' Sava Sava,' where I intend buying 500 acres of land. Of course, I have had a great many difficulties to contend with, but I am very hopeful. It was only to-day, that the Melbourne Company succeeded in getting old Thakambou to sign the charter in reference to the American Debt. He binds himself to hand over certain lands to the Company, so they will now set to work to bring down machinery for sugar making, and likewise open a Banking establishment. If they succeed iv raising the capital, it will be the making of Fiji, as the settlers will now set to work to get sugar-cane planted, as we?l as cotton and coffee. By-the-bye, Mr Johnson has arrived with press, plant, $c. I am very much afraid he is too soon. The place is too young; you can scarcely credit how the white people are scattered ; the Rewa River is the only place where there is anything like a white population—there are only 90 settled there, and about 50 or 00 in Lev oka. It might do in another 12 months to start a paper, but I am afraid he will have a hard fight. I would not have let the chance slip, if I thought it would pay. I was offered the use of the press and plant belonging to the Wesleyan Mission, if I would start a paper, but I did not like the idea. In reference to any one coming here, I should not advise them to come with less than L 250 or L3OO ; if you come with less, you will find yourself in a fix, that is, if you intend to go into cotton planting. Levuka consists of six stores, five hotels, one Wesleyan Church, Reading room, British and American Consuls' offices, and about 20 or 30 other houses. That does not include Native villages—they are all round Levuka. If you look at the Melbourne papers in about a couple of weeks, you will" see what the Banking Company have done, as Messrs Brewer and Evans started for Sydney, this morning, in the John Wesley."

■A correspondent of the Tuapeka Times I gives the following account of- new mining works of some magnitude recently completed near Tuapeka mouth :■ —" The last flood carried away the chief supports of Messrs Anderson and Vernon's fluming across the Tuapeka, causing much loss of time and expense to the owners; but they have, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather and other difficulties, re-erected it, and raised it ten feet higher, making it now seventy feet above the level of the water. It is a surprising piece of architecture. Some of the largest timber support the

boxes that ever -was rafted down the Moly" neux. The cost of the original flaming was Ll2O j the one just finished has cost Ll7O. I believe the claim is rich, and the owners deserve good recompense for the enterprising spirit they have displayed. Not only were the proprietors the planners, but they were the principal workmen throughout the erection of it. No person would regret going twenty miles out of his way to view it. Messrs Lewis and party have erected a dam across the Tuapeka fourteen feet high, about three miles from the' Mouth, and are cutting a race along the banks of the creek to work a claim on Hughes's Mat. It-is calculated it win cost seven or eight hundred pounds. In passing along the creek the other day, I noticed a couple of Chinamen putting up a tent. They are the first Celestials who have pitched their camp in this locality. The late John M'Cudden's share {a third) in a claim was sold by public auction on Monday at Anderson's store. It was knocked down to Mr .Anderson."

From the Canterbury Press we learn that on Tuesday last Lyfctelton was visited by a south-easterly gale of. considerable violence, accompanied with a very heavy down-pour of rain and sleet during the forenoon. The' gullies became flushed with water -the one leading down Oxford street in particular, and which passes under a number of houses. Beyond flooding the back yardof the Queen's and filling the Cellar of the Canterbury Hotel, little damage was sustained from the water. The barge Mystery, which was lying alongside the screw-pile jetty, lost her bowsprit by fouling tie wharf, and several of thesmall craft dragged their anchors; but no serious casualty occurred. :

The Akaroa correspondent of the Carderbury Press states that a shock of earthquake was felt there at about 3 in the morning of the 24th ult. ~

The Oamaru Times states that the Artesian well-works there have been stopped, after reaching a depth of 154 feet. The site, it appears, had been iH chosen, the ground selected being the highest in the neighborhood.

