Local Intelligence,

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XVIII, Issue 60, 27 July 1859, Page 2

Local Intelligence,

Coboneb's Inquest. — An inquest was held yesterday at the house of Mr. Henry Brown, Waimea East, on the body of Thomas Brown, aged eighteen months, infant son of Thomas Brown, of Branch Valley, who was accidentally drowned by falling into a well at his father's house. The evidence 3howed that the child was playing with his brothers and Bisters, all very young, and that one of them having raised the lid which eorered the hole in the well-cap, had forgotten to shut it down, and the deceased fell in without its being perceived by the others until after a lapse of about fifteen minutes, when, on his father going out for him, the melancholy accident was discovered. The Jury returned a verdict of " Accidental death."

New Zealand Flax. — We have seen a sample of flax dressed by Mr. M'Glashan, which to us seems to possess qualities calculated to recommend it to the attention of those gentlemen among us who have commercial correspondents in England. It appears to yield a thread of considerable length and strength, and if use could be found for it among our home rnanufacfactures, who knows but that the preparation of flax might rate among the principal products of our island. Appointment. — A General Government Gazette, of the 6th July, notifies the appointment by the Governor of Alfred Greenwood, Esq., of Nelson, as Under Sheriff for the district of Nelson, under the " Sheriffs Act, 1858." Bonded Stokes. — Tho above mentioned Gazette also notifies that Mr. J. Sinclair's store, at the Beaver, and Mr. J. R. Hay's store, at Collingwood, have been approved of for the reception of goods under bond. The Brioantinx; Mauohioness. —On Saturday last an auction sale was held by Messrs. Nash and Scaife of the hull and cargo of the Marchioness, lately wrecked in Queen Charlotte Sound. There was a large attendance at the sale, and the hull and its contents were sold to Mr. Gilbertson for the sum of £80.

Floods in the River. — The heavy fall of rain during the last few days has caused most of the rivers near town to be considerably flooded, but we have heard of no great damage having been done. The wooden breakwaters recently erected by the Board of Works in the Maitai river were regarded with some curiosity ; but both they and the Collingwood-bridge have stood the test admirably, and are found to be of great service. The Wairatt. — At the Court House, Beaver, on June 29, the following were elected as the Education Committee for the Wairau district: — Messrs. H. Dodson, W. Budge, A. Jackson, C. Goulter, W. H. Eyes, J. Sinclair, G. Wratt, and the Revs. T. D. Nicholson, and H. F. Butt. Mr. W. Wells was appointed representative at the Central Board. Customs Revenue. — By a return published in tho New Zealand Government Gazette of June 29, we find the customs revenue received in this province during the quarter ended March 31st last, to bo as follows :— Collingwood, £119 Bs. lOd. ; Nelson, £3,610 17s. sd.j Wairau, £77 10s. 9d.— Total, £3,807 17s.

Exploration op the West Coast. — We take the following from the Lyttelton Times, of July 6 :—: — "The schooner Mary Louisa, in which Messrs. Francis and Young left this port on an exploring expedition to the West Coast, returned on Friday last, reporting 'No Success.' The trip extended from Cook Straits as far south as the Awarua, the river which forms tho Southern Boundary of this province on that side of the island. This point is only a few miles to the northward of Milford Haven, up to which the inhospitable nature of the coast is well known. Indeed the present trip seems to have furnished little but what is already known on the subject, and certainly has added no item of a favourable character to our information. Jackson's Bay was made a chief point of investigation, but beyond a couple of thousand acres of grass on Cascade (or as the whalers call it — Cask-head) point, there was no serviceable land there to be found. Some visions of beautiful stretches of country, as seen from five miles in the offing, turned into even-topped scrubby bush when inspected more closely. Tho niodo of inspection was one by which the general nature of the country was fully investigated 5 for, had there been anything like available land within reach of the coast, it must have been seen from the schooner as she came up northwards again before a fair, light breeze, standing during the daytime about a mile off shore, and lying-to every night. This trip, therefore, confirms the reports of previous explorers by land. The Mary Louisa put in at Collingwood on her way ; but the report of her passengers, on inspection of that town, of tho diggings is not favourable. On their return they ran into tho Sound for shelter, and there were able to be of service to the Marchioness. The most interesting result of the expedition has yet to be told ; and we give it from tho journal or ' log ' of the voyage : — "'June 14. — About thirty miles to the northward of Mount Cook, and ten miles from the shore 3 clear frosty morning ; sun shining out upon the tops of a rugged snow-capped range of immense height, from the centre of which towered the monarch of New Zealand mountains : we saw what appeared to be a long streak of mist running from between the two peaks which form the summit of the mountains. Upon a nearer approach, we concluded it must be a glacier. At noon, abreast of Mount Cook, close in shore, we could see distinctly that it was an immense field of ice, entirely filling up the valley formed by the spurs of the twin peaks, and running far down into the low land. It was of a pale green colour, and appeared to be quite a mile in width towards the lower end of the valley. On returning from the southward, stood ia within a mile of the land, and again had the pleasure of seeing it distinctly. It is not so easily made out coming from the southward, as its lower portion is then partly hidden by a lower range of hills.' " Education Committee,— The following have been

chosen as tho Education Committee for the Motupipi district:— Messrs. Lovell, Nicoll, Fletcher, Packard, R. Manson, M. Manson, Goddard, and Wan. The representative at the Central Board is Mr. I. M. Hill.

Imports and Exports.— By a recent number of the Government Gazette, we find that, during the quarter ended the 31st March last, the imports into the Proyinco of Nelson amounted to the value of £44,130 ; the exports, during the same period, to £17,983 — a very considerable increase, in both imports and exports, as compared with the corresponding quarter of 1858.