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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 195, 19 August 1868, Page 2

The Taranaki left Wellington at 1.30 p.m. to-day with the Suez and Panama Mails for Nelson, via Picton, and may be expected here about 10 a.m. to-morrow. Quite a chapter of accidents appears to have occurred in the neighborhood of Motueka on Saturday and Sunday last, Mr George Deck was driving a young girl from the Moutere to Pangototara on the former day, when the vehicle was overturned, and the girl's arm was broken. We are, however glad to learn that she is going on favorably. On the following day, Mr Askew, of Riwaka, was crossing the river at Motueka with Mr and Mrs Walter Douglas, when the trap was capsized, Mr Askew failing undermost. Fortunately, however, the whole party escaped with no worse punishment than a sousing in the stream, and were enabled to proceed on their way to the Lower Moutere, where Mr Douglas preached to a large congregation. On the same day, a little girl's dress caught fire at the Moutere Ina. This accident, happily, through the presence of mind of Mrs Simons, resulted merely in the destruction of the girl's dress, and some slight injury to Mrs Simons's fingers, who was holding ber baby in her arms at the time, and had quite enough to do to extinguish the burning dress, and to prevent the long dress worn by her infant from taking fire. Our informant states, that the earthquake on Monday morning was felt very sensibly at the Upper Moutere. Mis Alice Evereste announces a lecture, to be delivered at the Temperance Hall this evening, on * Love,' in all its phases, comic aud sentimental. Such a novelty in this city as the appearance of a lady lecturer, combined with the universal interest wbich attaches to the subject selected for illustration, (which, if we mistake not, has been already successfully handled by Mrs Evereste in Sydney), should unquestionably attract a goodly audience. It will be seen from a Government advertisement which appears elsewhere, that, according to annual custom, the lease of the Government Wharf will be put up to auction at the Laud Oflice, on Monday, the 24th inst. A rather amusing incident occurred on Saturday morning in connection with the tidal phenomena which first made their appearance in this harbor on that day. It appears that the workmen in the employ of Mr Louisson, of Bridge-street, were

engaged in painting the steamer Beautiful Star, which was then lying on the cradle at Fifeshire Island, and were, at work under the bilge of the vessel, which was perfectly dry at the time, when suddenly the tide commenced to flow, and speedily surrou tided tbe steamer. The workmen fancying that they had miscalculated the time of the tide's flowing, and being desirous of fiuishiug the work on which they were employed, persevered, although at the expense of a wetting, and were not a little surprised to fiud at the expiration of a few minutes that the tide had again retired and left them to continue their avocations unmolested. We have received a telegram announcing that telegraphic communication with tho West Coast has been still further facilitated by the opening of the Brighton station for business this morning. We have been requested to state that the practice of the Amateur Orchestral Society will take place this evening at the Provincial Hall, instead of at the Harmonic Society's Room, as usual. Many of our readers are probably acquainted with the fact that it has been determined by the members of the congregation of Trinity Presbyterian Church to present a testimonial to the Rev. P. Calder, in recognition of his services as their pastor, and especially of the able lectures which he has lately delivered on subjects of the day, and which attracted such general attention. We believe that the testimonial will take the form of a handsome gold watch and chain, to be presented to Mr Calder on Saturday, the time and place to be announced presently. An interesting fact, showing that the results of the acclimatisation movement are not confined to this neighborhood only, has just been brought before our notice. It appears tbat chaffinches have been repeatedly heard in the Buller district lately, and we learn that during the present winter a tree was cut down near Westport, in which the deserted nest of a chaffinch was discovered. The nest had probably been built by one of the birds imported last year. We are informed by Mr E. Woon, that he has heard from the natives in town, that Col. Haultain has accepted the services of 600 kupapas, who will start for Nga.iruanui to take Titokowaru and his followers, immediately Kemp comes from Wellington. They are to receive powder ooly for their guns, and to return the unexpended portion when they come back. Those who have never seen a Maori war party start for a real fight will have an opportunity of doing so next week, and see and hear the Maori war-dance.— Wanganui Herald. The Argus of the 25th uit, has the following: — In the list of insolvencies to-day appears the name of S. Benjamin, Queenstreet. This is the end (for the time being at least) of a story of wrong-doing which has for some days been current in the city. It appears that some short time ago the attention of persons in Melbourne was called to the fact that apparently new goods, bearing the names of Melbourne manufacturers and merchants, were being sold at auction in Sydney and Adelaide under circumstances which seemed to indicate that all was not right. It by and by was discovered that the person who has now filed his schedule had obtained goods from various houses in town to the value of about £4,500, within the last few weeks, on various pretences — sometimes as a buyer for some country firm, and sometimes for cash on delivery, the casb, however, not being forthcoming though the goods were taken possession of. These goods, it now appears, were then harried off to other markets, and disposed of at auction, aDd it is stated that one of the persons engaged, who was entrusted to proceed to Sydney aod sell some of these goods, sold his friend and principal instead, by levanting towards Panama by the last mail steamer, carrying with him a large sum of mouey. To the abrupt departure of that friend the insolvent now attributes his misfortune, but his creditors, we hear, are disposed to take a somewhat different view of the case.