GOLD EXPORTS FROM HOKITIKA

West Coast Times, Issue 1329, 25 December 1869, Page 1 (Supplement)

GOLD EXPORTS FROM HOKITIKA

A faial accident is reported from Greymmith. It appears that on Wednesday afternoon Dunne's bout, deeply 1.-vlon with coals, left the pit to come down the river. She had also, as passengers, five diggers and two drovers. When about two miles from Greymouth, the boat struck on a snag, -which knocked a hole in her bottom, but being in partially shoal Avater, she did not sink, but drifted into the deep water, bumping along over the shingle. Several of the men here struck out for the shore, but the others stuck to the mast until she had passed over the deep hole ; the rest of the men then left her ; and then it was discovered that one of the diggers ■was missing. None of the meu in the boat saw the man, ancVit was only when they were taking to the water that a digger said, " My mate is missing, he must be drowned." Three of the men could not swim, and the one who ■was drowned Avas one of them. It is said that the poor fellow who is drowned had thirty ounces of gold on him. The whole of the party came into Cobdeu, where their wants were relieved. The Duke of Edinburgh Theatre Cafe lias recently passed into the hands of Mr EWalker, lately 01 the Casino. During the short time he has had the house, he has effected great improvement I*,1 *, which will, no doubt be appreciated by his patrons and fritnds during the present season . • A meeting of the "Regatta Committee was held last night, for Iho purpose ot receiving the report of Mr G. P. 11. Gallop, the secretary. The subscriptions received, the amount of whiih he had handed over to the treasurer, were feund to be very satisfactory, and equal to the expenses to be incurred. The meeting gave the secretary a vote of thanks, for. tbe. .manner in which the subscriptions had been got in, and the satisfactory manner ra which he had performed his duties and kept the accounts, it was resolved — "That tUI parties entering boats will have to wtv.r caps die color which the boat carries, anil also that cards of each day's races will be

