GREYMOUTH.

Colonist, Volume XII, Issue 1160, 6 November 1868, Page 6

GREYMOUTH.

The Grey River Argus of Saturday, October 17th, says:—"A season of storms and floods seems to have set in on the West Coast, and from every portion of it we hear of inundations, destruction of property, and shipwrecks. Greymouth has, during this" week, received its full share of the floods, but it has been singularly fortunate in having escaped without accident to any of its public works. In our last we recorded a very serious inundation [when the water was several feet deep in Richmond-quay, Arney, Gresson, Johnson, Boundary, Mackay, and other streets, and the tramway-line was seriously injured at the Saltwater, where the creek washed away over 400 yards of it] ; and since then nearly every tide has caused the town to be flooded. Strong westerly gales have prevailed, accompanied with an almost continuous downpour of rain, and high spring tides. The river came down in flood again on Thursday afternoon, and in the eyeijibg overflowed its banks and flbpded the lpwer pqrtions of the, town. The water fell little during the night, and at tide-time yesterday mopn'ng again inundated the town, the flood pouring through Bpundary-street and all over the layev township, in sqnie places to a depth of several feet. Bqats werp qncei itJHre in Use as the only means of conveyance through several of the streets, and many of the residents whose houses were flooded were brought by these means to places of safety. The shipping at the wharf lay safely at their moorings, and it is very satisfactory to have again to report that the wharf and protective works stood well, and the latter were tho means of saving the town to a very, considerable extent. These works have during the present week saved the lower half of the town from destruotiqu. fhe flooded state of the

river has prevented any communication with'the' upriver diggings, except with the Arnold, and no report of accidents has reached town, except some damage having been done to the shoots at the Grey Coalmine." The same paper of Thursday, October 22, states:— " The Grey river was yesterday once more in a state of flood, Swollen by the rains of the previous day and night, it came down a raging torrent, pouring an immense body of water at a tremendous pace to the sea. It did not, however, overflow its banks on this side, owing possibly to the fact that a large body of water found a way into the lagoon in front of Cobden, and cut away the bank there about ten feet, washing away the ground and necessitating the removal of several houses. It formed quite a channel there with a steep face of an enbankment. On the Westlgnd side no damage was done to the protective works, except the washing away of one of the sets of landing steps, and shaking them severely." nOKITIKA. : : : The West Coast Times of Oct. 10th, gives a long account of a most destructive flood, from which we gather the following:—"Since Hokitika was first inhabited by the white man, it has riot been visited by so heavy a flood as. that which occurred yesterday morning—a flood which, slthough comparatively peaceful in its character, so far as the rising of'the water was concerned, wa', nevertheless, productive of much damage to property, and we regret to have to record in one instance, of the loss of a life. " During part of Thursday night, indeed until far into yesterday morning, the rain descended in torrente, changing- every creek into a miniature river, which flowed onwards to discharge its superabundant waters into the flokitika River, but at fhafc time the outlet for the larger stream was comparatively small, and as the storm water was poured into it the river roso higher and higher, until at length it overflowed its banks, and inundated a.'portion of Hokitika, including Gibsrn's Quay, (which was completely submerged), Eevell, Stafford,' Tancted, Sewell, Weld, Hamilton, Wharf, Gimp, and Fitzhorbert-streets. "It was about four o'clock yesterday morning it became evident th«t the storm water would not be carried off by the river. It was then high tide, every creek was filled to overflowing and the rain ■ was descending in a pelting pour. Every minute' the waters rose higher and higher, until at length they ran over the wharf, overflowed the creeks, and wash-' ing over the footpaths and roads, began to lap the doors of the dwellings. Higher and higher rose the flood, until the water was deep in the streets/and was entering into the houses. Then the sleepers arosß from ther beds, and, in many cases, wild cries of help came from the affrighted women and children, , and truly at fire o'clock tho scene was of a character ] calculated to terrify even stouter hearts than theirs. ] Suppose a parallelogram, one side being Gibson's j Quay from Wharf-street to the Islay Hotel, a distance of about a mile, the other extending from near Hampden-street to Wharf-street at its angle-with Eevell-street, the sides being drawn from the other sides we have named ; suppose this space to be filled , with water, varying from a few inches to somd feet in depth, and then some idea will be formed of the scene which awaited (hose who, awakened by the cold i waters, rose in the grey dawn, and wildly Bhtieked for , help. Higher and higher rose the waters, afld those who could do so were glad, half clad, to lesve'.theic dwellings and to seek shelter in places not likely to , be invaded by the rising flood. In one or two instances men, accompanied by their wives, ascended" ; to the roof-tops, and many were tho looks anxiously directed across the watery waste for help. Nor was ; the help so looked for—so longed for at a time when , every minute seemed an hour—long denied. Soon s numerous boats wore to be seen plying in the streets, . going from house to house, and rescuing the irihabi- . tauts. Meanwhile the waters kept on increasing; , no attempts were made to save property, the irihabi- , tants of the localities where the flood prevailed'being f content to escape with their lives, and leave- their . property to its fate. At soven o'clock the flood was , at its h ghest, and from that hour the waters began , rapidly to decrease—that decrease being mainly i owing to the assistance which numbers of volunteers p as well as hired laborers afforded the Channel Com- , mittee in cutting through the South Spit—until at , about two o'clock in the afternoon the streets were . once more pnssable even for pedestrians. ■ i "In Sewell-street a most melancholy accident ( which resulted in the death of a fine little boy named ( Fisher, occurred, shortly before noon. The poor . little fellow was standing near the deep drain in front , of the Telegraph Office. This drain was then full of , water rushicg onwards to the river, suddenly his foot i slipped, and he fell into the stream and was curried

