The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi.` SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1914, 20 February 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi.` SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1875.

The depression in mining affairs which has been so marked here for a long time past, and almost equally so in other parts of New Zealand, it would appear is not confined to this Colony. In Victoria there was a large falling off in the yield of gold during 1874, and in the number of men employed in mining pursuits. . As illustrating this we print in another portion of this issue an article condensed from the Melbourne Argus of the 16th January, which deals largely with figure's and gives a table showing the . average number of miners employed and the quantity, of gold produced for the last nine years.. In addition to this, other evidences are not wanting to show that the state of things here with regard to mining is strikingly similar to that in Melbourne, especially with regard to the stagnation of the sharemarket, the difficulty of getting together a meeting of shareholders in any but dividend-paying mines, and in the matter of getting call*. The Melbourne correspondent of the Ballarat Miner in a recent issue says :— The " Verandah," in Collins street, is now but a ghost of its former self, and under the Hall of Commerce "Ichabod" might be appropriately written. It is melancholy to watch the half dozen or so speculators who hang about there during the day, and dodge in and out the Criterion, spending, probably, more in nobblers than their day's earnings amount to. The deserted appearance which our own Exchange presents day after day represents on a small scale the state of trffairs under the Verandah and at the Hall of Commerce in Melbourne. Our brokers and mining agents have either deserted their well-known haunts altogether, or they have for the time being adapted themselves to other callings —the business of the Exchange being exceedingly limited. The writer we have quoted above, in the same issue of his paper gives another phase of the depression and its r»sults. He says :— It appears to be an exceedingly difficult matter at present to hold a meeting of a non-dividend paying mining company in Melbourne. It makes no difference where the mine is situated, whether at Ballarat, Sandhurst, Clunes, or elsewhere, shareholder! fight shy of putting in an appearance. Day after day meetings are called, but beyond ah odd shareholder of a too enquiring mind, and an industrious newspaper reporter, no one thinks it worth while to put in au appetruce.

During the current week one of our mines, hitherto regarded as a most valuable property, has entirely suspended operations, and the plant has been handed ovtr*lo its creditors as security for liabilities incurred; this too in the face of having capital not called up. It is easy to make calls, but to collect them when made is found to be difficult—in many cases impossible. The surface levels having been worked out there is displayed a lamentable want of enterprise in deyeloping the low levels of the district; and until some new discoveries are made we fear it will be useless to look for any great, stir in mining matters. Certainly large prospecting works are in progress, at a cost which shows that some at least have not lost faith in the ultimate productiveness of the reefs ; but in too many instances there is apparent a want of that spirit of enterprise which formerly characterised mining operations at the Thames. The future is not very bright, but there is always the possibility of something turning lip which shall change the? whole aspect of affairs and inspire new confi* dence in every direction; and the change is one now devoutly to be wished for, as the mining industry has now reached a crisis. \\-'}:'--. „ ■•• ■:■:,'; - ;- :■■ '■■■ The time of the sailing of the Manaia on her return trip to Auckland has been altered from 6 o'clock this evening to 9 o'clock—the boat having left Auckland after htr advertised time. A TBiAfc crushing for the tributors of the British nine, situate in Hape Creek, has just been concluded at Sprague's battery, when the satisfacfcorly yield of; 9 ounces ;6dwts. of retorted gold was to hand from eight tons of dirt. We understand the Thames Dramatic Club will give a performance on Thursday or j Friday evening next for the benefit of Francis Garner, who sustained serious injuries to his sight by an accident in a mine recently. An article <ra the " Victorian yield of gold," the Resident; Magistrate's Court, and some other matters of interest will be found in the fourth page. Our special reporter's letter from Ohinemuri, Mining Reporter's " Week," gold 'returns, arid several other matters are unavoidably crowded out.

A nbW phrase may well be added to the literature of inquests., A. form °* death yery frequent, and, to be explained by simplo mean*, may well be designated by the words, " turned in his sleep. It ma-v not be generally known that the only safe position in which to sleep is upon the back, but slightly inclined orer to the right side. This attitude does not compress any of the Tital organs, and leares respiration free. Now, if a person suffering from Talrular disease of the heart is lying on the left tide, by which the action of the organ is diminished, sleep will become irregular and uneasy from the discomfort experienced; arid ho may, to free himself from the discamfort, giro hincself a sudden turn or wrench, by which the weakened ressels. of the body's great force-pump are suddenly ruptured and death ensues. The simple eiplamation "turned in his sleep," is often sufficient to account for the otherwise inexplicable appearance of death in an apparently healthy subject. $

Fbom the Port Louis Commercial Gazette, of 19th November, /we take the following items of news irom .the Cape diamond filed?, extracted from the ; South African Mail of 16th October:—" A diamond of 287 carats has been found at the diamond-fields, and the Diamond News of 6th October says:— * Last week was remarkable for the number of large diamonds found, of from 50 up to 100 carats and upwards. None of them were white, however, or even Cape white, and, consequently, not very Taluablo.' In reference to this the B. P. Herald s ys:—• We yesterday saw the largest diamond yet found on the dry diggings, It was picked up by a native in the employ of Mr Sohreiner, in the old De Beet's mine, on Tuesday afternoon. It weighs 237 carats, and looks like two de-canter-stoppers rolled into one. It is, unfor. tunately, a little yellow, but it is free from flaw, and of good shape. It is a magnificent stone.' In a later edition the same paper says :—^ The owner writes us to tte effect that our description of this diamond was misconstrued to mean that it was a double stone. He says that it is the most solid and undivided stone -possible, that the owners estimate its value at £2000, and that they have called it the Faith Diamond.''?

We are glad to inform our reader* that a New Gentlemen's Clothing Establishment has opened in Pollen street, two doors from Mary street, named the Thames Borough Clothing Mart.—Ad vt.