BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

West Coast Times, Issue 206, 17 May 1866, Page 2

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

(PIIOM OUH OWN COBHESrONDENT.) (Tho following Telegrams wore published in tho Despatch yosterdny evening.) N Ciiristciiuroh:, Wednesday, 3.30 p.m. The Airedale, from the North, sails this afternoon with tho out-going English mail. Mr. J. Johnston and Mr. F.) Jollie have been appointed members of the Executive Council. It is rumored that Sir George Grey intends visiting Canterbury and Otago.

An advertisement announces that Mr Barff's committoo will meet at tho Tramway Hotel, to-morrow ovening, for thp transaction of important business.

Wo notico that four shtroß in tho Hokitika and Kanieri Tramway Company aro advertised for sale. Thcso aro tho four additional sharos necessary to comploto tho capital of tho company. Tho incidents that may happon to ono, ovon in such a short voyago as that betweon horo and Nolson havo boon strikingly illustrated in a certain trip mado by tho Wallabi about ton mouths ago. On that occasion sho was compolled, by stress of weathor, to put into Wanganui Inlet, ono of tho many Bholtoring bays on this coast, and eituuto about 160 miles to tho north of Hokitika. On that occasion Captain Whitwoll, thon in command of tho Wallabi, was dotaincd for ft few days, during which tho passongors, composed mostly of storckcopors belonging to this placo, passed thoir timo in short excursions on Bhoro. On ono of theso rambles ovor tho beaoh thoy discovorcd a magnificent seam of coal, about eight feet in thickness, cropping to tho surfaco iinmodially above low water mark, and with tho clip running towards tho shoro. Boing practical business niou, tho discoverers woro not tho sort to allow suoh a valuablo prizo as an undeveloped coal mine to bo thrown by fortuno within their grasp, and not clutoh it. Accordingly, tho rcmaindor of tho voyago of tho Wallabi was mado ploasaut by tlio passongors being omployed in tho formation of tho Wanganui Coal Company. At tho timo certain arrangemonts woro mado to test tho voluo of their diseovoiy, and a deposit mado of £10 from each to meet preliminary exponses. On arrival at Nolson a practical mining survoyoi 1 was despatched to report on tho mine, which, boiug highly favoralslo, a grant of tho laud was immediately procured by tho discoverors .from tho Nolson Government, for tho purposo of properly working for and carrying away all coal or other minorals within tho spcoifiod area as described in tho application. Tho last wo hoard of tho conoern wus, that a company wa3 laoing formed under tho Limitod Liability Act, and about being floated on tho Melbourne markofc with a capital of £50,000 in shavos at £1 por sharo, each of tho original projectors boing allotted 600 paidup shares in lieu of tho'r intorost in Iho mino, with this addition attached, that thoy shall not sell at undor par. Such aro the prospects of thoso lucky passongors, who by prompt action and Iho investment of a vory fow pounds, turned an ovonfc that many would pass with indifforonco, into a source of roal and substantial wealth. What brought tho particulars of this affair to our recollection, was meeting with Captain Falconer, of tho schoonor Calodonin, which vessel arrived in harbor yesterday, having on her voyago from Dunodiu beon detained in Wanganui Inlet from 17th April till Blh instant, a period of 21 days — in consoquonco of a galo which blow during tho whole of that timo strong, from tho south-wosfc. Ho^do^ Bcribes tho Inlofc as boing about ajr.ilo in circumforonco, having a bay at the ontranco, on which ho foujidr-oigiiioon foot of wator at flood tide, ftiriT eafo from south and north-west 'winds. Tho surrounding country is a scries of sharp pointed, high tcrracos, vory rugged, running inland, and covered with a low donso bush. Thrco men woro at work noar tho coal mino, who supply tho coal at 10s per ton, if takon from tho beach — a mattor of no great difficulty at any timo for small crafts. Captain Falconer statos that ho went to anothor part of tho Inlol, whon at low wator two men filled nine sacks full of coal in ono hour. Regarding tho quality of tho minoral, wo can vouch that Iho speoimon in our ofllco, takoii promiscuously from a bag on tho deck of tho Caledonia, is fully equal to anything wo havo ovor scon from tho Now South Walos mines. In working tho coal, tho company proposo sinking a shaft, to strike tho load inshoro a fow hundred yards, whon, should tho dip not bo at too groat; an angle, a drivo can bo formed to run both from and towards tho boach. At prosont a small supply, of about 100 tons, taken from tho outcrop, is ready for shipment ; yet as ovory tido flows over this — tho only ontranco to tho mmo — tho only other mode of practically working ifc is by tho plan wo havo montioncd. Captain Falconer, to whom wo aro indobtod for many of thoso particulars, further informs us that two mon woro thuro who had for tho preceding two months boon prospecting tho district for gold, but had not boon moro succossful than to obtain tho color.

