The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1868.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 260, 2 November 1868, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1868.

We understand that the time for which the Nelson Contingent at the Front engaged for service expired on the 28th ultimo. As letters have been received, stating their unanimous resolution to leave on that date, their return to Nelson may be expected in a few days' time. We are happy to be able to state, on the best authority, that the conduct of the Nelson Contingent has been excellent, contrast- ; ing very favorably with that of other members of the force now at the Front. We understand that the determination of the men to leave has been caused, not by •the conduct of their officers of whom — and especially of Captain Spiller — they speak in the highest terms of commendation, but by the privations and unwholesome fare to which they have been subjected through the insufficiency of the commissariat department, whose arrangements appear to be anything but satisfactory. On Saturday afternoon an accident occurred to a market cart belonging to Mr Painton, of Waimea South, which happily terminated without any serious injury to the public. It appears that the cart bad been left standing at a house in Grove-street, in the Wood, when the horse suddenly taking fright, bolted towards town. In crossing the Colliugwood Bridge the wheel of the cart caught one of the posts and the vehicle capsized. In this state the animal tore up Colling-wood-street at its utmost speed j its career however was speedily stopped before further mischief was done, the cart being literally smashed to pieces. We regret to state that the Unity cutter, the property of Mr Akersten, was stranded on the Boulder Bank oa Saturday evening. It seems that the cutter was coming from Pakawau, the wind blowing hard at the time from the South-west, and in trying to enter she misstayed, and ran ashore- on the Boulder Bank, where we believe that she has become a wreck. Those of our readers who have a taste for astronomy, who blacken their noses whilst looking through smoked glasses at the sun, or nearly scorch their eyes out in their pursuit of telescopic inspections of that body, may be grateful to us for informing them that the planet Mercury will make a transit across the sun's disc on the evening of Thursday next, the sth instant. The ingress occurs at 4h. 57m. 405.; the egress at Bh. 35m. 58s. p.m. The planet will appear during the the transit like a black spot on the face of the sun. The times mentioned, we are informed, have reference to the centre of the earth, a somewhat difficult place to get at, but our readers will doubtless content themselves with making their observations on the surface, which wiil make very little difference in the time of observation. Any ordinary telescope, with some colored glass placed in front of the eyepiece, will suffice to render the phenomenon visible to those who may desire to observe it. We may add that the last transit took place in 1861. An accident of a peculiarly distressing character occurred at Motueka about 8 o'clock on Friday morning, to a man named Elgar Davison, which resulted in his death. It appears that the deceased,

who was a cripple, was passing along the road near his house, when a heifer rushed at him, striking him violently with her head in the chest, knocking him down and breaking his back. It is almost needless to state that the poor man sustained most serious injury from this attack. Drs Park and Bond were in attendance, and did everything that medical skill could devise to alleviate Davison's sufferings, who lingered in great agony until 11 o'clock that night, when death put an end to his existence. We regret to add that the deceased leaves a widow and several children totally unprovided for. We stated a short time since that Mr F. Varley, the editor of Punch, had migrated from Wellington to Auckland, and would probably start a fresh series of that very amusing periodical in the latter city. Mr Varley has, we learn, entered into partnership with Mr Morressey, a gentleman of considerable repute and experience on the Australian press, and the Auckland Punch will therefore enter on its new career under the most favorable auspices. Although the sayings and doings of the Colouial Parliament, which afforded such abundant matter in Wellington for tha comments of our facetious contemporary, will be wanting in Auckland, we cannot doubt that it will find 'pabulum' enough in that city to maintain its prestige and secure the success of the enterprise, which has our best wishes. We observe that the ranks of our local photographists have been recruited by the return of Mr W. E. Brown, from a successful visit of some duratiou to Motueka. We have seen several portraits of children taken by Mr Brown, by the instantaneous process, in which the easy natural expiession of the features is admirably presented, a most difficult matter to achieve in the portraits oi young children. No intelligence was received by the Government by the last mail relative to the removal of the 18th Royal Irish from this colony. Lord Burghley, who, it will be remembered, accompanied the Bishop of Lichfield on his last visit 'to this colony, has been travelling in the Lake district of Otago, and has now proceeded to Melbourne iu order to meet the Bishop there, with whom he will proceed to England via Suez. Mr Cracraft Wilson, M.H.R., has been appointed by her Majesty, a Companion of the Order of the Star of India, for distinguished services rendered during the Indian mutiny. The latest Wellington files state that telegrams had been received by the Government from Napier stating that the Hauhaus have [in reality not reached yet within 12 miles of the township of Clyde. The military settlements have been plundered of everything of auy value, but it was thought not by the Hauhaus, but by the friendly natives. It is stated on the same authority that the alarm and excitement at Wairoa has been much exaggerated. It has been over-estimated from the first, but at the present moment the women and children did not care to leave their homes, thinking that the place was perfectly safe. The St. Kilda has gone to the East Cape with Mr Donald M' Lean and the Native Minister. The Provincial Government of Southlaud has placed £1000 upon the estimates for 1869 for the Agricultural and Pastoral Association of that province. The Provincial Government of Taranaki has voted £56 as a bonus for the export of Towai bark, and £1000 for the discovery of a payable goldfield. A correspondent of the Hobart Town Evening Mail recommends, as a means of attracting population to that colony, that the Government should offer a reward for , the discovery of a payable goldfield. In support of his views he says: — Gold will do what fine climate, beautiful scenery, rich forest lands on liberal terms, and a prospective long life, all fail in accomplishing. Gold is God's way of drawing people together.