THE COUNTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1797, 30 April 1886, Page 12

THE COUNTRY.

After a search party had started from Orepuki to look for a man named M'Cane, supposed to have been lost in the bush, it was discovered that the object of their search had arrived at his destination (Clifden station) on the 9th inst.

Over 40 men turned out on Sunday last (writes our Kakanui correspondent) to search the district for any traces of Carswell. Two boats were out on the river, but they were unsuccessful in finding any traces of the body.

James Allan, John Allan, Peter Grant, and James Shand have been nominated for the West Taieri subdivision of the Outram Road Board. As only three members are to be elected a poll will be taken at Outram on Saturday.

At the Balclutha Police Court on Tuesday, before Mr J. S. Fleming, J.P., H. Saunders pleaded guilty to two charges of obtaining money by means of valueless cheques, and was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, with hard labour. He had been previously convicted of a similar offence at Christchurch.

An accident happened to the Cromwell Company's dredge, now working ab Kawarau Gorge, on the 15th through the ladder snapping in two about 4ft from the bottom tumbler. The damage is not serious, and it is expected that work will be resumed within a fortnight. At the time of the accident the dredge was on very fair gold.

Meetings of farmers and others in the Tuapeka district are being held iv support of the proposal put forward by the Waitahuna Farmers' Club that the Government should bring in a b'll to enable them to pay 3d each for rabbitskins. The general impression appears to be that the present system of inspection is expensive and ineffective.

In reply to a communication from Mr Cowan, M.H.R., asking for information as to the last offer made by the Government to purchase the Waimea Plains railway, the Minister of Works has forwarded the following reply: — "We are prepared to deal fairjy with the company, aud I have by wire to-day gone as far as I cau to meet their views. If they now refuse they must take the consequences." A Kakanui correspondent writes that a supposed case of drowning has occurred there. James Carswell, a butcher, left the hut of Messrs Finlayson and Thompson's boiling-down establishment on Sunday evening, 10th inst., to pass away the time until tua should be ready. He was last seen going towards the river about halfpast \i, and his dog afterwards returned without him. Mr Thompson, in whose employ he has been for the last seven years, communicated with the police at Palmerston, and they bave been dragging the river, but have found no trace of the body. Carswell was a single man, and has a sister residing at Palmerstou.

An old resident at tho Blue Spur, Lawrence, named John M'Cormick, met with a severe accident on the 21«t inst. while working in the Otago Company's claim. It appears that he was engaged iv drilling a hole on a ledge of cement when a mass of stuff fell from the face above him, striking him on the side of the head and right bhoulder, inflicting serious injuries. He was at once removed to the hospital, where he at pre=°ut lies in a very precarious state. M'Cormick Jied at the Tuapeka Hospital on Sunday. He leaves a, wife and family.

The following are the census returns for the boroughs of Palmerston and Hawksbury :—Palmerston borough : Population — males, 463 ; females, 41S;— total, 881. Chinese, 9. Number of dwellings, 199, of which 19 are represented to be uninhabited. Hawksbury borough : Population — males, 367; females, 392; — total, 759. Number of dwellings, 170, of which 17 are rupresented to be unoccupied. Hampden horough: Population — males, 168; females, 164;— total, 332. Number of dwellings, 73, of which three are represented to be unoccupied.

A German known by the name of Hyna, but whose real name was Willhelm lleimar, was (writes our Balclutha correspondent) found dead in his hut at Canada reef en Thursday night. He was a miner, about 60 years of age, and has lived in the same locality for the past 16 or 17 years. For a week up to Monday night he had been engaged thatching a stable for a settler named M'Kay. He was in his usual health when he left for home on Monday evening. As he did not return to finish his work and was not seen about, some of the neighbours went to his hub on Thursday night and found him dead. Information was sent to the police at Tokomariro, and Mr Fleming (coroner) held an inquest on Saturday. A verdict of "Death from natural causes " was returned.

