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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 53, 3 March 1875, Page 2

Mr. Jamea Andrew, described in an Eoglish paper as brother of the wellknown salmon-fisher, writes an interesting letter to his friends in England. The letter is dated Wallington, New Zealand, July 31st, 1874, and is published in a home journal. Mr Andrew writes : — '"New Zeulaud is a wonderful country; scenery impossible to describe — Scotch, Swiss, German, Syrian, end South Coast of Asia, all mixed up in every view. Mount Cook (13,700 ft.), and the range all covered with snow for fully 200 miles, was a sight never to be forgotten. The coast is Bwarming with fish, and in some of the livers trout abound. So far, no salmon thaf, I can hear of. I think we shall put up our quarteis at Nelson, 10 hours from here. I consider it the loveliest spot. on the earth, aud I have seen most of the Burfaco of this globe. It is called 1 Sleepy Hollow, but the balmy calmness of i-.1l around is scarcely that of sleep, but of a dreamy, luxurious wakefulness. There are lots of quail, pheasant*, &c, and no end of rabbits." Amongst the passengers from Melbourne by the Alhambra was Mr J. C. Brown, M.H.R., who, it will be remembered, recently left Otago to visit, and report on the Palmer goldfields, to Borne extent in the interests of his Tuapeka constituents. Mr Brown speaks in terms of high praise of the general character of the Northern Territory as a gold producing country. For eight or nine months of the year, tlie climate is all that could be desired, but during the remainder only tte strongest can escape disease. Of the New Zealand arrivals, fully one- half, be sayi-, are attacked by fever, and of those attacked, fully ont -half die. The gold is found in narrow rock-bound gullies, which have apparently acted as natural sluices, and the digging resembles rather the washing up from a ground sluice tban ordinary alluvial digging. Any new discovery ia thus quickly worked out, and Mr Biown says it is absurd of any one startiug from New Zealand on the strength of some new discovery, because it is sure to be exhausted long before he can arrive. The population is about 10,000, nnd the only chance for a man to do is to hang about until a new gully is found, and then make the most of it. Theextent of auriferous country is apparently very great, but the natives are troublesome and danger ous to prospectors. — Post The following account of the last days of poor " Joe Small " are from the Hong Kong Times of the 17ih December: — " Wilh much regret we announce the death of Mr Joseph Small, at eea, on board the s.s. Brisbane, on the evening of the 15th inst. Not many months since he left this colony for Dunedin, with a heap of purchases in the shape of Chinese and Japanese curios, expressing his intention to return to Hong Kong, witb a view of

giving a repitition of his popular entertainment, which doubtless numerous colonists remember. He took passage from Sydney on the 7th November, in tlie Tom Morton, having previously been under the doctor's hands for some time. Three days after departure he was taken sick, and was bad until reaching Somerset. He then became worse, and for seventeen days lived on sago alone. He wos such a favourite that the steward and gentlemen passengers sat up with him night after night. On reaching Batavia, a doctor presetibed for him, thinking he was suffering from an abscess on the liver. He rallied before arrival at Singapore, and then shipped in the Brisbane for here. While on shore at Singapore he suffered much from dropsy. The day ufter leaving Singapore this disappeared ard he seemed to rally, and continued in better health until within fifteen minutes of his death, which was a very quiet one. The doctor of the Brisbane attributes death to disease of the heart and enlargement of the liver. The body was committed to the deep on Tuesday evening at 5.15 with the usual ceremony, it being deemed impossible to await arrival for intermeut at Hong E_oug. Before arriving nt Batavia deceased was aware of his dangerous state, and gave instructions to Mr Macfarlane, chief steward, to hand to his executor in Melbourne all effects. We are sorry to add that a wife and i'ntnily will experience a bereaval. A rafhor amusiug scene (says a Sydney exchange) occurred at an inquest respecting the cause of the death of a lemaie infant, whose body was found near a house in Bourke-slreet. It was quite evident, frora occasional remarks made by several of the jurymen whilo the examination of witnesses was proceeding, that Eomethiug very novel, if not amusing, must occur before the close of the proceedings. The jury were asked whether they wished to make further examination, and one of them thus opened fire:—(Addressing a witness) —' S'pose now, which was the best —to send for a doctor or lave the girl in pain?" No answer. "Well, s'pose now one cf us fell oa the floor wid pain, which would it be belter — to lave us on the floor or go for a doctor?" Wituess, cuttingly: v Lave you on the floor." " Would you ? Then that's all I want." Silence reigned awhile. Then one of the " gentlemen of the jury ' said: " It's my opinion, your Worship, that the girl as born the child killed it." Similar expressions of opinion were made by one or two others, and then the coroner again directed the jury. A decidedly original consultation ensued. Then tlie foreman ndviinced to the coroner, and thus solemnly delivered himself : " We find that the __jii beu-e. the daring oh.ld, nad that it was alive, and now, mon, dead, your Worship, and that it died —that, tbat the billet-wood —we wouldn't like lo say.' Coroner : " Upon my word." Cries from tho jury : " Go along, that's not it; that's all wioug—of course it is." Foreman : " Well, sir, that's my own opinion, aud if it's not theirs I can't help it, I suppose." " Consider your veieiict, gentlemen," replied the coroner wiih official wrath. Another consultation, aud then the verdict was announced to the coroner to tho effect that wilful murder had beeu committed by the girl, when one of the jurymen cried out, " That's not toy opinion at all; I never said go." " Send for the girl herself, and let us get nt the truth,'-' said a second jutyman. Another consultation, when a verdict that half of the jury appeared not to comprehend was returned. Lately, the Barones3 Btirdett Coutts personally distributed upwards of fifty money prizes —all her own girts —to those carters, waggoners, and donkey drivers, who nt an exhibition in tho afternoon, satisfied tho examiners that their animals had beeu well cared for and humanely tteated. The exhibitors and their wives were entertained at tea, after which her ladyship addressed them on the law of kindness to animals, especially urging on the mothers present, the importance of instilling into the minds of the young, a due regard for the lives and well-being of all auimals, whether tlie horse or cow, or tht more bumble cat or sparrow. Fiftyfour horses and thirty-seven donkeys were Bhown, all in good condition. One pony was thirty-eight years old, one donkey thirty-four, and another twenty-six years old.

