OBITUARY.

Joseph Keloher, who arrived in Nelson in 1556, and has been settled at Fernside for 30years, died on January 16th. Mr J. C. (I. Moore, grocer, of Arch Hill, died suddenly at an early hour on January Bth. The death of deceased is attributable to heart disease. William Jones, an old whaler and contemporary of Richard Barrett, -who has resided in Taranaki since early in the " thirties," died on January 11th", aged 89. Captain Holliday, who has been harbourmaster at Wellington for many years, died on Dec. 29. He had been ailing for I some time, and influenza attacked him at the finish. Mrs Hollis, who died on Jan. 9 left England for New Zealand with her husband, Mr E. W. Hollis, in 1857 in the William Hyde, one of the Canterbury Association's vessels. Mrs William Eady died at the residence of her husband in Liverpool - street on I January Bth, after several weeks' suft'er- ! ing The' deceased lady was of a quiet, re; j tiring disposition, but her life was full of i acts of self-sacrifice and service for the benefit of humanity. A settler by the name of Joshua Taylor | died very suddenly at his residence, Otaika, I Whaii«arei, on Jan. 19th. Inflammation |of the bowels is stated to be the primary I cause of death. The deceased gentleman leaves a widow but no family. Much sympathy is felt for Mrs Taylor.' Robert Hume, commercial traveller for McLeod Bros., Limited, and one of the oldest on the road, died suddenly at Dunedin on Christmas morning, supposed to be from heart disease. He was about 58 years of age. He had been for some years Vice-president of the Commercial Travellers' Association.

