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Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 284, 29 June 1868, Page 2

A most singular specimen of the fish tribe was discovered on Saturday morning last by Mr Brown, draper, of Grladstone street, on the beach between here and the Orawaite. He was taking an early stroll at about half-past eight in the morning, just about low water, when he observed a large fish of some kind splashing about in a shallow, and evidently making desperate but ineffectual efforts to get to sea again. A dog that was with Mr Brown made a rush and seized the fish by the tail, breaking the vertebra?, after which it never moved again. On going up to it, Mr Brown discovered to his astonishment, that it was an enormous fish of some eleven feet in length though of slight bulk in proportion. He at cnce got a dray and had his prize conveyed to town, and sold it to a fish dealer who exhibited it at the Little G-rey, at a charge of Is per head. It has been erroneously abated to be a king-fish, but it has not the slightest resemblance to that fish. Others again, with equal incorrectness, set it down as a large specimen of a frost-fish, though how either opinion could be formed, seeing that it is totally different in every respect from fins, skin, head, &c, we are at loss to imagine. In the first place it is between ten and eleven feet in length, its depth about eighteen inches, and its circumference about forty inehe? in the thickest part. It has a very strangely shaped and bony head, a kind of forehead, if we may use such an expression for want of other means of description, and snout projecting some eight inches from that to the extremity of a somewhat trumpet shaped mouth. The lower jaw by some means had been destroyed but the upper was perfect. There were no signs of any teeth. The eye was singularly bright, perfectly flat, and about the size of a half-crown, and the tail was fluked. A red dorsal fin two and a half inches in depth ran the whole length of the fish, but there were no other fins of any description on it. The tail was fluked, we were informed, but the dog had bitten it off, and by some means it was missing. The skin was rough and thick like that of a shark, with five longitudinal bands of small rough protuberances running like ribands the length of the fish, and from its head several horny feelers like stalks of corn, eighteen inches in length, projected. Its weight was variously estimated, but we should set it down at about 200 lbs. probably rather, but not much, less. Altogether it is a most curious specimen, and is well worth preserving for sending away. Its skin is so thick that it, could easily be stuffed, and we hope this will be done before it is too late. It has been sold to a man who is taking it down to Charleston for exhibition.

"We remind our readers tbat to-day is the nomination day for the Hospital Committee for the ensuing year, and we sincerely hope that no party or any feeling other than a sincere desire to nominate mem who will be real workers and can discharge their duties properly, if elected, will be manifested by those who take part in the proceedings. The welfare of the patients in the hospital is at stake, the lives of fellow-creatures may be in some degree affected by the

kind of committee that is elected, it is no trifling or slight responsibility on the part of the proposers or candidates and we do hope it will not bo dealt with A 3 *° the composition of the committee, provided those elected are intelligent honorable men who will assiduously discharge the duties they undertake, we care not from where they come, but one thing must be borne in mind, that'those who allow themselves to be nominated and are unable to attend,if elected, commit an actual wrong to the unhappy inmates of the charity. If they choose to do this, they deserve the sternest reprobation of every man having a particle of humanity in his nature. The time of meeting is 12, the places the Courts House here and at Addison's and the "Victoria hotel at the Caledonian.

There will he no Resident Magistrate's Court held this morning unless Mr Kynnersiey comes in the Kennedy, and that vessel turns up in time. We have now no magistrate in AVestport till one of the wanderers return.

The Caledonian track is progressing well, and there is every expectation that it will he completed in contract time. Some of the parties who took sub-contracts at this end of the line, have been unable to complete them, we hear, owing to the work being heavier than was anticipated by them ; but should such be the case there will be little difficulty, we believe, in getting other men to proceed with the work. On enquiringof Dr Cotterell, we learn that O'Brien is but little better, though no worse than when we last reported. He is still suffering paralysis of the lower extremities and also the bladder. The doctor, however, has every hope of his patient's ultimate recovery. The Rev. D. Porteus held Service yesterday in Mr Fraser's school-room, and a large number of persons attended his ministration.

At the Dunedin Criminal sittings Mr Besemeres, proprietor of the Evening News in that place, was tried on the 15th inst. for libel on Charles Stephen Reeves, and Michael Murphy, in au article accusing them of Fenians. The defence was not guilty, that the alleged libels were true, and that it was for the public good they should be published. A very long tria', about which a considerable amount of excitement was shown, resulted in the acquittal of the defendant. Samuel Symms, convicted of obtaining money under false pretences, was sentenced to two years imprisonment with naru labor.

When a short time ago we pointed out to the business men of this place, the danger they were subject to from a dray track being made from Charleston to Addison's, whilst only a packing track connected. AVestport with that place, no heed was taken to it. Let them now for their comfort's sake read our Charleston news. The ChaHeston merchants in a few weeks will be able to supply goods at a less rate at Addison's than those at "Westport. The Bruce Herald has " been informed that very lately the snow was lying on the Tapanui Flat, to the depth of two feet. We regret to learn that one human life has been lost. A man named Murray, engaged ou the station of Mr Boberts of Ardmore, had been delivering a load of hay at the Bush Inn, Tapanui. on the previous Monday, and left for home in the afternoon, taking tea at an accommodation house on the way. On the following morning the two horses with the dray were found standing before the stable door without their driver, there was a gate about two miles from the station, which must have been opened by the missing man, who was, our informant says, not found up to mid-day on Wednesday, and it was conjectured that he was buried in the snow. Murray was a man of steady habits and a native of Aberdeen, Scotland. A bullock team from Invercargill for Switzers, in endeavoring to cross the Matura at Jackson's Ford, was swept off, and bullocks and driver were drowned. Neither dray nor loading have yet been found. The driver is reported to be a tall powerful man, who has long been employed in the carting trade between Invercargill and Switzers, named Peter Paton."