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Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 161, 5 February 1868, Page 2

The Meeting por the Protection op the River Bank.—We believe that it is probable that the action of the committee appointed to bring under the notice of the Government the state of the river bank will be forestalled, as we are informed that Mr Blackett, the Provincial Engineer, has already taken preliminary action in the matter.

The Caledonian Lead.—Yesterday one of the owners of the claim held by • Winter and party, brought into town and sold to one of the banks about 50 ounces of gold, the produce of five days' work. A proof of the extreme richness of some of the claims on this lead came to our knowledge yesterday. The party of which Braithwaite was the head, have this day purchased his' share in the 'claim for £3OO. Should the gold be struck on the Bald Hill, the other side of the gully, this place bids' fair to be a township, as already one street is formed of tolerable buildings. Waterman's Boat Bace.—The race which was run between the waterman's boats on the day of the Sports, and which by Captain Kirkpatrick's decision was to be run over again yesterday, came off quite successfully, and proved a very fairly contested race, Balph, the owner of the winning boat on the former occasion, was again victorious. Eclipse came in second, but owing to her not keeping the prescribed course, the Pride of Erin was declared the winner of the second prize, so that the following will be their position:—Bose of Denmark, 1; Pride of Erin, 2 ; Eclipse, 3. The Weathek.—Yesterday was one of the old West Coast days, raining almost the whole day without intermission. If the weather continues, as there seems every probability of its doing, we shall hear of more destruction by freshes, &c.

Cultivation op Chicory.— The Nelson Colonist says : —We believe an attempt is about to be made here to introduce the cultivation of the chicory plant, which is a plant fond of marshy soil; is raised from seed, strong and easily cultivated, sends out a large root (the commercial article), which in its raw state is -worth about £5 a ton. It is at present very scarce in Melbourne, and it is considered by persons interested in its growth that the climate of New Zealand, and particular parts of the soil of this Province, would be admirably adapted for the plant. June is considered the proper season for sowing the seed, a supply of which will, we understand, reach Nelson before that period, in order that those inclined to try its cultivation may have an opportunity of making the experiment.

An Exciting Boar. Hunt.—The lovers of the chase lost a fine afternoon's sport on Monday last, when Mr Jones and his neighbor succeeded in killing a pig, which he had lost from his place for more than twelve months. About a week ago Mr Jones was much annoyed by the visit of some porcine animal, and as he 'destroyed much of his garden produce. Jones determined to stop his further depredations. On Monday afteruoon, as he and Mr Keogh were watching with their dogs, in expectation of a visit from the interesting animal; they sighted him, and Mr Keogh succeeded in getting two shots, both of which took effect, though oniy to the extent of making him tuu all the faster. After about an hour's run however, the dogs overtook him, and on Mr Jones coming up, he found it was a fine young boar, which he killed and brought home with him, where no doubt his flesh will be highly appreciated.

The Rev. Father Sarda—The Nelson Evening Mail says:—"lt may be in the recollection of our readers

that at the time of the melancholy death at St. Mary's of the Rev. Charles Sarda, in October last, we mentioned the fact that another young brother of the deceased priest, also in Holy Orders, had left the colonies for Europe, in a ship of which nothing has ever since been heard. We find amongst the list of passengers on board the ill-fated General Grant, in the ship's clearance from Melbourne, the name of the Rev. Eather Sarda, who doubtless was the ecclesiastic alluded to above, and was amongst the 68 persons who were wrecked on the morning of the 14th May, 1866, on the Auckland Islands.

The Pope and the Foheign Bishops.—Considerable dissatisfaction appears to have prevailed among the foreign bishops who attended the late centenary of St. Peter's at Home, on account of the way in which they were received by the resident prelates. The correspondent at Rome of the ' Pall i Mall Gazette,' writing on th 12th instant says : —All the foreign bishops with the exception of a few Oriental and some Spanish prelates, have left Home, and upwards of 60 were obliged to depart without bidding farewell to the Pope, who was unable to grant them an audience. This has given rise to complaints against th Pope's houshold. In fact, most of the bishops have gone away dissatisfied. They affirm that it is unjustifiable to summon them from the ends of the earth simply to assist at one ceremony, and many grumble at having had no opportunity for personal communication with the Pope, which prevented them telling him what they came from a distance, and even crossed the ocean, expressly to say. The prelates of the court, by the influx of ecclesiastics from a hundred different countries, have treated them with coldness and hauteur, and even rudeness. The bishops have been admited to no intercourse with the Roman dignitaries ; no arrangments were made for facilitating their association with each other, andnone of the cardinals, with the single exception of Cardinal Altiery, invited them to their entertainments. Indeed, many of the bishops did not speak to anybody but the priests in their own train all the time they were in Rome. In 1862 the Pope entertained all his episcopal visitors at a grand dinner in the library of the Vatican, and the feast was compared to an agape of the primi'tve church ; but the present occasion will leave no such an impression on the minds of his guests, and these pilgrims from the equator, the antipodes, and the two poles return to their flocks disappointed and indignant. A large number of them have not even received the medal struck in honor of the centenary, which represents St. Peter and St. Paul. They complain that the Pope received his venerable brothers too little like a brother, and too much like a prince.