by the force of the current under the culvert into the river, and then was seen no tnor?. The accident was witnessed by several bystanders and every effort that could be made was made to save the poor boy, but without avail, as he was swept down to the sea and doubtless perished. , ; " The amount of damage done by the flood wns considerable, the greatest sufferers being householders, from injury done to their furniture. Mr. W. Evans, of Camp-sfcreefc, suffered a severe loss from the water flowing into a store where a quantity of snguy was stored. The water roso 8 inches higher than-it did in the flood of 1866. Captain Turnbull, the 'harbor master, is particularly mentioned for his kindness and assistance to the people in danger." . : .•<-. : On the night of the 15th October, the Hofcitifca rirer again overflowed its banks, causing the inhabitants ol several streets hastily to fly for their lives. Tanered-street was now overflowed, the water entering the houses on both sides of tho street. Sewellstrcet was a broad nnd deep stream, the waters rising high up the verandah in front of the Post-ofiice, and entering the Government Eeserve. Hamilton-street and the Camp Eeserve were deeply flooded, and the waters flowed some distance up. Camp-street. ■Weldstreet, from near the White House Hotel to past Fitzherbert-sfreet, presented the appearance of a broad nnd rapid river, and at ha^f-p^Bt ten o'clock the West Coast Times office wa3 completely surrounded, Boats, too, were plying in the streets, rescuing those inhabitants who had not as yet left their dwellings, and conveying them to places of safety. Shortly before eleven o'clock the flood was at ita height, and the rain had ceased, although the night was still very dark, and the wind blew with great violence. , About half-past eleven o'clock the flood began slowly to sub* Bide." :

MAttLBOEOUGH. The late rains caiised a heavy flood in Maryborough, but so far as we learn there has been no sorioui damage to property; but one unfortunate man appears to have lost his life while crossing the Wairau river, and another man lost his hoK« and dray in trying to cross the Opaw* river. The town of Blenheim has been again flooded, Mr. A. E. Kinsey was drowned in the Wairau river on Sunday, October 18th. The unforlunate young nan (who was the son of a clergyman residing.-in the west of England) left the Accommodation house, near Manuka Island, on horseback, to go to Birch hill. His body was found, and at the inquest -held on October 20th, the Jury unanimously returned the following verdict:—"That the deceased, Arthur Kinsey, was drowned in attempting to cross the Wairau river." WELLINGTOKv The Post of October 14th, states:—" We hear, by telegram from the Wairarapa, that yesterday's heavy gale has created great'damage to the road's •of that district. The £akuratahi bridge was was'he^ away by the enormous quantity of water, com|ng down the flooded river,, and (3-reytown'is under water at thei present moment A large number of telegraph poles and other material were swept away this mprning. At the. Hutt, the river and creeks also rose far above the ordinary level, and igme 'destruction to fencing and property p.ccu'r.red.'1 ' ' . ■

PROVINCTAIi FIffANCK AT WBBTPOBT.—-Mr. A. S. Bain has arrived in Nelson as a deputation from' Westport for the purpose of pbtainjng an interview with his Honor, the Superintendent. The object, wg understand, is to endeavor to obtain retrenchment jn the departmental, police, gaol, and other exnenditurjs in the Buller district, with the view of securing gp,m« application of the moneys so saved, and other fundi, towards the conservation of the banks of the Buller, which are being much injured, to the danger of th« township, ■ '

Four hundred of the trout ova imported by the Southland Acclimatisation Society, have boon successfully hatched. The Wreck of toe S.S. Tab.vnaxi.—The wrecked steamer Taranaki, now lying in fifteen fathoms of water in Q.uecn Charlotte's Sound with a full and very valuable cargo, will ere long bo sold for the benefit of whom it may concern, as there are legal obstaoles in the way of any action being taken by tho directors to raise tho ship— Wellington Independent, October 10.

