SHIPMENT OF GOLD.

West Coast Times, Issue 222, 5 June 1866, Page 2

SHIPMENT OF GOLD.

In our issue of Saturday wo underrated tho quantity of gold expected to bo shipped at tho Groy by the stoamship Otago. Sho took on board 15,000 ozs, making hor total shipment from tho West Coast 30,400 ozs.

' ' From Ross Town wo loam that n warrant has been issued fo.r tho npprohonsion of two mon charged with forcibly breaking into the promises of tho Bondigo Ilotol, about halfpast ono o'clock on tho morning of tho 27th till;., who upon their boing rofusod drink wont away, roturning afterwards and smashing in tho door of the hotel j thoy thon commonccd an attack with stones, broaking a numbor of bottles full of liquor, and othors empty in tho bar, to the value of over L2o.' The misoronnts ..escapod for tho timo, but it is to bo hoped thoy will soon bo in the hands of tho police. Tho abovo caso so olosoly resomblos tho lato affray in this town that wo wonder tho fatal result in tho lattor ovont did not act ns a warniug to such characters.

Last night a mooting was hold in tho ongino room, of tho mombors of tho Voluntoor Fire Brigade Captain Milliard, as usual, occupied tho chair. SofeTal accounts duo by tho Brigado woro ordorod to bo paid, inoluding a sum of about L 7, said to havo boon inourred by advertising in some Hokitika papors, tho balance sheet showing thoir fluanoinl transactions siuco thoir formation. Sovoral othor items wero discussed and pnssod. It was asked by a member whon tho LIOO promisod by the Provincial Council was duo, to whioh tho captain ropliod that most probably it would bo included in tho now Estiinatos now*forming. Tho sum of L 2 por week was allottod to tho ongino keeper, oxolusive of 10 per cent, commission on subscriptions collootod. Soveral minor affnirs affecting tho Brigade woro entered upon, now membors admitted, and tho meeting adjourned;

It will bo seen that Jonos, charged with garrotting and remanded, was yostorday brought up on suspicion of boing concorned in feloniously bronkiug into tho dwelling houso of Mr Eaton, on tho morning of Sunday last, tho particulars of whioh wo furnished iv yestorday's issuo.

From the Waimoa tho accounts recoivod aro of an encouraging nature It is ostimatod that about 3000 pooplo aro now working and in business in this district Tho Bnllarat rush continues to progross favorably. Sovoral largo parcels of gold havo latoly boon brought into tho storokpopors by minors.

We boliovo a smnll rush hns takon place about two and a half miles into tho bush to tho westward of Stafford's publio houso, on tho Waiinea track. A numbor of mou loft for it without haviug any doflnito intelligence as to tho prospects of tho newly oponod diggings. If it should provo of any consoquonoo, wo shall bo in rocoipt of particulars in a day or two.

Vory heavy rain continued to fall during tho whole of yesterday without intermission, and at tho moment of our writing, it is coming down in torrents. Nothing can bp moro wrotohed than tho oondition of tho streets, and tho publio aro subjected to an inconvenience and an actual loss in many rospocts whioh must suroly roconoilo thorn to any rcasonablo ratos whioh tho now Municipal Counoil, on its oloction, will be ompoworod to lovy, for the purpose of offecting a bettor system of drainage, and of making the principal thoroughfares of tho town at lonat passnblo to pedostrians. It may bo anticipated thnt a heavy fresh will set iv tho river to-day, and we four that a considerable portion of tho t° w u will be flopfad, It |« ywy grwfy to

bo hoped that tho necossary stops for securing tho eleotion of tho Corporation will bo prossod forward without a day's unnecessary delay.

TUo drama *(rf "Fraud and its Victims" is announced for ropotition at tho Prince of Walos Opera Houbo to-night.

Notwithstanding tho pouring rain and hoary storm, thoro was a rory good attendance at tho Prince of Wales Opora Houso last owning. Tho melodrama ontitlod" Tho Lonely Man of the Ocean," bus very littlo to recommend it in a literary point of riow. Tho plot ia absurd, and the situations partako of tho old Ooburg ' Bohool. Ifc is nevortholoßS an interesting drama, and, as gporformed by Mr Bartlott's company, was undeniably successful. Thoro aro no groat parts in tho pioco, and ifc requires a rory small amount of histrionio skill to embody any of tho oharaotors. Mr' Bartlott appeared as tho horo, and dashed through tho part with his usual skill. Tlioro is an ouso and finish about this gontloman's impersonations which wo raroly witness in colonial actors. The fight in tho second act, botweon himself and tho rillain of tho play (Mr Lionel Harding), was most skilfully arranged, and prorod that both aro masters of tho art of swordsmanship. Miss Rosa Ooopor, in tho character of Evo Hilliugton, playqd with hor acoustomed grace and power ; one. scone in partioular was flnoly rendered — namely, tho one in wlu'oh sho takos lha sword from Bowyor, and oxprossos hor dotorminaJ tion ty dofond hor honor -with ■ hor life, although, wo boliore thoso sonsational and melodramatic characters beneath tho talents of this admirable avtisto, we norertholoss aoV knowlqdgo that thero aro few actresses on tho stage oould infuso such lifo-'iuto thorn/« Mrs Qro3by oreated roars of laughter by her oleroa impersonation of B,ockoy.^.,:£hlß,lady is a goif? vine actress j her" n\imo'r,'iß' polished arflf irrosistiblo. Tho farce of. " Tho Toodlos" ended the oroning's onlortainmcnt, in which Mr Andi'ows olicited considorablo applauso. Tonight, " Fi'aud and its Victims" will bo repeated. •