! The earthquake wave destroyed a good deal of property at Banks Peninsula. The Press writes :—" On Saturday morning last the inhabitants of the various bays of the Peninsula -were aroused at an early hour by an extraordinary irruption of the sea, rolling with fearful force up the various bays and tidal rivers, carrying away bridge 5, fences, and everything else obstructing its course. There was no apparent agitation of the ocean, the sea appeared perfectly calm, and the tide receded: to. an extraordinary distance* The very, rapid flow and ebb at very irregular intervals, varying from fifteen minutea to an hour, continued throughout the day, and were such as had never been witnessed here before. The highest rise occurred about the time of high water, and it was estimated at not less than twenty-five feet from the lowest to the highest' level of the water during the time the phenomenon continued. InOkain bay, at two miles distance from the sea, the water rose over the top of the fences, completely inundating the lower portions of the locality. Very considerable damage has been' done to both public and private property, and unfortunately many thousand feet of timber and posts and rails, &c, have been irrecoverably washed away. In several cases, the inhabitants had to leave their homes, and take refuge in the hills. . In one or two cases, the hotiees weri destroyed or washed awayl A very" dis^-~ tinct shock of earthquake was felt during the forenoon on Monday."

Free selection before survey seems to tie a parb of the new M'CcHoch policy. Tlie squatting runs, in;the interior are to ; be thrown open for settlement; but what is called 'due protection' -will be afforded to the squatter by regulations, enabling the Executive Council to exempt from free selection ' lands of artificial value and reserves, considered necessary for special purposes.' Local offices will be opened throughout the interior, /where plans and surveys may be inspected by-intending purchasers. These are some of" the leading features of the"New South Wales Land Laws which Mr M'Culloch appears to adopt as tKe model of his legislation. If so, the bitted disagreement which has . existed for some years past between the squatters and free selectors, in New South Wales, -will afreet the mutual relations of those classes in Victoria. ' ■■;■';

A parade of several of the Volunteer Corp3 took place yesterday evening, at half-past seven o'clock. The: Corps, present were, the Dunedin Artillery Regiment, Nos. 1 and 2 Companies, the North Dunedin Eifle?, Waikari Rangers, and the : Dunedin Naval Brigade. Notwithstanding the inauspicious nature of the weather, the attendance was good, there being 222 rank and file on the ground, and the proceedings passed'off in a manner satisfactory to all concerned. ■'. "

A new vessel, named the Jane, built at Catlin's River by Mr M'Phee, cutter rigged, has arrived at Stuart street Jetty, with a cargo of timber. The vessel is . strongly built, her timbers being composed of ironwood and other hard woods, planked with pine. She is intended to be a regular trader on the coast. • ,

' The Criminal Session of the Supreme Court is to be commenced to-day, at ten o'clock, before Mr Justice Chapman.

The Blue Spur correspondent of the TuapeM Press, writing on'27thult., says :— " During the present week the weather has been mo3t severe. Keen -winds, with heavy snow falls and frosty nights, have much retarded the progress of gold-mining in our locality. Several of our water-races are snowed up since Monday, but the small tributaries have been kept clear. The Blue. Spur Sluicing Company have beem under the, necessity of firing a second blast of 13 cwt. of powder—the former one (of one ton) having shaken an extensive area, but brought down little. Eventually, when the cracked ground has been exposed to atmospheric action, it will come away easily. Most of the claims are busily engaged in either breaking up or running off cement. According to reports which I have no reason to donbfcj the Perseverance Company are now into good payable ground. The only obstacle apparently against them at present is that their ground comes away too easily, and oftentimes to the destruction of boxe3. This has been owing to a slip at the head of their claim. Their new dam works well."

Several ingenious inventions in sheepfarming and agricultural processes have lately been brought before the Victorian public. One of them is thus described by the Melbourne correspondent of the Alexandra Courier :—"l saw a machine at work the other day which, is likely to cause a great change in the sheep farming interest; it is no less than.a machine to shear sheep by steam, and from what I saw of it, it is likely

