News of the Day.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXVI, Issue 6, 12 January 1867, Page 3

News of the Day.

CRICKET.— WAKAPUAKA CRICKET CLUB v. NELSON CITY BUTCHERS. A cricket match was played in the Botanical Reserve, on Wednesday afternoon, between eleven butchers of the City of Nelson, aud eleven of tho Wakapuaka Cricket Club. Notwithstanding the weather was so unfavourable — raining more or less during the whole time of the mateh — the play was kept up with good spirit throughout, and the . game terminated by tho Wakapuaka players winning with seven wickets to go down. The following are the scores :—: — NELSON CITY BUTCHERS. First Innings. Sbcokd Innings. Dobs, b Hibberd ... 5 b Hibberd ... 1 Barnett, c Slater . . , 4 lbw . . . .0 J. Pratt, b Hibberd . .16 b Hibberd ... 3 Bird, b Hibberd ... 0 b Hibberd ... 1 Jas. Pratt, b Manson . .5c Northam . . .0 Pearson, b Hibberd . . 8 run out .... 2 Priohard, b Hibberd . .4 1 W. Hargreaves, b Blanchett . 2 b Blanchett . . .4 Trask, b Blanchett . . .0 run out . . . .1 Cook, b Hibberd* ... 3 4 Warren, not out . . . 1 c Gill . . . .1 Leg bye . . .1 49 19 Tom ... 67 WAKAPUAKA CRICKET CLUB. Fmsx Innings. Second Innings. Barnett, at Bird .... 6 Manson, b Dobs . . .3 not out . . .7 Northani, b Pratt ... O John Page, st Dobs . . 1 st Barnett . . . 0 Hibbera, b Pratt ... 3 Dodson, b Pratt ... 14 81ater, b Pratt ... 0 Page, b Dobs .... 8 Blanohett .... 7 Gill 0 -b Barnett ... 0 Batclielor, not out . . . 1 hit wicket . . .3 Byes .... 16 69 10 69 Totas ... 69 Supplementabt Mau. via Suez. — An advertisement in another column announces that we shall not be deprived of the benefit of our direct mail via Wellington and Melbourne this month, as we had feared we should be. This is owing to no change of purpose on the part of the postal authorities with whom the convenience of Nelson appears a very slight consideration, but to an arrangement made by the New Zealand Steam Navigation Company, for which the people of Nelson owe them some gratitude which they will not readily forget. The following extract from a letter, received from the Manager at Wellington, which has been 'handed to us for publication, will serve to explain the arrangement :—": — " Instructions have been issued that the s.s. Wellington should be despatched from Port Chalmers on the 11th instant, for the Bluff, Hokitika, Nelson, and Wellington ; and her dates have been so arranged that she should arrive in Wellington in time to tranship the mails to tfie steamers going southward with the mails to England via Suez. This arrangement gives her rather less time than might be desirable at some of the ports, but it was conceived it would be an advantage of some import-, ance to the community of Nelson, and that it would not be overlooked or forgotten by them. Captain Renner has distinct instructions to be ac Nelson by the 16th, and to leave again the same day, and not to enter the harbour if there is any fear that by so doing he would jeopardise the attainment of this object. Passengers may be booked through for southern ports, but boats for the North do not leave Wellington till the 22nd and 23rd respectively." St. Maby's Schoois.— The seventeenth anniversary of these schools was celebrated on Thursday and Friday last. The inclemency of the weather having necessitated its postponement from Wednesday, the day originally announced. The usual sports were kept up with the greatest spirit during the afternoon, and at four o'clock the juveniles, to the number of 117 i eat down in- the school-room to a substantial tea, to which they did not fail to do ample justice. The adult visitors likewise partook of tea at half-past five o'clock, and the outdoor amusements were then resumed, and well maintained until dark, when the whole company adjourned ,to the school-room for the exhibition of the magic lantern, which appeared to afford the highest delight to the children both large and small who were present. The evening was also diversified by the performance of vocal and instrumental music at intervals during the exhibition. At the conclusion of the exhibition, Captain Rough gave a very instructive address to the pupils of the school, impressing upon them the necessity of illustrating through life the principles which had been inculcated in their minds during their scholastic career, and ended by calling on them to give three cheers for their beloved pastor, the Rev. Father Garin, and their excel*

