THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S VISIT.

Daily Southern Cross, 11 April 1868, Page 3

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH'S VISIT.

It will be teen by the telegrams published in another column that no definite nevrs m to the Prince's i movements have as jet been received in New Zealand. One telegram states that it is rumoured that the Prince will go directly home, vift Torres Straits ; , while Another says that he will probably visit Melbourne. We understand that no official intimation of the Prince's intentions baa been received by the Government Jiere. We shall probably receive the anxiously-expected information by the 'Airedale,' which is due here on Sunday next, and will bring up the Sydney mail, per a. s. 'JEUkaia/due in Wellington on the 6th inst.

We learn by the s.s. * Midge,' which arrived from the Thames yesterday af fcornoon, that his Excellency the Governor left Shortland in the 'Start* at seven o'clock on Friday morning for Ohinimuru, Yesterday was observed ai a general holiday in town, being Good Friday. In the morning the weather did not look very promising for out-door recreation, a small drizzling rain prevailing, but towards noon the weather cleared up, when numerous pleasure-seekers Ballied forth, clad in> holiday attire, resolved to make the best of the favourable change in the weather. The Domain and North Shore were the chief attractions, but the former appeared to be most popular in the estimation of holiday-seekers, it being rather toofaradvanoed in the day to undertake* trip over to the North Shore, especially as the days are shorts at -the present season of the year. The Domain, too, had a very gay appearance, clothed in various hues of foliage, whilst the "arbours," and "shady nooks," and "winding walks," were numerously patronised ; being, in the language of the the poet, " for talking age and whispering lovera made." The churches, as usual, were opened for divine service in the morning, and were attended by pretty numerous congregations. The ' Sturt,' with Ms Excellency the Governor on board, may be expected at noon to-day from the Thames. ▲ number of natives and Europeans assembled at Orakei yesterday to attend a meeting of the Maori and. European. Reform Association, but no business was done, as there was no interpreter present. Te Wirihana, who had been depended upon, declining to undertake the responsibility. The Association adjourned sine die. The Earl of Pembroke arrived by the 'Albatross' yesterday from Tauranga. A correspondent writing from Whangarei, relative to the loss of the outter 'Thistle,' questions the accuracy of the report which appeared in our contemporary. He says that by implication " the master of the ' Thistle' is charged with knowing nothing of the position of his vessel after he saw the Hen at 8 o'clock. This assertion involves an impeachment of the nautical skill of the oaptain — a bold undertaking, I presume, for a party who was by his own admission was, through ' seasickness, ' unconscious of what was going on around him, until he found himself pitched upon the, rooks. To say that a man of such practical experience, so thoroughly acquaintedwith the coast as the master of the Thistle' is known to be, knew not where he was, is too absurd to need any refutation. It is no doubt true that the most consummate nautical skill is no sure safeguard against naval disasters ; for the most able seaman may find himsrlf fearfully baffled when, from the violenceof the tempest, he cannot carry a dtitchof canvas, and when, through the impenetrable darkness by which he is surrounded, he cannot get . even a glimpse of the angry lee shore to which he is ] rapidly and helplessly hastening. Whether the sufferers by this extraordinary and gloomy visitation gave expression to their terror by wailing in the Gaelic, English, or Irish tongue (for there weue < English, Irish, and Scotch on board), is a subject of no great consideration. Drowning people are not , supposed to be very particular as to the signs or sounds whereby they manifest or express their alarm." The mails by the ' Bangatira ' were brought into Auckland-yesterday by Mr. H. N. Brewer. The specimens of caligrapby ,and spelling, which ' occasionally come under the notice of postal officials, : must prove a moat interesting study. A letter recently arrived in the Auckland Post-office, ad- 1 dressed to* ',' James Chane, Anne ars Coor, Awlbarks, Auckland." It was subsequently discovered that , the mysterious hieroglyphics were meant to be — "James Chance, Army Hospital Corp», Albert) Barracks, Auckland." •■ The funeral of our old and much-respected fellow ■ colonist, Mr. Edward Malcolm, took place yesterday, I and was attended by a large number of the friends ' and acquaintances of deceased. The melancholy manner in which Mr. 'Malcolm met his death could not fail to elicit a large meaiure of. sympathy from the public, and that sympathy was fully attested by the long train of mourners which followed behind the ! hearse. We may mention that the hearse and > funeral equipage was all famished gratuitously by ; the Messrs. Quick, as a mark of respect to deceased. '■ A telegram was received yesterday by Mr. Com- < missioner Naughton, stating that Campebll, one of the prisoners who lately escaped from the Mount , Eden Stockade, had been captured at Hamilton, - Waikato, by constable Mac Govern. j A boat accident, unattended fortunately with any ■ serious consequences, occurred yesterday afternoon. < Two men named Pillinger and Manley hired a boat j from- Mr. Conly, waterman, and whilst sailing off, the North Shore, the boat was capsized by a sudden squall of wind. The men clung to the boat until : rescued from their perilous position by the 'Midge,' which happened to be coming up from the Thames at the time. A man named William Rice died suddenly yesterday at the boarding-house of Mr. George Taylor, Albert-street. The deceased had been living occasionally at the house of Mr. Taylor for about a twelvemonth. About the beginning of that time, he was engaged fitting, out a schooner, in which he went as mate to the .South. He returned to. Auckland about four months ago, and) after living a few, weeks at Mr. Taylors boarding-house, he went down to the Thames, where he joined in one of the claims. Since then he has come occasionally to Auckland. He landed early yesterday morning from the steamer 'Enterprise,' and came to the Wharf Diningrooms at an early hour. He went out several times during the forenoon, and complained of being iIL Mr. Taylor asked him to go up to his house, and a man who was in the dining-rooms at the time accompanied Bice there. He was apparently very ill, .but did not wish a doctor -to be. .sent, saying that he would get better shortly. Seeing, however, that he was < getting tworse, Mr. Taylor sent for Dr. Nicholson, but on his arrival Bice was dead. The police were > then sent for, and, on a search being made, £186 19s. Id. were found on deceased* mostly in notes. Deceased was a very sober man. An inquest will be. held on the body to-day. A sermon • on "Spiritual Saorifice" is to be delivered^ to-morrow morning' at the Parnell Hall ; and in the- evening,' at half -past six o'clock, a discourse iwill- be. given at, the Odd Fellows' Hall,- on "Intellect and Heart,; or. Rationalism and Religion." vThe anniversary- services of thVWellesley-streefr i Sanday-Sdhool will be held to-morrow, when two 1 sermons will be preached in the Baptist Church* by (the, Re>. P. H. Coraford. The services will commence at 41 a.m. and 6; 30 p.m., and collections I are to be made in aid of the school funds. The : customary tea meeting- will^be held on Tuesday I next. Thursday night a street lamp was stolen ; from off the post opposite 'the residence of the late I Mr. Hobson; Hobson-street. It was nmsed yester- | iday tnbfnifag by Inspector Reiily. It is believed that jjt haa been taken to thecTlutfnv.

