News of the Week.

Otago Witness, Issue 536, 8 March 1862, Page 4

News of the Week.

(From the Daily Time 3.) We understand that a meeting of the Provisional Directors of thu s.s. •' Victory " Company was held at the Athenaeum on Monday, when a first allotment of shares was agreed upon, and it was decided that a final allotment should be mnde on the 17th instant. We are informed that only a limited number of shares remain open. We are informed that a room to serve temporarily the purpose of taking observations on the weather is being erected at the residence of Mr. Ross, who has undertaken the office of meterologist. The instruments also are being fitted, and observations will bo commenced on the Ist of next month. Apropos, the amount placed on the estimates, £30 per annum, is quite inadequate if the observations are to be elaborately taken. A serious accident was occasioned on Monday, by the kick of a horse. A man was walking along the Saddle Hill road, when he was overtaken by a person riding one horse and leading another, which he was, unfortunately, tempted to mount. The vicious brute threw him, and then kicked him in the face, fracturing his lower jaw completely just at tlu arch of the chin. He was taken to the hospital, and the jaw was set. The face was also shockingly bruised. The number of miners' rights issued at Tuapeka duriug the week ending March 4, was 118, and the number of business licenses 7. The Escort from the gold fields which arrived in town on Thursday afternoon, brought from Tuapeka, 5,900 oz. 15 dwts. ; from Waipori, 194 oz. 10 dwts. ; and from Wetherstone's, 1,143 oz. 15 dwts. The smallness of the escort is to be accounted for, chiefly from the very unsettled state of the weather during the latter portion ' of last week, and the fact that large quantities of gold are brought down by private hand's. This latter cause especially operates on the amount of gold to be sent per escort from Waitahuna and Waipori. From the former plnce we are aware that one storekeeper alone brought down over 200 oz. in his saddlebags; while from the latter, owing to its closeness to Dnnedin, and the facility with which town can be reached in a. journey of a few hours, the principal portion of the gold is never sent by escort, but reaches here by private hands. We arc glad to observe that the contractor for the new Kattniy-street jetty has already commenced to widen " the Cutting" to its full width. This much needed improvement he is bound to effect by his contract for the jetty which stipulates that the necessary material for that work shall be taken from the sides of the present Cutting, and from High-street. The contract however, does not bind Mr. Barnes to lower either the present line of street, or that at the side, to the new levels which have been adopted by the Town Board. This will have to be arranged by the Board, but we understand that the contractor has offered to do it for the mere cost of picking the earth. When the street has. been widened on one side and lowered to the new levels, the metal on the present line will be thrown upon it and the communication will thus be continued without interruption. We understand that the Superintendent has at length, after a protracted negotiation, succeeded in purchasing on behalf of the Province one of the runs on which the goldfields are situated—Messrs. Smith & Martin's run. The price given is a shilling an acre, for an area of about 43,000 acres. The miners will now have plenty of ground to depasture their horses and cattle on. The Town Board have decided upon the appointment of a Town Surveyor, and are advertising for applications for the office. The want of such an officer has long been severely felt, as parties building have hitherto found it exceedingly difficult to obtain either the proper levels or street lines, and many mistakes have been tho consequence. The Government have declined to recommend to the Council a loan of £10,000 to the Town Board. Not having succeeded in obtaining the loan applied for, the Board has asked the Government to sanction and guarantee an assignment of the rates. No reply has been received as yet to the latter request. Up to the morning of the 19th, there was no news of the mail. The " Herald" says, opinion inclines to her having sustained an accident to her machinery, rather than that the detention has arisen through action taken by the British Government for the purpose of sending special instructions to her distant colonies. Supposing the mail steamer to arrive by the 2Gth or 27th, the "Lady Bird" will probably bring the Otago bags on. If it hes not arrived then, it is probable that the two months' mails will come on by the mail steamer due on the 16th March— supposing, of course, that the detention has arisen through an accident. We have been shown a very remarkable looking fragment of quartz and gold, said to be from a surface reef about three miles from Waitahuna. The specimen is about two inches long with an average thickness of three-quarters of an inch. One side presents a nearly flat surface, and this surface seems to be regularly smeared with gold which covers it entirely, appearing as if it had run into the stone in a melted state. There is, however, some gold in the body of the stone. The stone itself is not a pure quartz, but a mixture of quartz and some other mineral, and is of a dark grey tint. The specimen seems to contain more than lmlf-au-ouuce of gold. The leases for four years of the fifty-furf >ur shops constituting the Arcade, between Maclagganstreet and Iligh-street, were on Wednesday put up to competition by Messrs. li. B. Martin & Co., on instructions from the proprietor, Mr. Henry Farley. A very large number of persons attended the sale — so large as considerably to incommode the proceedings, and the inconvenience was so aggravated by the conduct of the many who were not hona-fide purchasers, but who appeared to be present in a spirit of " larking," that Mr. Martin felt it prudent for a time to postpone the auctiou. It was subsequently, however, resumed, and at its termination realised to the disposer close upon £8,000. The shops fronting Maclaggan-stieet and Iligb-street were bought in at a reserve, and one was kept as a staircase. The others consequently realised :tn average of from £140 to £150, In addition to these prices, the lots are, with one or two exceptions, subject to a ground rental of from £24 to £30 per annum. Some builiing allotments ir> the Cnttinsr, in Princes-street, were also included in the property intended to be sold, but they were all withdrawn. At future Miles of the same description in Dunedin, it is to be hoped that the auctioneer and those attending as purchasers may not be again interfered with, as they so seriously were on this occasion by the hundreds congregated through curiosity, or le3s worthy motives. At a meeting of the Dunedin Young Meu's Christian Association, held in Dr. Burns' Church, on Wednesday evening, the Treasurer stated that the Society was in possession of available fund» to the amount of £85, derivable from subscriptions <md collections sit lectures. Towards the building fhnd £50 had been subscribed, and it was the estimate of the Treasurer that very little exertion on the part of the members would greatly augment this amount, as that sum was realised by only two collectors — an appeal which led to the Secretary heading a third collection book with £25, as his personal subscription. Various amendments were subsequently proposed in the construction of the rules of the association, but in each case the rules were, by a majority of votes, adhered to in their integrity. On Saturday night last, a new concert-room hastily improvised, at the Commercial Hotel, was opened with a concert given by Mr. Thatcher and Madame Vitelli. The room was crowded, and the songs, especially the local ones writteu for the occasion, were loudly encored. Mr. Thatcher and Madame Vitelli have since apappeared every evening, and with fresh local songs and allusions have continued to entertain large audiences. At a meeting of master bakers, held at the Provincial Hotel on Saturday last, it was resolved that the price of the four pound loaf should be 10d., until further notice. The " Louise," which arrived in the Port from Mauritius on Saturday, reported that cholera was raging there when she left. The " Louise " i* now in quarantine. The Provincial Council is to meet on the 15th of next month. The Postmaster has arranged for the establishment of letter boxes ia different parts of the town.