Douglas Jorrold's ovor attractivo drama, " Black-eyed Susan," was playod last - ovoning at tho Priuco of Wales Opora House, to a numerous audionco — in spite of tho iuoloinonoy of tho woathor. This play is too well kuown to require any description of Iho plot. William was playod by Mr Lionol Harding, in a truo eoamanliko mannor. Ho throw great humor into tho scono whero ho spins tho St. Domingo Billy yarn 5 and was most fooling in tho Trial Scono, and tho scouo in whioh ho takes farowoll of Susan. Mr Andrews playod Gnatbrain in his neual humorous mannor, and a word of praiso is duo to Messrs Clifford, Streoton, Hogan, Tomlinson, and Milnor, for Iho manner in whioh they represented thoir Bovoral parts. Miss Rosa Cooper's Susan was intensely pathotio, and played in such a ruaunor as only a truo artiste can play } hor danco with Mr M'Loan (who, by tho bye, is tho besfc dancer wo have ovor had on tho West Coast) was most vociferously oncorodj and horsolf and Mr Harding woro honored with a call beforo tho curtain at tho ond of tho drama. Wo had almost forgotten to mention that popular favorite, Mrs Crosby, whoso Dolly Mayflowor croatod roars o£ laughter, by hor port and good-hearted acting. Tho performance concluded with ' ' His Last Logs," whioh brought owr friond Androws forward as O'Callaghan, with his usual succoss. To-night will bo produced tho groat drama, "Tho Sea of Ico." Thiß revival, wo boliovo, will bo Bomothing for tho inhabitants of tho West Coast to romomber, no oxponso having boon spared in its production. Carlos will bo played by Mr Bartlotfc, and Ogarita by Miss Rosa Coopor.

A tolegram from Dunedin in tho " Lyttelton Times " of tho 14th inst, gives tho following on dit :-—" That tho 6tago Steam Shipping Company aro tho successful tendorors for tho Mail Sorvicos bctweon Molbourno and here for six months commencing in Juno."

Tho Corinthian Hnll, which wo spoko of yostorday as an availablo building for an ♦Athenroum and Reading Room, hus had an-.

