EARTHQUAKES.

Quite a Bharp earthquake shock was filt in Ojm»ru shortly after 4 o'clock this mi-ruin*. The vibration lasted a C3Qsiderable time. It will be seen from teleerams which we publish below that shocks of earthquake were also felt In several other parts of the colooy, some occasioning a good deal of damage. The a.s. Beautiful S.ar felt the effects of the earthquake. When she arrived off Moeraki th« sea, which had previously been calm, suddenly seethed and foamed as though a g»le had been bloving, and the veisel pitched and towed in a most erratic fashion. The experience was a novel one, for there was nothing observable to account for such a sudden disturbance. The way of the vessel was so impeded that she did not arrive here till 9 o'clock this morning, whereas her usual time is 7.

(by telegraph.) Chbistchctbch, August 31. The earthquake last night was felt throughout the whole of North Canterbury. At Waikari and KUapoi two shocks in rapid succession were felt, September 1. A very severe earthquake ocourred at 4.10 this morning. Twenty-six feet wis broken off the top of the Cathedral spire. A few chimneys are down. A part of the wall if a houso in Madras-street was Bh&ken down. So far cs is known at present no person was burr. There was great destruction of glass and crockery, especially in the shops. A few windows were broken. Tne direction waa apparently north-east to south-west. Tho duration is estimated at fully a minute. No-.hiog 8" severe has occurred since the shock of 1869. Liter. The earthquake caused a great commotion here. People left their houses in numbers, but returned when they fouod the shaking hsd ceased. A considerable crowd collected around the oathedral, stones from the spire of which were scattered over the pavement for several yards, one piece narrowly misaing a man named Boss, who was passing along the roadway at the time. Some slates wore knocked off a roof by the debris, but the building was otherwise uninjared. It has been decided, however, not to hold service in the cathedral to-morrow. A small portion of the stonework on Durham-street Wesleyan Church has been displaced, and service to-morrow will be held in the theatre, instead of the church. A quantity of plaster is dowu in the Normal School. A chimney fell at the East Chris'church School, and at a few private houses, particularly in Victoriastreet. Generally, however, the damage is much less than waa expected. In the suburbs a few chimneys have fallen or have been wrecked. No injury to life or limb is reported. The shock waa felt severely in Lyttelton, but little damage was done. The water of the harbor was agitated olightly and vessels were observed to awing at their mooriogs. Six shocks have been felt Bince the principal one, but so slight that miny peop'e did not them. They came at 4 30, 4.35, 4.45, 5, 10 55, and 11 30 The weather is beautifully fine. The Normal School is slightly cracked. The chimneys are thrown down and tho plaster in many of the rooms is cracked. The damage seems to have been worst on the north side of the town, where the ground is peaty, and where the principal mischief occurred in' 1869. The shock was felt throughout the country districts, but no damage ia reported. A aurvey of the Cathedral shows that 25 feet of the top of the spire have fallen, aud that the stones below the break are so loosened that it will be necessary to remove them for about aix feet down. The roof of the north side and the porch are slightly damaged by falling debria. A splinter of wood was struck from the interior of the roof by the concussion of a stone falling on the plates, and broke a gaaalier. The remainder of the fabric is uninjured. The excitement ia abated. Timaeu, September 1. An earthquake shock, lasting fully a minute, but not of much violence, waa felt here at 4.11 this mornlDg. It was strong enough to wake most people. The direction was from between west and north. After the first and principal shock, minor vibrations were felt in tbia district from time to time for at leaat half an hour later. Wellington, September 1. A smart shock of earthquake was experienced in town this morning. At a quarter past fonr this morning a sharp shock of earthquake, of excessively long duration, but not heavy, was felt here. The direction was from east to west. New Plymouth, September 1. A prolonged earthquake shock, accompanied by a rumbling noise, was felt here at a quarter past four this morning. Feilding September 1. A sharp shock waa felt here this morning. Wkstport, September 1. A fearful shock of earthquake, lasting over a minute, waa experienced at ten minutes to four this morning. This stranger shock was followed at short intervals by others of less magnitude, up to 9 a.m. In fact, foraeveral hours, the earth was in almost a continual state of motion. The first shock was the strongest and most prolonged ever felt here, and ! terrified many people, who did not again !go to bed. Crockery and glaaaware were smashed aud brick chimneys in the course of erection were ao damaged as to necessitate their re-erection. The motion came from south-east or east to weat. Another severe ahock of earthquake occurred at five minutes to eleven to-day. Dunedin, September 1. At a quarter past four a slight shock of earthquake, described aa a uniform vibration, was felt here. It lasted a quarter of | a minute. The direction was east to weat. Intercargill, September 1. A ahock of earthquake waa experienced at 4.15 a.ro. to-day. The direction was from weat to east and the ahock laated 50 aecouds. The oscillation was very violent. During the /hoek tons of water were forced out of the tanks at the gaa works, and the gasholders oscillated greatly; but, so fir aa can be ascertained, no damage has been caused. Nelson, September 1. A severe shock of earthquake, of unusually long duration occurred at 4.12 this morning. No damage is reported beyond a few bricks shaken from the top of one or two chimneys. Blenheim, September 1. An earthquake shuck, direction S. W. to N.E., occurred at 415 this morning. Its duration is believed to have been 50 seconds. The motion was not extremely violent, but a long undulation. Masterton, September 1. A light but prolonged shock of earthquake was felt at a quarter past four,this morning. Kaikoura, September 1. At 10 o'clock on Thursday night a sharpish earthquake shock was felt here, but at 12 minutes past 4 thia morning the heaviest known here occurred, the direction being from NV.IS.W. to E S.E. A low rumbling sound was heard, succeeded by a wave-like motion for a second or two; then came a heavy upheaval, followed by further undulations—balldings being ahaken in an alarming manner for fully 60 aeconda. Shortly afterwards two lesa pronounced, bat distinct, shocks occurred, at varying intervals. Several people rushed outside scantily clothed. The extent of the damage, so far as is known, ia the destruction of one or two chimneys, and of some crockery, and, it is reported, the breaking of statuary in the' Roman Oatholic Church.

Greymocth, September 1. Niar'y everyone in town was awakened at about ten minutes pMt fnur by the noose violen' earthquake shock ever felt here tinea 1868, and greater lo duration. It lasted rather more than a mil.;; c, and made the hoaaes creak and rock like vessels at sea. A number of chimneys were wrecked, especially on the terrace in the lower part of the town. Also a few chimneys were split. In Webber's hotel about L 5 worth of damage occurred through bottles of liqueur being shaken off the shelves. A large quantity of crockery was broken in some stores, but, generally speaking, the damage is but 1 trifling. The shock was not felt on board ' the vessels lying outside. The direction of the shock on this ocoaaion seemed to come from south to north, and it was of equal foro throughout. A series of light shocks were felt at intervals until after 7 o'clock, but only two were distinct.