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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 432, 18 December 1868, Page 2

Considerable anxiety is felt with regard to the safety of the ketch Constant, of this port, which left Charleston on Sunday last, with the owner, Mr E. Suisted, and two seamen on board. The ketch sailed from Charleston for "Westport, but at neither port has she arrived, and, as the weather has been extremely rough during the week, there is an apprehension that some accident occurred to her, or that she has been driven to sea, in which case the position of those on board would, indeed, be lamentable. When she left Charleston there were only five loaves of bread on board, with some other trifling supplies of provisions which would soon be exhausted. An active look-out has been kept from the shore at both ports within the fast few clays, but there has been no sign of a vessel answering her description, and, yesterday, as the steamer Waipara came up from Charleston, she could descry no such vessel in the offing. It is said that when last seen the ketch was two miles to the leeward or south-ward of the Steeples. Mr Gibbons, a friend of the owner, Mr Suisted, proceeded with the ketch to Charleston, but returned to Westport overland.

An inquest as to the circumstances of the death of the miner, James Batman Hilbeek, killed on Wednesday at Griles Ten-ace, was held yesterday by the Coroner, Dr G-iles, and a jury, at Morey's National Hotel. The witnesses examined were Joseph Watson, James Driver, Philip Griffiths, John Hamilton, and George Jacques. From the evidence it appeared that, while the deceased was standing near the wash-boxes at the side of the creek, a stone weighing about three or four hundred-weights, and which took two men to lift, fell from a truck at the mouth of a tunnel, a distance of sixty feet, and struck the deceased on the side. Driver was attempting to hold the stone when it slipped on to the shoot. He and Griffiths called' 'Look out,'' and the deceased jumped a distance of eight feet, but the stone caught hini on the right shoulder, broke his arm, almost severing it, and crushing him so severely about the chest that he died on the spot. The jury, after considerable consultation, returned a verdict to the effect that death had been caused by the falling of a stone at Giles Terrace on the 16th inst., and they added the rider that "great carelessness was attributable to Griffiths and Driver."

We reported on Tuesday that a robbery of 300 ounces of amalgam had been committed at the Shamrock Lead. A man named Ter ence M'Donnell has since been apprehended by Detective Lambert as the culprit, and we believe that the gold has also been re covered. M'Donnell will be brought up today at the Resident Magistrate's Court.

Some fine specimens of nuggetty gold obtained at Lyell Creek have been received this week by the Union Bank. The largest specimen is 2|ozs. in weight; and the others range from half an ounce to two ounces. There is, however, said to be a nugget " coming," not of ounces' weight, but of pounds' weight, and also obtained up the Lyell. If it is all that is represented, it is the largest yet obtained in New Zealand, but we do not care to notice it until we have actually seen it. The Nathan Troupe are passengers to Hokitika by the Kennedy, where they perform during the holidays. They have already visited Wellington and Nelson. "Wo haTe received a copy of the prospectus of a new paper to be published at Hokitika, and to be called the HoJciWca Daily News. Messrs D. Curie and Co. are the publishers. The first number is to appear to. morrow.

A few weeks ago, by the instructions of the Westport Progress Committee, the Hon. Secretary of that body (Mr Bullen) forwarded to Messrs M'Meckan and Blackwood, and to the Manager of the Panama Company, letters representing the propriety of their steamers making Westport a port of call, and enclosing statistics illustrative of the trade of the port. Wo understand that from Mr Benson a reply has been received in which he states that he will not lose sight of making Westport a port of call, as soon as practicable, but that at present he cannot complete arrangements to do so.

The Warden of the District, Dr. Giles, intimates that claims, &c, are protected from the 24th inst. to January 2nd, inclusive, as the period of the Christmas holidavs.

His Honor Mr Justice Richmond has given judgment in the Westport case of Porter and others v. Te Koramo and others, in which the substantial plaintiff is Thomas Tasker, and the substantial defendants John and George Jervis. The judgment is too lengthy for us to give at present. His Honor laid, that the sum of the judgment was, that the demurrer to the plaintiffs' declaration was allowed as respects the defendant, John Jervis, and disallowed as regards the defendant, George Jervis. With respect to costs, it was the general rule to allow costs to go with the judgment, and in this case each side would bear its own costs in connection with the demurrer.

At Grcymouth, no programme of sports has yet been issued. At Hokitika the sports are to include a cricket match lasting two days, between eleven of the club and twenty-two miners.

Telegrams from Otago state that the new gold-field attracts great attention. It is dis tant twenty miles from Switzer's. The reports are that the prospectors made seven pounds weight of gold per week. We noticed a few days ago that a robbery of jewelry and meerschaum pipes had lately been committed at Wanganui. A person who was vending such articles in Westport, at a very oheap rate, was arrested as the thief yesterday morning by Detective Lambert, and will be brought up at the Besident Magistrate's Couitt to-day.

The letter of " A Subscriber to the Sports Fund" is again unavoidably ommitted. It will appear to-morrow. An extensive firo has occurred at Now Plymouth, by which £IO,OOO worth of property was destroyed. The hotel and store of Messrs Skene, Haast, and Co., at Switzer's diggings, Otago, has been destroyed by firo. The loss to the proprietors is estimated at £6OOO. Some Chinamen were severely burnt. The Gourlay family have deservedly made a successful commencement to their season of entertainment at Charleston.