THE PROVINCES.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 176, 31 December 1874, Page 2

THE PROVINCES.

AUCKLAND. Probably several weeks will elapse before the Ohinemuri district is proclaimed, says the Thames Advertiser. There are many men here who are ready and anxious to start off nt once; but probably few will go till after tha holidays. We would, however, press upon the Government the necessity of issuing the proclamation as soon as possible, because prospecting is sure to take place, and so long as the field is not proclaimed there are great risks of complications occurring. The Herald of the 23rd says:—The memorandum of agreement between the Hon Maurice O'Rorke and Mr George Vesey Stewart, as respeGts the special land settlement at Tauranga, appears in yesterday's Provincial Gazette. The conditions set forth are that the land known as the Katikati block at Tauranga, consisting of ten thousand acres, shall be surveyed at the expense of the Government. That Mr Stewart is to select and organise a party of farmers, the whole being married men with families, having an adequate capital to work the land. That in consideration of Mr Stewart organising the party, he shall be the leader, which shall entitle him to five hundred acres of land, with forty acres for his wife and the same area for each of his children. That each party of the age of eighteen years and upwards shall be entitled to select and occupy forty acres, with an additional twenty acres in respect of each child between the ages of twelve aud eighteen : provided that not more than three hundred acres shall be held and occupied by any number of persons forming one household. That lots shall be drawn to determine the order in which the several persons shall be entitled to select the land to which they are respectively entitled. On a selection being made, the selector shall be entitled to receive from the Waste Lands Commissioner a certificate in writing, authorising him to occupy the land selected under the provisions and conditions of the agreement. At the expiration of three years Mr Stewart, and every other occupier, shall be entitled to a Crown grant of the land, on his proving to the satisfaction of the Waste Lands Commissioner that he has, during the whole of the previous three years, been in the bona fide occupation of the land by continuous residence thereon, and that at least one-fifth part thereof is under cultivation. The holder of a certificate of occupation shall also be entitled to a Crown grant at any time prior to the expiration of three years, on proof to the satisfaction of the Waste Lands Commissioner thaj; the whole of the laud comprised in the certificate if

fenced and cultivated, and a dwelling-house erected thereon. If Mr Stewart with his family, and at least thirty families, shall not arrive in one ship at Auckland or Tauranga, in pursuance- and part fulfillment of this agreement, before the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-six, the agreement shall be void. That if such thirty families shall arrive as by this agreement required, before the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-six, they shall be entitled at once to select their land, and the settlement shall be deemed to nave been formed under this agreement, but the remainder of the said block of land of ten thousand acres shall be available until the Ist of January, 1876, but not afterwards. OTAGO. The expedition to the Haast via Pyke's Track was to start on Monday last under the leadership of Mr David Hutcheson. We nnderstand that they propose clearing a wide track, and making the route traversable for horses throughout, so as to connect the three provinces, and tb.e East and West Coasts, by a main artery of communication. The twenty-two chosen to practice for the coming Interprovincial Cricket Match have been practising hard during the week, says the Times, and are getting into something like shape. We have been informed that neither Clark, Macfarlane, M'Donnell,Rhodes H., and Lambert can get away, but there is still plenty of strength left, although in the two former the strength of the team in fielding will be materially reduced. The match, we are informed, will be played on the 27th and 28th January current, the team leaving here about the twentythird. We trust that arrangements will be made so that they may be taken direct to Lyttelton, and not kept knocking about the coast as on previous occasions. We have not heard will accompany the team, but trust that arrangements can be made in order that he may. Should he do so, the team will be well provided with bowlers. The final selection will shortly be made, and we have received the following names as a tip;—Tait, Sampson, Reade, Paramor, Kettle, God by, Fulton J. 0., Allen, Collinson, Downes, and Fenwick, with Meares or Rhodes D. K., for twelfth man. All we can say in reference to this team is that the province might be represented by worse.

