News of the Week.

Otago Witness, Issue 652, 28 May 1864, Page 14

News of the Week.

[from the daily times,]

It ia understood that it is not the intention of the General to prosecute the campaign any further during the present season, but simply to establish the line of posts between Taurangaon the east, and Raglan on the weßt coast. Maungatautari is distant some thirty miles only from Tauranga, and this object therefore will be, we suppose, neither difficult to carry oat nor to maintain. A most important announcement, (says the " New Zealand Herald" of the 12th inst.) has recently been made by the Government with respect to the Maori prisoners now on board the Marion hulk, which may largely conduce to the success of the overtures for peace by removing from the native mind any apprehensions arising from an undefined dread of whnt they mi^ht be subjected to if they gave in an unconditional surrender to the Government, This announcement was to the effect that the Colonial Government will retain them in custody only as prisoners of vrar, that at the termination of the war they will be liberated without the infliction of any personal punishment, and that land will be given them by the New Zealand Government on which to reside. A desire having been expressed by some of them that this announcement should be made known to their friends in the interior, so that this act of clemency, and the uniform good treatment they have received from their European captors, might have its proper influence upon them— the Government agreed to allow two of their number to proceed to Waikato to bear letters to their relatives and friends. The fifth of a series of lectures was delivered on Monday evening in the rooms of the Young Men's Christian Association, Stuart street, by the Be/, J. L. Parsons, the subject of lecture ibeing " Modern Heroes." Mr Thomas Dick occupied the chair, and in a few brief remarks introduced the reverend lecturer, who, iv his opening remarks said the popular ideas on the subject of heroes were very erroneous, and he would do his best to clear away some of the haze which enveloped the subject. The idea with some persons was that all the chivalry of old had passed away, so heroism was extinct ; while others could be induced even to extend their ideas of heroism down to the present time, and would admit that they saw it in the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava, and that Havelock and Garibaldi would not have disgraced themselves on the walls of Troy. To his mind this was all very silly, as if to scamper about the world, encased in steel and knee in hand, ready to fight for anyone, was better than to settle down each to his appointed duties in the world. He then entered upon a very humorous description of the general opinions upon the subject of what constituted a hero, which were enterained by the various classes of society, and by individuals in youth and manhood. He then proceeded to ask, What was a hero ? To get this question answered was the difficulty. The heroes of Homer were not all warriors, for he applied the term to a herald and to a leech. Pindar represented heroes as being a race between gods and men; and in lafer' times they were the inferior local deities, patrons of cities. From all these examples it was clear that a hero was always a doer and not a dreamer. So must it ever be, for by dreaming no man ever became a hero, or by wishing to be so. "Without the capacity and intelligence to work no man could ever be a hero, and to be so there must be in his mind a deep reverence for the truth, a scorn for what is not true, and a desire to oppose and expose and destroy all that is false. The race of heroes was not extinct. He then proceeded to classify the heroes of the present age under three heads. Ist, the commercial hero, the man who dispised anything in trade that was dishonest, that misrepresented the truth, or misled the buyer or the seller, and who used proper weights and measures; 2nd, the social hero — the man who despised and defied the customs of the present artificial state of society, who did all he could to stem the present use of slang, of swearing, and the drinking customs, who lived within his income, and cared not to imitate his neighbors; and 3rd, the religious hero. In this nineteenth century there was a great need for religious • heroism, and the lecturer concluded by impressing upon the young men present the necessity for searching after the truth and living up to it — avowing their Christianity openly, and acting up to it, in' the face of all the criticisms of the world. The lecture was very warmly received throughout, and at its conclusion Mr fry moved a- hearty vote' of thanks to the lecturer which was warmly responded " to. It was announced that the next of the series of lectures will be delivered by the Rev. Richard Connebee, on Monday evening, the subject being, " Recollections of Eminent Preachers." By proclamation by his Excellency the Governor, dated the 30th April, the Wakatip District, proclaimed under the powers of the " Marriage Act Amendment Act, 1858," has been divided, for the purpose of the Act, into two dktricts— the Arrow and the Wakatip district. The last comprises the area bounded towards the north by the Province of Canterbury ; towards the east by Wanaka, Arrow, and Duns tan districts ; towards the south by Warepa district, by the Province of Southlaud, and by the ocean ; and on the west by the ocean. And the first bounded towards the north and cast by the Wanaka district, and by the .Dims tan district ; towards the south by the Kawarau district ; and on the west by the watershed of the Shotover and Arrow rivers. A similar division has been proclaimed, also, for registration purposes.