Blanohett

lent school-master and school-mistress, Mr. and Mrs. Richards, to which they gave an unmistakably hearty response. The Rev. Father Garin, after ! acknowledging this compliment, addressed the pupils on the benefits of education generally, and took occasion to return his thanks to Mr. Merewether for the zeal which that gentleman had manifested in improving the musical service of the church, and for the assistance which he had uniformly rendered during his sojourn in Nelson, regretting his approaching departure from the province, which he considered as a loss to the congregation generally, and called for three cheers for that gentleman nnd Captain Rough. Mr. Merewether briefly acknowledged the compliment ; and the National Anthem having been sung by the choir, tho assembly dispersed. Yesterday evening the prizes were distributed to the pupils, and another exhibition of the magic lantern was given ; after which, it was announced that the duties of the schools would be" resumed on Monday next, the 14th instant j and the little party finally dispersed, each of the pupils carrying home some souvenir of these festivities. Gold erosi the Btjliee. — Yesterday we wereelwwn a very fine specimen of water-washed gold, , dug only last week on the Buller. The specimen, which was one of several, weighed eleven ounces, and was evidently very pure. It was found in the black sand which has proved so auriferous all along our western coast, and was got about four miles from Askew's store on the Buller. The ground that produces such specimens a 9 that shown to us, must surely be capable, if properly examined, of giving most profitable employment to a large number of diggers. The West Coast Coal Fields. — The Ballarat correspondent of a Melbourne paper says that the I I manager of one of the principal mining companies ! has sailed for New Zealand with a view of inspecting the property of the Nelson Coal Company. Tho ground, it appears, was taken possession or in the early part of last year, under a Government royalty of 2d. per ton, on condition that 10,000 tons were raised the first year, 25,000 the second year, and 50,000 tons the third and following years. Some difficulty was experienced at first, in getting the material conveyed to the seaboard, but now a tugboat has been obtained so as to assist the bargeß in getting up and down the river. One hundred tons of the coal was lately tried at the works of the Ballarat Gas Company, and Mr. Jones, the engineer, pronounced a favourable opinion as to its usefulness. Picton Pbovincial Council ELECTioN.«r-The election of two members to represent Picton in the Provincial Council of Marlborough, came off on Saturday last. There were three candidates for the two seats, and the contest seems to have been a close one. The following was the state of the poll at its close : — Picton Nelson Total Conolly .... 53 4 57 Tetley . 36 9 45 Kenny .... 37 8 45 Thus it appeared that the votes for two of the candidates were equal. To avoid the unpleasant necessity of the Returning Officer deciding by his casting vote between Messrs. Tetley and Kenny, the latter gentleman retired at a few minutes before four o'clock, thus leaving Messrs. Conolly and Tetley in undisputed possession of the field. We should certainly think that the first would prove a great acquisition to the Provincial Council of Marlborough. Discoveby of a Soda Spbino-.— The Daily Southern Cross, of December 31, has the following :—: — " A neighbouring proprietor, while lately crossing an allotment of land in Parahaki, belonging to Mr. Reyburn, had Ih'b attention arrested by a continued bubbling noise on the surface of a small pool of, water. On a nearer examination the noise was 'found to be caused by the escape, through the water, of some sort of vapour or gas, which communicated to it rather a disagreeable taste. In dry weather when it is not too much diluted, the spring is strongly alkaline ; in fact, it is a satuated solution of carbonate of soda, nearly pure. The proprietor has, by evaporation, obtained from it beautiful crystals of soda. The surface of the ground iv the vicinity of the spring has the appearance of being covered with snow, from beds of flaky-white deposit which are spread over it, and small twigs and branches of trees that lie a short time in the spring, and are afterwards exposed to the sun's rays, become encrusted with a beautiful coating of bi-carbonate of soda, white as driven snow. This soda spring is quite different from the mineral springs near to Kaurihohore, and a few miles distant."