The Makgonui and Hokiawga Murder 3.— The Southern Cross of Sept. 29th, says:—" An official letter wa3 yesterday received by the authorities, Btating that his Excellency the Governor had been pleased to commute the sentence of death passed at the late sittings of the Supreme Court, on the Maori Hemite Hara, for the murder of C. W. S. Smith, at Mangonui, in ISG7, and on tfie half-caste, Tawake, for the murder of Nuku, at Hokwnga, in the early part of the present year, to one of penal servitude for life. In the course of tho afternoon the Sheriff, H. C. Balneavis, Esq., Mr. Commissioner Naughton, and Captain Eyre, Governor of-Mount Eden-Stockade, had the condemned prisoners brought before them at tho Gaol, and the Sheriff then informed them, through an interpreter, that the sentence of death passed upon them was commuted by the Governor to penal servitudo for life. The announcement was received with evident signs of relief by both tho men, who were afterwards placed in another part of the building. It will be remembered that in tho case of Tawake° tho prisoner was strongly recommended to mercy, and it was never for a moment supposed that he would suffer the extreme penalty of the law ; but in the case of Plerai te Hara no hope of mercy was Leld ont by the Judge." Attempted Trout Ota "Robbery at DtrcreDiN. — The Otago Daily Times s*otes :-—" An attempt was made early the other morning to rob the hatching boxes containing the trout ova, at Captain Boyd's Creek. It appears that Mr. Clifford, the Acclimatization Society's manager, rose between one and two in the morning, and proceeded according to habit towards the hatching boxes, which were about thirty or forty yards off. On seeing a light in that direction, his suspicions were aroused, and on reaching the boxes he saw two men bending down to them. He seized one of them, grappled with him, nnd by holding a stone to his ear, pretending it was a pistol. Mr. Clifford succeeded in leading him by the collar for a distance of about forty yards in the direction of Capt. Boyd's house, when the other man came behind him and struck him, and between the two he wa3 severely handled. The would-be thieves then made their escape, and Mr. Clifford returned to his house, where he was found in the morning by the man employed upon the Society's grounds almost senseless, with his face and body much bruised. On visiting the boxes it was found that the intention of the robbers was to have removed the ova in two bottles and a tin, carefully prepared for the purpose."

ASSAULT ON THE TOWN SCRTETOB OF WELLINGTON —]M r . if. Marcbant, Town Surveyor of Wellington, waß brutally assaulted on Thursday afternoon, Oct. Bth, while in the performance of his duties on the Adelaide-road. While measuring some contract ■work, a man by the name of Pincher, one of the contractors, struck him a violent blow on the head^ with a club or bludgeon with which he had previously armed himself. Mr. Marchant was conveyed bleeding and almost insensible to his home, and in the meantime the ruffian made his escape, and is supposed to be hiding in the bush. A warrant has been issued for his apprehension. We are happy to hear that, though Mr. Marchant has since the assault been confined to his bed, he is slowly recovering.— Wellington Independent, October 10th.

Important to Justices of the Peace. —A case of considerable importance came before his Honor the Chief Justice in banco on Sept. 30. Mr. J. Sheeban, on behalf of a prisoner named Henry Walters, who was brought up under habeas corpus, applied for his liberation from custody, on the ground that the Resident Magistrate of Coromandel, Henry Charles Lawlor, Esq., had exceeded his jurisdiction in inflicting a sentence of two years for larceny. It appeared from the arguments of the learned counsel, aud the ruling of his Honor the Chief Justice,.that the Magistrate had mistaken his powers, conceiving that the 38th section of the Larceny Act, of 1867 (Criminal Law Consolidation Act) gave power fo Resident Magistrates to inflict a sentence of two years in cases where prisoners were convicted, as in the present case, of stealing the product of a mine. The whole question seemed to depend on the words " the Court" in that section, his Honor holding that, inasmuch as the jurisdiction of Magistrates was, in all rases in which the Act contemplated it, referred to in express terms and not by implication, the words "the Court" were intended to apply only to the Supreme Court. The jurisdiction of Magistrates is conferred under the 83rd section of the Justices of the Peace Act, 1866, which only give 3 power to imprison for a period of six month?, and that in cases where the property stolen does not exceed £5, whereas, under the 38th section of the Larceny Act of 18G7, there is no reference to the value of the article stolen. It appeared also that the warrant of commitment was couched in such terms as clearly indicated that the Magistrate had in contemplation the 83rd section of the Justices of the Peace Act as the source whence his jurisdiction was derived. On these and other grounds his Honor decided that the Magistrate had exceeded his jurisdiction, and ordered the prisoner to be discharged. The application was very ably supported by Mr. J. Sheehan. — Auckland Weekly Newt. Opening of the Balclt/tha. Bridge, Otago.— On October Bth, (ho pleasant little township of Clutha Ferry was thrown into a state of great excitement, owing to the opening of the bridge across the Molyneux river, which attracted a large number of eettlera from all the surrounding districts. There was a good display of bunting in the township, and the bridge was decorated with two triumphal arches. At four o'clock a procession was formed, when the local lodges of Freemasons, Oddfellows, nni Foresters turned out with their insignia, hoadad by a band and a Highland piper; About 700 persons were present. The Superintendent of Otago having walked under the Ma?onic archy erected in the centre of the bridge, Miss Isabella Barr broke a bottle of champagne, and wished succe3B to the undertaking amidst loud cheers. The procession was then re-formed, and marched to the platform, when his Honor the Superintendent declared the bridge formally and lawfully open for traffic ; and in'his address, he congratulated the people and the contractor on the successful completion of the greatest work of the kind yet accomplished, either in that Province or the Colony, without the occurrence of any casualty whatever. The Provincial Government had decided that the bridge should be free of toll or pontage for foot passengers, so that all classes might come and go as they pleased. The elegant and substantial struc'uro was an erection creditable to all concerned in its construction ; and was also worthy of the noble and majestic rivor which flowed beueath, as well as- the magnificent district to which it gave access. The totalcost had been £14,360. With all his heart he (Mr. Macandrew) wished that moro of the revenue was expended on similar works, a3 many iuch were necessary for the proper development of the boundless resources of the Province. It was for that reason he was loth to see the death of tho Provincial system. If such a calamitous event came to pass, many days would elapse buforo such works would either be commenced or completed. If Provincial institutions maintained their integrity for a few years longer, many more equally useful and necessary works, in various parts of the Province, would be successfully carried through. He hoped that ere long the bridge itself would be partly surerseded in the accommodation of the Southern traffic by the completion of the projected railway. Ho hoped soon to be called upon to cut the first sod, and ho trusted that before his term of office expired ho would witness the completion of the railway. Mr. Macandrew concluded along and able speech by expressing his belief that the proceedings of: that day would be considered the greatest epoch iv the history of the Clutha district—(great cheers.) After a few remarks from Mr. Murray, tho contractor, three cheers were given for the Queen, the contractor, and workmen 5 after which, <ho Rational anthem was played and sung. The utmost enthusiasm -prevailed, and ah eulogistic address was Brcae»t«4 to the Superintendent.— Qtogo Daily Timts X

