OTAGO.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 660, 5 July 1870, Page 3

OTAGO.

*. (From, the Daily limes of June 29 and 30.) For several day* the Molyneux river has been in a state of high flood, and at Balclutha, on Sunday, great fears were entertained for the safety of the township. The banks of the river were completely filled before the river began to subside, and only a few inches more of a rise would have flooded the flat. -The rivsr had considerably fallen yesterday morning, and all danger for the present is past. A narrow escape from a fatal accident occurred a few days ago at Balclutha. It appears that * gentleman having arrived at the township witli a double buggy, drove into the edge of the river (which was then flooded), in order to wash both horses and buggy. The horses all at once got into a newly-formed hole, beyond their depth. In attempting to turn round for terra firma they got slightly into the current, and only by careful management were they got to the edge, a considerable distance down the river, both man and horses having undergone a more thorough cleansing than originally intended. At the Government land sale which took place at Hampden on the 27th inst., fifteen suburban allotments, adjoining the township of Hampden, ranging in area from 4a. lr. 26p. to. 11 a. 3r. 10p,, were offered for sale at the upset price of 60s per acre ; all were sold at prices varying from £3 3s to £10 10 per acre, .the average being jE4 7s 9d. At the same time 10 allotments of block I and X, Otepopo district, Kuribuah reserve, varying ia area from 57a. Or. 30p. to 119 a. lr. 38p. were offered at the upset price of 2 ls; three sections, comprising an area of 258 a. 3r 10p., sold at from £1 Is to £1 12s per acre, the average being £1 6s 8d per acre. Section 21, block EX., Otepopo district, realised the upset price of 2 is per acre. gave some time age a description of the Goodenough patent horseshoe, and the manner in which it is fitted and attached to the horse's hoofs. During the past six months the horses of the Mounted Constabulary force in this province have, wherever there are farriers who understand the manner of putting them on, been shod with this kind of horseshoe, and with results which at once demonstrate its advantages over every other kind. Horseß shod on this plan can keep a flrm foothold, and are consquently prevented from slipping and overreaching. It is a remedy for contracted foot, corns, Bandcracks, and split hoofs; it is nearly half as light again as the common shoe, and enables the horse to travel with greater ease and speed fchan when shod on the old plan. About fire months ago, one of the horses was almost useless, as it was Buffering, from lameness caused by corns. It was then shod on the new plan, and the lameness entirely disappeared. Another hone, which had from the same cause been condemned as being unfit for -service, was also shod on the new plan, and sent up country, where it was employed for a time in a district where the roads are •oft. Both of these horses have lately been Almost daily ridden over the macadamised roads in or near the city, and have shown no signs of lameness. One of them was a few days ago ridden over 36 miles of newlymetalled road, and did not appear to be any the worse at the end of bis journey. In both cases the corns have almost entirely disappeared, the sole resuming its natural shape. The opinion of the mounted members of the police force is, that the Goodenough shoe is, at least for saddle horses, vastly superior to the old kind; The rationale of the south-east gale* which visit the east coast of Otago in the winter months, is a subject which has- hitherto attracted the attention of our nautical men only to a very inconsiderable extent. These dangerous storms usually occur at full and change of the moon, and their approach is indicated by hazy or foggy weather, during which the sea rises and breaks in a heavy surf upon exposed points of the coast. This weather generally continues for three days with a falling glass, and the sea reaches its maximum height at high water on the last night of the storm— the night tide, as in other parts of the world, being invariably higher than that of the day. A correspondent, who has bad many opportunities of studying the phenomena of these storms, conjectures that their general direction is «outh-east, and that they strike the coast diagonally, their force being confined to a belt, or path, the limits; of which are so well defined as frequently to be felt at one of our northern ports, whilst that immediately south of it escapes. In support of this hypothesis it is stated, that during the time that the Geelong was trading between Dttnedin and Canterbury, she frequently experienced a gale of wind at Akaroa or Lyttelton which the residents at Oamaru or Moeraki escaped, although at the latter places the exceptionally low register of barometers pointed out that bad weather was not far off. Semetimes it has happened that a vessel putting to sea during one of these periods has had her sails blown away off the land at a time when there waa no wind on shore, the vessel having sailed into the gale; A remarkable illustration of this occurred on Tuesday last. The schooner Cora was discharging at Oamaru, when the surf began to break in the bay with a suddenness and force which the captain (an old coaster) describes as exceeding anything he had previously experienced. With the. greatest difficulty the vessel was got to sea, and proceeded to Moeraki, when the captain found, to his astonishment, that nothing of the kind had been experienced there. Captain Busseli attributes the safety of his vessel, under Providence, to the gallant manner in which the boats of the Oamaru Landing Company were manned and sent to his assistance, and speaks in the highest terms of the conduct of the men. It is almost unnecessary for ub to state this is not the first occaeion upon which the gallantry of the Oamaru boatmen has bejn displayed.