SOUTHLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 537, 15 March 1862, Page 3

SOUTHLAND.

We hare Invercargill papers to March 1. We make the following extracts :: — •

The Wakatip. — Corporal Morton has returned from his second journey to the Wakatip, or Upper Mataura, diggings, and, though he ha brought down no additional news of importance, he has brought with him a small sample of the gold already procured there, and states that the exploring party already on the ground were in good health and spirits, Mr Stirling's party had arrived, nnd were ivbout to commence operations at once. Other prospectors are about to start for the same district — some to look for gold, others with a view to the sale of stores. As tlie Chief Constable intends paying a visit to the Wakatip in the course of a few days, we shall probably be able to give some more detailed account of the results of the different operations of the different prospecting parties, who will then have been at work some time.

Death ny Dkoivmxo. — A lamentable accident occurred on Wednesday night, by which a young man mimed Hamilton Stuart, a resident of this town, lost his life. He parted from some compmions about eight o'clock, saying he was going to sleep on board the " Prince Albert, which is lying alongside the Jetty ; and it is supposed that, tlie night being very dark, he missed his footing and fell into the river, and -was drowned. His body was recovered the following morning.

Tue Laxd Revenue.-— ln January the sum paid to the Receiver of Land Revenue was £9194 lCs ; in February, a short month, it was L 4708 16s 8d ; the two months' total being L 13.993 12s Bd, or very close upon L 14,000, and L2OOO received Iv two months in excess of the amount estimated for three months. We have reason to believe, too, that the February total would have been close upon L.5000 hut for an accidental detention of letters preventing the taking up of a quantity of rural land applied for. It is also worthy of nc*e, that of the amount received in February, L 1548 was realised from tlie sale of 34 town sections, namely, 14 in Kiverton, which realised LS2G, giving an average of L-37 4s per section, or close upon Ll5O an acre— and 20 in Invercargill, which realised L 1022, showing an average of L2O 2s per section, and being above L2OO an acre.

A Nb\t Siiusi' Washing Contrivanok.— The winners of Messrs. Mort and Co.'s gold medal for the best sample of wool washed on the sheep's back well deaerve* their reward : and we hope it will prove a lesauu to many others as well as our great wool producers. Mesir.s. i3loomfield and Riicy had many things to contend against ; amongst others, they had no mnaing water to wash in, nnd iv fact nothing but a waterhole. To overcome this, and to enable them to get up their wool so as to roalise the full value of it, they applied to Mr. Edwaid Bingham, Agricultural Unginuer, of York-street, who furnished them' with plans of a simple but most powerful pump : and under his sujntfiutondencd two have been made for them by Mr. William Plant, of the Willow Tree Works, Sydney. It w.-uili be impossible to explain these pumps without illustrations of tliem; but they are very simple and strong— not liable to be injured— and Me. Hlooui&eld hpeats in very hi^h terms of the benefit of them. lie says that no wool-grower who does not ijosseas a running stream ought to be without one. Some of the Queensland squatters who were present at the Exhibition, and who have had them made and used them this season, spoke in the highest terms of them, and p;iid they enabled then} in several oases to save their clips from the weeds,, «v» by their aid they could wa.ih double the number they could by any other laaa-ns ; and, by increasing their shearers, get done sooner. We congratulate Mr, Bingham 6n his invention and trust he will be supported. We understand_ he Ikm this season perfected a new threshing machine, of which practical men speak highly. Those who desire to succeed in this colony, whether in woolgrowing or farming, must see the advantage of following the example of Meswu. Bloomfield and Riloy. Ihe right man in the right place.' they say in Ensland.' Here we may gay, ' the right machine in tho right place is what is required : and Mr. Edward liingham is a man well qualified to provide one for any of our producers. — Newcastle Free Press.

Men have a touchstone whereby try gold, but gold is a touchstone whereby to try men.

A man's house should be on the hill top of cheerfulness and serenity, so high that no shadows rest upon it, and where the moruing comes so- early, and the evening tarries so late, that the day has twice as many hours aa those of other men.

Viscious habits are so great a stain to human nature end so odious in themselves, that every person actuated by right reason would avoid them, though he were sure that they would always be concealed from both God and man, and had no future punishment entailed upon them, • *