ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 58, 9 May 1877, Page 2

ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

Melbottbue, April 30. Per Hingarooma at the Bluff : — p Captain Thompson of the Challenger, , has been appointed to the command of ■' the Royal yacht Victoria and Albert. Sir J. Paget succeeds as Surgeon-Major to the Queen. . Several naval disasters are chronicled . The Sirius and Thetis are both disabled ; and the Lynx, with a crew of over one hundred men, has not been heard, of since last November. ' . ... : , '. The report of the Admiralty committee shows that although limejuice was recommended to sledging parties, Sir George JSTares decided to omit' it, as the men bad been previously saturated with limejuice. , - Five new ironclads are to be added to the service this y^ar-^i^e^JrJ^^V .jaottgh-V-Jfekeft;— st^namptoji, Shan- ?; non, and Temerare. ;. ! ; -^ A new description of vessel, a torpedo ram, carrying no guns, is to be constructed. Sir Harding Gifford, the SolicitorGeneral, has found a seat for Launceston, and Sydney Herbert, brother of the Earl of Pembroke, is returned for Wilton. - " : Eleven steamers are advertised to sail for Melbourne, via the Cape, • Thiere is an immense demand fo£ American meat. Shops for the sale of it have been opened m the suburbs of London. Great distress prevails amongst the working men of Germany, and laTge immigration has taken place into Belgium. The famine m southern India continues very severe,, and it is feared that the July and. August crops, will be a comparative failure. accounts are given of .'the f amine m Northern China, where, no aid is'iavailr able for the unfortunate people. The " Times " notices that Lord Mayor Cotton has received from the. Mayor of Dunedin a sum Of £180, contributed m Otago towards the relief of the sufferers m Bulgaria, and remarks that it was the only public subscription for the purpose m the Australian Colonies. . .- ':.'; ■;■-:■-;= ■:■■ .•:.-.