We ascertain by the Custom House records that the total quantity of goH exported from Otago from the Ist of August last up to the sth of the present Vmntll, amounts to 328,45.50z5. !9dwts,, the value of which, at the rate of £3 17s. 6d. per ounce, h £1,272,833, and the duty upon the sums £41. 08J, 14s. 6J. -

The Port Chalmers and Dunelin road is being rapidly completed by the panes of men who have for several months past been employed on its construction, and, except for a distance of a few yards, the track is now open the whole wav through. All that is required now is a little surface-dressing and the metalling, and that is expected to be finished in two or three weeks at the furthest. It will be some time, however, before the road will be in a fit state to bear much traffic, and even then it is only intended to be a bridle-track, its limited breadth and its situation on the slope of the hill unfitting it for dray or carriage traffic. For some time past the road, for some distance, has been more a sheep-track than anything else, and along its sides are numerous indications, in the form of dead and dying sheep, of the large flocks that have lately been driven up the country from the Port* For a mile or two out of Port Chalmers the road commands a wide stretch of most magnificent acenery ; further on, towards Dunedin, it interBeets a wide area of impenetrable bu*h ; and as it approaches town, it opens to the view of the traveller, as a refreshing oasis after his passage through the bush, the pleasant picture presented by the North-East Valley and the glimpse of sea beyond.

The following gentlemen havo been elected a committee by the Volunteers to confer with the Government on the question of uniform — Messrs. Cargill, Junor, Mills, O'Lcary, and Baird, The whole of the squads at present under instruction have expressed their willinguess to accept service under the new regulations. As soon as his Excellency the Governor has signified his acceptance of these services, the company will have to elect its commissioned and non-commis-sioned officers.