The Presbytery of Dunedin met at Mosgiel on the 21st to moderate in a call. The Rev. D. Borrie (moderator) preached and presided. There were also present: The Revs. W. Will, R. R. M. Sutherland, and A. M. Finlayson, and Mr J. C. Hodges. There was a good attendance of members of the congregation. The only name proposed was that of the Rev. J. M. M'Kerrow. The "call" was signed by 95 members, and 27 adherents signified their concurrence. The Presbytery sustained the call, directed the clerk to communicate with Mr M'Kerrow, and resolved to meet iv the First Church on Wednesday, May 5, to dispose of the call. Plans of the manse to be erected at Mosgiel were submitted to the Presbytery and approved. The cost is estimated at £600.

Mr S. Dewar,.postmaster at Queenstown, has obtained leave of absence, and his friends will be happy to learn that he has quite recovered from the effects of the privations and hardships endured^ in company with Donald Keith while attempting to reach Martin's Bay from the head of Lake Wakatipu. The news of Donald Keith's death was quite unexpected by his companion on that eventful journey, as when they parted company Keith was doing so well that his recovery appeared to be only a question of time. Keith, it appears, however, never became completely conscious after Mr Dewac's departure. Messrs Rogers and Wilson, who remained with him, erected a board over the grave, giving Keith's name. Messrs Rogers and Wilson had a very rough time of it in proceeding to Martin's Bay. The journey occupied three days, and they were almost in a famished condition when they arrived at the settlement.

The presbytery of Clutha met at Lawrence on the 21st iust. to ordaiu Mr Alexander Don to the office of Chinese missionary in connection with the Presbyterian Church. The

ministers present were — Revs. Bannernian, Hall, Sinuner, Fra.scr, and Mr J. H. Cameron. Afte.r the nermou (which was, preached by Rev. William Bannerman from Phil, ii, 4-8), the usual questions were put to Mr Don that are appointed to be answered before ordiuation. These having been satisfactorily answered, Mr Don was solemnly ordained to office by prayer and the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Thereafter Mr Don was suitably addressed by Mr Hall, than whom, from his long experience as a missionary among India's heathen population, none could be better qualified to advise and encourage the young missionary in pursuing his work among the Chinese in Otago. There whs a large congregation, the church being full, and great interest was manifested in the interesting service of the evening. Our Palmerston correspondent writes :-^* The Government schoolhouse at Goodwood was burnt to the ground on Saturday night. The origin of tho fire is at present shrouded in mystery. The young person who scrubbed out the building was the last known to have visited it, about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and she and rhe person who was with her state that there was. no fire in the building at all, not even ashes. She locked the door on leaving, and handed the key to the mistress. The building was passed by residents in the neighbourhood at 9 o'clock, when everything was safe ; but an hour later Mr Kennard, who lives close by, discovered the place to be on fire, the flames at that time having a good hold of the building. He gave the alarm to his neighbours, but they were unable to do anything to save the building, which was soon levelled with the ground. Like all Government school buildings, it was uninsured."

Mr D. M'Farlane, warden and R.M. at Jackson's Bay, in a letter to the West Coast Times, says : — " North Westlaud has produced her millions in gold, and now begins to show signs of exhaustion ; but the mineral possibilities of South Westland— of the country lying between Lake Wakatipu and Bruce Bay — will more than compensate for the falling- off of the gold in the north. The one great drawback to the development of any of our southern discoveries is the rugged and inaccessible nature of the country and the want of roads. We are not yet in a position to ask for a railway, although circumstances may some day even warrant that ; but there would be no better investment of public money than that spent on making a good pack track from the, Head of Lake Wakatipu to Jackson's Bay. This track would skirt the base of the great mineral belt alluded to above, and give easy access to it, whereas as it is at present no ordinary prospector can look at it. The two parties of prospectors that are now out, the one in Westland, under Mr Douglass, and the other under Captain Malcolm in Otago, are labouring under great difficulties with regard to communication and the transit of stores, and I am sure most people will agree to this, that with the actual discoveries made, and indications of such promise, a track is not only an imperative necessity, but would also be a paying investment for the Government. Otago, who owns half of this important mineral block, skould move in the matter with Westland and see to its early construction. The opening of such a track opens the door into Otago, and would induce a stream of traffic that would be beneficial to both provincial districts."

(From Our Own Correspondents.)