Proposed Grating Dock in Wellington.—Mr. Balfour, Marine Engineer, estimates the cost of the proposed graving dock at Evans' Bay at £4-4,873. A steam saw-mill has been erected on one of the Fiji Islands, and the engine, which is of six-horse power, will be used for turning a cotton gin, when not employed in sawing timber. A SUJI of £50 ha 3 beea voted by the Provincial Council of Taranaki to oncoura«c the growth of hops iv that Province. The .Herald believes the climate is well suited for the growth of the plant.

Drowned. — A few dny3 ago, two men, named Brown and Holiday, whilst trying to cross the Otaki river, Wellington Province, were drowned; they were sober men, and were much respected.—John Bcattie, a half-caste, foil overboard from the schooner Hero, as she was proceeding from Napier to the Wairoa, a Few nights since, and was drowned ; he has left a widow and" three children nearly destitute. A targe reservoir has just been completed in the rear of the Genev.il Government buildings at Wellington. The cistern consists of the iron tank in winch .tho submarine .cable was brought out. Its holding capacity is about 35,000 gallons, and it can be filled once every twenty-four hours. The daily consumption of water on the Government premises is about 5000 gallons, so that 30,000 gallons are wasted every day. The surface of the reservoir is 70 feet above the level of the beach, and for the sum of £-100 water could be laid ou to a considerable portion of the town.

The Oamaru Times (Otago) states that a substance resembling magnesia has been discovered in the neighborhood of Oamaru, samples of which are to be forwarded to Dr. Hector for analysis. Keport also speaks of the discovery, of chalybeate springs, indicating the possibility of adding a spa to the attractions of the place. A substance for lighting fires is manufactured at the asphalte works of Messrs. Forbes and Co. in Melbourne. It is sold in cakes about the size of a walnut, burns steadily, requires no puffing, lights a fire without trouble, and effects a considerable

saving. A Candidate Wanted for Phovinctal Honors. —A telegram, d'lted October 10th, status:—" The electors of the district of Timaru have refused to elect a member for the Provincial Council of Canterbury, declaring that Provincialism did not meet the wants of the district in matters of local self-govern-ment. When the Returning Officer called the nomination of a cairlidate no one oiFered."

The Provincial Government of Wellington have already begun to apply the pruning knife in various directions. The office* of the Inspector of Sheep, &c, together with the room rented for the Provincial Libra 1-?, are to be vacated at the end of tho term of occupancy held from Mr. Howard Wallace, and removed. The Engineer Department will be almost entirely abolished, it is paid, and various changes will take place in the Survey Department, with a view of effecting important reductions. — Evening Post, October 15.

Cannibalism.— The Wellington 'Evening Post of October 15th gives the following : —" Information of a credible nature has reachod the Government, that the cannibal, Tito Kowaru, exceeding iv villauy anything yet heard in JXew ZotUaud since (lie very first days of its colonisation, has forwarded to the inland tribes of this island some potted meat, made of the flesh of our poor fellow-countrymen who fell in the late disaster at the Front. The purport of this horrible practice, it is scarcely necessary to remark, is to inflame the ferocity of the natives of the interior, from whom this scoundrel expects as?istanc3. Some small kegb of tln3 horrible food have found their way, it was stated, to the Waikato district, nnd had been seen among the tribes located near Lake Taupo. Well might the lucubrations of Exeter Hall and its friends be once for all disregarded by all colonists, who should really leave nside all feelings but thoso of retributive justice, in dealing with ruffians capable of committing such abominable crimes.

