CHATHAM ISLANDS. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Waitangi, Jan. 13, 1874 'OCEAN WAVE'

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXX, Issue 5135, 5 February 1874, Page 3

CHATHAM ISLANDS. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Waitangi, Jan. 13, 1874 'OCEAN WAVE'

Captain Mann, arrived at Wa taugi on the 11th December, from Auckland, after a run of seven days. She has been greatly delayed in slapping her cargo of wool, owing to the number of places of call, and adverse winds. She tikes 240 bales of wool and six passengers to Canterbury, after which she returns for the reHUinder of the woo).

WHALING INTELLIGENCE. The Whaling barque ' Merliu ' Captain Thomas, called at Pitt's Island on the 10th December, for froah provisions. He reports taken a sperm whale on this ground which yielded 80 barrels The ' Albion ' is cruising round these islands at present. Captain Hall reports having seen whales, but owing to boisterous weather he waa unable to capture any.

LOST IN THE BUSH. An eccentric old Maori, mimed Wa We, wandered away in the bush, and was lost for four week*. All hopes of ever seeing him again alive were given up, so much so that an auction sale of his clothing was to have been held the day after his return. He came back of his own accord, but ho ia so weak and emaciated that little hopes are entertained of his ultimate recovery.

A LABOURER GONE MAD. A man, named John Hemmmgton, formerly a soldier in the 96th llegiment of Foot, who came to this island as one of tho Hauhau guard, *nd has been until recently in the employment of Messrs. ltitclue Brothers as a labonrer ; on Docember 14, late in the evening, he loft without any notice, aad it was supposed he had gone to Waitangi for tobacco, but on the following day he was seen by a shepherd crouching on his hands and knees into a bush, about five miles from the homestead. At tho margin of the bush where he had passed tho uight were found his coat, tho legs of his trousers cut oflf aiiovc the knees, and an empty brandy bottle. Ho not having betiayed any previous symptoms of lusamty, Ins acts were unaccountable On communicating with the ltosidont Magistrate he promptly sent two polioemeu in search oi him. £5 reward was aho oftared for his apprehension, and a body of natives scoured the country iu the vicinity of whore he was List seen, but failed t> find any traces of him. On December 24th he turned up at Waitangi, having beeu ten days in tho bush without food. His feet and legs were much lacerated He was under tho delusion that two p.uties woe followiug him with guns, and sought to kill him. He is now in custody, and under tho medicdfcare ot Dr. Cooper.

A young Iiishman told .1 sweet ( '01k girl ((lush anil blood), not made of stopper, that the follow hilt w.b phonography : " t) It A 15 I T, LIN." Last yoar 70 tons of cheese, the produce of the factoncs at Deiby, Longfoul, and Windley, wcie sold at an aver.ige price of 8St.. ])ei cwt , some having leahscd i)0t>. At tliu Dei by chectiC fan in October, whilst f.mnerb' ehei'be landed fioni 0t)». to 70m., the factory cheese was disposed of fiom 81s. to S'Js., .tiul the gi cater p.irfc is sold boioie it is (it for use. — Au*<trttlu->i(tn It is a mistake to suppose that the sparrow is the only fruit stealing bird in the Colony, as the wattle-bnd and pnioquets arc, if possible, more formidable enemies of the horticulturist (says the Melbourne Age). All fi uit-gi owcrs in the tl 'strict complain of the ravages of the native birds. They strip all the cherry trees so completely that nothing is left in most orchards but the stalks and the stones.