I M. Bourgeoie, a French teacher, aged 66, who was well known throughout the colony, died at Napier on Dei cember 29th. Deceased saw active I service with the French army in the j Crimea, and was an officer in the National | Guard. Subsequently he took part in the I lighting between the forces of the commune I and the Central Government. He leaves a i wife and a young family. , \ IMr Thomas Ball, an old and respected i colonist, died on Christmas night at I Onehunga, at the' age of SS years. He I came out to New Zealand in 1859 in the I ship Victoria, at the head of over 200 im- | migrants, most of whom settled at Mango ! nui, in toe North. Mr Ball on several ' occasions represented Mungonui in the j Provincial Council, and afterwards had a I seat in the General Assembly. For the i last 18 years he had resided at Onehunga. i Death has been busy amongst old Canterbury settlers. The list com- ; prises : Captain Clifford, 71 years of ' age, who arrived at Wellington' in 1547 iby the ship Rebecca, and subsequently j arrived in Lyttelton before the first four i ! ships ; Mrs R. Irvine, an old settler in ] ! South Canterbury, aged 57; Mr E. P. ! Chapman, of Methven, aged 70 ;Mr John j Stinson, one of the early settlers of Lyttel- 1 I ton, 59 years of age. ! jMr James W. Anderson, who was recently J jon the reporting staff of the Auckland j "Star," died on January 15 at his sister's ' residence in Wellesley - street, at the ' early age of 26. Mr Anderson was j | a native of Keefton, West Coast, j j and before he joined the "Star" held a] | position in the Bank of New Zealand. Re ! had been suffering for upwards of twelve i months from consumption, brought on I | through catching a chill while cycling at [ night, and had visited Australia in search of health, but in vain. Mr James Wiseman, senior, head of the well-known firm of Wiseman and Sons, j saddlers, died on Jan. Sth at his residence !in Wynyard-strcet, at the age of 08 years. IHe had been in bad health for some time I past. Mr Wiseman was an old resident of Auckland, and be was an old and prominent member of the Pitt-street Wesleyan Church. He had been in business in Queen-street for over thirty years, and was highly esteemed as an upright man and a good citizen. He leaves a! gro.vn-up family of eight sons and four daughters. A very old and respected colonist in the person of Mr J. W. Neal died at Napier on January 7th, aged 58, from pneu- ! monia following on an attack of influenza. Deceased arrived at Auckland in 18(31 and came to Napier three years later. He has been in business here in partnership witli Mr J. Close ever since. He was elected town councillor on the formation of Napier as a borough in 1575, and was a member at the time of his death. He also j served on several other local bodies with I conspicuous ability. He was universally esteemed for independence and uprightness of character. Another of the old Black Curls has passed away,- Mr Wolfram Cottingham having died" on Jan. Sth at the residence of his' son, Mr W. Cottingham, Parnell. De-1 ceased came to the colony in 1552 in the \ True Briton, he being a sergeant in the. 58th regiment which' served during the war under Colonel Wynyard. Since retiring from the service deceased has resided continuously in the Auckland province, and was amongst the many who went to the Thames on discovery of the goldfields. For some years past Mr Cottingham resided with his son in Parneil. On the day before bis death he was able to move about the kitchen, but later in the day became unwell. Dr. Mackellar was sent for, but as it was really the result of | senile decay could do little, p.nd the I old soldier breathed his last after I having attained the ripe age of 81 years. Deceased leaves a wife and five children. The death of Mr Henry Palmer, an old and well-known colonist, took place on December 26th at Northcote, and the funeral was held on the 29th in the Northcote cemetery- Mr Palmer arrived here in 1864 from County Tyrone, Ireland, and first settled at Ma'hnrangi, where he entered into several extensive industrial enterprizes. At one time he was in partnership with Sir Frederick Whitaker in working kauri bushes. He was Chairman of the Rodney County Council for some years, and was also a Justice of the Peace and District Coroner, and acted as coroner at the inquest on the bodies of the victims of the Wairarapa wreck at the Great Barrier three years ago. For the last few years Mr Palmer was engaged in sheep-farming at the Great Barrier, and was also interested in the gold and silver mines on that island. I During the last two months he was con--1 fined to his bed. The deceased gentleman ■ leaves a grown-up family, his eldest son I being Mr Jackson Palmer, the well-known i barrister and solicitor. On Jan. 9 last one of the best known residents of Upper Thames district passed away in the person of Mr Carroll j Nash, proprietor of the Mackaytown Hotel, near Karangahake. Mr Nash' was born in County Limerick, Ireland, his parents being ! well-to-do farmers. When a young man he joined the' Royal Irish constabulary, and in IS6O came to Auckland. in 1864 he was appointed chief warder of the Auckland Gaol. In 1567 he went to Thames with the first rush, and, in conjunction with Mr Dunn, started the old Minister Hotel at the corner of Pollen and . Richmond streets. After the collapse of I the Thames, on the opening of the Ohinemuri field, Mr Nash came to Mackaytown, ] and commenced business as a hotelkeeper. | Here he resided till his death at the ripe 1 age of 76. Mr Nash had been a member of the Ohinemuri County Council for many years, and of other public bodies, and his sterling qualities earned him the respect of all who knew him. A private cablegram reports the death on Jan. 11 of the Hon. W. Gisborne, formerly a prominent New Zealand politician and author, at AH Tree ! Hall, Derby, England, where lie had j resided for some years past. Mr Gisborne came of an old Derbyshire | family, and emigrated to New Zealand in the early days. He was Commissioner of Crown Lands in the colony from IS4S to 1853, and from 1853 to 1869 was Undersecretary. On July Sth in the latter year, ■while holding a seat in the Legislative Council, he became Colonial Secretary, which office he retained till September 10th, 1872, and acted also to December 6th, 1871, as Minister of Public Works. During his term of office he resigned from the Legislative Council and was elected to the House of Representatives. From IS7O to 1575 he was New Zealand Government Insurance Commissioner; in 1877 he once more entered the House of Representatives, and in July, 1579, joined the Grey Cabinet, in which he held office till October of the same year; from July sth to 19th as Minister of Lands, and from July sth to October Bth as Minister of Mines and Immigration. Mr Gisborne was a member of the New Zealand Commission in London for the Colonial and Indian Exhibition of 1886. He was the author of "New Zealand Rulers and Statesmen," first published in 1886, a second edition of which brinfiii"1 the biographical sketches up to 1897° was recently issued. In 1888 Mr Gisborne also published a work entitled " The Colony of New Zealand." The Rev. James Hill died at his residence, North Shore, on Dec. 31, after a short illness, at the age of 73 years. Mr Hill came to Auckland in 1863 as assistant minister at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, of which the Rev. David Bruce was then the pastor. He subsequently accepted a call to the pastorate of St. James's Presbyterian congregation, which for some time worshipped in the old Oddfellows' Hall,

Queen-street. They proceeded to Vim Mr Hill ofteiated as minister for\evS years. Soon after the opening of £ Thames goldßelds, Mr THill °r2eiSS a call from the Presbyterian conS? tion there, and while living on the took an active part in public movemSX*1 Subsequently he accepted a call f rom t Presbyterian Church at Lyttelton, o2 which he presided until the grow „» g firm ties of age led him to WK lighter sphere of ministerial duty. \Ji from the Presbyterian Glrarch at Devoanw I opened the .way lor his return to Auckland I and the congregation increased conskS I ably under his ministrations. Latterly i 1 has retired from active ministerial \vn > I Mr Hiil possessed considerable gift* T' I preacher. His wife died some years Si? I an<l all his family, five in number grown w. Ihe remains of thelato iS James HiJl were interred in the Symonrf street cemetery on Jan. Ist, intehnS being private. Among those present 4 r Revs. G B. Monro, R. Ferguson, H. J Maenic ; oir I Robertson, R. SonmWvnle, W. J. Williams, Messrs John MA A. McCorquodale, S. C. Macky, R. Mad?' George Sibbiti, and otliers. A service vh conducted in the house by the Revs ]{ | Ferguson and K. Sommemlle, and at th grave by the Revs. K. Soinuierville in&W :F. Macnicol. " "*