The Resident Magistrate at Queenstown, Mr Beetham, delivered the following important decision in a matter affecting the commercial community :— Barke v. Crate (Pickford and Co,)— ln this case, in which judgment was reserved, I have no hesitation in stating that the plaintiff must be non-suited. The only doubt has been removed by the receipt of some of the earlier Acts from Auckland, bringing into operation in this Province I certain Acts of the Imperial Parliament ; one of which bears, directly on the subject matter of this action, leaving no doubt on my mind that the plaintiff must be non-suited. Looking at the matter in an equitable light, it appears unreasonable to suppose that a drayman should be held responsible for damage done to a case containing silkB and other perishable articles, unless he be duly informed at the time such goods are delivered to him of their value and their perishable nature. The law is very clear on this account, and makes it imperative that such declaration should be made at the time of delivery, so that the carrier may take the necessary precautions requisite to preserve the articles entrusted to his care from injury by an exposure from which a case of ordinary goods would most likely not suffer injury. Were not such declaration made at the time of the delivery of the goods, any carrier might take charge for conveyance on a risksoiae journey or country of a package worth £100 or £200 or more, without the slightest idea of its value, and consequently he would fail to take the necissary steps to secure such a valuable case from damage. Plaintiff nonsuited. The towns of Queenstown and Clyde are earnestly pushing their rival claims to be the seat of Justice for the Gold Fields. The people of the Dunstan district have forwarded a memorial to the Superintendent, praying that the Supreme Court be placed there. At a recent meeting of the Queenstown Improvement Committee, the following communication from his Honor the Superintendent, addressed to W. G. Rees, Esq., was read :— "Superintendent's Office, Dunedin, 11th May, 1864. Sir— l have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th instant, together with a memorial from the members of the Queenstown Improvement Committee, praying for the establishment ot a Court of Assize and Appeal at Que a nstown. In reply, I have to request that you will inform the memorialists that the Government have placed a sum on the Estimates for the erection of a suitable Court House and Gaol for the Gold Fields ; but as it is of so much importance that no mistake should be made in the selection of the most? suitable locality for holding Assizes on the Gold Fields, they have deemed it advisable to postpone coming to any final determination on the subject till their Honors the Judges shall have had an opportunity of visiting the various districts, in connection | with which the appointment of Mr Justice Chapman has been made. Perhaps you will be good enough further to inform the memorialists that, in addition to the appointment of Mr Justice Chapman as second judge for this Province, and that of Southland, a District, Judge will shortly be appointed specially for the Gold Fields of this Province. This officer will hold the Courts of Appeal at short andregular intervals of time at every place where a Warden's Court is already established. He will also exercise an original as well as an appellative jurisdiction, both in civil and criminal matters. I have reason to believe that the latter named appointment will prove a most valuable addition to the courts already established for the administration of justice on the Gold Fields. — I have thehonor to be, Sir, your obedient servant, J. Hyde Habris, Superintendent." The " New Zealand Herald" of the 12th inst. says: — "We stated ) r esterday that His Excellency Sir George Grey had been prevented from proceeding to Tauranga by H.M.S. Falcon, through the pressure of important business which detained him in Auckland, We are now in a position to say what that business was, and its importance to this community will be apparent to the most careless reader. A deputation of influential chiefs — among whom were Poara. of Orakei, Waata Kukutai, Te ao te Rangi, Aihipene Kaihan, and Hori Tauroa — made an application to the Government to be allowed to visit the rebel districts and persuade their countrymen to submit to 'the Queen's laws ; nor did they make this application as mere visionary mediators, but after having, it is said, received a broad hint from the rebels themselves, that a pretext for laying down their arms was all that was wanted. The movement, we hear, was set afoot at the instance of Mohi of Pukaki, William Thompson, and others of the rebel chiefs. By advertisement in the "New Zealand Gazette," it is notified that Mr Charles Macindoe has been appointed Registrar of Marriages, and of Births, Deaths, and Marriages for fche district of the Arrow ; and Mr J. Worthington for the district of the Wakatip. The second anniversary soiree and ball of the Royil Dunedin Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F., took place in the Oddfellows' Hall, George street, on Tuesday. The Hall waa very tastefully decorated for the occasion with evergreens, banners, &c. In the evening between fifty and sixty persons sat down to tea, after which they amused themselves very socially with songs and music till nearly ten o'clock, when the tables and forms were removed and the ball was opened. By this time large additions were made to the company by the arrival principally of the younger members of the lodge with their female friends. The Assembly now numbered upwards of one hundred and twenty individuals, who continued to enjoy themselves till an early hour this morning.

