The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1877.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 23, 26 January 1877, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 1877.

..The house in. the paddock in Maitai Valley where the. Caledonian Sports are held, belonging to Mr Richardson and occupied by Mr Saunders junior, was totally destroyed by fire yesterday afternoon. The origin of the fire is not known, the attention of :Mr and Mrs Sannders, .who were working a short distance from the house, having been called to it by a man passing along the road on the river bank. .Some of the furniture ;was saved, but the greater part was destroyed. There was a small insurance in the Standard, but not sufficient to cover more than a third of the total loss which is estimated at '£200.' The Wanaka difficulty has been got over by the remov«ai of the family in which the case of scarlatina occurred to an isolated ward of the Hospital, and the steamer, after having been thoroughly fumigated, proceeded on her trip this afternoon, her number of passengers having been slightly, reduced by the untoward circumstance, and the appearance of the ladies cabin and other parts .. somewhat spoiled by the fumes of sulphur. We are glad to learn that the fever by which the child was attacked is of the mildest description. . ; The monthly inspection of the Town and Port Volunteers took place last night, the different companies falling in opposite the Police Station. After the usual preliminaries had been gone through, Captain Marshall gave out that on the 15th of next month there would be a special parade, when the New Zealand Cross would be presented by the Hou Major Richmond, C.8., to Sergeant C. Mating, for conspicuous bravery during the Maori war. He would, therefore, like to see a large muster, as the Hinemoa with the representatives on board for the Colonial Prize Firing would then be in harbor. The companies were then put through a number of evolutions, in all of which they deported themselves creditably. The volunteers then marched through the town, preceded by the Band, and back again to near the Police Station, where they were dismissed. There was an average attendance, about 115 answering to their names. We understand that a summons has been taken out to-day by Mr Richardson against the Regatta Committee for the recovery of the prize in the late yacht race. The case will be heard before the Resident Magistrate on Monday, when Mr Fell will appear for the plaintiff and Mr Pitt for the defendants. It will be seen by our telegrams that the proposed trip home of Sir George Grey and his brother delegates is not to take place owing to Sir George's illness. We are sorry for the cause, and can sympathise with the deputation in the disappointment they must experience at being deprived of the enjoyable journey to which they were no doubt looking forward with pleasurable anticipations, but as a considerable saving of time and money will be effected by their remaining in New Zealand, it is, perhaps, as well that a sufficient excuse has been found for their not starting on the wild goose chase allotted to them by the Convention. We published the other day a letter from Dr Hector, giving his first- impressions of the Rai Valley route, of which he spoke in high terms, stating that while the cost of making a road would be comparatively small, the, advantages would be very great both as regards opening up nevr and valuable bush country, and affording a far 'easier line of communication between Nelson and Marlborough than the existing one over the Maungatapu. In addition to Dr Hector's evidence on this subject we have to-day re©e#ed a telegram from Havelock stating

that two gentlemen who went through the Valley yesterday accomplished the distance between Mr Collins house . at Wakapuaka: and Cooper's Accommodation House in seven 1 hours, and this before auy road is made. The gradients are so easy and the distance 10 very little more ,by the Rai Valley that! there can. \be no doubt whatever as to the' advantages of making that the trunk line to Marlborough, and we trust that the matter will be properly represented to the Government, and that they will see their way to constructing a dray road, which would be the means of bringing a splendid lot 6t timber into the market, and rendering available for settlement a large quantity of fertile land. A Recruiting Medicine. As a means of increasing the diminished vital forces, of enlisting the recuperative powers latent in the system in an effort to recover lost vigor and Health, of affording a support and solace to the aged and infirm, of reinforcing the digestive and urinary organs when enfeebled, and finally , of bringing to the " front" the glow of health' and the smile of cheerfulness:-, there is no recruiting medicine so prompt and efficient as Udolpho Wolfe's Schiedam Aromatic Schnajpps,— Adv.fc.