Breach of Promise of Marriage Case at Auckland. —The Southern Cross of October sth, states: —"An action for breach of promise of marriage was commenced in the Supreme Court on Friday last against Mr. W. A. Hunt, well known va one of the shareholders in the famous Hunt's Claim. The plaintiff in the action ia Miss Knox, and damages are laid at £5000. Tho action, which was commenced on Friday, just before Chief Justice Sir Gr. A. Arney left for the South, will come on for hearing at next Civil Sessions of the Supreme Court. Mr. Whitakcr and Mr. Heskcth will appear for the plaintiff. Mr. Hunt was served with the writ on Saturday night, just hs lie had landed from the Thames steamer, by Mr. Blaydes, bailiff."

Seizure of an Illicit Still in the City of Auckland. —The Auckland Weekly Jsews states: — " From suspicions entertained by tho Custom-house authorities in respect to an illicit still at the Ponsonby Road, some of the oifiper3 connected with the department proceeded on Sept. 25 to the residence occupied by Mr. Thomas Polton, Ponsonby Road, and made a search of the premise?, in a part of which they discovered a still for the distillation of liquor, with worm and all attached in full working order, a quantity of fermented Hquor, and two barrels of whisky. Mr. Polton, who was in tho house at the time of the officer's entry, was at once apprehended and brought into town and handed over to the police on a charge of illicitly distilling whisky. The prisoner said that lie had only been living a short time in the house adjacent to the building in which the still and liquor were found, and which building he further stated had not beeu occupied by him, thereby leading the inference that he was ignorant of the existence of the still on tho premises. Another man was present at the time of the capture, but ho managed to effect his escape."

A Message fkom the Notorious Captain Hayes. —The Southern Cross says :—" This extraordinary individual, we learn by the arrival of schooner Neva from the South Sea Islands, i?, beyond all doubt, alive; at any ruto was so when the Neva left. Conflicting rumors, as our readers aro aware, have been circulated respecting this notorious personage: eomo reports asserting his death at the hands of Captain Coffin, others purporting that ho w.is yet alire, but where he existed no one at the tiaao knew. Our Wellington contemporaries, more wise thnn ourselves, reported his death as an indubitable fact; but Capt. Hayes has been good enough to furnish a letter disputing the statements in tho New Zealand papers, andofwh'ch the following is a copy: —'The Capt. of the Neva will be good enough to report me ns bound for the Savage Islands, and from there to Queensland with passengers. lam not dead as the New Zealand papers sny. —(Signed) AY. 11. Hates, Tahiti.'" [We wish wo could say the same of his poor wife, child and brother-in-law, whose bones are bleaching at tho bottom of Oroixelles Harbor.]

Curious Scene at a Public Meeting.—The Tuapeka Times, a new and creditably got-uo paper, published at Lawrence, the CHago goldfields, in if s issue of October 3rts, gives the following:—"Mr. T. h. Shepherd, member for (he Goldficlds, addressed a large meeting of constituents at the Town Hall, Queensfown, on Monday evening last. The Mayor, Mr. J. W. Robertson, J.P., occupied the chair. Mr. Shepherd's address was in liia usual self-laudatory style. Ho strove hard to impress his hearers with the belief that hid they not elected him as their member to the Provincial Council a number of good things would have heen lost to them ; and thufc at. the next election for the General Assembly, they should return him to the House of Representatives. Unfortunately his hearers did not seem to see the necessity for so doing. About the middle of his (Mr. Shepherd's) speech,-a donkey ridden by a man strode right into the hall up to the platform, and created immense confusion. The rider averred that partly by his own free will, and partly by dint of pushes from vnriou3 bystanders, the animal forced its way into Mr. Shepherd's presence, where it stood for Borne time pricking up its ears, apparently much edified by Mr. Shepherd's remarks. The donkey was afterwards quietly removea, probably intending to vote for Shepherd as member for Hampden at the next election. The next day the rider was brought before tho Resident Magistrate. The only excuse he offered wns that if asses were excluded, public meetings would be but thinly attended. The Magistrate fined him £2 10s., and severely reprimanded him for deliberately insulting the Mayor aud tswnspeople by i his conduct,"

Ee\tard M'Clvbsy, who lately went from Nelson to Auckland, died very suddenly in the Greyhound Hotel in the latter city, on Sept. 26fch. His death resulted from disease of the heart.