On Sunday some fishermen espied from the Heads what they supposed to be a vessel floating bottom upwards. They proceeded in their boat towards the object seen, and discovered it to be a fine sperm whale, which had apparently been killed by some of the marine enemies of these mammalia, the head being smashed in and destroyed. They took it in tow, and have been successful in beaching it about two miles to the nor v hward of the Heads, where they are now preparing to reap the benefit of their fortunate discovery, by removing it piecemeal for the purpose of securing the oil and other products of the carcase. It is described as measuring over forty feet in length, eighteen in breadth, and twelve in height as it now lies on the beach. The "New Zealand Gazette" of the 11th inst., notified that the Governor has withheld his assent from the Southland Debentures Ordinance, No. 2, 1864, and the Southland Appropriation Ordinance, No. 2, 1864. For some time past, the ladies belonging to the congregation attending the Wesleyan chapel, Port Chalmers, have been busily engaged in organising a bazaar ia aid of the chapel debt, some £250 still remaining due to the building fund. They have already done a great deal in preparing needlework and other articles of sale, but contributions of every description will be thankfully received; and it is hoped that members of the Wesleyan and other congregations in Dunedin will not be slow to contribute to the general stock. Parcels may be addressed to the Treasurer to the Bazaar, Mr Joseph Tuckwell, or to the Secretary, Mr John Johns Joyce. The chapel at Port Chalmers has now been erected about eight or nine months, the present minister, the Rev. R. S. Bunn, having since been ordained therein. Iti» coat was £700, and, as mentioned, there remains a debt oi L 250, which it is hoped, will soon he reduced. Through exertion of the pastor a Sunday school has been attached to the church, and has progressed most satisfactorily under the superintendence of Mr W. Cook, the average weekly attendance of boys and girls being 130. On Sunday last, an address to' young men was delivered by Mr Bunn ; and on the previous Sunday special services were held ! for the Sunday school teachers and children, 1 when several appropriate anthems were sung by the latter, with an amount of harmony and sweetness which reflected very creditably on their training in school music. The anniversary of the Queen's birthday on Tuesday, was kept as a general holiday, and by the merchants and traders with a few inconsiderable exceptions. The weather was delightful— a really warm sunshine and a moderate breeze, combining to make outdoor exercises most pleasurable. The streets were thronged with diggers from up-country, who seem to be wisely 'hesitating before proceeding further Wakamarinawards, or by holiday seekers. The Volunteers, including the No. 1 Company ; No. 2, or Scottish ; the Artillery ; and the Naval Brigade, assembled during the forenoon at the drill shed, and marched thence, in companies, to the Recreation Ground, where command was taken by Capt. and Adjutant Graham. There was a goodly gathering of spectators, including many of our up-cotintry friends ; and as no provision was made for keeping the ground, that happened which would have happened anywhere else — the Volunteers were closely surrounded, and nothing could be satisfactorily seen by anybody. We shall be safe in saying that line was formed, and that a Jeu-de-joie was fired, tolerably well, except that in each round there was that inevitable odd man who would pop off his rifle, some 20 or 30 seconds after everybody else. Then came three cheers for the Queen, and three for the Prince of Wales, the fife and drum band of the Naval Volunteers playing the National Anthem. Subsequently, the order for marching past was formed, and there was a short march and a wheel. Line was then again formed and a good volley was fired, it being followed by another round fired by companies. A few simple evolutions followed, and then the Volunteers moved off the ground and turned towards Caversham, In the neighborhood of the Edinburgh Castle there was a halt for a slight bait ; some battalion drill followed ; and then the men marched merrily into town and were dismissed. The feu-de-joie was fired some six or eight minutes before noon ; but precisely at noon a large puff of smoke on Bell Hill, followed by a sharp report, showed that pierabers of the Constabulary, under the direction of the Commissioner of Police, had commenced the royal salute from the old 18-pounder carronade. The salute told well to those on the Recreation Ground ; and it seemed to be fired in exact half-minute time. During the afternoon streams of pedestrians were to be seen on the roads leading to the suburbs ; and Vauxhall