MR. ROCHFORT ON THE SUPPOSED ROUTE TO THE LYELL DIGGINGS.

Colonist, Volume VI, Issue 582, 22 May 1863, Page 3

MR. ROCHFORT ON THE SUPPOSED ROUTE TO THE LYELL DIGGINGS.

We mentioned last week, when referring to the narrative of the diggers who lost their way when endeavoring to make the Lyell River, that after following for a considerable distance the track indicated by Mr. Eochfort, they struck a river which was not the Lyell. It appears from a letter received from Mr. Eocnfort,thathe has found the route he has lately been exploring, with the view of opening communication with the Lyell diggings, to be an impracticability, and that any further attempt to reach thesediggings by this route is only a waste of time. The pass he was endeavoring to follow leads, he says, not into the Buller, as he expected it would, but into the Mokihinui, and this river it no doubt was into which the |party of sixteen had gone. This pass he considers will only "be valuable as a communication with the Buller mouth and coal-field." The distance between the Mokihinui and Buller on the coast he estimates at twenty miles, which is composed of sand beach. He states that he mistook for the Buller Eiver " a large flat of 6000 acres at the junction of several branches of the Mokihinui, previously unknown." The best practicable route towards the Buller is now believed to be that which the Provincial Government at first started, and if this prove so, it will most probably be pushed on with additional celerity.

The Rev. H. M. Tttbton.—We beg to state on reliable authority that the Rev. H.M.Turton has given to the Bishop of Nelson his final resignation as Incumbent of Christ »Church, Nelson. We are further informed from another source, that the Bishop of Nelson to whom Mr. Turton's resignation was formerly handed in and refused, still declines to accept the resignation ; and not satisfied with the result of the civil trial, requires that an examination regarding various rumours against Mr. Turton be gone into by the courts of the Church, before he shall decide in accepting the resignation, or in taking other steps in respect thereto. As it is Mr. Turton's intention not to remain in this colony, this delay has reference, not to any reinstatement, but to the question of granting him letters testimonial.

Wesieyan Chapel Annivebsaby.—On Sunday, May 17, two sermons were preached at the chapel in Hardy-street, in commemoration of the opening of this building. The morning service was conducted by the Rev. W. M.Biss (Baptist), and the evening service by the Rev. W. Kirk, who has lately filled the office of pastor, in the room of the Rev. J. Innes. A collection was made at the close of each service, amounting in all to £10 15s. A tea was announced for the following Tuesday, but owing to the inclemency of the weather it was postponed to Thursday evening, when about 150 sat down in the Temperance Hall. About seven o'clock the company adjourned to the chapel. Mr. Robert Burn having been voted to the chair, called upon the Rev. P. Calder (Presbyterian) to open the meeting with prayer. Addresses followed in which Mr. R. Lucas, Mr. Hammond, the Revs. Cannell, Biss, Calder, and Kirk took part. A collection having been made, the meeting closed with singing and the benediction.

Cbicket Chaiiexge fbom Diggebs.—Oar readers will observe that eleven diggers, by an advertisement headed " Muscular Christianity," have challenged eleven cricketers of Nelson to play a match on an early day. "We presume the cricketers of our city will not long delay in stirring their "stumps" and taking up the bat.

Maobib Buying Saltpetre and Marbles.— Caution to Storekeepers. —For some days past a number of Maoris, strangers to thia province, and believed to come principally from the neighborhood of Picton, have been living in Nelson. During the past eight days these Maoris have been endeavoring to buy saltpetre from the storekeepers, and it is stated that an old soldier, who has been living with the Maoris, ha? been employed to make similar purchases. They have also been purchasing marbles at various stores ,• and apparently to show the innocency of the purpose, one or two Maoris, bearded men, have been playing marbles with Nelson boys—a tiling, we believe, quite new in the games of Nelson youth. When it is remembered that saltpetre is the principal ingredient in gunpowder, and that the smooth stone marbles are as deadly as bullets and much cheaper, it will be scarcely necessary to warn storekeepers against selling any of these articles to the natives. There is a prohibition in the Arms Act which renders the sale of saltpetre to natives illegal, and we are informed that reference is made in a cautionary way to the danger of selling marbles to them. Some people, we are told, imagine that a marble would be useless as a bullet, but almost any one could see that this is an error. A case occurred in Scotland about a couple of years ago, where either a soldier or volunteer in Dundee, while firing his rifle in blank cartridge on some practising occasion, in one shot put a parched pea into his piece. The diminutive missile hit a boy some forty -yards' distance, by which the skull was fractured, and the boy died from the wound. If a parched pea is effective at a distance of forty yards, a smooth marble will undoubtedly be good at 200 or 800 yard*,

The Geand Jubt in the Supbeme Coubt,—-By a typographical oversight the name of Alfred Saunders, Esq. was omitted, from the list of Grand Jurors published in our last number.

Case of Theft.—On Monday, Thos. R. Berry, of Nelson, an old offender, was brought before the Resident Magistrate, charged with stealing two American axe heads from Mr. James N. Wilkinson's store, at Wakefield. He pleaded not guilty; but the evidence proved that the articles were found in his possession' and liis Worship found him guilty, and sentenced him to four months' imprisonment with hard labor.

Mubder of a White Man at Havelock. —A day or two since an account reached town of a deliberate murder having been committed at the Pelorus last week. The victim is a Mr. William Grant, who had settled on a small patch of land on the opposite side of the river to where Mr. Mank's accommodation house stands, in the township of Havelock. The body of the murdered man was discovered by a seafaring man, working for Mr. Manks, some days after (it is supposed) the deed was committed, having an extensive wound on the head, apparently inflicted by an axe that lay close by stained with blood. The object of the murderer appeal's to have been to obtain money, the pockets of the deceased having been rifled, and a hurried search for more having apparently been made in the house. Suspicion is felt against a Maorj of questionable character known in the locality, and we believe that Mr. Mackay has proceeded to the district for the purpose of obtaining further knowledge of the occurrence.

Sunday Shooting. — Lost in the Bush. — On Sunday, May 17, a party of men went over the hills on a shooting excursion, and got lost in the bush. Among them was a sickly lad t>f sixteen, only convalescent from a severe attack of rheumatic fever. After wandering about the bush for several hours, the party got out and found themselves at the almond tree, up the Maitai-valley, but the sickly youth was so utterly exhausted as to be unable to proceed further. The thi'ee left him and arrived in, Nelson about six o'clock in the evening. An hour or so after they reported the case to the police; and some of theni, along with a constable started off in a conveyance in search of the lad; but returned about eleven o'clock unsuccessful. Immediately thereafter the boy's mother and brother, with two constables explored both sides of the Maitai for a mile above the almond tree, but again without success; and as the sky was indicative of heavy rain much fear was entertained for the lad's safety. A third expedition, consisting of two constables, left Nelson on Monday morning at four o'clock, searched the place for a considerable distance, but once more fruitlessly. They were returning home, and on calling at a farm-house, found the boy sitting there at breakfast, after having spent the night in the bush with pigs as his unwelcome visitors. After the others abandoned him the boy crawled in among the manuka and fern, and during the night some half-wild pigs came to him, and after snorting about him, tore his coat and jumper in several places, and it was with great difficulty he managed to drive them off. Fortunately the lad seems little worse of his adventure.

Permanent Bttiiding Society.—At the monthly meeting of this Society, 28 shares were sold at bonuses varying from 70s. to 80s. per £20 share. All the advertised resolutions were agreed to after some discussion.