CANTERBURY.

Otago Witness, Issue 42, 6 March 1852, Page 3

CANTERBURY.

(From the Lyttelton Times, Feb. 1.)

Arrived, Feb. 5, barque " William Hyde," 532 tons, Applewaite, from London and Plymouth, October 24th. Passengers, 18 ; and in the steerage BS.

iSame day, schooner " Marmora," 135 tons, Kelley, from London.

The " William Hyde" and " Marmora" have proved how accurately the " highway of the seas" to New Zealand is known. The schooner " Marmora" sailed, we believe, three days before the barque ; they came into company a few degrees south of the line, since which they saw nothing of each other until they anchored, on the same day, in Port Cooper. The passages appear to be unvaried and unbroken by any occurrences of remarkable pleasantness or unpleasantness.

The fawn brought by the " William Hyde," the longest survivor of two sent out to Mr. Godley's care, unfortunately died in bringing it ashore, either from fright or strangulation, it having been lively enough until removed from the vessel. Of the other live stock, some fine geese and Muscovy ducks, a single hen pheasant, and a goat, remain.

The fine schooner " Marmora," late of Dover, is, we learn, the property of Mr. Duke of Wellington, and is about to proceed to Wellington and New Plymouth, and thence to Sydney, in the trade between -which port and Canterbury she will then be regularly employed.

News from Canterbury Tip to 26th April had reached home, and from Wellington as late as June 23d.

The Bishop Designate had arrived in England in the " Thomas Arbuthnot," from Sydney. We cannot ascertain the date of this vessel's arrival, but she was reported off Beachy Head on Sept. 24th.

No ship was-actually laid on under the Canterbury Association for -Canterbury, but it was intended to charter a vessel to sail about the 20th December.

The " Castle Eden's" safe arrival at Calcutta is notified, therefore setting aside at once the late rumour of her loss.

On Monday evening a house near the bush above Jackson Road caught fire and was totally destroyed, together with the furniture, &c. that it contained. The house was composed of wood and clay, with a thatched roof; it belonged to Mr. Gosling, and was tenanted by a carpenter, with his wife and family ; the husband being from home at the time of the fire. It was fortunately distant from the close part of the town, or, happening as it did during an interval of northerly wind, much property would have been endangered. I