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West Coast Times, Issue 232, 20 June 1866, Page 2

In conscqucnco of tho Masonic Ball thoro will beb c no performance at thoPrinco of Wales Theatre this evening. Tho Ball Committco request us to stato that dancing will commence at nino o'clock.

Tho opening night of tho Stovons' Troupo, on the occasion of thoir second visit to Ilokilika, is fixed for this oroning, and wo aro onablod to state thnfc cvory arfangomont has been mado by Mr Douno for tho comfort and convenience of tho audience Tho talonts of this troupo aro too woll known horo to need any comments. A3 "they wcro amongst the earliest, so woro they amongst tho most successful and popular of tho various companies of athletes who have paid us a visit.

Tho entire party which undor Messrs Harman and Bond havo lately bcon so diligently seeking for somo traco of Mr Dobson, roturned to Greymouth unsuccessful, and have abandoned tho soarch. A block of country three and a-half miles squuro wos thoroughly examined, ovory yard of it boing walked over, but nothing uuusunl to the bush save a pocket handkerchief was discovered. This threw no. light upon tho matter as it could not ha identified a3 Mr Dobson's property, and might havo bcon dropped by any passing traveller. It now rests entirely with tho Government whether any further action shall bo takon, and in our opinion a reward should bo olTorod for Iho discovery of tie remains of tho unfortunato gentleman; for there can bo little doubt that ho has boon foully treated. Wo trust that a proclamation to this effect will bo at once issued.

Although the digging population of. Otago has been so sadly reduced by tho West Coast rush, mining is still boing vigorously prosoeuled lliero by tho fow who aro loft. Old Tuapoka still keeps in tho van, and omims to , bo classed us tho most important, % as well as tho oldest goldflold. Tho "Otago Daily Times" states that "at Gabriel's Gully three good claims have boon oponod on tho high ground west of the old comotory, and that at Wcthorstono's a prospecting shaft had reuched tho depth of 300 feet. At Waitahuna tlioro lias bcon a groat scarcity of water, owing to sevcro frosts and dry woathor. Not during tho past eighteen months has tho supply been so short. On this field somo very rich tunnollhig ground has been discovorod, and a cinnabar reef, by Nation and party, who havo been for somo time past prospecting for it. Somo portion of tho oro yields 70 por cent of pure quicksilver. Tho Canada Quartz Mining Company aro bringing in walor to drivo tho machinery, and expect to bo in full working order in" tho courso of a fow wcoks. Wo should imagino that mim'iTg bn tho Dunstan is at rather a low ebb, as tho arrival of somo Ohinoso thoro was. hailed with rapture, and in tho ovontof a largo body following, tho Ovens Water B&co Company promised if they would prospect the country to supply thorn with water gratis. On all tho principal points of tho Molynoiix tlioro is still a modorato population, who anticipate tliQ rivor will bo very low this season. Tho estimated population of tho wholo district is 1500, of whioh numbor 750 only aro mining. Wages— miners', £4 por wook for Europeans ; £2 6» for Chinese, or with rations 255. In tho Arrow district noarly all tho races aro frozen up, so that sluicing is almost at a stand still, and during tho winter mining matters promiso to bo exceedingly dull, In his report upon Cromwoll, Mr. Wardon Stratford states that "tho quartz roof discovered in Pipe Clay Gully, was attracting general attention, and that prospoctors had started off iii search of othors." Bitumenisod paper pipes laid down for tho conveyunco of water noross a gully 900 feet wide by Scott and Co., answer admirably. On Nobby Island (Quartz Reef Point) some now ground has boon opened by tho Nil Desporandum Company, and is paying well. At Bendigo Gully and its vicinity thoro aro only about thirty minors located. A race is boing brought into it from Quartz Beef Crook, whioh is described by Mr Stratford as a " tromondous undertaking." From our own personal recollections of that part of tho country, wo know, it must bo 60, and fearfully oxponsivo bosidos. Some of tho dredging companios on tho Kawarau aud Clutha aro doing woll, and fast boats aro boing built for tho .purpose, on an improved principlo. Tho population of the district is estimated at 470, of whom 160 aro employed othorwiso than mining.

