BANK OF NEW ZEALAND.

West Coast Times, Issue 281, 17 August 1866, Page 2

BANK OF NEW ZEALAND.

One of the finest buildings wliich can be found in the streetf of Hokitika is certainly : the new building lately erected tit tlie comer of Eevell and Camp streets as the house of business for tho Bank of New Zealand ; for, although there may be others whicli contain a greater amount of space, there is not one so imposing in appearance s and occupying so eligible a site. We gave a cursory notice of it in a former issue, but have since then inspected the interior, which. enables us to ontdr more fully into the structural details df tho building. In form the main building is a cube, about thirty-five feet each way, and possesses two floors, the lower being lfsed for ordinary business} whilst the higher will be occupied as a residence by the manager. The principal residence is in Revell-street, aud leads 7 through a lobby elegantly constructed of polished cedar And plafce glass, with two spring side doors into the office, which is a apa^idUs apartment thirfcy-five by ; twenty-one feet, with panelled sides anil ceiling of kauri pine. Excluding a passage which leads into the manager's room on the right, the fittings extend across tho entire' lengbll, and consist of the Ledger-keeper's, Teller's, and Accountant's apartments. Tho first and last are constructed of a native wood called " Romau,". framed aud panelled, and surmounted by a rail and enamelled glass panels. The interiors of these departments i are of course hidden from the too p'r.ying gaze of. the public, who have Access to them only through small apertures lettered from A to Z. The feller's desk is of course open, and constructed of cedar beautifully polished and carved. The office occupies a large portion of the ground floor, and at the back aie the manager's room on the right hand and the strong room'in the centre, whicli is flanked on the other side by the stationer's room. The strong room is well worthy of its name, as il is built of solid brick wwortk t and guarded by double doovs of massive iron. The remainde of the ground floor comprises, the private entrance from Camp-street, loading into a wide passage, where the.-c. is the staircase by N which -the second floor Ss gained. On the first landing are a water supply, lavatory, and a small bedroom, \ and the second is the threshold of a suite of four rooms at present unfurnished, but which jhi a fortnight will be occupied by the manager (Mr Eoberts) and his family. These I apartments are commodious and lofty, and attached to them is arboin provided with both plunge and shower-baths. The roof of the buijding can bo gained through a trap door, and when on it a magnificent view is obtained of the roadstead, town, aud back country. The roof is (accordiag to builders' phraseology) * hipped and valley'd," and enclosed on two sides by a high parapet. Acrj3s the " valley" a platform is laid, provided with seats, which in -warm weather, must be a mosc pleasant re» treat from the bustle below. So far we have been occupied with the main building only, to which, however, there are - two win "a attached — one of^ them, on the extreme left, containing 'the gold-buyer's office, which, is entered from Revell-street, through a handsome lobby with glass doors.' This room is fitted with an open counter of polished cedar, bearing ' the requisite appliances for the purchase of gold. The remainder this wing is taken up by a lavatory, water supply, and side lobby. The second wing is to tho right the building in Camp street,and contains a dining-room and kitchen, \vhich /is provided with an 'excellent cooking range. To ensure perfect drainage, sewers, leading into a large reservoir the back, surround the building. ,The supply of water is entirely dependent on the weather, but such precautions have been taken that not a drop of rain which falls on the roof of the building runs to wdste, as it is 'surrounded with guttering and pipes which lead iufco two' large cisterns, one on the top of each wing, and capable of holding 1000 gallons. Months ago, we described the melting-house, whicli is built upon the extreme left of the^bank section. It facos Re veil street, and at the back of it a small building is now going up, and'is intended for the porter's residence. Taking it all in all, we must confess that the' Bank of New Zealand is woll built, and the work reflects the highest credit upon Mr Trencry, tho contractor, who, we are sorry, to hear, is likely to lose monoy by the transaction. Tho building was erected under the supervision of M*. Knott, clork of works. gW"".