ued each morning, containing the :\.t , lors and boats entered for each race." An accident cciurred yesterday to a i a ,vied John M'Gain, who was working in ' reat Victorian Claim, Kanieri. Thro 111 1 Die mismanagement, on whose part has , inspired, whilst engaged in the claira. j oke his leg. The poor fellow was im fitely brought down to town, and as sooi i issible was taken over to the Hosp- , lore we learn that lis . is progres- ; vorably. Great preparations are being made i melagh Gardens for the fet'i which :> ) me on off ivlonday, the 27th instant. ' 3 ,rdens I'.r.vc been fenced in, the giv I veiled, and a grand pavilion erected. '. ; [ilks in the gardens have been tastef l - id out. Weinberg's band "will be in attc - ice to discourse swaet music ; but "> eat feature of the day will be the B; r io\v, although amusements of various kii i ill not be wanting to amuse those who ir ' el inclined to take a trip .over the river. It has been determined by the director. 111 1 c Ross United Steam Drainage Compr ■ tat the christening of their engines c) 1 ke place on Wednesday next, the 29th i: . is expected that Eoss will on that occa* > ' ; visited by a largo number of persons f 1 i oldtika, when they would no doubt pa? ost pleasant day. A company, consist ■ I Messrs Malfroy, Prince, Cuming, Pr id Ritchie, has been ap ointed lo carry 1 .1 the arrangements, and in such hands th mnot be other than complete. A ease of drowning in the Tokamai > iver, near Stilton, took place on the 111 1 ist. The Bruce Herald relates the bee ;nce as follows : — it appears that a mar le name of George Balfour, a painter ' :ade, and pretty well known in Milton, one, along with Mr Reeves, bootmal own to the river on Thursday evening Jt lines for the purpose of catching t larly yesterday morning Balfour went iraself co lift the lines, and while in the f doing so, it is presumed he must h, xllen into the pool, about five feet deep, . . aye been unable to recover himself, ; rhero he was found between 11 and 'clock in the forenoon. The place where ras drowned is not far from the trout pc , nd as the pool is not of large extent, i onjectured that he must have had a fit. > fhich, we understand, he has latterly 1> übject. Tears of some accident began t. ■ < intertained when the deceased did not rei o breakfast ; and, on Mr Reeves and annt'. • ;oing to search for him, he was found w" 1 lis face downwards, and grasping part of ■, me and some gra:-.. The occurrence v ; •eportedtothe police, and, under t.iechargt ■ i: Vlr Pilkington, the body was at < <\2" Vemo% I 0 an outhouse at the Commercial Ho • Che deceased was unmarried, a quiet r '. noflrensive man, but unfortunately addi j . ;o drinking habits. One of the principal hotels in Waipori '. the following sign painted in bold lett , :>ver the door: — "Meals, Is; beer, ;. •, stabling, free I" According to the Tw ■ Times, great excitement prevails in co;. - quence — everybody getting drunk, and merous assaults taking place. The Ot:ujo Daily Times, of the 13th ir , says: — " With reference to the capsizing : the Blanche Bai'kley on Monday last, we now able to state that Mr Lewis, the ow. aand former master of the cutter, was not a board of her when the accident took pi: , but was engaged in working on his groi 1 in Dowling Bay. The cutter left her v- 1 anchorage for a fishing cruise on that cl ' , in charge of two men, named George Li' - and Francis Drake, both aged forty ye. • The former came out in the ship Panipc , and was a native of Margate ; the lai • has been engaged in and about P . Chalmers for the last seven yer , and was a native of Yorkshire. I - vious to starting, Mr Lewis cautioned ' ■ men not to go outside if there was any sea This injunction, however, was uot obe; L until the cutter was in the break, when it < » observed that an attempt waj made to ' ' her in, but in wearing round a sea top. ! over her quarter, completely smothering and she settled down before assistance C(> be rendered. There was no commnnicat . with the heads yo-terday, and it is not known •whether any of the bodies have b recovered. Both of the diseased are belieto have been unmarried. Australian ' xploratjon. — The Oi Spectator furnishes the following parti lars of the expedition -which has just out to define the boundary line betw Victoria and New South Wales, from great dividing range at Forest-hill, to C Howe: — '■ The party consists of Mr A. Black, Mr 1 1 ill Clark, second ofH. , and nine men. They will take with tl twelve pack and saddle horses, carry instruments, tents, and blankets, tools o kinds, a fowling piece, a breech-load rifle, a couple of revolvers, fish hooks . Hues, simple medicines, a syringe, ammonia in case of snake bite, and a var of articles which are - likely to pi useful on such an expedition. The i i great difficulty which may he apprehen — although the entire journey may be a thing but plain sailing — will be the Sn River, as it will be flooded by the me!' snow, and is quite unknown where th 0 crosses it. It is not at all impossible that party will have to turn northwards be they can cross the main stream. U v this the base of operations wi!i the Omeo. After they pass ( . river, Mr Black will endea to open up communications with Two 1 Ba}\ Beyond this the count ry is ato incognita, nothing being know .->t it exthat it is cut up by rapid riw .s and r • cipitous ranges, and that it is extrem scrubby. As far as the Omeo the pr will carry their own provisions, but f that point they will take with them a v of sheep. This is a capit-il idea, especi' as, owing to the nature of the wor l ' hand, the rate of actual travelling avl! slow. In fact, we do not anticipate her.i of Mr Black's appearance at Cape 1 1 before six months. The whole of expedition is one of thefgreatcst imporU and under the leadership of Mr Black, ' while carrying out his own partic business thoroughly, is observant of evr thing of interest which he meets is ascertain to , result in some^ valuable coveries. The rivers are known to auriferous, but.. have never been foliothroughout, their \vh9le 1 course, .and) appearing quartz is likely to. be met with.

The annexed table shows the quantity of gold exported since March, ISGS, from the port of Hokitika :—: — Ozs. Dwls. Grs. From March, 18G5, to end of May, 1866, 415,223 12 22 June, 1866 36,487 4 0 July 30,160 7 0 Ajgnst 30.695 ' 0 0 September 81,248 4 0 October 2.3,396 12 0 November 23,107 13 0 December 25,096 IS 0 January 1867 ... 23,592 1 G February ... '.. 21,176 0 0 March 25,520 0 0 April 24,691 0 0 May, ... "... 19,416 0 0 June 12,042 0 0 Jnly ..."""... * I7,o0(r cr"~o ~ - August 20,745 0 0 September 18,820 0 0 October 13,464 0 0 November 27,614 0 6 December 21,008 0 0 j January, 1868 .. 7,849 0 0 February 18,330 0 0 March 14,132 0 0 April 12,920 10 0 May 12,154 0 0 Juno 11,417 4 6 Jnly ' 10,716 9 0 August 14,394 9 0 September 12,634 10 12 October 16,692 7 1 November ... 8,759 17 1 December 12,731 2 2 January, 1869 ... 9,998 10 0 February 9,348 8 20 March 12,822 0 0 April 9,953 10 1 May ia,6sb 6 0 June 10,6G3 3 4 July 12,309 5 0 August 9,216 9 0 September 7,966 0 0 October 6,735 0 0 November 9,411 1 0 December 8,033 8 20 Total . ... 1,135,196 18 11