News of the Week.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 36, 4 January 1884, Page 11

News of the Week .

Fbiday.

The Hon. Captain Fraser has resigned his position as a visiting Justice of the Dunedin Gaol. Rumours are current to the effect, that El Mihcli is advancing upon Khartoum, and is now within 10 days" march. A fatal boating accident occurrc I in the Wellington harbour la*e no Christmas night. Harry Lee, James Wallard, and Thomas Williams (all young men) left Ngahauranga in a boat at 10 p.m. on a fishing excursion. When out a mile one of the oarsmen missed a stroke, and this caused the boat to cipsize. Williams clung to the overturned l>oat-, but the others disappeared and were drowned. Williams' cries were heard from the shore, and a Norwegian named Trneman hastily constructed a raft with some planks, and went in search. He was successful in rescuing Williams in a much-exhausted condition. Both the men drowned were unmarried. The Lyttelton Times says : — Mr. J. Hossack, one of the directors of the Moa Creek G.M. Company, was despatched to the locality of the reef belonging to the company early last week to bring down a quantity of the quartz for the purpose of having it thoroughly tested. He returned to Rangiora last Monday night, bringing with him some specimens of the qnartz selected at random, in all of which gold was clearly discernible with the naked eye, and in such quantities as to leave no doubt but that the reef is an important find. The directors and other shareholders are in high spiritsjjat the promising appearance of this venture, and will not entertain any offers for the purchase of shares. In the case of the boy George Alfred Rutherford who was killed on Boxing Day by falling from a tramcar on which he was returning from a pic-nic near Dunedin, the coroner's jury yesterday returned a verdict of accidental death. The boy was thrown from the car by a jolt, and the wheel caught and passed over him killing him instantaneously. The Tuapeka Times says : — A general wash up in the Blue Spur claims was made about the beginning of the week, and so far as we can learn there has been no cause for grumbling at the results. The Otago Company's pump shaft is getting on well. It is expected that about other loft, will see the bottom, when the pump will be put in position and set to work to absorb the surplus water in the claims. On Christmas Day Mr. Shepherd (warehouseman at Guthrie and Co.'s, Invercargill), his family, and other friends went to Riverton Beach in traps to a picnic. The beach is a desolate tract, backed by a broad belt of continually-moving sandhills. On returning it was fouDd that Maud, a four-year-old child of Mr. Shepherd's, was missing. As there was a large party of women and children, it was necessary to drive home to Invercargill with them. Shepherd and one or two friends returned to the beach, and, with the aid of a trooper, searched all day yesterday among the blinding sand-drifts without avail. No steps were taken to obtain the aid of the inhabitants, and those who heard of the affair were under the impression the child had been found. This afternoon, however, it transpired that the child had not been seen, and several parties went out in traps to the beach. It was th°n found that the child had been discovered this morning on the edge of a lagoon about a mile and a half from the beach, and taken home to the house of one Hitchcock, who took no immediate steps to allay the alarm and stop the search. The child was much exhausted, yesterday being a very bleak, equally day, and last night rain fell continuously. Shepherd biniselE suffered considerably in the search, his eyes being greatly bloodshot from the drifting sand. The girl was 44 hours without food or shelter. The Tuapeka Times says : — " A gentleman of extensive mining experience, who lately paid a visit to the quartz reefs situated on the Old Man Range, informs us that he thinks highly of the future prospects of that neighbourhood so far as quartz-mining is concerned He has no doubt whatever that tin claim known as "White's" (which was lately formed into a company, composed chiefly of shareholders resident in Dunedin.) will prove a most valuable property. There can be no two opinions as to the existence of a rich, welldefined reef in White's lease. For years past Mr White has b^cn engaged in ground-sluicing in the locale of the claim which now bears h:s name, and has been making good wages. The surface stone, which is of a loose, friable nature, after a little exposure to the influences of the atmosphere, yields readily to the action of water. To the eye of the practical miner it is evident at a cursory glance that a large percentage of gold has been carried away ow.ng to the stone not being reduced sufficiently fine ;, indeed, small pieces of quartz, containing gold visible to the naked eye, have been picked up in the tailings at a great distance from the sluice-box, showing clearly enough that a large percentage of gold has been lost. Of course this loss to a great extent would be minimised if crushing machinery and other necessary appliances were brought into requisition. Our informant was very much pleased with a sample of gold obtained fiom claim, and was given to understand that the gold obtained "In the neighbourhood realised full rates in the Bank at Alexandra. Wookey and Gavin (adds our informant) have also a valuable mining claim ; it is situated on the side !of the range facing Obelisk Creek, distant about half-a-mile, in a north-easterly direction, from White's claim. The paity, who are on a run of good gold at present, have been in the habit of stripping and washing Bft or 9ft of mullock off the cap of the reef, which appears on the surface to be of a jumbled formation. Below the depth just mentioned, there cannot be the slightest doubt that a well-defined gold-bearing reef, of a solid and permanent character will be found. Of com se, capital is required to develop the property, but as to the result there can be no two opinions. So far nothing has been done to test the value or discover whether or not the lode is a permanent one. Lythgoe and party, who are on the same line of reef as White's company, are making good wages by sluicing ; and the advance party, at work near Wookey and Gavin, struck payable stone in their claim a short time ago, and are hopeful of doing well In all, some 10 claims, varying in size from 10 to 16 acres, have l-ccn

