OTAGO.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 569, 17 March 1870, Page 3

OTAGO.

(From the Otago Daily Times, March 11 to ; ■.,;,..', '„ IMarch 14 inclusive.} '.

The consecration of St. Mary's Church, Inch Clutha, bjihe Eight Reverend the Eri mate of New Zealand, took place ou Sunday, the 6th inst. The church was crowded on the occasion.

The price of pats at Bendigo Gully at present ia said to be 8s per bushel, while at Queens town it is only 3s 9d per bushel. The great disproportion between the prices at the two places is attributed to the high charges made at the Kawarau punts. • A heavy. gale. of wind prevailed, at Clyde and Cromwell on the 6th inst. , At the former place it caused no damage, but at Cromwell, where it blew, a "perfect 'hurricane," the framework of the new Boman Catholic Church,, which had been erected only a few days previous, was blown down. * An East Taieri correspondent of the Bruce Standard states that the two days of high wind by which, last week was, ushered in, greatly, hindered the harvesting of grain. The successive changes of weather had previously made the straw extremely brittle, but since the last gales it has become like tinder. More attention is shown this year to the operation of thatching the stacks, . as the experience of previous years has demonstrated the folly of leaving them exposed to all weathers.

On arriral of the barque Nightingale from Western Australia yesterday, Sergeant Mallard, in charge of the water police, boarded her, and after investigation found fire men whom he believed to be convicts at. large from thai colony. The men had shipped at Is per month for their passage to Otago, a few hours previous to the vessel leaving Vasse, the agreement being made in a public-house. As they could not. show their freedom tickets they, were arrested and taken to the lock-up, until further enquiry is made as to their antecedents. -

; The Bruce Standard furnishes the following illustration of "the peculiar and prejudiced notions entertained by Mr Auld respecting the requirements of the province : " — " A reverend gentleman informs us that when he was coming out to Otago, some years ago, he wrote to Mr Auld, asking him to grant ap assisted passage to an Irish girl whom he proposed taking with him as servant. This request was refused, on the ground that the proportion of Irish in Otago was already too high, and that until the balance was equalised Mr Auld could not grant passages to any but Scotch, or mayhap one or two KrigHsh." :

A curious discovery was made by Captain Beatson, of the brigantine Oreti, during a recent visit to the, Auckland Isles. On ascending the highest mountain there— some 900 feet above the level of the sea — he discovered the , skull of a horse. No other bones, either of a horse or any other animal, were found ; at the same .place r or near it. Struck with the mysterious character of his discovery, Captain Baaston determined to bring the skull with him to Dunedin, in order that it might be deposited in the Museum. How the bones got to their resting-place on the Auckland : Isles is a subject which will puzzle our suvans as much as the general public. The Isles are entirely out of the track of. aoy vessels carrying horses, and indeed are never touched at except in cases of necessity. Some other relics were discovered at the same time, the most remarkable being the skeleton of a young woman, whose body might have been washed ashore. A list of articles deposited by the late Captain. Norman, when,, in command. of, , the Victorian Governmenfc ship Victoria, despatched on a special mission to the Isles, was also found by Capt. Beatson. . The articlea were: a bible, a prayer-book, a collection of tracts, several numbers of Good Words, a tinder-bos, eleven balls, eight pounds of powder, and a musket. They were found in a cask, and as it did not appear to be water r tight, they were taken out by Captain Beatson, dried, and replaced, the cask being also properly secured. As a source of. relief lor shipwrecked mariners, the deposit was rather a meagre one.