Ono of tho throo scoundrels who cflfectod their oscapo from tho Cobdon look-up, somo time back, has since bcon ro-captured in Ohristchurcli, by a Nolson detective. His namo is James M'Gavin, and it will doubtless be romombored by somo of our rcadors that ho was oJiarged with housebwaking, and that £25 was offered as a reward to any ono who would ro-capturo him. On Saturday night lasfc, ho avrivod in town by tho Ohrißtohurch coach, and was, on Sunday, forwarded in custody to Groymouth by tho steamor Bruco.

Wo lioar that it is probable tho Congregatioualists will shortly ereot a placo of worship in Hokitika, and obtain tho sorvicos of a resident minister. Wo aro supris'od that a denomination so powerful in many parts of tho colonies has yet obtainod no footing in Westland.

Tho Provincial " Government Gazotto," of the 14th insfc., contains the following list of persons, in tho Westland district, applying for relief undor tho Debtors and Croditors Act, tho petitions in all cases boing presented ly the dobtors thomsolves : — J. D.Walker, Hotitika, cordial manufacturer j J. Gilohrist, Hokitika 5 J. H. Williams, Groymouth j L. Harding, trngqdian, Hokitika j T. It. and 0. F. Fawcott, comedinns, Groymouth } A. G. Miller, storokoopor, Ilokitika } and G. P. Follows, hotel koopor, Groymouth,

Tho onco thriving liltlo community of Woodstock has sadly dwindled nwny luloly, and tho diggings present a melancholy dosorted appearance, contrasting strongly with tho bustle and animation which prevailed a fow months baok. Tho township, which was thon tho haunt of jovial diggors, who thronged tho difl'oront stores and hotels, now looks dilapidated and forsaken, and a droamy stillnoss reigns over tho placo. Through tho removal of buildings horo and thoro, gaps havo bcon formed in tho street which look as if tho town had dividod against itsolf, and each individual household, disgustod and dishoartoned with tho gloomy turn of events, had resolvod to rotiro exclusively within itsolf, and for ovor cut (ho world and all its bolongings. Wo onco ontortaincd hopes that Woodstock would provo a thriving pormauont diggings, and that tho run of dcop ground, which exists undoi\tho torraco, would bo found auriferous and traced upwards for miles, Moreover, tho oxeccding richness of that portion of tho Maori reserve which had boon proved vory naturally oxoitod sanguino hopes that tho largo fluts with which it was connected, and of whioh it was an intogral part, would bo found as deeply imprognatod with tho prooious motal. We aro griovod that such barron results should have boon the fruits of tho great amount of labor and capital oxpondod, and tho enorgy and pluck displayed in dovoloping thin portion of the Kaniori dis* trict, but persist in hoping still that hotter clays will yot dawn upon it. At presont there avo not nbove a dozen portios working in tho wholo placo, nml of theso tho majority aro merely fossiokcrs ; as, through tho scarcity of ,wator for sluicing purposes, a Bystoniatio working of tho old ground is rondorod impossible, Taking Woodstock aud tho Maori Reserve throughout, it will bo found thoro is only ono pnrty of mon at work, tho rosult of whoso labors ia worthy of record, and they aro boing nearly workod out. Royan and his mates — those to whom wo allude, havo boon employed during tho last nino months working this claim, which, first and last, has yieldod them ovor 1000 ounceß of gold. With thorn tho lead was continuous, thoro not being a singlo break in it for noarly two hundred feet. In Iho two adjoining olaims below them it was found oqually as rich, but was lost in tho flat, which suddenly dipped off into vory deop and vory wot ground. Evory attompt to bottom this has hithorto proved unsuccessful, but so confident aro Royan nnd his party that it is " thoro somewhere, and only wants looking for," that thoy havo applied for a loaso fifty acres of ground from tho Maoris for mining purposes ; and as this, on boing submitted to Mr Mackio, tho Commißssionor of Native Reserves, received his assont, tho noocssary doods woro drawn out, and forwarded to Royan yesterday, who, on rocoipt thoroof, paid down six months' ront (£25) in advance. Although such a largo grant of land to miners may by somo bo rogarded as vory liko a monopoly, such a procedure pvomisos to bonofit Woodstock, as thoso mon intend to oroct steam machinory at once, and thoroughly test tho ground. Should thoy, thoroforo, bo fortunate enough to strike gold, it will occasion another rush wostwards, in thoso oxtonsivo flats towards tho Totara, whioh may rosult in tho permanent employment of a largo number of minors. Royan and party havo loosed tho ground for twonty-ono years, with power to ronow tho leaso if required.