Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 1872.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1234, 29 January 1872, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 1872.

The English Mail via San Francisco was expected to arrive at Auckland this day (Monday), per p.s. Nevada, which steamer is advertised to leave for Napier and other Southern Ports on Wednesday, 31st inst.

We regret that an error should have crept into our shipping news on Saturday evening, the statement that the Carque Glerihuntly would not take on board any more wool until Thursday being incorrect. The agents (Messrs. Kinross & Go.) inform us that she will continue to ship daily until her loading %s completed. There are now 1,089 frales on board.

The steamer Keera was advertised to leave Auckland for Napier via Tauranga and Poverty Bay at 2 p.m. to-morrow. She is announced to steam hence for Wellington on Friday next. Late Auckland papers inform us that theVlronght still continues unabated.

From the Thames we learn that the sharemarket 1* quiet. There are buyers of Caledonians at* 427.—Owing to the excessive drought, water in the'mills is very low, rendering it impossible to get timber from the mills.

Messrs M'Meckan, Blackwood and Co-'s s.s. Albion was expected to lea-e Melbourne for the Bluff on the 27th inst. Her arrival at Napier, may, we believe, be looked for about the 7th or Bth Tfeb. .Froai this port it is anticipated that she will proceed back to Wellington, " and from thence to Nelson, Greymouth, and Hokitika, whence she will leave for Melbourne. We understand that the Albion will be the bearer of a considerable quantity of cargo for Napier. The Volunteers of Orago would appear to be better off in a financial point of view than their brothers-inarms in Hawke's Bay. From a late Dunedin exchange we observe that a building is now being erected in the Qctagou, on a piece of ground recently leased by the Corporation to the Puuedin Volunteer Artillery, and is intended to seive as a drill-shed for that company. Its dimensions are—7o feet by 50, the height of the walls being 16 ieet. The roof is in one span, thus leaving the whole tioor available for chill purposes. The walls rest on a solid Milestone foundation of Port Chalmers stone, and the strength of the building is greatly increased by iron buttresses. It is lighted from the gables, which are entirely of glass, protected on the outside by iron net-work screens. Both water and gas will be laid on. The building has, of course, a plain exterior, Imt is, our contemporary imagines, thoroughly adapted to the requirements of the Battery. The total cost will be about ,£450, the whole of which will be paid out of the funds of the company now in hand. It is expected to be completed about the Ist February. How is it, with the same regulations and capitation allowance for both, that the citizen soldiers of the South are so much better off than the Volunteers of this Province are repiesented to be ? "We observe that the ship England was to have left London for Wellington on the 4th December, with 100 Scandinavian immigrants; and another ship, with 150, was to sail in January for Canterbury.

At Oamaru (Otago), the continued di y Veather was (on Jan. 16) causing tbe farmers some anxiety. The crops looked only half-grown, and gave promise of a very indifferent harvest. With but few exceptions, the reports from en cry'country district in the Mid die Island are very similar to the above.

The shipment of cereals from Riverton (Otago) during the year 1871 exceeded 80,000 bushels. Tn the Provincial Council of Canterbury a motion to give the Superintentendent | ower to dismiss his executive has been negatived.

At latest dates ariangements were being made by the Caledonian Society in Dunedin for celebrating the anniversary of " Bobbie Burns." The shipments of preserved meats from Otago to the mother country are beginning to assume large propoitions. The ships Carvick Castle and the James Nicol Fleming, which left Port Chalmers for London a few days ago, were the bearers of some 3,120 canes ; and large quantities are awaiting ship raent. —The first of the above named vessels conveyed home a large quantity of gold—some 18,000 ounces. The Green Island coi respondent ot the "Otago Daily Times supplies the following :—"The meat-preserving, establishment commenced operations on the 16th inst., the tinsmiths being hard at work to prepare for the immense supplies which are expected. In conjunction with preserving operations, boiling down is going to be carried on, a very large digest or having recently been erected for lean stock. From the prices now fortunately ruling in the home country for preserved meat, there are the best prospects for the establishment here, as it is agreed upon all hands that the meat preserved is very superior, many of the workmen preferring it to that corned in the ordinary manner. Every success is due to the enterprising company who have initiated so large and costly an undertaking, as without it cattle would be entirely a drug in the market." The Provincial Council of Canterbury has acceded to a voce of £SOO for the establishment of a Corn Exchange in Christchurch,

Earthquake shocks were felt in the Ovens and Murray districts (Victoria) on the 4th in«t.

A Sydney telegram states that the whaling ship Oscar was attacked by a whale when between Tasmania and Newcastle, the animal causing the ship to leak dangerously. At Invercavgill, on the 18th inst., in xhe representative tiring for the Colonial Prizes, the Volunteers all foiled in the first stage. The weather was wet, but good for shooting, and the wind gusty from the right rear. A parcel of valuable forest tree seeds for the Otago Acclimatization Society are expected to arrive by the next mail steamer from San Francisco, due at Auckland on the 29th January (this day.)

In Sydney, the Prince of Wales Theatre/ two" hotel?, and other buildings, have been destroyed by fire. The loss is estimated at .£40,000. The walk fell, injuring several persons — three fatally. A relief fund in aid of the sufferers by the fire has been initiated.

A Sydney telegram, of date January 11, says ;-"-" P is reported that MiWebb's steamers will not return." Latest advices from Tokomairiro (Otago) inform us that harvesting operations have commenced in that district. In some cases the crops are being eaten off by sheep, and it is feared that on too many farms they will not pay the expense of cutting and thrashing. The Otago "Daily Times, of the 20th inst, says that "during the past week a tire has been raging in the Government bush behind Fairfax, Tokomairiro. The extent burned is estimated at up wards of 100 acres, and the fire con tinues unabated. The timber in the bush is only lit for firewood \ but as this will very shortly be a scarce commodity in the district, the wholesale destruction at present going on is much to be regretted." The Dunecjin Champ de Mars is now no more. The open space in front of the Custom House has been fenced in, and the grand field evenings and battalion parades will have to give place to the Cargill monument.

The East Taieri correspondent of the Otago Daily Times, under date Jan. 18, draws the following gloomy picture : c j The ripe crops are being cut at present by a few hands after the reaper, and are being taken a little green, but even already the prospects of the general run of the crops are very indifferent and discouraging in the extreme. Wages are high, and the prices of produce of all kinds so low as not to pay even the cost of production. How .can such a state of affairs end, except in ruin, unless things or times improve? The breadth of rye-grass set apart for seed will yield but a poor average crop, and inditterent seed. A considerable area was eaten off by cattle, as it would not have paid to cut it for hay. It is generally believed that potatoes will rule scarce, as where they have been tried they are a very poor crop, and blanky to boot, from the long drought. The grass has nearly all disappeared, owing to the winds and heat, and what is left is burned up to a light brown color. On most ot the farms feed is as scarce as in winter time, and what will it be then if this continues much longer ? Water is getting scarce on the high parts of the district, and many have none whatever. The poor cattle bellow for it all day long, and are occasionally driven for a stinted drink in some out of the way place. Looking after water is quite fashionable at present. Many have found the milk of the cows drying up as well, and have thus been disappointed of their usual supply, on which a good many are dependent." Advices from Christchurch to the 19th inwt. report that, owing to the harvest having commenced in Canterbury, transactions in breadstuffs are limited, and quotations are unaltered. No new wheat has been offered.. At the beginning of the week new oats moved off freely at 2s, but have since declined considerably. The weather has been very hot, and the drought is so severe that the crops are seriously damaged, and grass feed is all burnt up.