Gardens got a goodly number of visitors. In the evening the Princess's was well patronised ; and there was a soiree of the Oddrdllows, at the Hall, in George street. The following is a description of the Pateriwhi pah, recently evacuated without resistance by the rebels on the East Coast:— " The pah was of a triangular shape, or more properly an L, rifle-pitted and galleried all round, with a deep square keep in the centre. The ditches were deeper than usual, rendering it necessary to erect platforms to enable the natives to fire over ' their own. parapets. Outside the ditches was a closely wattled titree palisading, very slight, but quite enough to check a rush. Surrounding all, was an open railed fence, about six feet beyond the inner one. There were several large houses within the pahj one of which appears to have been ,used as a ' whare runanga,' where, doubtless, their plans have been discussed, and the annihilation of the pake has resolved upon."

His Excellency the Governor has appointed Justin Aylmer, Esq., J.P., to be a Resident Magistrate of the Province of Otago, We clip the following from the " Dunstan Times" of the 24th :— " Considerable confidence appears to be manifested by the public in the paying nature of sluicing operations on the banks of the Molyneux. A company hasbeen formed to bring in the race surveyed by ' Mr. Hacket to the Rocky Point. The undertaking is to be in 250 shares of £10 each, one hundred only of which, we believe, are to be issued, it being considered that the amount realised thereby will be sufficient to bring in six sluice Leads of water as a preliminary proceeding. We trust the speculation will be successful. A considerable number of the shares are already taken up." By the Gothenburg from Pictonvia Lyttelton, intelligence is to hand to the 20th inst. - From the " Times " of that date we are informed that " the steamer Star of the South returned last night from Picton via Wellington with over 100 passengers, nearly all returned diggers from the Pelorus gold fields. Many express their thorough disgust and disappointment, and furnish the old news that - the N country for digging is limited and those who have got claims are doing well ; but the bulk of the conitnuaity,has become little better than a lawless mob, owing to the absence of proper police and other regulations." The following tenders for the erection of & new Post Office in Bunedin, have been received at the office of the Secretary for Public Works. We described the approved plans some weeks ago, and it will no doubt be remembered that they have been prepared for the General Government by Messrs Mason - and Clayton, of this city. The conditions of tender required that the cost of the building in stone and in brick should be stated ; and the following are the results :-—

The amount appropriated for the work by theGeneral Government was £20,000 ; bat whether that sum will be regarded as the maximum remains to be seen. None of the tenders has been accepted ; and nothing will be done in the matter until the PostmasterGeneral has returned to town and there has been a consultation with him. The Provincial Government are to be the paymasters so far as any contractor is concerned ; #ie amount being repaid out of the contributions of the Province to the General Government Revenue. A correspondent, writing from the Cape of Good Hope on the 20th ult., says :-— "We are now in the midst of plenty, and, stranger as it may appear, several hundreds of our immigrant population have not bread to eat, and not a few of them are without a place in which to lay their heads. Thi3 season, cropsof all descriptions have been most abundant; the clip of wool has b,«en^tbe largest for many years, and the plentitude and increase of stock almost unprecedented, Living is reduced to • less than half the cost it was twelve months since, and for some description of producemarket prices are so low as scarcely to be remunerative to the producers. Yet, with all* this abundance, and all this cheapness, many of the most intelligent and useful of the artisan population are without the moans of earning an honest livelihood. About tendays ago a public meeting of the unemployed of Cape Town was convened. There were afc least 300 well-conducted working-men present. They stated their sad tale of distress in the calmest, most earnest, and dispassionate style,, and, though they might have reviled those who lured them from the comforts of the mother country to penury in a land of strangers, not one word but that of propriety was uttered, not a syllable was breathed withwhich the most fastidious lovers of" peace, law, and order could find fault. They adopted a memorial to the Governor, representing to His Excellency their destitute condition, and imploring his interference and