The workmen engaged in excavating a foundation for a house in the cuttiug, on Thursday, struck upon a vein of fine sand. This is apparently the same veiu which shows at the other side of the hill, near the Court House, and which has hitherto supplied Mason and Co. with sand for building purposes. The two openings of the vein arc almost directly* opposite each other, at different sides of the hill.

About five minutes past eleven on Wednesday night, the constable on the beat in Walker-street, observed a dense smoke arising from the premises in that street, at present in the occupation of Messr3. Soloman & Aberdee as a provisionstore. Aided by several men from next door, (the United States' Hotel) lie broke in, and found that a large heap of paper-bags &c. was in flames, and that the fire had also communicated with the wood-work. Fortunately it hud not extended very far, and a few buckets of water sufficed to extinguish it. A large body of the police Mere, as usual, promptly in attendance to aid in case of need. One of the proprietors had only left the premises about ten minutes before the fire was discovered. We understand that both the shop and the stock (which included a large quantity of oilman's stores) were insured in the Australian Office. A strong wind was blowing at the time, and if the fire had once gained ground, the whole block of buildings, including Messrs. Dalgety, Rattray, & Co.'s stores, would, in all probability, have been consumed. That this was not the case was in a great part owing to the presence of mind of Constable Connell, who, on discovering the fire, smothered it with Ms cloak until water was obtained.

We have received a sample of building stnnc from Waihola, It is a species of sandstone grit, hard and apparently durable. We understand that Mr. D tiff, late of Green Island, has built a house of this stone, and that there is any quantity of it to be had.

A gentleman named Hunsford called on us on Thursday and submitted to our notice a small fragment of what appeared to be really the true coal. It was found, he stated, within seven miles of Dunedin, and the seam from which it was produced he estimates to be 60 feet wide. The exact locality he declined to divulge, but states that he will have 25 tons up within a week.

We hear that the contracts for supplying the miners with coal during the ensuing winter have already been signed, and that the sheds in which it is to be placed are ordered to be built.

No contract has been entered into for the building of the Junction Hospital, as those tenders which were at all reasonable were not taken up by the tenderers. The system of tenders requires entire revision. It is said that the Government are merely awaiting the arrival of the Civil Engineer, Mr. Swire, to amend the system. The' most strict ordeis have been issued to the department of Public Works to proceed with the erection of the Hospital with the leabfc possible delay.

His Honor the Superintendent started on Thursday morning to visit the northern pai t of the Province, thus fulfilling a long-promised intention. He is desirous of ascertaining by personal inspection the more urgent wauts of those districts, from which a considerable land revenue has lately been received, and which arc entitled to participate in outlay on public works. He is expected to be back inDunedin by this day week.

A deputation of settlers in the Peninsula waited upon his Honor the Superintendent on Wednesday, on the subject of the Portobello road. The deputation represented to his Honor that £ 1 000 had been voted by the Counc 1 towards opening-up the road to Portobello. The money. his Honor explained, had been more than expended upon the Swamp road to Anderson's Bay. After some further conversntion his Honor promised to proceed at once with the work required, provided tho Executive would sanction it.

A meeting of the Provisional Directors of the •' Victory" company was held on Monday nt the Athenaeum, when 'the first allotment of shares was agreed to. The final allotment will be made on the 17 th inst. \

In the Dully Timei of March 5 appeared an interesting letter on the subject of the Maori Society. It appears that Mr. Baker, who witli his wife had been residing at the Heads as Maori teacher, has accepted an appointment under the General Government at Auckland, and that although he commnnicated the offer to the Secretary of the Maori Society, and expressed his willinguess to remain at a small increase of salary, no meeting of the Society was called, nor was any effort made to retain hio'serviccs, or to supply his place.

Tke principal retail storekeepers in Dunedin have agreed to close their shops at 7 o'clock iv the evening, to commence on Monday. On Saturday last, the body of a man was found half buried in the sand on the beach at Puraka-

nui Bay, about four miles outside Otago Heads. It was much decomposed, the flesh being almost entirely gone from the hands and legs, but no marks of violence were discernible. An inquest was held on Monday at Port Chalmers, when a Terdict of " Found Drowned" was returned. The body was not identified, but the dress was that of » seaman, and it is supposed that the deceased was one of the hands of the " Young America."