The ship Asteropr and tho barque Noranside, both arrived at Wellington on October 6th, from London. Tho Astcrope brought 117 passengers, and made the passago in 97 days, the Noranside's occupying 122 clays. Gold Export peost AtrciCLAND.-rTlio Fc-w Zealand, Herald of Octobor 3rd, states :—" The s.s. Airedale which leaves the Mauakau to-day will be the bearer of about 12,000 ounces of Thames gold. The Union Bank of Australia shipped during yesterday five boxes, containing 63010z5. lldwts. Bgr3., valued at £16,252. The amount of duty on which was £787 13j. lid. The Bank of New Zealand will export a large quantity by_ the same steamor this morning... .In addition.to this tho ship Racehorse, which leaves for Sydney to-day, takes 87ozs. 9dwts. 6grs., valued at £226." The FfJis.—By the Joanie Duncan, which arrived in Lyttelton on Saturday, a file of tho first half-dozen numbers, of the Fijian Weekly Neios and Planters' Journal has been received. The little journal, which is printed on a single sheet, is very creditable to the spirited proprietor. It is published at Levuka, in the island of Ovalau. Considering the infancy of the settlement, the attempt must be regarded as a very creditable one, tho editorial and mechanical departments being well managed. The main objects which this journal lias in view aro to make the capabilities of tlio islands better known, and to correct "the vague and ofteu incorrect reports current; in tho colonial press." Amongst the advertisements, we observe ono announcing that Mr. Turner, lately a City Councillor of Dunedin, has opened an hotel and boarding-house. Ship-building has been commenced there. A yacht has just been built for two of the leading planters, measuring 27ft. over all in length, Bft. 4in. beam, and 3ft. 2in. deep, with a carrying capacity of about eiglot and a half tons, on a draught of two and a half feet. It is copper-fa3toned and very strongly built, and is said to have cost considerably less thin it would if built in Sydney.

Gold from the Thames.—The Southern Cross of Sept. 291h, suites:—"The Duke of Edinburgh, which arrived from Shortland on Saturday evening, brought up 2000 ounces of gold from Hunt's claim. A parcel, containing about 700 ounces, from the Manukau claim, was nlso brought up by the same steamer." The same paper of October sth, say* : — " Mr. Cobley, a shareholder in Hunt's well-known claim, brought 2000 ounces of gold to town in. the p.B. Duko of Edinburgh on Saturday. We take the following from the Otago Daily Mail: —"Tho following true story of the faithfulness of a retriever is worthy of record, and has not before appeared in print. On tho 3rd of February lust, a day over to be remembered all over New Zealand, the ketch Emerald, Cuptain Whity, was lying under Cape Campbell when the terrific storm burst forth which proved so de>tructive to the shipping nn the entire coast, and which compelled the Emerald, as a last resource, to venture across to Port Underwood for the safety of vessel and civw, and when off White Bluff the weather proved so densely thick that great anxiety was felt ns to the position of the ship, which it was impossible for the captain accurately to discover ; this anxiety wns increased by tho nppenranae of broken wa fer nroiuui. At this moment a heavy sea struck her and hid her on her beam cud for about four minutes, carrying off the ship's dog, and whatever moveablo articles remained on deck. The captain being at the helm, the mate suggested that he should take the rudde* and tho captain go aloft to try and discover land. Ho had not reached half-way up the mast., however, before another sea struck her, washing the mate overboard and disabling one of tho seamen, whose back was nearly broken, carrying off the wheel and steering gear and breiiking off the stem post; the retriever was c-bscrved to swim after the vessel, and when the mate, who was no swimmer, fell overboard, the dog swam to his rescue, but in the plight in which (he vessel was placed, it was, unfortunately, impossible to render any help to tho drowning man ; however, it would appear that therelrieverremiiuder faithfully to his charge, although life must shortly thereafter have fled, and conveyed the lifeless body to land, a distance of over half a mile. The retriever was next day observed on the rocks by a shepherd, who could not account for its presence on snob a lonely spot, and in the immediate vicinity was shortly discovered the corpse of the mate, which the dog would not allow him to handle, and before doing so the retriever had to bo brought to bay by a couple oF collies ; and, indeed, afrer the body had been removed, the dog broke loose and found its way back to ihe spot where the lifeless corpse had been deposited by him. Six weeks elapsed before Captain Whitby recovered his faithful animal, which the shepherds were anxious to retain, but the high price offered by them was refused."

