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Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 96, 2 October 1863, Page 2

We understand that Mr Glennie has proceeded to Dunedin, with a view to establishing at once the Bank of Otago, which was incorporated under "The Companies Act, 1862," wilh the limitation of each shareholder's liability to tbe amount of his shares. The capital is propounded in the prospectus as £500,000, in 5000 shares of £100 each, with power to increase. The head office will be in London, and the chief branch in Dunedin. The whole of the preliminary expenses up to the allotment ot shares, including the registration and incorporation ofthe company, brokerage, advertisements, &c, were guaranteed not to exceed one per cent, on the nominal capital of the company. Recently, several complaints have been mado in Melbourne by roasters of vessels who have been on various occasions at tho Blnff, as to the difficulty of procuring a supply of iresh water. On ranking enquiry as to the authenticity of the above our Bluff correspondent writes as follows: — " There is a good supply of fresh water here, but the want of a .eater-boat is greatly felt by the shipping of this port, they having to send their casks on shore to fill, when required; this, of course, will be obviated when tha wharf is finished, as the creek runs close by, and with a good hose and force-pump, all ships will be furnished with water nt any time." We think, in the meantime, the Provincial Government would act wisely in having a strong punt or ratt constructed, in ord<-r to supply the want complained of. It is much better to wisely expend a few pounds in a work of this nature, than permit an erroneous impression to get abrond, that vessels cannot obtain fresh water at AB luff Harbor. j The entertainments at the Criterion Concert j Hall appear to give general satisfaction, if we may judge from the continually crowded houses • but we think the introduction of an occisional bona fide faree — not one which allows any amount of " gagging" — would considerably improve the character of tho evening's amusement. Miss Stanley appears to be the favorite and in executing the " Highland fling," in her own peculiar way, manages to monopolise the chief share of applause. With a little more attention to tho ordinary rules of music, this young lady 'worild turn out a promising vocalist. Mr Small and Mr Leeman are undoubtedly acquisitions — the former by bis local songs portraying the peculiar characteristics of many well-known town celebrities, gains always an encore — nnd the latter ge n tleman's really fine voice, when unaccompanied by a slight huskincss, which is sometime observable, appears to excellent advantage, especially when rendering Russell's celebrated songs of the *' Slave Ship," " Gambler," &c. It is to be hoped that, under the management of Mr Holland, a gentleman of Parisian celebrity, a better and more legitimate i description of amusement will henceforth be initiated. Yesterday, owing to its being the Fast-day of the Presbyterian Church, business was to a certain extent suspended, and the public offices and Eesident Magistrate' Court closed. At the last meeting of tbe Town Board, Mr Kenneth Morrison's tender for the Assistant Clerkship was accepted. There were n number of other applicants, amongst them the Messenger to the Board, but the choice seemed to lie between Mr Morrison and Mr Bridges, lately commission agent at Riverton. As the warm season advances we would recommend to the enterprise of speculators the introduction of Baths. Hitherto the "great unwashed '» have had it all their own way. There have been and aro no baths, save within the precincts of the gaol, and even for the enjoyment of ablutionary luxuries, r espectable people would be hardly disposed to make free with their neighbors' " spoons.'' Every one is alive to the fact that a proper state of health cannot bo kept up without, at any rate, weekly total immersion. To provide the means forjEscii immersions, would therefore, not only be a paying affair, but also public spirited. Placed in a central site, such as Tay or Dee-streets, baths would be thronged to, and a very decent competence realised at half a crown a head for warm and two shillings for cold. We know of many instances, where, in New Zealand towns, the originators ot good lavatory accomodation, have made decided " plums.' ' Ifc is not a gigantic un- * dertaking ; neither the thernue of the Romans, nor the bath "fixings "of the Greek gymnasia are required. A few over-grown iron or wooden rivetted basins, and a little piping, would quite supply the long felt want* Cleanliness is, as our readers are aware, next to Godliness. Tn the home , country, this has been so highly believed in that ; an act of Parliament was passed in 1 846, to encourage the establishment of public baths and wash houses. A similar Act on the part of our local legislature would merit tho lasting gratitude of the community. The Society of Odd Fellows of Invercargill have, in consequence of the resignation of the -late surgeon, appointed Dr R. Ryley to the office. There will be a meeting of those interested in the formation of a Volunteer Eire Brigade on the evening of Monday next, at the Union Hotel. We have already commented upon the necessity of the public interesting themselves in this matter. On Wednesday last, tho police force in town turned out for infantry drill, in the ground eej apart for that purpose. Sergeant Chapman " put them through their facings," and if we may judge from tbe grim smile of satisfaction with which the Sergeant witnessed the various manoeuvres, trial was a satisfactory one.