We learn that ;the first diploma of the Otago University has been issued to Mr Alex. Watt Williamson, of Wanganui, on whom it confers the B.A. degree. The diploma is signed by the Chancellor and all the professors, and bears the seal of the University. Dunedin now possesses the luxury of a real Turkish bath. The Daily Tipjes says : As our readers are already aware, a company was formed some months ago for the purpose of erecting Turkish baths in Duuedin, and since its formation the company has been making vigorous efforts to carry out the object of its existence. These efforts have been so far successful, inasmuch as the baths are now erected and open to the public, who, we feel sure, will gladly avail themselves of the opportunity of enjoying what has come to be regarded not only as a delightful luxury but almost a necessity in all civilised countries. We have already given an account of the modus operandi, as well as of the buildings to be erected, and therefore will not trouble our readers with another description ; but we may mention that the plans have been very well carried out, and the baths are now fitted up in a luxurious style, the directors evidently having spared no expense in order to make the project a success. The baths are under the charge of Mr and Mtb Burton, who have had larqe experience in the management of Turkish baths both in Great Britain and Victoria. One day in the week (Wednesday) is to be set apart exclusively for the benefit of ladies, who will be properly attended to by Mrs Burton and her assistants,

The Times gives the following account of a fire which occurred in Dunedin on Friday last: —A fire broke out qn Friday evening qn the premises of Mr Murray, confectioner, Rattray street. The fire, which originated in the " drying room," was kept in check with a small hose till the arrival of the brigade, when it was completely drowned out in the course of a few minutes. The drying room is situate off the main passage on the ground floor, is over an oven, and at the back of the kitchen range and high pressure boiler. There is a brick wall, and also three or four feet thick of sand between the drying room and heating apparatus mentioned. At the time of the fire there were about 22561bs weight of lozenges and candies in the room. This stock was upon timber trays. The drying room is occasionally opened during the day by persons putting in or taking out goods, but this day it was not opened at all. The heat was thus not only accumulated, but was greater than usual by reason of the ovens having been kept going day and night some time before, in order to get a stock ready for New Year. All the stock in the drvingroom was destroyed. Considerable damage was also done in the storeroom overhead, and the workroom in the cellar below was flooded. Besides, much damage is done over the building by soot which has penetrated into every corner. The loss is estimated at £760. It is fully covered by insurance, the building and stock being in the Norwich Union and Standard Co at £ fSOO, each company having £750 on the building and stock. The fire, so far as can be judged, has been caused by the overheating of the wooden trays or wooden framework of the dryingroom. It has a timber wall, timber ceiling, and timber framework for trays. The trays, too, were of wood, and some of them were very old and dry. The Southland limes publishes an account, furnished by its Riverton correspondent, of the discovery of gold in the country between the mouth of the Waiau and the South west Cape. Banking premises, in which an agency of the Colonial Bank is to be carried on, are, says an exchange, being erected for that institution in Palmerston, at the corner of Young and Sunday streets. The building is to be one storey high, the elevation frpm the ground line being about 19ft. The banking hall will be very commodious, being 30ft. by 17ft. The foundation, and the walls to the height of about six feet, will be of concrete, and the remainder of the building will be of timber. The whole of the fittings and the interior lining will be of the finest selected native timber, and will be elegantly finished. This is done with thq intention of showing what can be made out of our native products. The front will be finished in an ornamental manner, and the building will be such as to be a credit to a country towu,

The coach conveying the English Opera Troupe to Oamaru yesterday morning (says the Timarn Herald of the 23rd) was arrested by the flood in the Pareora, the river being swollen from bank to bank. When the flooded stream came in sight some consternation was caused among the occupants of the coach, and before the vehicle was in the water the leading comic member of the Opera Troupe was observed em erging from the inside, and taking his place in the boot (from which the luggage had alrcalyb«m removed to the roof) with a profusion of gesture and grimace which only he is capable of. But for the real peril in which the passengers were placed the scene would have been eminently ludicrous. When the coach reached the middle of the stream, the boot passenger was immersed up to his neck, and squalls very different from those to which the habitues of the Mechanics' Institute are accustomed arose from the fair occupants of the interior of the coach. We are glad to learn that the whole party escaped with no worse consequences than a wetting. The Otaio and Waio, we are informed, have been flooded, but the waters are fast subsiding in all the rivers. A very severe thunderstorm occurred in the Tuapeka district last Saturday, says an exchange. It appears to have been unusually heavy in the neighborhood of Tuapeka Mouth—more so, perhaps, than in any other part of the district. In that locality the rain poured down in torrents, followed by a hailstorm, the stones of which averaged half an inch in diameter. The ground was rapidly covered with hail to a depth of 2ft. A large amount of injury has been done to gardens, fruit and vegetables having been completely destroyed. At the sawmill the damage was very considerable. Workmen were compelled to retire from operations, the water being up to their knees. Sawn timber was floated out of the racks ; the boats were completely swamped ; the skylights smashed; and about two chains of the tramway were washed away. Such a destructive storm has not happened for a number of years.