TELEGRAPHIC NEWS. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.]

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXI, Issue 5602, 31 August 1875, Page 3

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.]

(JRAHAMSTOWN, Monday. Dawstlkss No. 2 Tuim'tp. 42 t<ms of stone crushed to "moz. 14dwt. Li>\(! Dmvr..— The retorting has been postponed till Wednesday. Ai.moN.— There is an improvement m the Yonng 'American ruef, and a little #»ld is showing. They wo now crushing with 10 head of stampers. Sharkmarket.— Salca : Cure, 13a. <id. ; Queen of May, 10s. ; (Jem, On., <Ja. Md , (is. 4d. ; Ajax, 2s. 4d. t Britannia, 2s. liil , 2s. Od , 2s. 10d., 2s. lid., 3s., 2s Kd., '2« 3d, 2s. (id. Sellers : -Caledonian, JH>s ; « '«» °. 14s. ; Whan, 10s. ; Ctolden Calf (dmiMe), l.">8. ; (new), fls. (Jd. ;^<;eui, Cs. 3d. ; Ajax, 2a. (Jd. ; Britannia, 2«. 4d. Buyers : < 'ure, 13a. ; Whau, Sst. ; Queen of May, \)* (id.; Gem, Gs. ; Ajax, 2s. 3d. ; Britauuia, 2.s.

COHOMANDKL, Monday. Union Beach.— About 201b. of specimens taken out this evening from the winze, and lodged with the National Bank to-day. 2G81b. of specimens will bo crushed to-mor-row, aud over GOOoz expected. Bismaiu'K.— Some good stone from the stopes. The crushing vre t started to-day. Tokatea. — A parcel M specimens >h reported from the stopes. The crushing is looking up well. The monthly return of gold is as follows: - Bismarck, 108oz. ; Hconan's, 7loz.; Tokatea, Olfloz. ; Coromandel Tunnel Tribute, '-'o'oz.; Harbour View, 7flioz. ; sundries, ."ihtz. About 14o/. goW from specimens was stolen from thoStar and Garter Hotel yestcnKvy ttui)poscd to be by one of the boarders.

[PURSH AORNCVJ. TIM A KIT, Monday. Sir .lohn Cookes, it is reported, recommend* the construction of a breakwater at Timaru at a cost of £240,0(10, nn«l thcHiibse(jncnt erection of a jetty at a cost of t7.">,000; winch gives great satisfaction here.

[KltUM Ot'R ShECIAf. CORHKSl'ONIlEST.] THE NEW HEBRIDES NATIVES. Wkllinutok, Monday. An intL'restinydiapterrospecting the natives of New Hebrides appear* in Commander Maikhitm's "Ciuiso ot the ' llosario.'" He specially refers to tho poisoning of arrows, ami tho invariable results which follow these wounds-that is, death from tetanus. Commander Markham was unable to collect leli.i'-'le information a* to the native religion and traditions, though he had seen idols they profess to worship, bnt he think* they have no idea of a divinity, or a hereafter. L.irgc houses are reported to bo set apart by them for disembodied spirits. Their weapons consist chiefly of bows and arrows, spears and clubs ; but on the southermost island, where they had much intercourse with white men, many of them are armed with muskets, supplied them by slave-traders as wages or bribes for procuring 'labourers.' Their bows are made of the casuarina, about ."ift. long, and drawn from the shoulder. The arrows are of reed, from 3Jft. to 4-ift. long. All the arrows used in war are poisoned, and arc not feathered. "I was unable," says Commander Markham, " to discover the precise nature of the poison with which their arrow i are tipped, whether it i« animal or vegetable. But 1 was told that on tho death of a native the ariows were stuck into the kidney fat of the corpse, and allowed to remain uutil decomposition takes place. Men wounded by these \w>iaoncd arrows invariably die from tetanus, and the only way I conld account for the w ouderf ul recovery of one of our men who was wounded at Nakapa, was, that the arrows were immediately plucked out before tho poison had time to disseminate itself, aud copious hemorrhage followed. I learu that the Santa Cruz native* poison their weapon* iii % similar Way." I wa» reading this book of Markham's just as the extra containing tho announcement of Commodoro (loodenough's murder was put in my hands. 1 think it is worth sending you the extract.

Mil. STAFFORD'S MEETING AT THK HUlT. The meeting to be addressed by Mr. Stafford, at the Hntt, tonight, it expected to bo lively.

The special correspondent of the Thames Atlwtiter at Wellington tends that journal the following relating to the abolition mea surca : _" The talk ot the day is last night's division. All tho wavcrert "went with the Government. It now remains to be seen who of the majority « ill leave and assist the minority in preventing the passing of the bills. My belief is that, except perhaps three or four, the majority will remain consolidated, and will insist on carrying the measures through. It was thought this morning that tho minority might bo inclined to give way, but I am informed they are as determined as ever to resist by all expedients, to the uttermost. The other side Bay the simple and only effect of this will be to prolong the sessiou, without having the slightest influenco on the result, and that the merely factious and obstructive opposition of the minority will prevent them doing any good in improving the measures. It will lower them in the opinion of tho country, and spoil them at the next elections."