SUDDEN DEATH OF MR. R. W. WESTON.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2896, 6 November 1866, Page 5

SUDDEN DEATH OF MR. R. W. WESTON.

It i» our painful duty to announce the sudden and unexpected death, of Mr. E. W. Weston, of Grahamstown, Wangarei, and lately of Parnell. We received a note yesterday, dated on Tuesday, the 30th October, intimating the melancholy fact ; and Captain Scon, of the ' Tasmanian Maid,' has informed us that a post mortem examination had been held, and that it was found that death was caused by disease of the heart. The deceased gentleman was in Wangarei on the day of his death, and appeared in his usual health and spirits. On his return to his residence at Grahamstown he went about his ordinary duties, and afterwards sat down on a chair in his garden, with his infant daughter on his knee, lie then asked his wife to bring him a glass of water. On presenting it to him she was horrified to find that life was extinct. He had died without a struggle of any kind. Tranquilly, as a child, he breathed his last. His remains were taken to .their last resting-place on Thursday, The deceased gentleman was well known in this province to a large circle of private friends and acquaintances. As a scientific farmer, and practioal agriculturist, he stood first, perhaps, m the colony ; and ranked, moreover, very high | amongst the leading flockmasters and graziers in New South "Wales and Victoria, in which oolonies he had over twenty-five years' experience. Mr. Weston subsequently came to New Zealand. He first visited Nelson, then Wellington and Wanganui, and finally selected Auckland as the most desirable place for settlement. Since his arrival in this province he has beenconnected withthisjournal and the Weekly Niws as a contributor on agricultural subjects ; and we know that his influence on the conntry settlers has not been slight. His articles, some of which we have still to publish, have imparted sound and useful information ; and his experimental knowledge of chemistry enabled him to bring science to aid in the illustration of his subjects. We need not say that we deeply regret to lose the services of his gifted p»n ; we more deeply regret the loss of his prirate friendship. Mr. Weston has left behind him copious manuscripts, and we know he had completed a work on agriculture, as adapted for the soil and climate of Auckland. Whether this work will be published we cannot say at present. However, he has left an abiding proof of his industry and skill at Grahamstown, where, on miserable, cold, starved fern land, he has created a smiling garden and green pastures in less than eighteen months. Indeed, he has proved to the settlers of Auckland that fern land only requires manure and draining, and proper tillage, to make it yield a good crop the first season. Mr. Weston was a native of Scotland, and was about sixty-five years of age. He emigrated to Australia with his family about thirty years ago, and lived the greater part of his time there, -where he has a family of sons and daughters established. He leaves a widow and infant daughter in New Zealand to mourn their loss.