And the following is what I may cull the peroration :— " There is no doubt a large amount of money has been expended in prospecting for minerals in Canterbury during the last fifteen years, but none to so great advantage aa in sink ing and boring to the depth of 102 feet at the works before described, which will, we hope, place the question of a supply of coal of a good quality for an indefinite period beyond a doubt.*' This is high falutiu ; but I should prefer to nee a tram starting from the locality in question, freighted with the black diamonds, and then to be able to 'test the quality on my own fire-place before venturing even an opinion upon the matter. We have had some rather important sales of stock recently. For in3tani-e, Messrs Matson and Co. held a clearing sale at Rangiora on Thursday last, on account of Mr F. M. Rickman, of the whole of his Romney Marsh sheep, horses, cattle, and farm implements. There was a fair attepdance, but in consequence of the early -seasbn of tho ye«r, biddings were very dull all through the sale— in fact, the auctioneers stated that sheep wefe sold at about one-third their real value ; but noting under instructions from the owner, they disposed of the whole aa follows : --27s 6d per head for ewe lambs, 17s and 20s for 2-tooth ewes, 17s to 25s for i anil 6-tooth ewes, and so on. The next day Mr Buss submitted some pure bred Leicester and Lincoln ewes, the property of His Honour Mr Justice G-resson. The attendance of buyers was small, and the short prices realised for Mi* Rickman's sheep on the previous day seem to have decreased the amount of competition. The first lot was pure bred Leicester and Lincoln 2-tooth rams, got by a, sire imported by Mrßi-oadfoot. The best offer was £6, and it was passed in. The next lot was n two tooth ram that took second prize at tho North ern Agricultural and Pastoral Association's show lust year, and it waft purchased for £7. Lot 3. tho same breed, was sold for £0 10s. The next lot offered was offoved was 100 pure-bred Leices ter and Lincoln sms, which nfsts fesagiJ ™ -?. fc the owner's reserve of £3 each, the highest bid being £2 ss. 