to be a complete success. The machine femade of brass, something in the shape of & small trowel j the motion is got tip by % turbine wheel about three inches in diameter and this is geared into another wheel on which is fixed a gutter; in front is a comb which serves as a guide and guard against cutting the skin of the sheep. The steam is conveyed from the boiler by a tube of india. rubber; this tube or pipe is double, having one inside the other; the inner one is the injection, and the space between the two is the ejection. The machine can be handled quite easily, and will be used just in the sama fashion as the shears, but will cut much, quicker and far cleaner, without the" leasfc danger of injuring the fleece or the sheep. Ife is expected that it will be all completed and publicly tested in time for this season's clip.. The inventor has been about three years afe work on it, and has just got it into what he thinks a perfect state." ——Another % portable engine—is . still more ingenious We take the description from the Ararat local journal :—One which we saw verecfced and at work, a couple of day 3 since, was within the space" of two hours employed hi sawing wood into lengths for the various fires in the establishment, boring posts for fencing purposes j crushing corn, cutting chaff, and churning, all of which operations' it performed in a most satisfactory way. The proprietor informed us that the valuex and efficiency of the engine and appliances had repaid the cost some ; time since; thus posts, which cost by manual labor three pence half-penny to bore, were now bored at a cost of one half-penny each, and in this way the number of hands which with the service of the engine he was able to do with» out, made a very considerable difference in the yearly expenditure. There is no operation which the engine performs more completely than that of churning; the churn is placed in the engine house, and' if the day be cold the doors are closed to assist the formation, of the butter, the churn staff being raised and depressed with an energy and constancywhich human arms wou'd imitate in vain. —A third machine is the invention of a Mir M'Call, who seems to have secured the confidence of the Ballarat and Smeaton farmers^ It is a reaping t and binding machine, which promises to effect a saving of five men out o£ seven in ordinary crops.. No doubt is entertainted as to its ultimate success.

The Tuapeka Times gives the following account of an accident which happened on. •*. Wednesday evening to Cobb and Cb.'s coaclt on the road near Waitahuna. While Mr Tolcher's contract has been in progress, 16 has been necessary for the coach to take a steep nasty sidling, which entails great" caution on the part of the driver. At this point, on the occasion in question, the body of the coach was thrown completely off the wheels, and the passengers carried with it^. The passengers were three ladies and achilJ3L, Mrs Geo. Walker, we are sorry to learn, received a slight bruise, but beyond that we are, not aware of anything serious havingresulted from the accident. By the assist-, ance of some of the men working on the road, the coach was temporarily repaired, and the passengers brought on to Lawrence. Wfc are requested by those who witnessed the accident, to say that no blame whatever could be attached to the driver. It is usual* we understand, for the passengers to alighfe and walk at the part of the road described j but as they consisted entirely of ladies, the coachman, rather than put them to inconvenience, tried to dispense with that trouble^ -but Wltll'lt<3-result-^b.o2£-Siate'i==^i=~--

A rich quartz reef (says the Geelong Adxer^ 7 User) has been discovered, at Rutherglen, and. ■the manner in. which it was found was rather singular. A man wanting some quartz to build a chimney, saw gold in some of the pieces. This was quite enough for hinv operations' were soon commenced, and the reef is now, down 399 feet.

Wild pigs appear to flourish in some parts of Australia as .well as they do in Jfew Zealand. r . The Ararat Advertiser says:—"lni the neighborhood of Mount Afipiles the mob of ,wild pigs' are increasing very fas^ ani

some of the boars are becoming fierce as well, as bold. - The sport of running these anim^ down and killing them appears to.offet quite as excitiag amusement as their chase does in other countries. At one place where wild pvjs are not uncommon^ a private huat was arranged about a week: back, which gave quite as much excitement as is said to be enjoyed at these hunts ia Germany. An old boar was treed or c stuck up,' and about half-a-dozen large kangaroa dogs and a mastiff gathered round the game. JBythe time two. of the horsemen rode jug one of "the-mastiffs and the oldest of tha

kangaroo dogs were bleeding from terrible wounds, The dogs would not repeat,the struggle at close quarters j and although & couple of shots from a revolver were fired, they seemed to have no. effect. One of the men decided upon the very dangerous plait of dismounting and attacking the animal in. the rear, under cover of the tree, which was a large one j luckily for himself he got faiEaim at the ear, which so disabled or bewil-* deed the boar that it became an easy matter to plant a couple of balls behind, the shoulderSome adventurous spirits are talking of passing a day or two at Mount William, andt trying, a chase witn some that are known to rafest that place,"

