Local Intelligence.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 4, Issue 194, 8 June 1861, Page 5

Local Intelligence.

The Weather.— The effect of the almost continuous rama of last week and the beginning of this, lias been, by the flooding of the rivers, to stop traffic for the second time within the space of two or three weeks. For some days the punt over the Ngaruroro was hud up, and the Meanee unfordable — Tareha's bridge-being nearly covered with water, and the Awatoto road completely immersed. The Ngaruroro did not, on this occasion, overflow its banks j which is to be ascribed to the fortunate fact of a spit which had long been'" forming outside the entrance and which tended greatly (To confine the waters, having been washed away in the previous "fresh." No damage, so far as we have heard, has been sustained ; and the only unpleasant result of the rush of water has been the inconvenience to the public consequent on the involuntary cessation of traffic, and the state of " muck " in which our main thoroughfares have been left. Inquest. — The body of Patrick Mahcr, the soldier whose deafc'u by drowning we reported in our last, was found on Thursday last on one of the mud flats near the mouth of the Meanee river. Yesterday, at 10 a.m., an inquest as to the cause of death was held at the Victoria Hotel before Dr. Hitchings, coroner, and a jury. The body was recognised by three soldiers of the 14th, with one of whom deceased had been drinking. Miss Burton testified to having seen the deceased struggling in the water and to having ran for assistance, but without avail. Mr. E. Lyon, of . the Victoria Hotel, stated that the deceased drank very little at his house, but had been drunk nearly the whole of that and the previous day, keeping up the Queen's birth- day. The jury (of whom IVfr. Munn was foreman) returned a verdict of " accidentally drowned," and added the following rider : — " The jury think it important that Hyderabad road should be made, to prevent the recurrence of similar accidents." Avcklatscd Oveulatsd Maii. — This mail, due last Wednesday, has not yet ax*rived. It is not, however, at any time remarkable for punctuality. The IhTiA.nd Mail did not, as usual, arrive last eveniug. The mailman, it appears, did not, in consequence of the flood, get across the punt on his way up till Tuesday last, which was one day lost ; so that his return can scarcely be looked for before to-day ,- ;