Last night intelligence reached town that the Harwood, from London, had arrived at the Bluff, .after a passage of 99 days. It is gratifying to learn that there was* not a single.case of sickness on board during the whole voyage. Thepropej. surgical inspection wfll, \ro understand, be made to-day, and the 60 emigrants which the Harwood brings will -then swell our population. Tbo following is the state of the gaol for the week end&ag Is't October . — Sentenced to hard labor, 16; under remand, 1 ; committed for trial, ,1; imprisonment only,"! V debtors, 3; lunatics,!.* total, 23. Received during the week, 8;- discharged during do, 6. A meeting of the members of tho Church of England was held yesterday afternoon at the School-room, Tay-street, for the purpose of. condering measures for the inauguration of *an amateur concert for the benefit of the Church <rf England Building Fund. It was resolved to ad- ' journ the meeting to Monday nest. A misapprc- i hension appears to have existed that the meeting ,-j was at 7 p.m., and at thafc hour a number of true" members assembled at the School-house to no putpose. Our correspondent at Tokomairiro, says the Daily Times of the 23th, furnishes us with some particulars relative to the wool grown and scoured in that district. He says: — "A fow'rftonths ago, I mentioned in one of my letters the establishment of a wool-scouring firm in this district. Samples of the wool scoured by the firm alluded to (Smith and C>.) were s nt to London, Leods.Huddersfield, and Bradford, and their receipt was acknowleded by the last mail. Liters 'from Titus Salt, Esq., M.P. ; B. Gott nnd Sons, of Leeds; J. Norton, Clayton, West, Huddersfield ; and several other eminent manufacturers have been shown to me, and they all speak in high terms of the wool. The latter Firm place its value at from 2s 8d to 3s per lb, when the best Melbourne and Sydney wools were quoted at from Is od to 2s 21. New Zealand wools have hitherto been always lower in the market than Australian, but the average giren by Mrssrs~Salt, B. Gott and Sons, J. Norton and Co, for the wools from Tokomairiro is 2a 4d, which, after deducting the expense of scouring, leaves a balance in favor of New Zealand. Messrs J- Morrison and Sons, wool brokers, say that they were quite astonished at the whiteness of the wool, aud suspect that some strong scouring solution was used. Messrs Smith and Co. attribute tbis superiority of color to the purity of Tokomairiro water, and of fche soap which they make^spceially for this purpose. Thpy have sent a considerable quantity of wool home this season ; and, judging from the letters submitted to mo, Tokomairiro wool is likely to take a high stand in the English market." New Zealand is apparently to be favored with a Circus and a Mr Jones ; afc least, we would suppose so, from tho fact that the Cornwall Chronicle lias an advertisement to the effect that the said Mr' Jones wants a " partner with a small capital to join the British American Circus, which is about to proceed to New Zealand shortly." Melbourne political is doinjg its best to copy London political — even in the matter of "little dinners." On the 11th Mr M'Culioch, the Chief Secretary, entertained his colleagues and Parliamentary friends to a White-bait dinner at Scott's Hotel, to mark the close of the session. Speaking of the recent discovery of a valuable copper mine at Moke Creek, the Walcatip Mail of the 26th says : — " If there should be doubts of the resources of Otago as an agricultural country, it would seem that none can be reasonably entertained of the value of her mineral riches. Of the goldfields we shall say nothing, for nothing is necessary ; but there is another metal of value — copper, the existence of which, though for some time known, has never yet been discovered in sufficient quantities to warrant the name of a mine. We have, however, received infoimation concerning the deposit lately found at Moke Creek, which would seem to establish a belief that a valuable discovery has been made. The scene of the discovery is a gully, the reef cropping out on each side, nnd passing under the bed of the creek which flows hetween. The percentage of copper we understand to bo estimated at from 25 to 30 per cent. The chief difficulty that will have to be contended against is the carriage, packing being at present the only mode of conveyance, which we need hardly state is out of the question when anything inferior to gold itself is concerned . To requeßt the Government to make a road passable for drays, is a mere waste of time, for when they grudge a track to the golden Shotover, the residents of Moke and Moonlight may rest assured they will not grant them ssch a road — even a pack track being one of the things of the future , for that rich and populous district. However fortunately in the present case, it is possible to do without our Provincial Macgrabs, the con. Btruction of a tramway to the Lake being easy. Should a few energetic and determined individuals combine — sftch, for example, as those who are engaged in the gigantic task of turning the Shotover— -we have no doubt that the result would be alike advantageous to the district and the proprietors." A mercantile firm in London has entered into a commercial scheme in connection with New Zealand sea weed. It is to be imported largely, being found to supersede every other material for bedstuffing. Whon dried in the sun, it is. lighter than any other vegetable of a marine description. At the Bay of Islands, this sort of weed is found in great abundance, and the natives make use of it for bedding. Its lightness and elasticity are said to be wonderful. Tho name under which it is known to the natives is mummuk. The Wakatip Mail of Sept. 2Gth has the following:—" An accident occurred on tbe evening of Thursday last, which was, as our readers may recollect, very stormy and cold. The boat Royal Bride, from Kingston, had arrived to within five hundred yards of the buoy, when, in the act of jibbing, a sudden and violent gust of wind laid her on her beam ends, and precipitated her occupants into the Lake. They managed to scramble to the boat again, and clung for their lives, cooeying all the while. The disagreeable and perilous position of the three men, thus immersed in the icy water of the Lake, and night drawing on apace, was first observed by some men on the terrace behind Beech-street, who gave the alarm. The Young America and t.he police boat dashed out to the rescue, and speedily relieved tbe sufferers, whose exertions to sustain themselves were almost paralysed by the cold. The boat was afterwards towed in by the Young America. She had a heavy cargo of flour, tobacco, and other goods, and we understand her loss is limited to two boxes of tobacco. Mr Cook of Kingston, was a passenger at the time of tho accident."