LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 139, 2 November 1844, Page 2

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

BOATWRECK, AND SUPPOSED LOSS OF Life.— The boat Stag, which left the Motuaka yesterday week, laden with timber from the Mill, and having on board two men, named William Carter, late second mate of the ship Urgent, and Newman Shrewsbury, was passed on Tuesday last by the Emma, on her way to the Moutere. She was lying with her broadside up, and is supposed to have been capsized in a squall on the evening of her departure. It was the intention of the crew of the Emma to have taken her in tow on their return, but unfortunately they were unable to find her; and the Customs boat made a fruitless search after her on the following day. Nothing is known of the fate of the poor men, but we regret to say there can hardly be a doubt they have perished. The Piscator, which arrived on Wednesday from Newcastle in nine days, has brought a cargo of fine cattle. Forty head were put on board, of which eight were lost on the passage and one was killed on board since the vessel came into harbour. The remaining thirty-one were landed on Thursday morning on Fifeshire Island, where they will remain a few days to recover their strength, after which it is supposed they will be less liable to suffer from eating of the tutu. The Piscator, on clearing out at Sydney, intended to have taken 120 sheep on board at Newcastle; but they could not be got at a price to render the speculation sufficiently promising. Great disappointment has been felt by our agriculturists in consequence of so little barley having been brought into the settlement by the vessels lately arrived from the neighbouring colonies. A considerable quantity" of ground has been prepared for seed, which cannot be got for love or money. The desire to grow barley by the smaller cultivators is very great, from the circumstance of there being a certain and immediate market for it at the Brewery, the operations of which promising establishment are also suspended from the cause above stated Barley appears to be scarce and to have advance* in price in the Australian markets, which ii doubtless the reason of the scanty arrivals here It was expected that the Star of China wouk have had at least 400 bushels on board, and ot this the hopes of many have rested ; but by he manifest, published in the Sydney Herald, sh appears to have none whatever. As we art no aware that any other vessel is immediately ex pected, we fear the season must inevitably b lost.

Flax.— Our readers will recollect that a few ' iveeks since we alluded to a machine for dressing i lax that had been constructed by Mr. Stallard, .and which promised to be of some importance. We are happy to state that an ingenious mechanic, named Smith, has since improved considerably on Stallard's machine, and that two of these improved machines have been made, with which the constructors and an assistant started for Waukapuaka on Thursday morning, where they intend, by working them a few days, to fairly test their value.