LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Evening Star, Issue 5914, 23 February 1882, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Particular have been received of a destructive typhoon which visited Haiphong and Tallee, causing great destruction and loss of life. The wind blew with tremendous violence, and the heavy sea flooded the whole of the surrounding country. In Tallee there were 6ft of water in the houses three and four miles distant from the seashore. The current was so strong that it swept away the entire town, the number of persons drowned being estimated at over 8,000. An Auckland paper gravely records that the other day a gentleman was asked by his cook for leave to go out to "see her young man." He refused permission, and the young woman became so enraged at his tyranny that she assaulted him with the poker, and seizing a marlin - spike, threatened to murder him on the spot. Having been disarmed, she caught hold of a jar, and launched it at her unfortunate master's head. He managed to dodge it, and it smashed to pieces against the kitchen wall. This, of course, is the master's story; probably the ill-used girl would have a different version to tell. The Ngapara correspondent of the * North Otago Times' writes :—" Harvesting operations in thiß-*clistrict, despite the unfavorable-

ness of the weather, are considerably advanced. Twenty-eight bushels to the acre is the highest yield 1 have heard oi, and which, 1 have been informed, is being realised from a crop of wheat about 700 acres in extent, situated on the Klderslie estate. In other parts of the district where threshing has begun, the yield is from twenty to twenty-five bushels, and it is now a demonstrated fact that the average yield of the wheaten crop in this locality will not be any more than from twenty-three to twenty-four bushels. The estimated yield of barley and oats, nt much of which is grown in the district, will be a little greater, but not anything so great as it usually has been.—An accident was sustained by Mr George Falconer, farmer, of this district, on Monday, his right arm being broken immediately above the wrist. The accident was caused to Mr Falconer—who was engaged leading in his crop with a horse team—in his having slipped while in the dray and fallen out over the frame on to the ground." The population of New South Wales on December 31 last was 701,265, being an increase of nearly 30,000 since the census was taken. At Sydney, on February 12, a local medico offered two hundred guineas to Dr Stanisch to show his mechanical means of diagnosing certain diseases of the ear. Mr James Walls, the well-known stockbreeder of Kaiapoi, has sustained another heavy loss by the death of his Clydesdale mare Maggie Craig, for which he refused L 750 soon after he landed her. The "Vagabond," who is now contributing from Sydney to the Auckland ' Star,'and who appears not to be on good terms with the 'Sydney Morning Herald,' contributes the following paragraph under the heading "The Priest and the Levite" :—"All the sects have religiously kept away from the quarantined houses and the depot at the Heads. It has been reserved for a Catholic priest at Melbourne to show us the workings of true Christianity by volunteering to attend to the spiritual wants of those members of the true faith in quarantine. The 'Sydney Morning Herald,' whose motto is E.rtm Pitt street nulla salux exf, insinuates that this is merely an act of obedience to church discipline. So much the greater credit to the church. But whatever selfdevotion is necessary there the men and women who have abnegated their personality in the services of Rome are to be found. I remember that on the island of Mowe, in the kingdom of Hawaii, where is situated the greatest leper station in the world, bar the city of Manilla, a young Belgian priest volunteered to pass his life in the midst of the living death, decay, and corruption all around."

The duty on the cigars and tobacco seized in Melbourne was L 1,200, and that on the whole seizure was between L 1,500 and L 2,000. The goods (says the ' Age') are supposed to have been imported in coal vessels, but this is probably an incorrect assumption, as all the coal ships come from Newcastle (New South Wales), and the smugglers would have to evade the vigilance of the Customs officials at that port as well as Melbourne. It is more probable that the goods reached Melbourne in some of the vessels from eastern ports, and have been landed surreptitiously with the connivance of the crew. On February 9 a further seizure was effected of Chinese brandy. None of the goods seem likely to be claimed, as the flies and duty would far exceed their value. A Gisborne telegram to the 'Qamaru Mail' says: " Messrs Whitmore and Finn's alleged purchase of an immense district on the East Coast on inquiry proves to be this: Henare Potae, a Native chief, having an interest in a number of blocks of land, filed in bankruptcy. The trustees sold these interests for what they were worth, which is the purchase referred to. These interests are undefined and unassignable at law, although Mr Finn has expressed a oontrary opinion in Court before the Trust Commissioners. The number of owners other than Potae who have interests in this block will be from 100 to 400 in each case. The New Zealand Land Company have agreed to take over about 70,000 acres in two blocks, to come before the Court next week. In addition, they have a registered title to a freehold of 6,000 acres on the Matua Peninsula, and a very large tract awaiting the operation of the Land Court so as to perfect title, amounting to over 60,000 acres." William Meek, employed on Raitt's farm at Stirling, had his left leg broken on Thursday by the wheel of a cart passing over it. Mr J. S. Hanna has been promoted from Gore to the management of the branch of the Bank of New Zealand at Leeston (Canterbury).