OTAGO.

Timaru Herald, Volume IV, Issue 98, 30 March 1866, Page 5

OTAGO.

[from oub own correspondent] Saturdays 24th March. With the exception of Thursday and part of Friday we have passed through another week of glorious weather. Indeed we have experienced more of summer during the present month than m both the previous months put together. Dunedin streets are therefore walkable, which cannot be affirmed of them m rainy weather, when necessity compels the male portion of our citizens to go ankle deep m yellow mud of a fine creamy thickness. The harvest, with trifling exceptions, may be said to be over, so far as regards the immediate neighbourhood of Dunedin, and the fine ana extensive Taieri Plains. It is only on high ground that we find the crops still wearing- a gTeen and yellow covering-. Another week, however, of such weather as the present will almost suffice to make upland crops ready for the mower. A telegram from the Bluff, received m town early on Thursday morning-, announced the arrival there of the Tararua, havingthe January English Mail on board. By it we have received the melancholy intelligence of the loss, m the Bay of Biscay, of the fine screw steamer London, which left Plymouth for Melbourne on New Year's Day. Only fourteen, out of nearly 250 souls on board, were saved. Among the lost is the well known eminent tragedian G. V. Brooke. A most affecting incident took place at the Telegraph Office here on the receipt of the mail news, His Honor Mr. Justice Chapman had just arrived at the office to enquire for a telegram from the Bluff. It was handed to him, when he glanced at it for a moment, and then fell on the floor moaning heavily. The telegram announced to him the loss of all that was near and dear m this mortal life; wife and son and daughter had perished m the ill-fated "London." His Honor was speedily raised, and after resting some time m the office, was conyeyed home. His Honor Mr. Justice Richmond was presiding" m the Supreme Court, but he adjourned the business the moment he heard the melancholy news. I need hardly add that throughout the city there is an universal feeling of condolence with the venerable judge m his deep affliction.

The mail letters and newspapers were delivered m town late on Thursday evening and on Friday.

The wool shipments from this province for the season are now nearly at a close, the ships Warrior Queen and Celceno having almost all their bales on board.

On the evening of Tuesday last our Volunteers held their second gTand annual ball within the Great Exhibition Hospital Building- m King-street. It was very numerously attended, and proved a complete success. On Friday, being the Anniversary Day of Otago, there was a general holiday, and the Volunteers mustered for a camping on the East Taieri Plain, which lies about eleven miles from town. Those who turned out for the march from town on Thursday evening seemed enthusiastic enough, notwithstanding the state of the weather, which was showery and boisterous, but the muster was scarcely up to the mark m point of numbers for a camp meeting. An amusing incident connected with the encampment took place on Friday forenoon. A Volunteer soldier acting for the nonce as an orderly, rode breathless into town from the Camp, and halting at the Post Office made military enquiry for letters, newspapers, and book packets, perhaps also, but I did not enquire, asking by command of Major-General Cargill, whether there were any war notes from the enemy at Invercargill, Oamaru, or Timaru. The fact is, our military heroes, knowing of the arrival of the English mail, were anxious for news from their friends m the old country, and I do not think the news would damp their ardour m the roughing it out military exercises attendant on camp life. The Caledonian Society of Otago held a gathering of all the clans, or " shoulder-to-shoulder " men, also on Friday, but m consequence of the weather the attendance was not so numerous as it otherwise would have been. The various games, however, were gone through with much spirit. Before the sports had been concluded, the rain began to fell m torrents, leaving the entire field to four enthusiastic quoit players, who continued for a while their play, with coats off, amid all the rain. The drinking booths, m consequence of the heavy wet outside, were all crowded to excess, and from the long time the rain continued to fall, with the equally long time the booths remained crowded, I have reason to believe that a goodly number left the Caledonian games pretty wet inside. In the evening the Caledonians had a grand ball m the Exhibition Building, which was appropriately decorated for the occasion. The weather, however, was anything but good, which prevented so large, an attendance as there otherwise would have been. Dancing was kept up with much spirit till an early hour on Saturday morning.

The Princess' Theatre, under Lady Don's management, is a great success, and * no wonder, as her Ladyship is from the pure stock of British actors, and would command admiration amongst heathens.

Commerce is dull. The elections m Otago have resulted m favour of the Old Identity. Well, a thousand-fold better the Ola Identity than the New Iniquity, m the persons of such men as James Gordon Stuart Grant !