Tho Southland Daily News says, " Tho Bluff and LrvorcargUL-Railway is rapidly adjiaa^p! towards cwnplotion. With thp>^xcoptTon of ouo miloj'nttd 45 chains "of "mo line between this town^Bpr tho lovel crossing at tho Grcenhills, aud'ojio mile on tho othor side, tho platolaying is finished. Some slight dolay has boon caused by having to cut through an outcrop of rock at the G-reonhills. Some 70 feet of this cutting has yot to bo dono, which will occupy about a fortnight. Through communication may thon bo said to be established, although tho ballasting, &0., will tako somo

littlo timo longer. Tho construction of tho engine shod at tho Invorcargill terminus is so far advanced that tho building is ready for tho iron roofing. Tho hopes expressed that tho lino might bo roady for traflio noxt month aro thus in a fair way of realisation." Wo tako tho following gold items from tho Okarita paper :— " A small sample of rough

and scaly gold was purchased this wook by Messrs Marks & Co, from a party who lately oommonced working in tho neighborhood of tho Lake. Tho gold is somewhat darker and

hoavior than that obtninod by O'Connor ai

the forks of tho Okarita river, but moi-o rosomblcs tho description of gold obtainod thcro than that which has usually boon found in the crook wrought by. Macdonald's and Reid's parties It -was obtained in some sur-

face washings, and tho prospectors aro full oi

hope that, when thoy bottom, thoy will iind gold of a hoavior deaoription, and in moro romunorativo quantities. Since a camp has boon statiouod nt tho Ffro Milo Boaoh thoro ha 8 boon a conspicuous absonco of outrages or oflbneos calliug for tho inlorforenco of the police, and tho example of tho majority of tho. population, ns hard-working and poace-loving lieges, has combined to effect a considerable improvement in tho mannors of tho minority whoso raisconduot was latoly tho subjoct of complaint. Tho rush to tho first beach north of Okarita, which oxoitod tho population for a day or two about oight weeks ago, has not been altogothor a fruitless ono, although, nt tho timo of tho Bruco Bay rush, tho ground was completely desortod, with tho unanimous declaration that thoro was « nothing in it.' We know nt tho timo two or three parties who wore ♦ making salt,' by earning from L 3 to L 4 per weok j nud in the [same locality thore aro again a fow who are quiotly plodding away, taking baro wagc3 out of tho ground, nnd holding by it ns a rosourco until tho strong hopes yet ontortaiuod of tho riohnoss of tho interior, may oli anc» to bo confirmed, or until information bo obtainod of bettor ground boing discovorod on tho yot urioooupiod boaohos northward. Though it is a poor rosult, comparod with tho averago produce of tho Threo Milo and Fivo Milo claims, thoy nro contont to work for an ounce or two per week, having tho advantage of comfortable quarters, comparod with prospectors in tho bush, and facilities for obtaining thoir small supplies at a comparatively small cost. Ono or two partios earning such wages aro now at work in the neighborhood of tho dairy —or the original township of Okarita, about two milca up tho river— and, though now dospised, thoro is littlo doubt that tho timo will come, whon, by cheapened supplies and tho uso of improved appliances, mon will bo willing to work— nnd ,'ablo to work profitablyover a widoly-oxtondod area of tho samo dosoription of ground."

The " Westland Observer" has tho following in rererenco to tho gold nowa of tho Okavita district s— "Thoro is but little news to communicate in connootion with the progross of tho diggings in tho Okarita district during tho past week. Of tho fow circumstances which haro transpired, tho most encouraging is the fact of O'Connor and party bringing in about fivo ouncos of sonly gold, tho result of work for a day and a half on tho ground to which thoy rocontly brought a wator raco, near tho forka of tho^Okarita River. Ground in tho Bftino neighborhood was praotioally tosS ed soino timo ago, with no unfavorable result 5 but tliis ropeatod proof of its auriferous character is accoptod as tho probable harbingor of profltablo omploymout, at no distant dato, for a considerable body of minors} and, with a ropotition of tho first oiporionco wo shall not bo surprised to hear of numerous claims boing Boon takon up, and applications mado for wator vncos along tho borders of t)\ct Okarita RH w f!*F w flw tyro ]#« wl}i9)i foy»n jtj

sourco. Alroady sovoral parlios havo gono up with the intention of sotting into work, and auothor application for loavo to construct a watov-vneo, has, wo understand, boon mado by a party who havo latoly boen prospecting tho ground in tho neighborhood. Tho result of workings in Macdonald's Creek, beyond tho Lako, has latterly beon small, considering tho vory favorable weathor which the partios havo had for creek-working ; and now that tho weather has bocomo so materially ohanged for tho worse, wo cannot expect to hoar of much work boing dono for n fow dayß. Thore aro still rumors that in tho neighborhood of tho Waiho parties aro gotting gold in different localities, spccimonß of rough gold from that neighborhood continuing to find their way into tho hands of tho brinks and othor buyers j but thoy have not, apparontly, yot como upon ground either sufficiently rioh or oxtonsivo to oncourago any numbora to follow them, Upon tho prospects from that district, considorablo rolianco is placed as to tho prosperity of Okarita in tho ensuing spring. From tho Threo aiid Fivo Milo beaohes thoro is tho samo nows of all partioß in tho possession of claims doing well j and at Gillespie's, from all accounts, thoro is ovory prospect of a considerable population boing settled for the winter on good wages ground, whilo aomo will have olaims which will loavo vory handsom "returns."