MORE "TELEGRAMS."

New Zealander, Volume XIX, Issue 1762, 8 January 1863, Page 3

MORE "TELEGRAMS."

The Auckland “ telegraphic operator” is not quite dead ; his hand is disguised somewhat, and his style has become obscure, but the old spirit is rampant still. We take the following precious morceau from the Cornwall Chronicle (Launceston) of the 13th ulto.: — “NEW ZEALAND—PROBABILITY OF WAR. “ Auckland, via Sydney. “ It is stated that General Cameron has resigned his command, and that the meeting of native delegates have resolved to oppose the carrying out of his plans. The consequences are likely to lead to war. “ The immigrants who lately arrived from England, with the intention of forming a colony of Nonconformists at A'bertland, are very dissatisfied with the appearance of the place.” Can any one tell us, first, what are General Cameron’s plans, and, next, who are the “delegates” who have resolved to oppose them P The Albertland settlers, we have been led to believe, are exceedingly well satisfied “ with the appearance of the place,” and have good reason to be so, but no doubt the Auckland gentleman “ who pays for the transmission of lying telegrams from Sydney” has local sources of information which are concealed from the rest of the world, 'and has an object clearly in view which makes it a good speculation to spend a little money in the propagation of gross falsehoods.

“Forty-acre” Memoranda. struggles and difficulties which must be encountered by everyone attempting the reclamation of the waste lands of a new country, there is nothing more calculated to afford enc niragetaeut and revive the flagging teal of the nett settlers than the detailed experienced

of those who have gone before upon the same track, and who with no greater advantages than others possess have overcome the same or similar difficulties. The following extracts, which form part of a private letter, may prove not uninteresting to our newly-located bush settlers. We need, of course, only to say that the communication was purely a private one, and never intended for publication, as reason why we have abstained from publishing the name of the writer, or the district in which he resides: —“ * * * * lam making fair progress, considering all things; I think I might say good progress. I am getting the land broken up, and getting grass about me, both in cleared bush and fern land. After this winter, I expect a good sole of grass, which is fully as much as land at home would produce. I have a very good crop of potatoes. I used a little bone dust, and, though they are the first crop out of the fern laud broken up last February, I have a very satisfactory return in my early crop, now in use; and my late crops look very promising. I tried to get some oats and barley for green food in the fem land broken up in February, and sowed these grains with the grass and clover in April. Except, however, in the ashes where we had burned the fem roots, &c., the oats and barley failed completely; but where the ashes were, the crop was good enough, showing evidently that, with a little help from artificial manure, the return would have been good. The grass and clover will be a good crop next season. Even now, the grass produces some feed. * * * ”

A Fatal Accident, we regret to state, took place off Judge’s Bay Point during the heavy gale of Tuesday. A soldier of Captain Mercer’s Battery Royal Artillery, named Green, being desirous, with his wife, who was a laundress, to proceed on board the ship Stiver Eagle, at anchor off Orakei Point, applied to Mr. James Conley, waterman, Wynyard Pier, to convey them thither. Conley being otherwise engaged, the party with two McCormacks, brothers of Mrs. Green, obtained a boat in charge of Mr. Gray, boatbuilder, Official Bay. The boat was an old and not very suitable one, without rudder, and steered with an oar—by no means the easiest or safest in unpractised hands. As we are informed, she carried a spritsail, and was running before the wind, all hands being on the weather side. The wind was blowing hard at W.S.W., with fierce occasional puffs, and though the water, with a land wind, looks smooth from the shore, there is nevertheless always a nasty jabble of a sea, especially near the reefs off Judge’s Bay and Resolution Point, where, a few years since, a boat from the

Mary Anne was swamped in similar weather, the passengers escaping with difficulty. Bounding these headlands the wind comes off in baffling puffs. This was the case on Tuesday—the sail jibed, the weather became the lee side, and immediately the boat capsized. One of the McCormacks was twice taken down by his sister in his attempts to place her by the boat; her husband, a strong and powerful swimmer, seeing her sad plight turned to her assistance, and in his gallant efforts to save her lost his own life also. The two lads contrived to cling to the boat, in which position they were seen by Mr. Swainson, who gallantly launched his small boat, —not much larger than a dingy—and at the imminent peril of his life, aided by a lad, put off to the rescue. They who are familiar with the spot will know well the difficulties Mr. Swainson must have encountered. Happily, his genreous efforts were successful; the boys were saved, conveyed to Mr. Swainson’s house, where every kindness was shown them, and after a time they were able to return to town. Neither of the bodies had been found at a late hour yesterday afternoon. The boat too has been lost. It would be very desirable were there a law for regulating the letting of boats on hire, especially to unpractised persons and with a hard gale blowing. It is not surprising that, under such circumstances, accidents should occur—the wonder is that they have not been much more frequent.

The Domain Cricket Ground.—The meeting called for last evening at the “ Q. C. E.,” to take into consideration the measures to be adopted for the improvement of the Domain Cricket ground, did not come off, owing to the very small attendance, and the convener of the meeting himself not having made his appearance within an hour after the time appointed.

Soiree at Drury.—We would again remind our readers interested in that settlement, that the soiree in aid of the funds of the Drury Presbyterian Church will be held this evening.

Blight in Fruit Trees.—lt has been found in Australia that a solution extracted from the bark of the Stringy-bark tree, when applied to fruit trees subject to this disease, is most efficacious. The bark of this tree has always been noted for its tanning properties; and though in New Zealand we have not the Stringybark, there are still some of or.r native trees whose bark is possessed of similar qualities—more especially the Tawai, the bark of which has formed an article of commerce between bushmen and tanners in Auckland. There might, too, be other trees whose bark would be found to possess this quality, if the hint obtaincd from the experience of Australian gardeners be experimented on by our settlers.

Meeting op the Shareholders of Murphy’s Reef. —A meeting of the Shareholders in this Company will, we perceive, be held at the Junction' Store at Coromandel, on Saturday next, at 2 p.m. The Tasmanian Maid leaving on Friday will give Auckland shareholders an opportunity of being present, if they desire it, on this occasion.

Coromandel. —In the absence of any particulars of the result obtainable from the quartz crushed by the the Keven’s Reef Company, there is little news, as the miners are only settling down to work again after their New-year’s holidays. The loss of some twenty or thirty men, who left Coromandel to proceed to Dunedin, has, we learn from a private letter, caused much inconvenience to employers of labour at Coromandel, and there is plenty of room at the present time for additional men at a higher rate of wages than can be procured in any other part of the Province. The results from the crushing of the quartz in Keven’s Company is eagerly looked for by shareholders in town. Those engaged at Coromandel in the work are hopeful of great results.

Poblic Buildings, Dunedin. —By a reference to our advertising columns, it will be seen that the Provincial Government of Otago has offered premiums of £l5O, £IOO, and £IOO for the best design for a Gaol, Hospital, and Lunatic Asylum, respectively; also premiums of half the amount, in each case, for the second best designs. The designs to which premiums may be awarded are to become the property of the Government; and plans of the sites, &c., may be obtained at the Superintendent’s Office, Auckland. Drawings of the comparative designs will be received at the Office of the Provincial Secretary (Dunedin, we presume), until the second day of March next.