succor to save them and their families from starvation. Sir Philip Wodehouse promptly responded by ordering supplies of meat and bread to be doled out to the needy until some plan could be devised foe affording work to the unemployed. It is diffiV cult to conjecture by what method auch aiK end can be attained, for the number of unemployed is about to be increased, not only inCape Town but throughout the colony, by the complete stoppage of the public works, in consequence of the inadequate suppliesgranted by the last' parliament, and the limited revenue which is coming in. Starvation in a land of plenty seems a paradox, but here we have it at this moment. As the--working men themselves say, ' What matters the cheapness and the abundance to us, when we have no work by means of which to earn wages, and no money with which to buy tood 1' Something, it is clear, must be done to alleviate the existing .distress, thut whatrthat something will be no one can at present guess. The men . deprecate receiving elee^* mosynary aid, except temporarily ;T; T and, as a means of permanently benefiting their condition,. , they have suggested that they should, like the German settlers, be located on the waste . lands of the colony, of which there ia a large fertile and unoccupied extent." From the Lake District the accounts intimate that severe weather has been experienced. The quartz reef on the Arrow, before alluded to in the " Times," has been examined-, by Mr Mining Surveyor Wright, whose report-; will he found in our correspondent's letter.

We extract the following from the " Dunstan Times'' of Wednesday last: — "Mr James Holt, who has earned for himself the welldeserved repute of being a thorough practical miner, and whose undertakings have invariably been successfully curried out, has taken the Dunstan coal pit in hand, Mr Morgan, after a Jong period of mismanagement, and for mouths subjecting the Dunstanites to a trial of their cold-bearing capabilities, having thrown up the mine, and departed for Picton. Mr Holt proceeds to Dunedin by this morning's coach, for the purpose of purchasing some large cast-iron pumping gear, also materials for a water-wheel on an extensive scale, and purposes placing machinery on the ground which shall successfully combat with the heavy drainage which unfortunately rendered futile all Mr Morgan's efforts at supplying us with coal." Under the head of mining intelligence the " Dunstan Times'" of Wednesday observes :—: — " The continuance of frosty weather has had a very favorable tendency in bringing about that highly necessary desideratum " a fall in the river, which is now very rapidly taking place, at the rate of a foot per day. Should the present weather continue for the space of another fortnight, the rif er will be as low as ever again, a fall of five or six feet being all that is required. As so many have left for Picton, the chances of obtaining a good claim are open to everyone, and should the desired event only take place, of which there is every probability, all persons industriously inclined may fully calculate upon making a good * rise.' " The investigation into the circumstances attendant on the death of tha late Mr James Bell, which took place on Saturday last, terminated on Wednesday, and the result was that his decease was consequent upon internal injuries. The funeral took place yesterday afternoon, and was attended by a very great number of the friends of the lamented gentleman. His Excellency ths Governor of New Zealand has appointed Alfred William Smith, Esq., of Dunedin, Solicitor, to be Eevising Officer for the Electoral Districts of Wallace, Bruce, Ilampden, Dunedin and Suburbs. North, and Dunedin and Suburbs South, in i;he room of James Prendergast, Esq., resigned. The " Marlboroagh Press" states that a lady, the proprietress of a well frequented Dunedin Cafe, arrived at Picton from Ofcago by one of the steamships, and was induced to make a journey to Havelock by way of the 'Grove. She obtained a seat in one of the boats plying between that place and Picton, ■which had not proceeded more than two miles t>efore the weather suddenly changed, and the "wind blew so heavily that it w^s found necessary for their safety to land the passengers. On this being effected, they endeavored to make their way to their destination overland, but after proceeding a short distance they -discovered that they had lost their way, in a dense bush, and most of the party, including •the lady alluded to, to their great discomfort, were compelled to remain out the whole ■night. It was not until the following day, «fter suffering some privation, thai a portion of the party — one of whom was the lady — •succeeded in reaching PictOD. The revised Estimates prepared by the present Executive for six months, in accordance -with the vote of the Provincial Council, were laid on the table by the Provincial Treasurer immediately previous to the adjournment last Thursday. The probable revenue from the Ist April to the 30th September next, is estimated at £191,694 12s Bd. Of this sum £60,000 is expected to be derived from the eale of Crown Lands, £45,000 Customs, ,£32,500 gold duty, £21.000 licenses, £5000 pilotage and jetty dues, £1500 rents of ferries, -£3000 sheep assessment, £1500 dog tax ; £4525 Hospital repayments, immigration repayments, school fees, books, and poundkeeper's fees ; £1000 interest on loans, J63544 12s 8d chargeable against harbour reclamation, £3625 refunds by General Government, £3000 lighthouses, and £8500 telegraphs. The Departmental expenses are estimated at £149,656 10s 01, of which £1900 are to be appropriated to the Superintendent ■and Executive Department, £68,517 15s 0d to the Provincial Secretary's Department, .£14,303 15s to the Provincial Treasurer's department ; and to that designated " Provincial Treasurer, General Department;, £51,715. The remainder, £13,220, is ailot ted to be expended under the control of the of Public Works, The remaining expenditure is estimated to amount to £107,892. This includes £4000 for Immigration, the balance of loans to Dunedin and Port Chalmers, the various contracts in progress, and necessary expenditure on roade,and leaves a balance to be provided for out of loans of only £57,853 17s 4d. By Gothenburg which arrived from Picton and the Northern ports on Wednesday, we have intelligence from the Wakamarina gold field. The state of the weather appears to have been detrimental to their development. Our correspondent thus sums up his experience: — "All that I have said, or may have to «ay, is summed up in the following. There are now really no diggings, for all or very nearly all the claims are under water, and -no new ground has been found. There are hundreds arriving and hundreds hurrying back. There is great difficulty in prospecting, «nd those who have tried have generally been disappointed. There is much discomfort everywhere. Provisions are dear and have to be carried long distances. At present there are no Government works for the unemployed to fall back on. It is a weary journey for men to come only to learn their own folly;, and it is a wearier journey back when the hopes which buoyed them up have •left them."

From Watts' Dictionary of Chemistry, we ' extradt the following interesting particulars concerning gold producing countries : " The greatest quantity of gold is obtained from the alluvial deposits formed' by the disintegration of ancient auriferous strata. The rock deposits of California and Australia are chiefly of this kind. The sands of rivers issuing from primitive mountain chains almost always contain small quantities of gold. In Europe gold is most abundant in Hungary and Transylvania. It occurs also in the sand of the Rhine, the Reuss, and the Aar ; on the southern slope of the Penine Alps, from the Simpbn and Monte Rosa to the Val d'Aosta ; in Piedmont ; in Spain, the mines of Asturias having been in ancient times the principal source of the gold obtained in Europe ; in many of the streams of Cornwall ; near Dolgelly and other parts of North Wales ; in Scotland in considerable amount near Leadhills, and in Glen Coich and other parts of Perthshire ; in Ireland, in the county of Wicklow ; and in Sweden, at Edelfours. In Asia valuable mines exist in the Ural mountains at Beresof, and other places on the eastern flank of the range, aud in the comparatively level portions of Siberia ; also in the Altai mountains, and in the Cailas mountains in Little Thibet. Gold is also found in China, Japan, Formosa, Ceylon, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and the Phillippines. In Africa there are mines at Kordofan, between Darfour and Abysinnia ; also south of Sahara from Senegal to Cape Palmas ; also in the interior on the Somat, a day's journey from Cassen ; also along the coast opposite Madagascar, supposed to have been the Ophir of Solomon. In South America the principal gold-producing districts are in Brazil, especially near Villa Rica, and in the province of Minos Geraes ; in New Grenada, and in Chile. In Peru gold is found but sparingly. In Central America gold is found in Guatemala and near Panama ; in North America, in Mexico, in the Southern United States, in British Columbia along the course of the Fraser River, in Nova Scotia, and very abundantly in California, between the Sierra Nevada and the Sacramento and San Joaquim. Lastly, very large quantities of gold are fonnd in Australia, chiefly to the westward of Batharat, about 150 miles from Sydney ,{and in the Victoria colony. Gold is also foundin Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand. Formerly