OTAGO.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1737, 4 July 1862, Page 5

OTAGO.

Bythe Lord Worsley, we have received our usual files of Otago papers up to the 26th ultimo We have made the following extracts from the ' Daily Times':— We are given t j understand that the intention which two of the memhers of the Executive hud expressed, of resigning in case Major Richardson went to Wellington, has been abandoned, ctnd that Mr. Harris will enter upon his onerous duty of Deputy Superintendent, cheered by the luminous assistance of the Executive, as at present constituted, minus only its head, Mr. JJiuk, ttlju atill intends guiug tv Welliug IUIJ. We have been informed, on reliable authority, that a nugget, weighing 3J ozs., was obtained on Wednesday last, in 6 feet sinking, at Munroe's Gully. The nugget was solid and free from quartz. It is notified in our advertising columns that after the 26th inst., the Escorts will be fortnightly instead of weekly, as hitherto.

The Victory.— Mr. Scott, engineer, is actively engaged in making his preliminary arrangements for the removal of the Victory from the beach in Wickliffe Bay, and it is expected that by Wednesday the steamer Samson will tow round to Wickliffe the barge Brothers containing the anchors and chains, and other appliances to be made use of on the occasion. On Saturday, the Victory was visited by Captain George Thompson, Marine Surveyor, who kindly furnishes us with the following note of the vessel's present position aud condition : — On Saturday June 21, visited the steamship Victory now ashore at Wickliffe Bay. Found the ship embedded only four feet forward, six feet aft, and about ten feet amidships in sand of a moveable nature, similar to quicksand. From the information collected, the tides seem to vary a great deal, rising and falling according to the wind's influence The ship seems to lie in her piesent bed quite easy, the smf apparently not making the slightest impression on the hull ; a id she has, in my opinion, received little or no injury. From the information given by Captain Toogood on the occasion of the visit, it appears that un the lOth of June, at 1 o'clock p.m., the ship moved and rolled so much as to cause her bell to ring. He had his port anchor out, and commenced heaving upon it, when the .ship moved her bead to seaward about 11 fathoms length, when the chain parted ; and, it is the opinion of the muster and those on board that, had the chain not parted, but if a larger chain and heavier anchor had been out further to seaward she would have been completely head to sea, and in a fair way of getting off with very little trouble. On the 11th June, at 11 a.m., there was another high tide, and having again connected the chain, they commenced heaving, and got in about seven fathoms more, when the cable parted, and they were about to cease operations for that tide. On a third occasion, having again shackled the chain, they commenced heaving, and gathered in about two fathoms, till it again parted, when the ship immediately forged ahead about forty feet parallel with the beach. Since then the ship has remained stationary, and the chain has been again shackled, and hove taunt to prevent the vessel canting with her head in shore. I have to thank Captain Toogood for his kiudness and attention in giviug every information relative to the ship, and likewise for his shewing the entrance to the lagoon, which he had well buoyed for the safe guidauce of the craft now employed in fetching the stores and apparatus for the removal of the vessel. I have no hesitation in saying that iv fine weather a boat, even of the draught of the Samson, could enter with perfect safety at high water, there being not less thin 9 or 10 feet at the entrance, aud even more, as one proceeds further up tbe lagoon ; indeed, for 1,000 yards up the chaune l , a ship may lie, with perfect safely, if properly moored. According to information, the flood tide runs at the rate of fou r or five knots, and the ebb at the rate of seven or eight. Captain Thomson

add that the engines 'of the vessel have lately been taken to pieces, so far as the circumstances would allow, for the purpose of having them thoroughly cleaned of the- sand, and for some days steam had been kept up. The propeller remains uninjured, and, unless the shaft or steam-pipe should suffer in the effort of removing the vessel, she wll, on flouting, be capable, by her own powers, of proceeding to the coutemplated anchorage ground." The Wild Wave, from Stewart's Island, reached this port in the afternoon shortly before the Jane, a cargo of Stewart Island timber, and a quantity of fish smoked by Mr. Harold, fisherm m there. Capt. Simpson reports that on Thursday week twj distinct shocks of earthquakes were "felt in Stewart's Island. The earthquake occured it: the evening and about the same time there were some peals of thunder and lightuing flashes, as was the case on the same evening in this province the shocks were so distinct as to be felt on board the Wild Wave which was at the ttme lying aground in Paterson's Inlet and on shore they were remarked by almost the entire population. The shock, it may be mentioned, was felt on the same evening at Port Chalmers by several persons accustomed to the sensations of an earthquake during resi dence in the northern parts of New Zealand, and they describe the vibratory motion of the ground to have been very marked, and unmistakeably the effects of subterranean action' During the stay of the Wild Wave, the schooner Queen of Perth arrived at Port William, from Melbourne, having been unable to make Invercargiil, for which she was bound, iu consequence uf heavy weather.