West Coast Times. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1866.

West Coast Times, Issue 342, 27 October 1866, Page 2

West Coast Times. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1866.

We desire again to call the attention of our readers to the ceremony of laying the first rail of the Hokitika and Greymouth Tramway. ,which will take place this day at the old Hospital Reserve, Revell street, at 3 o'clock p.m. It is unnecessary for us to make pny lengthened comment on the advantages to Hokitika that will arise out of the successful prosecution of this scheme, as we feel sure they are recognised by every resident on the coast; and it is only reasonable to expect that a considerable number of visitors will honor the • inaugural ceremony with their presence.

Amongst the passengers who landed yesterday from the s.s. Alexandra, were Mr and Mrs Constable, the latter being better known under the liame of Miss Joey Gougenheim, whose reputation as a clever actress is so wider' spread in the colonies, This talented comedienne is, we understand, under an engagement to perform at the Prince of Wales Opera House for a limited number of nights,' 1 and will,, we have no doubt, draw bumper houses during her short stay here.

We notice by an advertisement in another column that a public meeting is convened for half-past two this afternoon at the Prince of Wales Opera House, the object being to collect funds for the purpose of despatching a vessel in search of the William Miskin. We trust that her appearance in the roadstead this morning will render such a course unnecessary.

On Thursday morning last an Italian was married in Hokitika, and, accompanied by his brido and Mrs Bazett, who acted a3 bridesmaid, and a fiend named Mr Henry O'Reilly, immediately after the ceremony left figr his residence at Stafford Hill. The day passed plea-, smith*, and at midnight the party broke up; and as Mrs Bazett's business compelled' her to be in town on the following day, she, escorted by Mr O'Reilly, started on their return. The Arahura river was reached at about one o'clock yesterday morning, but both being ignorant of the exact situation of the fording place, an attempt was made to cross the river v short distance above the tn-enki-ro. O'Reilly led the way, closely followed by his^ compauiou, and in an instant both were submerged in deep water. The former was swept from hja horw and drowned, lv'» last yrovdj*

being, " Save youi-belt for tho sake of your husMmnd.'' Mrs Bazett also lost her scat, but clung fast to the horse's tail, and tho uiuiiai, guided by instinct, turned round and made for the shore, which, happily, he succeeded in gaining, landing the woman safely, butterribly exhausted. When somewhat recovered she proceeded to the Ballarat Hotel and gavo tho alarm, a search party proceeded to the beach to recover the body in the event of it being thrown up by the surf. At. daylight it was discovered about a mile to the northward of the river, and removed to the above hotel, there to await an inquest which will be held upon it to-day at eleven o'clock. This is certainly one of the most sudden terminations to a wedding ever brought under our notice.

From a notice in our advertising columns we observe that a meeting of members belonging to the Presbyterian persuasion is convened for Monday evening, at 8 o'clock, in the Supreme Court House, for the purpose of adopting measures to obtain the services of a minister who will reside permanently in this town. We may also mention that the erection of the new church in Stafford street is being rapidly proceeded with, and is expected to be, opened for Divine Service early in December.

A public meeting was held in the Pruicess Theatre, Dunedin, on the" 15th instant, to hear addresses from Messrs Paterson and Reynolds, the representatives of the city in the General Assembly. The " Times" states that it; was the most numerously attended and the most influential meeting cvi r assembled in Dunedin ; and, judging from the report, there can be no doubt of it rowdiness. A resolution was unanimously adopted, declaring that the fifteen members for the province ought to resign.