the chief supply of gold was obtained from the mines of Brazil, Hungary, and the Ural Mountains, but California and Australia now yield by far the largest quantity. The new gold-field of British Columbia is also very productive. The purest specimens of native gold have been obtained from Schabrowsk:, near Katharinenburg, in the Ural. A specimen analysed by G. Rose, was found to contain 9896 per cent, of gold. Very pure gold has also been found in Nova Scotia; a specimen from Tangier was found by Marsh (Sill. Am. J. 1861, p. 395) to contain 98-13 per cent, gold ; another from Lunenbourg contained 9204 per cent., the remainder, "in both cases, being silver and cop per, with traces of iron. The Califoraian gold averages from 87-5 to 88*5 psr cent , and the Australian 96 to 96*6 per cent. In some varieties of native gold, e.g. fron Linarowski, in the Altai, the percentage of gold is as low as 60 per cent, the remainder being chiefly silver. There is also an auriferous silver found at Konigsberg, in Hungary, containing 28 per cent, gold and 62 silver. On Saturday evening Major Richardson delivered an Inaugural Lecture to the Port Chalmers Mechanics' Institute, in the Masonic Hall. A large and respectable audience, composed of the general public as well as the members of the Institute, showed by their presence the interest taken in this attempt to elevate the intellectual condition of the residents of Port Chalmers, and their appreciation of the talent and kindness of the honorable and gallant lecturer. Major Richardson, though suffering from indisposition, fulfilled the engagement he had made with the Committee at great personal inconvenience, and thereby added another item to the debt of gratitude owing him by the public of the Port. The chair was taken by the President of the Institute, Mr Mansford, who briefly introduced the lecturer. Major Richardson proceeded to address his audience on the great advantages to be derived from such Institutions as they had met that evening to inaugurate. He rejoiced that the members had adhered to the good old honored epithet of " Mechanics' Institute," and pointed out iv what manner working-men and others should avail themselves of the opportunities proposed to be afforded by the Institute. He referred to various apt illustrations of distinguished men who had by dint of pluck and perseverance raised themselves from low estate to occupy the proud position of benefactors of their species. The lives of George Stephenson, Richard Arkwright, and others, were quoted largely as bearing on this idea. The cases of our Indian heroes, particularly the immortal Haveloek, furnished the lecturer with brilliant example* of* the result of the determination to do one's duty in the face of the greatest odds, and the certain triumph awaiting the brave man, whether on the field or in the scenes of every day life. Whilst thus arousing the admiration of his audience by strains of classical eloquence and delighting them by the stores of learning and the wideness of research which he displayed, Major Richardson kept bis auditors in good humour by interspersing many facetious anecdotes admirably told and skilfully applied. Altogether the lecture was a great success, and augurs woll for the prosperity of the Port Chalmers Mechanics' Institute. On the motion of Mr Brownhill, a hearty and unanimous vote of thanks was paid tj the lecturer, and with a like compliment to the Chairman, the meeting broke up at a timely hour

We have on several occasions recently drawn attention to the steady progress of the Hindon Gold Field, West Taieri. We have again evidence afforded us of the richness of this field ; on Wednesday we were shown a beautiful nugget bought by the Bank of Otago's agent at Hindon, it weighed 7oz 9dwt, and was taken from a claim in Eraser's Gully, which has quite recently produced nuggets of 12 and I3oz, besides IBoz in small bean-like nuggets. The specimen submitted to us yesterday was almost entirely pure gold, the quartz with which it was intermixed being of a deep brown or reddish color, having the appearance of igneous action. We understand that the miners on this gold field are doing very well. We believe that every steamer which took passengers to Picton took more or less of " stowaways" — those cunning and unprofitable gentry, who take advantage of the crowding and confusion to conceil themselves on board ships, and thus obtain a passage gratis. In most cises, the prosecution of these rascals is productive of too much delay and inconvenience for the captains to avail themselves of the law, and consequently the offenders are allowed to escape. The following paragraph, from an American paper, will show how our Yankee friends deal with the evil :—": — " Vessels leaving the port of Wilmington, it