The new census returns give the particulars of population in the Hokitika andGreymouth boroughs: — tfokitika : Males, |3,035 ; ttm»lt*, 1,831 ; halfoastes, males, 5; female, 1 ; total, 4,832. Qreymouth : Males, 1,113; females, 494; total, 1,607; balfeastes, nil. Out of the whole population of both place* there'are 1,133 married males and 1,008; females. The remainder are single, of whom 69 are widowers and 71 widows. Only one of each sex is recorded at being deaf and dumb. The population of TVestlaud South, is as follows .-—Males, 7,729; females, 1,330; total, 9,059. Of these there are— l,7so males, 693 females, married ; 6,531 males and 615 females unmarried. "It is reported," says the Melbourne Argus of the 20th March, "to be the intention of our own Government, acting in conjunction with the Governments of the neighbouring colonies, to despatch a special steamer to Galle with the news of the late assault upon the life of his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, that it may be transmitted thence to England by telegraph. The effect of this will be co prevent the unnecessary alarm which would certainly arise throughout Great Britain, on receipt of the mail to be despatched from hence next Tuesday week, if the first intelligence of the disgraceful outrage were to arrive in the shape of miscellaneous and perhaps varying reports, and if the Royal sufferer's recovery from his wound were not made public as promptly and as explicitly as its infliction. By sending a special message this advantage would also be gamed — by its means the prompt, emphatic, and unanimous expression of sympathy with the victim of the outrage, and horrified detestation of its perpetrator, which it elicited from Australians of all classes and degrees, will obtain due prominence in the first message received in England on the subject, and we shall suffer no more loss of credit and prestige from O'Farrell's crime than is inevitable under the circumstances." Under the heading "Fenianism on the Magisterial Bench," the Bendigo Advertiser says :—": — " We learn that judicial proceedings are about to be taken by the authorities against a Justice of the Peace and president of one of the shire councils. It is stated that on Saturday night, after the termination of the meeting in front of the town-hall, the individual referred to was at ,the bar of one of the hotels in Sandhurst, and in referring to the attempt on the life of the Duke of E Jinburgh he made use of language which — if it is as we are informed — will at least endanger his position as a magistrate, if ifc does not render him liable to other punishment."