Dr. , Kenealy. — Our telegrams by the Otago yesterday reported the election as a member of the British Parliament of this gentleman, who rendered bimself famous as the counsel for the Claimant in the Tichborne case, and siooe then as the Editor of the Englishman newspaper. The pro- „ gramme he has sketched out for himself is thus described in the last number of the Home yews ; — " He declares that ' if Disraeli sends hira to Newgate, , Newgate will send him to Parliament ;' but he hopes to get there without, whon he will test whether England is really extinct or not. The donkeys will not bray him down — he will force Brand to let him catch the Speaker's eye, when they will hear truths that have not been heard for years ; and that, ds in tbe Queen's Bench he muzzled ond chained Cerberus for uearly a-yeor, so will He treat thut other three-headed dog, Gladstone, Cross, and Disraeli, if tbey dare to trenl him unfairly. The Judges never forgave him for showing to the world that he was their lord and master. He knew his power. He kept them in hani as easily as he might keep three puppies in the leash. Tbey kicked and chafed, nnd barked and howled every day — but they were powerless. He did it without difficulty, and he assures the people that if be can get in be will manage tbe House of Commons with equal ease, and he hopes without once losing equanimity. He has only to point out that we are drifting into civil war, and the House will listen. He concludes by assuring the people that the Magna Charta Association is national and universal, having nothing to do wilh Arthur Orton or the Kenealy wrong. lis objects are to bring back Magna Charta and the Bill of Rights , to establish a free and honest press ; to return 250 people's representatives ; to make bribery at an election an act of felony; to abolish the Income Tax Act ; to secure a free breakfast table ; to have a triennial Parliament ; to restore her Crown to the Queen ; to support the Houße of Lords, and to 'exclude lawyers from Parliament. He then calls upon them to hold public meetings to aid his cause. ' He commences his address with, 'Dear fellow-country people, men and women,' and concludes, 'I am, men and women, with the greatest respect and love to all of you.' Here follows his signature." Typhoid Fever. — Several fatal cases of typhoid fever haviug occurred iv November at Barnstaple, the Town Council met recently to consider a report on the subject from their medical officer of health. After the report, which Bimply set forth the circumstances of tbe various cases, had been read, Alderman Budd, M.D. (a brother of Dr. William Budd, of Bristol), iv answer to a question from the Town Clerk as to theefficacy of good drainage in prevention of fever, said the Council, in doing what they had to improve the sewerage of the town, had simply been working for the Bpecial purpose of spreading typhoiJ. They might do what they liked with the drainage of a place, and make it as perfect as possible, but they could uot prevent the spread of typhoid fever. If there was a case of typhoid fever, all the seeds proceeding from the patient were sown broadcast throughout the town by being thrown into the sewer aud not destroyed by disinfectants. There was only one way of preventing the spread of fever, and that was a certain one — thoroughly disinfecting the discbarges frona the intestinal canal, in which, as a rule, all the danger of contagion lay. He suggested that plain printed directions for preventing the spread of the disease should be placed in every infected house for the guidance of tbe inmates, and moved a resolution to the eilect thafc the modical officer be instructed te prepare such a set of rules. Dr. Budd added that tho great danger lay in places which had either been altogether neglected, or in which improper steps had been taken. A short time ago he had requested to see a case of typhoid fever at Braunton, near Barnstaple. There was a very long and straight street in that town called South-street, and the case arose at the beginning of the street. The Board of Guardians thought they were going to do very great things by laying down a sewer from one end of the street to the' other. The foundation of the sewer was a sort of beach, for at one time no doubt the river Taw ovei flowed the land on which the houses were built, and the Board of Guardians laid down a sewer there without making the bottom impervious, and without making the sides of the sewer waterproof. Instead of putting down a pipe drain, they put down one of masonry, with straight sides and a slate-covered top, and in many instances they carried the drain within six feet of a well. Now it was quite certain tbat if tbey established a system of sewerage like tbat they favored the spread of the fever as much as possible. The discharges were thrown into one end of tbe drain and soaked into tbe ground, gradually precolat'tng into the wells and throwing off gases which poisoned the air. Thus earth, air, and water were charged with the seeds of typhoid, and of all the modes of spreading the contagion tbat by water was the most deadly.