The last cylinder of the wharf-extension at Wellington was driven home on Saturday, the 20th hidt, and the fact 'was announced by hoisting a flag on the large sheer-legs above it The accommodation for shipping will be greatly increased b- this addition, and the end of the wharf now runs into such deep water that the Panama steamers will be able to come alongside the outer T. As that portion will be especially devoted to vessels of large tonnage, it has - been made extra strong by constructing its harbor front and the extremities of the arms with immense cylinders* sunk into their place9*by means of a pneumatic apparatus and heavy weights, and then bound together by diagonal girders, and faced with large baulks of timber as fenders

We publish in another column a letter from T. L. Bright, Esq., descriptive of the road from Hokitika to Christchurcli, and which will doubtless prove of considerable interest to those who have the pleasures of overland journey yet to come. A second communication on the same subject we are compelled to hold over till our next. ' Mr,Charies Veith, of ,the Hotel de France and the Southland Restaurant, whose sudden disappearance created such excitement a few days ago, arrived here in the steamer Taranaki yesterday, en route to Melbourne. He was by come means induced to come on shore, when he was immediately arrested and conveyed to ihe* lock-up. A variety of stories,; more or less true, are afloat concerning tho circumstances of his capture ; but, as the case will probably come before the Resident Magistrate shortly, we decline to give currency to them. We were informed at a late hour last night that Mr Veith had ibeen bailed out by some friends, but we are unable to vouch for the truth of the report.

The " Lyttelton Times " informs us that the following is a return of the number of persons who have crossed the Bealey on their road to and from the West Canterbury Goldfields, and of the number of stock driven past during the week ending Oct. 13 : — To the goldfields: Males, 12; horses, 10; cattle, 83. From the goldfields: Males, 36 ; horses, 11. Permanent residents at Bealey, 6. During the same period 72 cattle were driven past Mr Blake's camp. ,

Artesian well boring is attended by marked success in Eastern Canterbury, as may,beseen from the following extract taken from the ° Press" of Monday last :— " On Thursday last, the' boring of an artesian well was completed by Mr C. Fair weather at the Chelten" ham boarding-house, near Kaiapoi. - Water was met with throughout the sinking from thirty feet from the suriace to ninety-four feet, at which latter depth the real spring was tapped, and now the well has a capital overflow of over six feet above ground," The " Lyttelton Times," in referring to the new Provincial Council, says,: — " On casting a glance at the body of the Chamber, the wonted frequenters of the Council must have been struck with the number of new faces which met their gaze. Out of a house which numbers forty-four members, forty-were present, and of these no fewer than tweuty-foili* did not sit in the previous Council."

The enquiry ijito the loss by fire of the Blackwall liner Result was concluded on the 17th inst., having lasted two days. The jury, after a deliberation of about twenty minutes, returned the following verdict : — " That the ship Result was discovered to be on fire at midnight on the 10th October, and eventually destroyed ; that the fire originated in the fore part of the ship, but by what meaus she took fire there is no evidence to show." In reporting the second day's proceedings the " Age " remarks : — "Through the obtuseness of some of the, jury, and irrelevant questions which were constantly indulged in, the enquiry, which commenced at two o'clock, was not concluded until after six, although the evidence taken might have all been received in one hour." r

We had the pleasure of inspecting at Mr Hines's interesting fine arts collection, Collins street, two large water-color drawings by Mr Gully, of New Zfcaland,.which are about to be deposited in the picture-gal-lery of the Intercolonial Exhibition. One of these drawings represents "a storm on the dividing range between Nelson and Marlborough ;" the other " tho Western tier, Middle Islanu." Both are truly magnificent works of art, the former being especially remarkable for its bold and effective treatment. They have been finished with extreme care aud conscientiousness, and tit a first glance apoear to have all the force and distinctness of oil paintings. Platinum has been found to exist in considerable quantities amongst the iron sand on the sea coast of Southland, and in which sand also gold is obtained. Platinum, in its pure etate, is worth 34s per ounce ; but this containing, as it does, 12 to 14 per cent, of iron, is valued at 27s 2d, not, deducting cost of manufacturing it into a* pur^ form, which will reduce its value to about 21s an ounce. Dr. Hector, in 'a report on the discovery, gives' the foregoing particular!. ,