CANTERBURY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1507, 22 March 1861, Page 5

CANTERBURY.

Br the Airedale, we have received our usual files of papers from this Province up to the 20th Inst. We extract the following from the Lyttelton Times : — The Markets. — Mr. Thomson reports the following sales during the past month :-t-2000 ewes, 265., cash ; 50 acres at Papanui (in lots), average, £22 por acre, deferred payments ; 4000 acres at the Taitapu, £2800, deferred payment; Mr. Pott's run on the Ashburton, 47,000 acres»v s 20C0 sheep mixed ages and sexes, £8000^y Messrs. Brittan and Stace's run on thej^ti£y burton, 20,000 acres, 500 head of cattle !&ss)pj The rumours which have been floating about for the past week or so, respecting the discovery of gold in the Oamaru district, begin to assume a tangible shape. The few facts which form the basis of the reports are as follow. — Some weeks ago a party of men, employed in roadmaking by the Otago Government, picked up some nuggets in the river Lindis (Upper Clutha or Mokomoko), a tributary of the Molyneaux, where they were engaged in making cuttings for the main road to cross. Mr. McLean, oa whose run the gold was found, saw some gold in the possession of one ofthe men ; it weighed about four onces, and consisted of large waterworn nuggets, from tbe size of a grain of wheat to that of a bean, and apparently of a very fine quality. The men -were about to leave the Government work and continue the search for gold, but their rations were stopped until work was resumed. When the news reached Oamaru, a number of the people resident there set off with drays of provisions and stores for the diggings, and no doubt others would follow from the neighbourhood. As the stream where the gold was found is small and close to the hills, it offers no prospect of a large field sufficient to induce diggers to proceed there from any distanoe at this season of the year. A sufficient number of people have gone there to try it; and if their report be favorable, no doubt inthe spring tlie attempt will be made by a large number. Mr. McLean came up himself in the Omeo, so that the fact ofthe gold being there rests on no doubtful authority. The spot is described as being about nine miles from the Wanaka lake, and is accessible to drays from Oamaru, from which it is distant about 150 miles. Dray roads can also be made at slight expense to Duuedin, and the district is open to horse and foot travellers from several directions.

Fatal Accidents. — On Monday last a little boy ofthe name of Dearsley was drowned in the Purarekanui. An inquest was held on the following day, at which a verdict of " Accidental death " was returned. On Tuesday last an inquest was held on the body of a child named Thomas Wedge, son of respectable parents in Durham street. As the child was playing on the Papanui Bridge, the Kaiapoi cait passed at a rapid rate, knocking hira down, and the wheel passing over his head. Death was instantaneous. The jury returned a verdict of "Ac« cidental death." The coroner warned the driver that should such another accident occur while he continued to use such a horse which was a known " bolter," he would be liable to an action for legitimate manslaughter. Accident.— An accident happened on Friday morning to Mr. Thomas Goodger, the proprietor of the Canterbury Livery Stables. As he was bringing a dray out of his stable yard iv the rear of the Canterbury Hotel, the man who was in the shafts attempted to turn too close to the edge of a gully which runs through the yard, and tlie|dray fell overthrowing Goodger into the gully with such force as to break three of his ribs. Goodger bad only lately recovered from a long and severe illness which had confined hira to his house for months.

The mercantile public will. feel it of importance to be informed at once that instructions have been received to alter the interpretation of the Tariff hitherto followed) in one particular. Corrugated sheet iron, galvanized sheet iron, and galvanized iron wire will for the future be liable to duty at 3s per cwt., instead of coming in free as heretofore.

We notice with pleasure the erection of a mill on the west end of the Kaiapoi Island, on the property of Mr. Donald Ooutts. The motive power is obtained by the drainage of the swamp land adjoining, and the supply of water is plentiful even in this dry season. The works are adapted for use either for thrashing grain or grinding corn. A very simple but ingenious alteration of the machinery effects the change requisite for this purpose. The mill has been at work now in both capacities for almost a month and has been found perfectly efficient. We regret to have to announce another less of life iv connection with river orossing. It appears that a young man named Webber, a stock driver, was crossing the Rakaia on Wednesday last, when, on attempting to ascend the bank, which was steep, the saddle girths broke, - and he was precipitated violently into the stream, down which he was hurried rapidly.. The mea;,; at the ferry who witnessed the accident jjnsse >!; every effort to regain the body^ bitf Q^tsiimt success. The horse came out safelyi%tid4Be aaddie was picked up about a wileosdwa tKestwajn/y