othor destination. Ifc yoslorday passed into Iho hands of nn enterprising business firm, Mossi's. J. F. Byrno and Co., drapors, of Rovoll- street, who purchased it for £550 caih, and who intend, wo boliovo, to coiwort it into a grand control mart, with show-rooms, &c, on a sealo hithorto unattemptod in Hokitika. Tho building is admirably suited for tho purpose. Tho undertaking is a spiritod ono, and wo wish Messrs. Byrno and 00. ovory buccoss. Tho Corinthian Hall will havo a plaeo in our annals. It wag tho first placo of public amusement on a sealo of any magnitudo opened in Hokitika, and had for a long poriod a prosperous run. Tho promises aro vory commodious, and tho purchasers have cortiiinly obtained thorn Dt a cheap figure Tho " Lyttelton Times" Bays:— "Tho Gonoral Assembly is oxpeolod to meet for businoss towards tho end of July. Tho Govornor is to pay anothor visit to tho North and somo additions havo to bo mado to tho Assembly buildings 5 so tho dato of mooting can hardly bo fixed oarlior.'' A General Government " Gazette," datod May 8, contains a notification that tho Hon. E.W.Stafford has rosignod tho appointment of Posfcmastor-G-oneral, and that tho Hon. J. Patorson ha 9 boon gazottod in his sload. Tho vcßignatioua of H. Walton, Esq., and H. J. Tancrod, Esq., of thoir Beats in tho Legislative Council, havo been accopted, and Josoph Hawdon, Esq., of Ohristohuroh, Nathaniol G-oorgo Morso, Esq., of Nelson, and Ponsonby Pcacook, Esq., of Auokland, havo been appointed to that body. Wo tako tho following items from tho " Canterbury Timos" :— ■" Tho Customs roturns of tho colony for tho last quarter bliow tho important part whioh tho West Coast traffic forms in contributing to tho vovonuo. Upwards of £40,000 havo boon rocoived in tho last throo months at nokitika and Groymouth, of which £35,000 in round numbers will Btand to tho credit of Canterbury. Tho Customs roYonuo derived from tho western half of Canterbury oxcoedod that of tho eastern, amounting to £80,400, by £5000 during that timo. This provinco now stauds at tho head of tho list, itsrovonuo oxcooding that of Otago by £GO,OOO, and that of Auckland by £110,000 a year takon from tho ratos of last quarter's returns. Tho Provincial chest has boon considerably recruited during'tho last month by tho Pasturago vonts, tho sale of town lands on tho Wost Coast, and Iho incroasod rovenuo from tho salo of lands on this sido. No l«ss than £5000 must havo beon received from theso sources during that period, a sum that will help materially to reduce tho largo dobtor balanco at tho Ba'ik of Now Zealand." An act of wan^ln migehiof Was coramittod on the night of tho 7th instant, at tho Kahakau Accommodation House, on tho Christchurch Eoad, about Bixtoon miles from town, by which tho proprietor, Mr M'Olintook, lost a valuable miloh cow and its calf, It appears that a few days previous Mr M'Olintook had ' purclmsod a cow for Lls, whioh noxt day calved. During tho night in question tho discovory was mado that somo maliciously disposed persons had killod tho cow by striking it, with a small axo or lavgo knifo between tho horns. Tho calf was also found with its throat out. Tho partios suspected to bo guilty of the act are known, and likoly to bo soon in tho hands of tho police. Ourlatost nows from Okarita is datod last Saturday. Ifc iB to 'fcho effect that at Gillospio's Boaoh about 600 minors aro *t work. A fow partios aro working on tho beach, but tho majority aro sottlod down a short distanco inland, tho furthest claim being about half a milo from tho beach. Tho claims aro mostly yielding only wagos, but a fow aro paying well. Thoso diggings aro somewhat like tho Tuckor Flat, near Kaniori, and in tho ovont of a now rush taking placo, liko Tuckor Flat, Grilloßpio'B would bo abandoned. Thero aro olovon stores, two bakeries, and two butohories on tho boaoh. Tho 'storekeepers and othora in businoss roport that tho diggors spond vory littlo money, and tho quantity of liquor consumod in proportion to tho population is vory littlo indeed. At Hunt's Boach and Cook's River aro said to bo about 300 people, but I do not think that is correct. During tho past fow weoks tho population on the Kauiori has considerably inoroased. It is ostimatod that the numbor of minors at, present on Commissioner's Mat, Tucker Mat Woodstock and vicinity, is about two thousand flvo hundred. On Commissioner's Mat mining operations aro boing carried on extonsivoly. No less than flvo steam engines are full at -work thoro, thus giving omploymont to a largo body of minors, who othorwiso could not work thoir claims. On tho torraoos behind the township vory littlo has hoon dono of lalo,in conscquenco of tho want of water on thoracofl, whioh hithorto have carried as much as six to eight hoads of water, but now scarcely bringiug in ono hoad. Thoso racos bring tho water a diatanco of nino miles. On Tuckor Flak about two huudrod men aro at work, all making good wagoß. A groat many, howovov, havo gono to the Hau Hau diggings, concerning which gloomy accounts continue to bo reccivod horo. At Artlmrstown only a fow minors aro working, and vory little businoss of any kind is being carriod on thoro at presont. Woodstook has about ono huudrod, including minors and sawyors, who aro unusually idle at present. Busiuoes contiuuos brisk j in fact, hotter than ifc has ovor been known to bo on tho Kaniori. The storekoepors.aro onkrging thoir promises, and all seem satisfied with tho prosont, and thoir prospects in tho futuro. Roforring to tho latosfc rush to tho northwards of tho Groy, tho " Argus" of 27th says:— "A digger who roturnod from tho North, whore tho Woodpookor lauded hor passongors last week, informs us that the men who wont thoro aro all eoemiugly satisfied with tho prospects before them. As far as yofc known., no ground has boon tosted that can bo accounted rich, but in almost all places thoro is Homo gold moro or loss payablo to bo had, giving wages that vary from L 3 to L 7 weokly. Tho upper part from tho denso undergrowth is wot and spongy, but as soon as a fow foot aro strippod off, that difficulty disappoars. Wator is a soarco commodity, and should a largo numbor of men sot in, it will bo found a serious want to bo mot. Back from Iho first ♦ ledgo'—for thoso diggings consist of a

series of terraces, or liko onlargod Prairie rollors Iho country io somewhat more open, and to all appaaranco gires evidence of au auriforoui natuvo. Our informant thinks that for torn* timo to come thero will bo no attompt at anything liko dcop sinking, as the parties thoro will b« contont to work upon a certainty until a riso has been made. Tho majority, howoTor, wo at work iv tho riyor, and in its results thoro it a strong uniformity with thoso realised on the " Pahkois." Tho population is Bupposod to ho about 300, but as they woro scatyorod a truo approximate could not be arrived at, and each day was adding to tho number* already thoro. Wft avo promised a lottor from the samo party as soon a» ho is fairly settled in his claim, and wo shall bo "happy to lay boforo our rcadors any information it may contain.