Untitled

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 109, 2 November 1863, Page 2

The William Miskin and Titania started from Port Chalmers on Friday afternoon about 1 p.m., and arrived at 'the New River within a short time of each other, having been in sight during the greater part of the passage. It is to be regretted that tbo comfort and convenience of the pttblic is cot more studied by tho respective owners of these vessels and an arrangement come to by which they should have intervals of three days. "We understand that overtures have been made on the part of one of the Companies, which have not been courteously met ■on the other side. Early yesterd .y morning a considerable crowd, assembled at the bridge over the Puni Creek on the jetty Road, to witness a religious ceremonial very novel in Invercargill, namely the total immersion Baptism, which forms part of the rubric of the Baptist persuasion. Five" men appropriately clad, amongst whom was a dusky faced.sonof a more sultry clime, were introduced into tiie creek, and ducked according to the rites by the acting minister, each neophyte receiving 1 a name as the water flowed over him. This bath in the early spring appeared notwithi standing his implicit faith, to somewhat chill the blood of one man, for after immersion he j seemed to enter upon a prostrate state, that was akin to fainting. It was not, however, serious. After the ceremony was concluded, the spectators, who were very orderly, quietly dispersed. The only cases of any importance at the Resident Magistrate's Conrt, on Friday, comprised a charge of stealing a boat, preferred by Mr Petherick, of the Waihopai Hotel, against Chas.E. Price, which, on application, was further remanded to the following day ; and a charge of stealing wearing apparel, for which three men were remanded until the followJßg day. A report of Saturday's proceedings will be found in another portion of : -this day's issue. The Taieri diggings do not improve on acquaint^ ance. The first escort arrived in Dunedin on the 29th — brought only some 900ozs. Great disappointment jivas_ felt throughout the town.

<-*>A very jwveL and interesting match took'-place at the Mokomoko ou. Wednesday.- The raStch was_ between £woparties\of't wo, men each in order to , decide whb'cou.ld4iTth3 space of eight hours, "Jail* and square" the. greatest number of feet of timber. Kay^ and Whelan, two men hailing from Circular Head, represented the " native interest," on one side, while two A-nerican backwoodsmen named M'Sweeny and were their opponents— the match beia? for ;£2O a-sids The betting at, starting was in - favor of the Americans. About 2 o'clock—shortly after the start, the backswoodmen had the leid by 63 feet , when the * betting increased in their favor. As time progressed, 'howevpr,- native industry, and perseverance began to teli against -the spurt o* the Americans, and at half-past 3 o'clock, the Circular. Head men wore only four feet behind their opponents, who now began .to show symptoms of failing, and when time was called at 5 o'clock, the umpires— Messrs Scott and M'AHster —decided the r Circular , dead men victorious by 33 feet. ' The little, affair caused cbnsiderabl e interest in •, the, • township. A. second match to come off during the present week, is talked of. Yesterday afternoon the frolics ef a man, not much the better of liquor, excited s->tne amusein Tay street. The ruling passion 'Strong in> drink was a chivalrous'idolitory of the fair sex-; for every female he met, he stopped with a tipsy wave, and then went down on tiis knees on the I gratings, and with clasped hands breathed forth ! gin and water, and a wild declaration of undying affection. - We regret to say, that his offers of heart and hand were in no instance accepted, and that the Unfortunate victim of blighted affections was carried off to " durance vile'" by an unsentimental policeman, who had no sympathy with anything so unreal as affaires du cceur. Tlia amusements at the Criterion Concert Hall continue nightly to bo patronised by large audi. enees — so large indeed that, on Saturday nights, it ia impossible to procure what a Hibernian would call a " standing seat." Miss Annie Beaumont's versatility in singing has established her as an immense favorite, and both her sentimental and humorous songs demand double encores each night. Mr Small, also is great in locals. Nothing that transpires possessing any striking features but hi cleverly dresses it up in a very humorous and witty style. His last hit, at the highly colored • reports in the Dunedin press of ihe various rushes to the Ofeago goldfields *re highly relished by the audi- ' ence, Professor Parker's feats of swordsmanship are still, loudly applauded. Nor must we forget Mr Hey wood, who as a performer on the bones,,. . is at least equal to any of the professors of that species of music. ' The following is the betting for the ensuing races at Itiverton: — Maiden Plate— Even on Peter against the field; along shot or two was : taken about Hot Rolls. Town Plate — Even on Bob Apples against the field, and 2tol in one or j.wo instances : Goldfinch found friends at 3 to 1 ; Fo-ethousLt— not much thought of. Sel'ing, Stakes— The Gift was backed freely against the field. Ladies Purse— For this event Bob Appbs was