ARRIVAL OF THE "Prince Alfred" WITH NEWS FROM OTAGO TO THE 4th JANUARY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1690, 10 January 1862, Page 3

ARRIVAL OF THE " Prince Alfred" WITH NEWS FROM OTAGO TO THE 4th JANUARY.

The I. C, R. M. Company's s.s. Prince Alfred, Captain Bowden, arrived in port on Wednesday last, bringing intelligence from Otago to the 4th Instant, and Canterbury to the 7th. The news from the Gold Fields is still satisfactory, although tbe amount brought down by the last Escort is less tban the previous one which is accounted for by a large number of the miners having proceeded to the Waipori Diggings, aud others gone home to spend the Christmas Holidays. The last Escort arrived at Dunedin on the 22nd instant, bringing down 11,662 ounces of gold. A new rush had fairly set in from Melbourne, and vessels were arriving daily, crowded wilh passengers. The Alma arrived at Otago on the 31st uit., with 90 passengers; the Prince Alfred on the 2nd inst., with 27 saloon, j and 67 second cabin passengers ; on the ■• 3rd, the Themis with 270 passengers, and the same day, the Mary Ann Wilson, with 6 saloon and 391 steerage passengers. The s. s. Aldinga sailed for Melbourne on tbe 28th uit., with 20 cabin, and 110 steerage passengers, and gold dust. The s.s. Lady Bird sailed from Otago ou the 2nd in.t., for Melbourne, with 87 passengers and 1248 ouuces of gold. The American clipper Simoon, 1600 tons, from the Clyde, arrived at Otago on the 3rd inst., after an unprecedented quick passage of 72 days- On entering Port Chalmers, the Simoon fired a salute of 21 guns. The Simoon brought 1000 prime Leicester sheep, and was most fortunate with her shipment, only five per cent, of the sheep having diedon the passage. The Daily Times says :— -Official returns show (hat 2097 persons have arrived in tbo Port of Dunedin from first to 28th December, of whioh nuu.ber*l72l are from . ports out of New Zealand, . and 376 from ■ports in New Zealand. The departures for the same period are 1364, of/whom 1318 haye embarked for ports out of New

i _-_fttafidj atid U& for- gor-tS ih {fell gdlotf jfe PoUtiLAftott otf •_>_._) Grott* Pinib*i''**& By the census lately taken oh the^olKj fields by the police, it appears that tpv number of. names collected was _.l;43jKt: : £ The Sub-Enumerators consider that there were about 4,000 they were not able -to V; collect owing to the diggers rnsbihgy: about. This makes the population in T all, 15,435. V;V The sbip Mystery, from London, arrived y at Port Cooper on the 7th Inst, after a remarkably quick passage of 81 days from V / Gravesend and 75 from* land. I .Revenue. — The revenue for the quar- . ter ending 31st December, 1861, amoun- ) ted to £39,312 17s. 4d., against £8,129 19s. for the corresponding quarter. The gold duty for December as paid upon 70,452 ozs, 8 dwts 6 grs; is £8,806 12s, V