pegged off in the vicinity of the reefs. As yet very little has been done to prospect any of the mines, but after the holidays it is expected that work in earnest in nearly all of them will be commenced. Oar informant is thoroughly sanguine that the future of the Old Man Range as a field for quartz-mining will be a very bright one indeed.

Saturday.

Edward Brad ish, a young man, was killed at the South Pacific Oil-springp, Gisborne, yesterday,. ' His band was caught in the rope, which coiled round his arm, and the next coil went round his neck. Death was instantaneous. He was unmarried. ' Eight gumdiggers, who were induced by the representations of an Auckland merchant named Oppenheimer to go to New Caledonia, write describing their experiences there. They declare the whole thing to be an atrocious sell. There is no payable gum on the island, and they are now suing Oppenheimer in the courts for compensation. Mr. Bryce has completed arrangements for the survey of the boundary of the King country lands, and also arranged for the survey of a road from Alexandra to Kawhia. A report is current that the French Government intend to hold the Chinese Government answerable for the expenses the French may incur in despatching troops to Tonquin in consequence of the hostile attitude of China in that country. Telegrams are to hand from Newfoundland announcing that a seiious riot occurred at Graceport, in Conception Bay, between Orangemen and Catholics. The rival parties numb red several hundreds, and fighting was carried on for some time. Three combatants were killed, and numbers were seriously wounded in the affray.

Monday,

Despatches from Tonquin state that desperate fighting took place at Sontay, and that heavy losses were sustained on both sides before the fortress was capturei. The French lo3t twenty-six officers and fully a thousand men. Tne attack upon Bacninh will not take place until the arrival of reinforcements recently despatched from France. It is now stated to be probable that the islands of Hainan, Formosa, and Chusan, situated off the Chinese coast and forming part of the Chinese Empire, will be seized by France as guarantees for the payment by China of the war expenses in Tonquin. The latest intelligence from Newfoundgand states that twentyeight persons ware seriously wounded in the riot which occurred in the Harbour of Grace between the Orangemen and Catholics. As a renewal of the disturbances is feared, the local authorities have asked the Imperial Government to despatch some troops and a gunboat to the scene of the rioting. The French Government is making preparations for the despatch of large reinforcements of their fleet to tha Pacific. There have been frequent meetings of the Committee of the Senate on the Reoidivisit Bill. One hundred and seventy Natives from along the coast came to the Waiau bridge on Friday ani were stopped by a 6trong guard placed there by Colonel Roberts. After being told they would noc be allowed to proceed, Titokowaru stood up in his buggy and beckoned to the crowd to double back, which they did. They were well dressed and very orderly. The Mount Ida Chronicle says : — Oar Blackstone Hill correspondent informs us that the trial crushing of 14A tons from the reef being prospected by the Naseby Quartz Prospecting A-sociation has been washed-up with a return of between three and four dwt. per toa. It is rather discouraging that such a small yield should have been obtained at the outset, but it is not a fair criterion of the value of the lode, which, at deeper levels, would probably show up very differently. At any rate, the stone has been proved to be aurilerous, and theref jie requues further exploitation. Many of the best-paying reefs of to-day have at times fallen to as low, or lower yields than tbis one ; but generally they have had the inestimable advantage of a good start, and in mining as in other matters this is a great consideration. However, " One swallow doe 3 not make a summer," nor should the first poor crushing damn a reefing district such as Blackstone, wher j quartz abounds only awaiting capital and energy to prove its ultimate value as a factor in the general prosperity of Manioioto County. We trust a further trial will be made. The report of the Western Pacific Commission has been published. The report commends the supervision of the labour traffic by the Colonial agents, and urges tuat the agents should be appointed by the Crowu. It recommends that the labour trade should be more closely watched by the naval authorities in Australia, and that Resident Deputy- Commissioners should bs appointed to the various islands. The icport is opposed to the control of the Polynesian and New Guinea races being vested in the Colonial Governments