Ministerial Ktdxipptn'G.—The Wellington Independent tells the following grotesque, but most humiliating story; a proof of the contemptible "jockeyship" that disgraces our legislation: —"The Ministry and their ' whips' are thoroughly unscrupulous in their tactics. As our readers lire aware, Ministers were very hard put to it on Friday night, and so the whips worked most strenuously. Their zeal, however, led them to attempt a very dishonorable thing, fortunately without success. Mr. John "Patterson, the member for the Southern Maori Electoral District, had pledged himself to vote in favor of Mr. M'Lean's want of confidence resolution, and Ministers being unabla to bring him over (o their side, contrived to get him out of the way. An lion, member of the Centralist party, wbo shall he nameless, undertook the task, and our Maori friend was induced without much difficulty to go acro33 to the ' Thistle' and have a drink. Then hia mentor proposed an adjournment to 'the Princess's,' aconsiderablo distance up the street, and having got him there and induced him to tuke another drink, Mr. Patterson was told he need not atir again that night, because there would be no division, and he might easily avoid the bore of aittiag in ths House. To make all safe, a confederate engaged Patterson at card?, and the door of the room was locked. In the meantime, (he Government went to Mr. Fox and pressed him to let a division take place at once. Mr. Fox, not knowing of the kidnapping scheme that had been carried out, expressed himself as agreeable, and went to ask Mr. M'Lean about it. Then for tho first time, the trickery of the Ministry was discovered, and three hon. members wont in search of Patterson. Tho agents of tho Government had got wind of this, and smuggled Patterson, on various pretences, out of the ' Princess's' and back to the ' Thistle.' The Opposition, however, tracked him there, and ultimately brought him back to the House. Tho debate was still going on, and in tho interval before tho division took placo, a certain hon. member, who recently figured in the Police Court at Auckland, and was fined £5 for punching somebody's head, tried to kidnap Patierson again. We suppose the aforesaid hon. member wa3 grateful to Mr. Stafford for the moral white-washing which lie recently gave him, and therefore did not scruple to do a discreditable act, for tho sake of helping his chief and benefactor at a pinch. At a'l events, Mr. we mean tho pugilistic M.li.R.— did get Patterson away again—actually, as far a.3 the gates—but hero the Philistine came upon h'm in tho person of another hon. member, who is a heavy weight, tops six feet in height, and possesses the best biceps of any man in the Assembly. We «'iould like to havo witnessed the scene, —but though we didn't—a correspondent tells us that the stout and tall hon. member, speechless with indignation, ' made j gestures at the pugilistic M H.R., which meant) hat if he (the said pugilist) went a yard further, he (the Btout M.11.R.) would knock him down.' Wo have been informed that Lord Burleigh could express the whole of an eloquent speech by a single shake of the head, and the ' gestures' of our stout friend must havo been equally meaning and eloquent. They were at least thoroughly effectual, because the pugilistic M.H.E. let Patterson go and skedaddled himself forthwith, leaving our powerful friend to lead Patterson back in triumph, to record his yote in favor of Mr. M'Lean, to whom he had pledged himself. Seriously speaking, we trust, for the sake of honor and dignity of Parliament, that the Ministry will not again try expedients to kidnap mombei's, which would, disgraoe even a contested election in the most corrupt of English boroughs,"

The Otago fortnightly escort arrived at Dunedin on October 6, with 7549 ounces of gold.

Gold has been discovered on the run of Messrs, Brown and Stewart, Waiau, Southland.

The Wellington Independent of the 24th ultimo has a telegram from Dunedin which states that the firm qf Royse, Mudie, and Co. had failed j as also Mr, Millar, ofOauiaru.

Gold prom the Lyeli,.—-Tho Westport Starfiays: —" A well-known mmci* on the West Coast, John Hayden, or " Dublin Jack," has arrived in town with a very fine parcel of nuggety gold, obtained at the Lyell. The parcel is upwards of three pounds weight, and contains more than a dozen nuggets, ranging in weight from a quarter of an ounce to an ounce, and one weighing about three ounces.

The amount of Customs revenue collected at Grey■oiouth during the month of September, was £5952 17s. 4d., and during the quarter'ended 30th September, £14,170 103. sd. The gold duty collected at Greymoutii during the quarter wa3 divided as follows :—Westland, £1293 ; Nelson, £1731.

Death of the Member for Ltttelton. —The Wellington- Independent of" Oct.- 10, states:—" We regret exceedingly to announce the decease of Mr. George-Macfarlan, tho member for Lyttelton, which ■took place at midnight. The hon. gentleman had been ailing for some day 3 past, but nothing so serious was anticipated. We believe that a species of low fever, now so prevalent iv Wellington, was the immediate cause of his death. The announcement of this sad event to the members of the House of Representatives just at the moment of adjournment was received with profound awe. An accomplished scholar—a useful member—an ornament to the House and to society, has thus been cut off in the flower of youth."

Fire at CnRiSTCniTRCH. —A firo occurred in Wor-cester-street, Christchurch, on tho 4th October, when a large four-roomed cottage was found to be enveloped in flames. Neither the building nor tho property of its occupant, a Mi 1. Kiehardson, were insured. The origin of the conflagration is unknown, b"at Mr. Richardson says there had been no fire near the spot discovered to be in flames, and ho is totally unable to account for the disa3ter ;

The Condition of Canterbury.—The Christchurch Mail referring to the news contained in its October monthly summary says :—" Wo cannot, give our friends in the old country a very encouraging account of our present condition. So many bankrupts and insolvents going through thecour destroy credit. Our old trades of inferior farming and sheep-trotting will not pay by thein»elvos ; and wo cannot see yet that any mining and manufacturing pursuits nro likely to be started. In the neighboring Province of Ofcasro they are. The Provincial Council there vofed £1500 as a bonus for tho first 6000 yards of doth locally manufactured; and a well-known manufacturer has gone thither to earn the reward.