is related, are subjected to an ingenious test for the discovery of surreptitious passengers. A machine, in the shape of a large syringe, is filled with some chemical mixture, known in that locality as the " sneezing compound." This stuff was vigorously pumped into, every possible or impossible place where a person could be concealed. Anyone subjected to its influenc3 in close quarters must sneeze out or come out. It is said to be a villanous compound of stink and tickle, which no pewon can sustain and live. All parts had been fumigated but the coal bunkers, and they were so closely packed with bags of coal that it seemed impossible for a cat, much less a man, to be concealed therein. But no ; in goes the sneezing compound, and out comes a suppressed sneeze, quickly followed by a vigorous expletive. In a few minutes out comes one, then another, till four, anything but jolly Dutchmen, black as negroes, half smothered, and sneezing with a 20-horse power, stood on deck. They were immediately taken in charge, and escorted ashore." Owing to the cutting down of Stuart street it has become necessary that the gas mains there should be re-laid ; and the consequence was that there was no gas for lighting St. George's Hall, in which the Council met on Wednesday after more than a week's recess consequent upon the formation of the new Executive. Whether the probable failure of gas was known or not, there seemed to have been no temporary means of lighting the Hall provided. So for nearly half an hoar, there was a state of darkness, rendering it difficult to see honorable members, and quite impossible to report. At length the two police sergeants in attendance appeared each bearing two candles stuck in bottles; and they continued to make their exits and entrances until a moderate supply of candles, similarly supported, had been placed in the Hall. The reporters' candles were stuck in bottles that once contained Byass' stout, and a be-puffed claret. The Ministerial table and that of the Chairman of Committees were specially favored by each being decorated with a dumpy brown ginger-beer bottle; while near the desk, in front of the honorable member for the Taieri, was a bottle flaming with the label of Otard, Dupuy & Co.'a P.B. The general effect of the illumination was unique for a legislative halL A very spirited sketch of the first Dunedin Steeplechase, which took place on Saturday afternoon, the 23rd April, has been published by Mr James H. Pope ; the lithographers being Messrs J. M'Kellar and Co. The point of time chosen is when the horses were taking the line of paddock fences at the foot of the hill in the last round for the Grand Handicap Stakes, and .the peculiarity of Will o' the Wisp's style of fencing is admirably hit off by the artist. Apart from its artistic merits the engraving is valuable as a memorial of the ad rent of an era in the sporting annals of Otago. Messrs M'Kellar and Co., in Princes street, will bo able to supply those who desire copies of the plate. A meeting of the Freemasons under the Grand Lodge of Scotland was held recently, at which it was resolved to apply for a Commission for the erection of the Middle Island of New Zealand into a Grand Lodge District. We understand that Vincent Pyke, Esq., has been nominated as Provincial Grand Master, and that the petition was forwarded by the last mail, and the commission may therefore be expected in October next. The "Lyttelton Times" says: — "The negotiations of this province for the maintenance of the contract for the Panama service have met with material success. It is true that the General Government have not been induced to rescind their first resolution, and have answered the appeal of Canterbury by a mere declaration of abiding by their former decision. But it was too much to expect that the Government should so soon change their minds, or convict themselves of error before any body less powerful than the General Assembly. We mnst await the session of the Assembly, before the Colony can be quite relieved from the charge of having withdrawn from its obligations. Our Dunstan correspondent informs us that hea?y falls of snow have occurred in the more elevated districts, the ranges being in places thickly covered. It is a satisfactory concomitant that the river Molyneux has fallen considerably, and if the cold weather continues, it is likely it will reach a very low level. This may operate as an antidote to the prevailing Picton fever.

Stone. £ jloyd and Co 33,500 Winchester and Claytoa 39.922 ;. Abbott and Co 35,150 lughCalder 55,730 'earce and Packham ... 53,566 tfackay and Goadfellow 48,340 VHlistn Geggie 51.000 'ornwell aa<l Horsman 63.2^9 fames Mackenzie 55,700 )altontnd Co 34.621 Brick. £ 80.750 1 28,790 29.200 49.730 85.759 81,470 84,00031,496 81.150 28.800