Tuesday.

The gold returns for the Thames goldfields for December amount to 76890z Bdwt. The largest yields are : New Priuce Imperial, 3763^0z ; Deep Level Cross, 559£0z : Dart, 423|0z ; Thames Golden Crown, 345|0z ; Waitobi, 3050z ; Martha Extended (Waihi), 344i0z; Caledonian, 203j0z ; Bright Smile, 1220z ; Calibor claim, 2700z. l'he returns from Te Aroha lodged during the month at the local banks give a total of 22480z 7dwt. Telegrams to hand from Newfoundland report that the town of Haibour Grace, the scene of the recent riots between Orangemen and Catholics, is now quiet, and that a recurrence of the disturbance is not anticipated. The Orange leaders in Ulster propose to carol an armed Orange militia. Colonel Sudeiken, of the Russian gendarmes, has been murdered by the Nihilists. No trace of the assassins has yet been obtained. Despatches have betn received from Foudan staling that the garrieon at Zezercb, near JJerbek, wag recently attacked by a large force of rebel fanatics, but the latter, after several'hours' fighting, repulsed them with heavy loss. A pilgrimage is to be made to the tomb of -Victor Emmanuel to-day by 100,000 persons,

Wednesday.

The report as to the intended formation of an armed Orange militia in Ulster is denied. News is to hand from the Soudan that Baker Pasha has captured one of the followers of El Mahdi, and seized letters written by the rebel leader, which contain a statement leading to the belief that an advance against Egypt proper was contemplated by El Mahdi. Messrs. Alexander Brogden and Henry Brogden, the well-known railway contractors, of Wednesbury, have filed a petition of insolvency. The liabilities of each are set down at three-quarters of a million sterling. Rival meetings of Parnellites and Orangemen having been announced .to be held to-day atDromore, County Down, Ireland, the Executive have dispatched a large force of troops, numbering 1000 men, to the scene, with the object of stopping any disturbance. Notwithstanding the severe weather to-day and yesterday, the Caledonian Society's sports at Kensington, Dunedin, have been well attended, and the programme carried out in a spirited manner. The presence of the celebrated Donald Dinnie has added an attraction to the scene, and it is to be hoped that on Saturday, when the third day's sports will come off, the weather may be more favourable.

Thursday.

A man named Jacobs was drowned on New Year's night while returning from Ellesmere regatta in a boat. Jacobs, who was in the employ of Mr. H. M'Donald, was in a flat-bottomed \>oat with a son of his employer. The water was rough, with choppy waves, and the boat overturned. Both clung to it for a long time, but Jacobs at last fell off. It was dark at the time. The boat drifted ashore with M'Donald, who was so exhausted that, cold and wet as he was, he went to sleep and did not wake till daylight. A young married man named Frederick Pahl was riding in the Motueka Valley when a dead tree was blown down, and fell upon the rider and hr rse. killing both. Pahl leaves a wife and child. He was accompanied by a friend, who had a narrow escape. The failure of Messrs. Alexander and Henry Brogden is attributed to the rejection of their appeal to the Government of New Zealand for liquidation of their claims in connection with colonial railway contract?, and to numerous minor failures in the iron trade. Great excitement prevailed at Dromore* County Down, Ireland, in consequence of the Orange and Parnellite meetings. The Orangemen in large numbers attacked the Parnellite gathering, but a strong force of troops was present, and prevented the serious collision of the two factions. In the riots the troops fatally wounded three of the Orangemen,