We notice that solovev r artiste Mrs Charles Jahshawe Evereste has consented, by special desire, to deliver, for tho last time in Hokitika, her amusing lecture upon " Love— comjc and sentimental." The entertainment will be givon at the Five Brigade Hall, tins oroniug jukl wo trust Mint Mrs Sreroto will to re«

* Several days ago wo commented in our own columns upon tho circumstances referred to in tho following extract from tho " Otago l)nily» Times." Our contemporary, writes :—: — " We know that there are abundant grounds for tho. many _ "complain! b that aro constantly^ untile us to Iho, bud niiiniigiuniml of (ho Electric Telegraph as a department of the General Government Service ) and wo know, too, that thore aro'abundant grounds for complaint on another subject connected with telegraphy in New Zealand. We mean, the Btylo in which news is ' got up' for ti'ansmission by those who represent" tho ' press agency.' In the Southland ' Daily News' of tho 26th July we find the following : — ' In the sittings hi Banco yestordayj the Judges granted a mandamus to Mr Strode compelling him to hear the crise of perjury, Russell v> Bartoiii' The same message, substantially, appears iv the ' Lyttelton Times' of tho 27th ; and no doubt it has also appeared in the Nelson papers, and will be repeated in tho North Island. But the fact is that_the Judges have not granted n. mandamus. What was granted was tt rule nisi calling Upon tho Magistrate to show cause why a mandamus should not issue } and, that rule was granted only after a very explicit statement by Mr Justice EichmOnd bf ' one of several doubts in his mind as to tile rule being hereafter made absolute.' The whole of the observations of Mr Justice Richmond showed that the tendency 6f his belief was to hold that the Magistrate was right in refusing to hear the information ; and the rule" nid was only granted after tlieir Honors had taken time to consider Mr SmythW a])plication. — The tolegram to which we have been referring is only one of the many mis-3tatements of fact which have been contained in messages from Dunedin ; and more care should be taken by those responsible for the 'messages. " Our reporter, yesterday,- conversed with a party who has explored the country between Stafford Town and the, Salt Water lliver, who 1 from its configuration is quite convinced that the saino lead now in work afc Saliarat and Stafford Hills will be traced through it. He describes the country as fearfully broken, but containing many likely looking hills. The diggers are gradually spreading themselves in the direction of Salt- Water, and promise to soon occupy all the intermediate country; r The fortnightly eSco-ft fftiin the Waimea arrived in town yesterday afternoon with between 1500 ozS. and^2ooo ozs. of gold. Yesterday afternoon a serious accident happened to a carter, llamed - Wliittaker, in Wharf : sh'6?t. He had just discharged a load of goods at Messrs Royse, Mudie & Co's Btore and was standing between his own dray and another, when rhe hoise suddenly started, and caught his hands between. tlie wheels* ~ lacerating his fingers frightfully. He afc once proceeded to Dr Acheson, who found it necessary to amputate the third and little finger of his left hand, at the first joints. The man bore the operation with much 'fortitude, and is new ddiilg well. c hear that last week, an accident* occured /to the Tdtara punt, whicli, 'wHilst crossing a number of ahec^, suddenly sunk, frortu Uately," the river was neither high or un. usually rapid, so - that -none of tliem wore lost. It is also said; that the coach Had narrowly escaped submersion from the Same cause a few days afterwards, and that the punfc is anything but fit for the work it is employed in, being both old and rotten. We wo«der whose province it is to inspect the punts and ferries of Westland, and whether the Harbor Master has power to interfere. If he hasj we would suggest ds advisable that he should visit this part-cular punt, ascertain how much ti'uth is contained in the above statement, and, it necessary, cdndtoln such an unsafe conveyance. n

'Mr Inspector £roham left town yesterday for the Salt Water rush, where, we believe, it is proposed to form a police camp, should he cdiisider fetich" a course needful. At present tlie place is without protection, and we hear has lately become the haunt of numerous bad characters. x It will be remembered that, some months ago, an attempt was made to construct a dam across the south arm of the river, and thus confine the river in-tlfc channel on this side of the island. The work was Undertaken by Mr Edgar-, who had nearly completed the embankment, when a heavy flood came down and .so effectually breached it tkat ii was considered advisable to incur the extra expense necessary to repair it, and the work was abandoned. Since then, however, the river has ■ discovered. iuch a decided inclination to run that way and leave the north channel altogether that another attempt to check it was determined upon by driving a single row of vandyked piles across the stream, which are to be connected by a double waleing and interlaced with brushwood md saplings. H This, it is believed, will, without too suddenly checking the river, cause it to throw up a bank,right across, and* in time form an effective dam which, will auawev the required puypeso. The contract for this simpler work has been let to Mv Edgar who has already commenced it.