backed freely against the field. Hurdle Race— Goldfinch backed at evens agairst the, field; a tew leve 1 fivers were laid out between Jack and Lugar for places, and Hot Rotts-fcrand ' some friends at 5 to I.' l^ublitans Purss— As ; usual. Bob Apples bac!cel freely a-jium t'aa field at 2 to 1. Information was circulated in town on Saturdiy, that some men prospecting on ground near M'Nab's run, had found gold, The gold was found, it was said, some thre3 or four feet from fc he surface. The particulars referred to in the rumor are of a very meagre description ; but we shall endeavor to obtain more detailed and accurate information before our next issue. It will be recollected that about fourteen days ago, two men went down to the Mpkoraoko in a boat laden with iro^n, an*d f tKat asno tidings were heard of them, they were believed to have been drowned, festerday the. body of one el them, a man named Peter Mann, was found floating in the New River. The body was removed into town for a coronial Inquiry At the Town Board election on Saturday, Messrs H. A. Giller, and W Livesey, were elected to supply the vacancies created by the resignation of the above Mr H. A* Giller, and of Mr Robertson. Another candidate was' proposed, but in spite of the enthusiastic fight for him, made by an inexhaustibly loquacious mover the two named won the day. The lovers of the turf will have an opportunity of attending the Riverton" Races this week, upon signifying their inclination in the usual manner, for Messrs Cobb and Co. offer, if sufficient inducement is presented, to run to Riverton^ leaving Invercargill on Tuesday, and returning on Friday. The charge will be £5 a-head for the return ticket. We understand that^ he s.s.' Ruby 'will also be laid on for Jiiverto'n'. * ' Prom -the Ofcago Daily TiiHeaoi the '28th inst , we take the following . account of a painful' and mysterious case of drowning which occurred at Port Chalmers :— " Yesterday m6mingV»wh«n Mr Tucker, the owner of some ballast punts, went on board one of his lighters, he found that one of the hands belonging to her, named Grant, was not in; his berth. His , mate was asleep on board, and Grant's hat was found on deck, but there was no appearance of the man. Information was at once given to Sergeant Mallard, of the police,: and after the bottom hadoeen dragged for - a shortj&ijoe, the body was loutfd not nidre than twenty jura's irom the punt, which was moored at no great distance from the beach, and opposite "Clarke and Co.'s store. The deceasedand Msmate had been attending a concert in , the Port, and it is adid'that hewas sober when seen shortly before proceeding onboard*/ What seemed to be cries for assistance, were heard from the Port Chalmers Hotel at an early hour in the morning, but were not precisely distinguish • able as from a person in extreme distress,' and it was not until the punt was boarded in ■thei.morn- ! in<» that the man's aDseirce and, loss were discovered. The circumstances of tk& accident;', ate of course, unknown ; but as orach as is -aseertainable ' will' be elicited at an inqmest tote held; to-day.', The story of Grant's Ynate, who ;is a Frenchman/ ie, tiiat on getting eat of tke small; boat into jfthe punt, he {the Frenchman) got into. the wateri but, ; was pulled on boardby Grantj and having turned into his berth aoon fell asleep, having had a good deal to drißfeuuring, tke. evening. How/ Grant happened to .get subsequently into tke water, how he left his hat on hoard, and how the -dingy was found on the beach in tke -merning, ape : the mysteries comnected with the case. The deceased, who^ was named Joseph Grant, was a single man about 23 years of age, and is said to have been- the son of a clergyman in Newcastle-upon-Tyne." . ■■ ■-'.? Religious Education is" being : on in Canterbury. At a recent 1 meeting of the^Dioiesan Synod held in Christchurch, • a^^ resolution! to t J fbllowing}seffect was passed^-" That^isVSy^ipd does not consider itself in a position to pass judgment on the work of the Commissoners of Bduca^ tion uutil their final report shall -'.bie;^pnblished, tut does not hesitate ia." the meantime. to': express the; hope that no system will v he i adejpted by ; tbe i Xegis-c ture of the i Province in which" ais|mcliVe reUgiousj teaching is not made a prominent and essential feature?' Therefore the Synod [agreed to memorialise the Superintendent 'and Provincial Cbuncu on tlie;Si^e^;c^' : { v'\'i), :^ ; :^-' : Xl ■■;■' ■ We understand .that two yery;h3ndspm6;bndgea ' lor -the i Makerewa' and : the <^V?iuhop^i itmwth^ trussed girder pnncipfo *re^^ designed in the ißailwaj^^Engiaeer> Departmenfc of | . tho, Provincial Government, ,