The total amount of gold received ia Sydney by eccort from tie gold fields in theinterior during the month of July last, wast 16,97 ft ounces. The returns for the severs, months from January to July shew art .^crease of nearly 10,000 ounces on the corresponding period of the previous yeac» The figures stand thus :— : January— July, 1868...124,761 ozi. „ „ 1869...115,124 02. Increase... 9,637 oz. .The Geelmg Advertiser of the 21st ulfc., contains thVfbMowin;? :— " A ground rain. is. much "wanted, many hundreds of acres are still ' not up,' but the. grain remains as it was upon day of sowing; the continueddrought is becoming really alarming, both, to farmers and squatters. Creeks and waterholes are very low or completely empty, andt the grass is vainly trying to grow. Should this weather continue much longer, says the Economist hay and all kinds of fodder will rise-;to. a much, higher price than. at. present. There is yet plenty of time forheavy rains, and growers will be indiscreet to.relax in the least in their operations^ Should the fall of rain be heavy, in a week, or two, the crops will have abundant tamo, to grow bulky, especially in the cooler diatriets."

There are some members of the animal kingdom which appear to have been specially brought into existence for the benefit of Museums. One of them is thus described in. the Argus:— " An odd fish—certainly one of the oddest-looking of fishes ever seen iv, Hobson's Bay—was captured on the evening of the ISfchj near the entrance to toe. Yarra^

by the men of the water police boat on duty. It is a moat uncouth specimen of the finny tribe, and bears in several respects some resemblance to a sunfish. In length it is about four feet, and its sides are a little over three feet, but it 3 thickness—which 13 greatest just across the head—is not more than 12 or 15 inches ; between the tips of its fins, how■ever, which are situated near the tail, the extent of measurement ia nearly six feet. These fins, which are placed one on the ridge of the back and one on the belly, are of peculiar shape, and in appearance are suggestive of the blades of a screw prope^er. Tte skin is hard and rough, something like thab of the shark species."

During the part foitnight at the Otago Benevolent Institution.!,boy.and 2 girls have been adnvtted, and 1 boy discharged. The Srmates of the Institution.at present are 4 men, 1 woman, 25 boys, and 27 girls ; total, •57i During the fortnight 152 persons revived outdoor relief, viz., 2 men, 41 women, and. 109 children; the weekly sum disbursed being Ll2 19s 6d.,

The first annual ploughing match in the 'Tuapeka district took place on Friday last •at Evans's Flat. There was a large attendance of spectators, but only six teams out of the ten entries had put in an appearance when the match began. The Tua/peka Times informs us that the money prizes were announced as follows : Walker, first prize, L 5; Jame3 Brown, second prize, L 4 (both ploughmen to Mr Lancaster); J. Drysdale, (ploughman to Mr Peter Robertson), bullock team, received the third prize of L 3; Kobert Oochrane, fourth prize, L 2 (ploughman to Mr j. 0. Roberts); Mr Hutchison, fifth prize, Ll, who attended his own team.

A curious circumstance in connection, with the earthquake waveinTasmaniais mentioned fey 'the Melbourne Herald. There was a very high tide in the Derwent on the afternoon of the 15th iilt. At Risdon the water overflowed the road, and receding suddenly, left a number of fish high and dry, which Were easily captured by those in the. neighborhood.

From the recently issned official Report on the Victorian Railways, we learn that the gross revenue for the year 1867 was 1/552,031; the •working expenses, L 267,071; leaving a Jttet, revenue of L 254,960... There.; is a deorease of L 35,076 on the revenue of 1866. The amount of the Railway Loan is 1*8,550,000, the interest on which, for the present year, amounts to L 520,000. The "Supposed profits, therefore, are not profits, inasmuch as they fail to cover the working expenses and yearly interest by L»235j040.

The latest advices from the Queensland diggings (says the Ballarat Star) give accounts of robberies andnumerous cases of sticking-tip.in the neighborhood'; of - the principal rush. The markets are said to be glutted with goods, and although the prospects are good, there are a good many diggers returning.