D. Nisbet, otherwise known as " Scotch Josk," ha 3 just arrived from Scotland at Melbourne, with five of the very best bred Clydesdale horses, some of which are intended for New Zealand. On the day of his arrival he sold two—one, The Pride of Scotland, the other, Count Bismark, for £750 each.

: Accident at a Funeral.—A miner named Henry Greig, one of Tapley's party, Giles' Terrace, near Westport, has been so severely injured by a fall of earth in a tunnel, that he died a few day 3 ago, after being removed to the hospital. At his funeral, an unfortunate accident occurred. Andrew Corrigan, who was assisting to lower the coffin, was precipitated into the grave by the ground giving way, and tho coflln falling upon him caused a dislocation of the elbow joint. Politeness has been carried to an extreme by Mr. William Hay, of the Bible warehouse, Princes-street, .Dimodin. He has an advertisement in the local papers, with the heading " Public. Apology." The ■advertisement intimates that Mr. Hay " begs to apologise to his numerous debtors, in town and country, for being under the painful necessity of requesting an immediate settlement of their accounts due to him."

Setuou3 Accident at TaukangA.—The Weekly News' Tauranga correspondent, writing on tho 25th of September says: —" An accident of rather a serious character occurred on Thursday, tho 17th instant. Three native boats were on their way to town from Waihi, a native settlement on the other side Katiko.ti Heads, when,, through some mischance, one of the boats capsized in tho surf, precipitating its unfortunate occupants, amongst whom was a European, into the water. The natives succeeded in reaching the shore in safety, but it is foared that the white man, who is said to' have had a considerable sum of money on him at the time, has met with a watery grave. No traces of the body have Binco been discovered. The boat, after drifting a short distance, was completely smashed on the breakers."

At Auckland, a few days ago, a farewell soriee was given to Mr. John Fletcher, late principal of the Wesley College, on the occasion of his resignation of that pest and approichinj departure to the Thames. Tho affair took placo in the schoolroom of tho Pittstreet Sunday School, which was crowded with the Sunday School pupils and members of tho congregation. An address, a gold watch, and two valuable volumes were presented to Mr. Fletcher.

Melancholy Accident at Auckland.—The New Zealand Herald of October 3rd, saps:—"A man named Johnson, a fisherman, left Auckland on Thursday afternoon in his boat, the Pot, accompanied by a boy about 16 years of ago, named Frederick Rsnner, with the intention of fishing off Rangitoto. Upon their arrivnl on the ground, and not finding any take, they anchored their boat, and went to sleep in their blankets in the fora part of the boat, which was covered in. About one o'clock the weather became very squally, with thunder and lightning. Johnson's account of the affair is, that about half-past four he was awoke by a brilliant flash of lightning, and looking out of the fore-peak he at once observed, to his consternation, that the boat was rapidly going down stern foremost. Calling ont to the boy, who answered, " All right," he instantly made the best of his way out, and was only just able to get clear when tho boat sank bplow tho surface of the water. The bows, however, seem to have remained only just covered, probably on account of tho air which remained enclosed in tho fore-peak; and Johnson managed to support himself by holding on to tho nose of the boat, which still remained hanging on to her anchor. After an interval of half an hour his cries were heard by John Beeton, whose house stands upon the beach about fifty yards from where the accident occurred, arid he immediately put off in his boat, accompanied by his daughter, and rescued Johneon from his perilous position. Afterwards another boat, called the Mary was communicated with, and by their united efforts the Pet was towod ashore and baled out, when the poor lad was discovered dead and rolled up in his blanket as he had lain when asleep. The body was brought up to Auckland by the Mary between seven and eight o'clock yesterday evening, and an inquest will be held upon it. The accident was of a most unusual description, and the cause of the swamping of the boat is not known.

Yon Tempsky's EtfcoFNTEn with Robbers. —The following characteristic anecdote of the late Major Yon Tempsky is related by the Wellington Independent. At the time he waai at San Francisco, having called one evening to see a sick friend at an hotel, he left him to go on board one of the floating boardinghouses where he lodged. Noticing that he was dodged by some men who followed him down tho wharf, he tried to evade them; but he wa3 intercepted, and, after a desperate resistance, was overpowered. During the struggle, he got knocked into the water. Being a man of great muscular power, he struck out, but his pursuers followed him in a boat. • On coming up with him, not liking to make any unnecessary noise by despatching him with their revolvers, they struck at him with their oara; he diving to escape, and feigning insensibility, when one of their number leaned over the side to grriiip him. Having hauled him in, they proceeded to search for the leathern belt usually carried by the miners to keep their gold in, and worn next the skin; they stripped him of his outer clothing, and perceiving that life was not extinct, one villain was raising his bowie-knife to stab him, when Yon Tempsky made a last effort—threw him back, upsetting the boat ; and escaped by swimming to the wharf, whevo he was found-by some persons, half aakod, clinging to the piles, in the morning.