OBITUARY.

The Late William Denton.

The death in New Guinea of Mr Wrihajn-fc. Denton, who accompanied Captain Armit, th» Argus special correspondent, in an exploring expedition, will cause much regret among » wide circle of hi* friends in New Zealand* Throughout New Zealand in bis lecturing tow he made many friends, and one of these has sent a few notes about his career :—: — William Denton was an << nglishman, having been born at Darlington on January 8, 1823 L His father was a Methodist, and poor. Tn» mother was, however, a woman of some education, and had been a schoolmistress. Younjp William wont to school at three years of age-, and at five could read the Bible. At eight he had to earn his own living, and got half -a-crowtt a week for working for a currier. Thougfr woiking he keipt on his studies, and quite early he began to study geology. His first public appearance as a speaker was as an advocate of teetotaliam. He had left thecumer's* and had been apprenticed in a machine-shop, but this he had to leave, as when he was ordered to make brewing machinery he decline* for concience sake. Then he read t*eorg« Coombes' "Constitution of Man, took t» school-teaching, was driven out of his position because of hib heresy ; became a clerk on a railway—this also he was driven from because of his religious views, which had ceased to be Methodistic, and had become Radical Urntarian. After this, when he was about 21, he went to America, and he turned his attention: to many things— school teaching, lumper* work, clerking, lecturing, &c , &c One biographer says of him : " None worked harder ; and f aw had worse luck." His views were radical in everything. He disagreed with manygeologists. He was a cosmic theist, and a spiritualist, and he rejected the authority of theBible. As an author he was rather a , voluminous writer, having written more than »- dozen works, besides many pamphlets. Hewas most abstemious in his living, drinking not. only no alcohol, but no tea or coffee ; smoking;, no tobacco. No name save that of radical', could here describe his position, as hewas uncompromising, and declined to sanction anything, even indirectly, he thought wrong. Jitt had a fine private museum in his home at Wellesley, Mass., and has perhaps the best cotlection of fossil American insects in the States'His object in visiting New Guinea was to prepare himself for a work he contemplated oa "Island Life." He disagreed with Wallace«--conclusions, as, being a believer in spontaneousgeneration, he thought the efforts of evolutionists to prove that at one time islands ha*. been united to the continents was not necessary, and absurd. As a private acquaintance he was charming. He was modest, well informed, and pleasing in his coversatura, and. had a kindliness of nature that manifesto* itself even in the criticisms of his epponente., If he was bitter at times in his attacks our orthodoxy, we must remember how often tor. life had been clouded by persecution. W«k understand that Mr Stout intends to deliver m, lecture next Sunday on his life and its lessons^ when no doubt many interesting details will Be given,

Printed for the Otago Daily Times and Witnetf New*. papers Company (Limited) by Joskph Vihobnt tomtdam, el High street, and publUhed by Robbrt Nora* ' Adams, of Russell street, at the registered office <* the Company, Dowlinpr. High, and MaeandraW: Btreete, Duuedin, this 20th day of Octooer, 1883.