. We underi#jd:thata fewof tne^o'atlnftue, ■ tial and extensive'owners of land in this proving! have signified (heir inteniion^of guaranteeing B sum of £1500 to be paid in additionto the £lOojfl reward offered by 'the Government for the di*l covery of a' payable^ gold-field in this Proving The gentlemen jeferred to willlmeet and sufamS their offer to tKt Provisional Committee of qX 'Southland Prospecting Association ; the m eetinjß of the Committee will take place this afternoonS at 3 o'clock, at the Union Hotel* , . Ml In- reference to the Alpacas recently importaK to Australia from Peru, the Age of the 23rd s3 —"We regret testate that the inclement wet ther, during thVearly pact 'of last week, prove fatal to tea of the alpacas " lately imported bi Mr Duffield. They were? however, some *f thon th%t had so far succumbed to the hardships t the sea voyage as to render it evident, on thtii arrival, tliat UKy were not likely to survive eTq under the molt careful treatment.* The rest «| the flock have, we" understand, greatly improvei since their removal to Essendon.*. ,They htiS recently beeninspected by a large number of sheaK farmers, who seemed to appreciate- their qmmties: and inquiries regarding them are becomhvjS so frequent as to show that their spirited i^M porter may not, aftef adl, have' occasion toregtijß entering on the spsculation, A few days ago J». offer of £600 for two «f them, to be selected^ the gentleman making the offer, was refused, ft We are requested to draw the attention of tJ: members of the "Volunteer Fire Brigade to Jj. advertisement announcing their 'meeeting for l\iM' evening. . „ W The daring- highwaymen of New South WilScontinue to perform feats" that throw Dick Turpjl into the shad<*. It -appears from last advices tb» Gilbert's gang have bees holding the town of Cow ■ anindra for three days, detaining every one thtflj passed, until they had got' about forty- prisoneM 1 The worst of it is, that it is found impossible K check the march of th* evil. In a year or so, yMt should not wonder if New South Wales fouJ-i itself in the enjoyment of worse than a Maori wirK We observe from the "Gazette, that the pleaaJf <- institution , upon which Mr Weller, Sen., osediK . wax eloquent, "the pike," is to be introduced jff O ago. Toll-bars' are about t« be" erected on » the main roads throughout the Province* ■' t From the Otago Daily Times of WednesdtA we learn that on the previous afternoon, about otli. o'clock, a groom named William Carson, in tw employment of ifr C-trsar, the lessee of the Sbaaw < rock Hotel S tables,- "was proceeding slowly do iw Princes street, with, two horses, riding one ire leading the other -when, nearly opposite the uttMi in the Cutting, he was observedsuddenly todtK the reins and ;fall to the ground as if paralyses] ' He was picked" up f immediately by two menul| conTeyed'to "Messrs^ Wilkinson f and Dixon'g tW '"* chemists, where after breathing a few times, w expired in the arms of those who brought himV the shop.. The cause. of this very sudden deatliK at present unknown.; It will, no doubt, be e]« j dated at the inquest which is to be held this daj \-1 tho Exchange Hotel, where the body now In | \ Deceased, who was formerly addicted to drink, t \ t of late beea «xceedirigly temperate, and waii \ » the apparent enjoyment of excellent health up tl ; * time when the fatal accident occurred. Hews< ( native of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and came m \ C to the colonies about 12 years ago. 1 Wehave Hobart Town files to the 2lst. 31 ; *' second portion of ; the Tasmanian Contingent K w New Zealand^ numbering'fifty, was to sail on tim, 24th. The -construction of a railway between fil a bart Town and Launceston continues to be vigoW V) ously agitated. One .spirited proprietor, vhol; ffi estate the railway will pass through, has offered ßiUy make a present of the whole of the land requ'&B^^ and will fence both sides of the line aa i&rw m his property extends. In the case of peifaftcf^i Evans v IKing^ arising out of that fruitful soi 9^ offence, " a, horse case," the 'Attorney-Gtejft 'y' ral has ignored the bill. ~ An inquest held tIK *° other day, on a man named George Will' *°F dron, gave a 1 verdict of death from natw» $1) causes, which <. natural causes were I* ht cow disease of pl^enro jmeumonia. 1m Church of England Synod met on the 2(A inst. The Municipal Council have received til; »• following reply from H R H the Prince I? Wales, to the address presented bythemßj himc— "Abergeldie Castle, N B, August ■p* 1 1863.— Lieutenant-General Knollys has bw c " direbted by the Prince of Wales toacknowlwW the. receipt of an address from the Mayor, AldKina men, and citizens of the City of Hobart To« mo for the Colony of Tosmania, on the ocoasiooß the his Royal Highness 's marriage, to convey I |'f rO cordial thanks for theircongratulations and gc j'jfg wishes. His Royal Highness is'very sensible | p a j the affectionate and loyal terms in which tl |£ ." refer to her M-aj*sty the Qoeen and his, I [- v. father. Alfred Kennedy, Esq, Mayor." 1 J-? lady-vocalist, whose 'visit to Invercargill mns 1 ♦ *• in the minds of our readers— Madame Carani '^ —gave a concert on the 19th inst, at DclSart pKE room, which was attended by Governor andJ jOf— Browne, and a numerous and fashionable iw^fsct -ience. The quarterly statement 'of receipts vfarjp expenditure, Land fund, is published, and sbWaj£jj[ receipts £24,988, 3s 4d,and cash balance on» w j t } September, £U,S4I, 4s. It is expected thatK^^ Rev". Dr Carr, Incumbent of the parish c *"»lc a ~ St Helen's, will be -elevated to the bisll0 P r JKlF'* Tasmania, rendered vacant through the '«■! ' atbn "of tKe IKght-Rev, Dr Frauds B 0 **™? 1 -Nixon. "A boy, only fourteen years of age,»>ein remanded at the Police Court, on the 19th, kcultl indecently assaulting a little girk Mr and Stnay expected to visit Tasmania beforeV eo J|] end of the'Vear. -" IpUrc