We are given to understand that the German Association at Koss Town intend giving a ball on the 22nd instan, and that it promises to bo one of 'the plea3antest re-unions that ever took place in the district. The committee are determined to spare no expense to render the entertainment agreeable, and we sincerely hope their efforts will»be crowned with success and that the meeting will be well attended > By a Proclamation appearing in the " Provincial Government Gazette " of the 23rd ultimo, the following lauds are withdrawn as necessary for public purposes, and as a site for tho township of Okarita. Okarita East : 320 acres (moro or less) situate at Okarita, on the north-east side of the lagoon, having a frontago of about 100 chains to tho lagoon, and the northern boundary being a lino at right -angles, to tho eastern shore of tho lagoon, and the eastern boundary, being a line at right .angles to the northern boundary. ' Okarita North : 320 acres (more or less) at Okarita. bounded on tlie north by the sea-coast, on the east by a line at right angles to the sea-coast, jto contain the quantity required, subject to | tho' Native Kosorves. Okarita South: 320 | acres (more or less) at Okarita, on tho west $i<Jp'of the lagoon, having a frontage of 100 oTiains to the lagoon, the south-wcstem boundfo.rjr being a line afc right angles *to the general direction of the east, and the south-eastern boundary being a line at right angles to the last described boundary, subject te tho Native Eeserve.

*F«un a Capo of Good Hope paper— -Iho "Eastern Provinces Herald"— tho following intelligent)!) has been received, by telegraph from Pon Siftufwt, A ;prir*tt liutr lUtW

that a horrible event had occurred at the Kuruman, the particulars are briefly those : — "A trader, named Nelson, in a state of intoxication, went to the residence of tho R«v. Mr Frideaux, who was absent at another station on a visit. Taking advuntago of tho absence of tlie rev. gentleman, attempted an assault ou Mrs Frideaux, bul, happily, failud in his purpose, aiid subsequently proceeded to the identical station at which Mr Frideaux was on a visit, never expecting to meet him. In the meanwhile Mrs Frideaux despatched * letter to hor husband, which reached him before the arrival of, Nelson. On the latter making his appearance, he was, at the request of the Rev. Mr Frideaux, soized by some natives, with the consent of the chief, or head* man. On some pretext, Nelson was allowed to get into his waggon— the Rer. Mr Frideaux, chief, and natives standing around — when the villain deliberately stuck a match into » barrel of gunpowder in the waggon, which was in* stantly blown to pieces, scattering the bodies of Nelson, tho fiev. Mr Srideaux, chief, and natives in every direction. Not a vestige of the bodies could be identified. Mrs Frideaux is a daughter 6f thq Rev. Robert Moiiat, of tho Kurnmar, an honored servant of the London Missionary Society, and sister td tne late Mrs Livingstone.

Mr Morton Allport lias lately read a paper before the Eoyal Society of Tasmania on the state 1 , of the fry of the salmon and srln ~>n trout at the Plenty, and on the taking of u.e first spawn frOm the brown trout. The following 'is the substance of his report : — " I have now to report thafc the batching of th» last batch of ova is complete, and that the young fish are progressing most favorably. Mr Ramsbottom counted those which hatched from the salmon ova up to 5000, and estimates tho remainder at about 1000, making 6000 in all. Tho salmon trout safely hatched he esti. mates at about 1000. And I have -further to report that spawn has b'eeri successfully taken from One of the common or brown trout, and is now deposited in a -separate box prepared for its reception ; in addition to the one trou* that haR spawned, several^more have been examined, in which the ova are rapidly approaching maturity, and from whidh the spawn will probably be taken during this montlu"