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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 191, 14 August 1868, Page 2

We understand that the Post Office authorities have as yet received no informa. tbn of the probable date when the Mail

via Suez may be expected to arrive here, but there is every reason to believe that the Otago will call at this port, and in that case the mail would be brought on by that steamer.

MrT>rew has called our attention to an error in our notice of the cup presented on Monday last by the Government officials to Mr Poynter, the inscription not having been engraven by him, but by Mr T. Hodgson, of Hardy-street.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, William John Frost was charged with threatening to assault Elizabeth Beer, and was ordered to enter into recognizances to keep the peace for six calendar months, himself in £10 and two sureties of £5 each. Elizabeth Beer was also charged with having assaulted Charles Frost, the son ofthe defendant in the previous case. A good deal of conflicting evidence wa3 taken, and the defendant was fined Is. and costs. Richard Jones, a seaman on the ketch Elfin, charged with absenting himself from that vessel, was sentenced to be imprisoned for 14 days.

It appears from the division list which appears in the columns of our contemporary, the Colonist, this morning, that out of the 75 members who constitute the House of Representatives, 59 voted, 12 paired off, and 4 took no part in the division on Mr Fox's motion. Of the Nelson members, Messrs Parker and Baigent voted for the motion, Messra Stafford, Curtis and Wells against it, Mr Collins having paired off in favor of the motion with Mr Eyes.

It will be seen from an announcement in our advertising columns that Mr J. H. Cook purposes giving entertainments on electro-biology aud mesmerism at Richmond on Saturday night; at Spring Grove, on Monday ; and at Wakefield on the following (Tuesday) evening. Those persons who have not witnessed any of the startling phenomena which are developed during these entertainments, will, doubtless, avail themselves of the opportunities thus afforded them.

The next concert of tbe Nelson Harmonic Society takes place on Thursday next, the 20th inst. The programme will include Rossini's * Stabat Mater,' and a miscellaneous selection of secular music.

We regret to state that Mr Hunter Brown met with an accident yesterday afternoon, about 5 o'clock, whilst riding in Collingwood-street, nearly opposite the Parsonage. It appears that the horse suddenly shied, throwing Mr Hunter Brown to the ground with considerable violence, but we are glad to learn that beyond come rather severe bruises on the face and left arm, no more serious injury has resulted from the accident.

The raffle for the race mare Regina, formerly the property of Mr. H. H. Stafford, took place yesterday evening, at the Trafalgar Hotel. The sixty chances were all taken up, and the mare eventually fell to Mr Joseph Harley.

The Westport Evening Star expresses astonishment that the selection of Taranaki as a depot for convicts should be advocated by a Nelson journal (the Colonist), in preference to a point between the Buller and the Grey, as recommended by Mr Balfour. It is stated by the Westport papers that gold bas been struck by more than one party between the Orawaiti !siver and Deadman's Creek, and the prospectß are in each case excellent. Upwards of 200 diggers were on the ground, and the true character of the leads would soon be made known. Grievous complaints reach us of the annoyance to passengers in the public thoroughfares, an well as to the injury to property caused by the Board of Works not haviDg availed itself of the permission accorded by the Government to employ

the water service for the purpose of watering the streets. We trust that the Board will see the propriety of at once acceding to so reasonable a proposition, the dust having been exceedingly troublesome both yesterday and to-day.

We understand that Mr Harkness met with an accident when driving home from town about noon to-day. It appears that the horse shied when uear the cutting opposite Mr Pike's residence on College Hill, capsizing the trap, and throwing Mr Harkness to the ground. The horse immediately set off with the trap at full speed homewards, but was soon afterwards stopped. Mr Harkness was taken into the Rising Sun, where, medical assistance being at baud, it was ascertained that he had fortunately received no injury of a serious character.

From paragraphs in the Hokitika papers it appears that much anxiety is felt there by the friends of Mr D. W; Purdey, the manager of the Hokitika and Kanieri Tramway, who has been missing since Thursday week, on which day he crossed the river to the South Spit, and has not since been heard of. He is suid to have been melancholy for some time, but no default in business matters has been discovered.

The editor of the Hokitika Evening Star in the issue of. that journal on the 7th inst, makes a most pathetic appeal to his readers, in reference to the thorough dearth of local news at that date, which will strike a sympathetic chord in the breast of every editor in this colony, who are, each and every one of them, subject to like vicissitudes from time to time. After enumerating the various local subjects which had been * worked to death' for 'locals,' he concludes thus:~*~ln this state of deadness can our readers do anything for us ? The most trifling items of any thing new to be recorded, will be most thankfully received and gratefully acknowledged. Printers are waiting for copy, and looking to us imploringly for 'slips.' What can we do but ask an indulgent reading public to wait for a few events to turn up, when we promise them they shall be turned to the best account?

The railway tunnel between Christchurch and Lyttelton is now fully completed, the line in good working order, and the publio mind tranquillized. Itis stated that during the short time it was closed tbe province sustained a dead loss of over £60,000, a statement which may certainly be taken ' cum grano Balis.*

The Steeplechase meeting at Christchurch came off on the 6th inßt., which being the birthday of H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, was proclaimed a public holiday. The course was crowded. The great event of the day was the Grand Provincial Steeplechase, 100 soys, entrance fee £5 55., which was won by Merrimac, Don Pedro being second, and three other horses also running. The Selling Race, was also won by Merrimae, with Kismet second and the others no where. Merrimac was bought in at £40. The following statement confirmatory of the horrible practice which was carried out on one of their number, by the Maoris on their late voyage from the Chatham Islands to Poverty Bay, by throwing him overboard to appease the god of the winds, has been furnished to the West Coast Times by a gentleman to whom it was related by an eyewitness nearly 30 yeara ago. Rauperha, the fighting chief to Te Pahi, having avenged his master's murder at old Kaiapoi Pa, about 15 milea from Christchurch, was crossing Cook's Straits from Taupo Pa, in Porrirua Harbor, to Te Arioiti, Queen Charlotte's Sound, in a large war canoe. A heavy gale of wind came on, and so terrified Rauperha thafc he vowed to the god of the winds if he safely landed he would sacrifice two children who were with him in the canoe, lhey reached the land in safety, and no sooner did the canoe touch' the shore than Rauperha jumped in the water, and seizing one of the children by the legs whirledifc round his head, and having smashed its brains out against the canoe, he threw the body into the sea — the barbarian then served the other child in a similar manner, and thus fulfilled his horrible tow.

According to a Brisbane paper, the shores of Moreton Bay are rising, or the waters lowering, at the rate of about aa

iuch a year. It appears that the report o.f the murder of the notorious Captain Hayes (of New

Zealand), by the mate of his vessel, at Fiji, was without foundation. It appears to have been circulated with the view of preventing further inquiries after him. He had, in fact, bought the wreck of the missionary ship John Williams, had succeeded iv getting her off the reef on which she was stranded, and had sailed in her for Valparaiso, where the vessel would be repaired.

The Otago Daily Times, formerly an eigbt page paper, has been reduced to four pages.