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New Zealand Herald, Volume X, Issue 2791, 8 January 1873, Page 2

The City Connoil are erecting additional gas lamps In various parts of the City West, where they were much wanted. One has been very judiciously placed at Cater's corner, Cookstreet, which -will light up the gully in Nelsonstreet South, as well as the embankment in Cook-street West, and thus prevent many accidents which formerly occurred at these points. All that is now wanted to put the finishing stroke to the series of excellent im« provements undertaken by the Council in that locality, is, the formation of Nelson-street South—some three hundred yards only—to Wellington-street. At present the metalled portion of the street ends in a cul de sac, and the traffic which would naturally flow along it to Wellington-street and the adjoining neighbourhood, can only be carried on by ft tedious and unnecessary detour by way of Hobsonstreet. If the Council really mean business this season,, work should be speedily commenced, as the experience of the residents, wading through the mud of the half-finished cuttings last season,was not of such a character as to invite a repetition of the same during the coming winter. We are glad to learn that the working of the newly-discovered coalfield at Awitu—on the shores of the Manukau—is likely to be attended with the most unqualified success, and to add another rich industry to those already existing in this province. Mr. Featon, who has a lease of the ground for fortytwo years, is now' living upon the spot and has a gang of men employed in sinking and driving for the coal. At one place there is a seam six feet thick, only thirty feet below the surface of the ground, and from the outside specimens which have been shown to us, and which were found to be cropping out at the side of the hill, the coal in the seam, when it is comeatable, promises to be of a very superior character. In a few days' time it iB expected that the main body of the seam will be reached, when severed tons will be taken out and sent on to Auckland for a fair test. Should this prove to be a permanent field of first-class coal at this place, so directly in the vicinity of the iron-sand, it will turn out a most fortunate thing for the province, and will do as much to advance our interests as ever a goldfield could do. The criminal sittings of the Supreme Court were resumed yesterday morning, before his Honor the Chief Justice. The first case was that of Edward McAdam, charged with manslaughter. The trial lasted the greater part of the day. The prisoner was found guilty, and sentenced to six months' imprisonment. John Arthur Abbott pleaded guilty to stealing two gold watches value £50, a gold chain value £10, and £32 in money, the property of Mr. Daniel Joseph O'Keeffe. Mr. Hesketh made an eloquent appeal to the judge in mitigation of sentence. Mr. O'Keeffe also strongly recommended the prisoner to mercy. His Honor sentenced the prisoner to twelve months' imprisonment and hard labor. H. C. S. li. Brooking pleaded guilty to a charge of obtaining board and lodging and money by false pretences, and was sentenced to six < months' imprisonment with hard labor. The trial_ of William Wrigley Moffat is postponed. Pani, a native, was arraigned for horse-steal-ing, but the trial was postponed until this morning.

Eain has, we are pleaßed to learn, been general throughout the provinces. To some it comes too late for the oat and potato crops, both of which have sustained much damage. The weather, however, has been all that could be desired for the prosecution of the Public Works undertakings, the navvies not having been stopped one hour for a period extending over several weeks. Although there has been very little rain on the West Coast of the Middle Island, there have been very heavy floods. These are accounted for by the winter accumulations of snow on the higher ranges back from the seaboard. In favourable seasons this gradually melts away before the advance of summer. This year, however, the heat has been exceptionally intense. The snows have melted very rapidly, and has caused the creeks and rivers to rise much above their ordinary level, and hence a very large amount of property has been destroyed by flood waters during fine summer weather.

We think the Alten Eoad people have l every reason to be satisfied with the exteni sion of time given to them, at the City Council meeting on Monday, to remove their fences further back. It is now six months since the first notice was given, and to this ho attention appears to have been paid by the residents in this locality. Mr. Cosgrave tried very hard to get the time extended to nine years, when the leases expire, and the property returns to the hands of the Council; but worthy councillors, not all living in Alten Boad, could not see things in that light. However, six months were granted, and we have no doubt that before the expiration of that period the fences will be removed back to the proper boundary marked off by law. At tke same time, we have ne hesitation in saying that it is somewhat hard upon the occupiers of the property who bought their leases in their present condition. The emigration from the United Kingdom in the first quarter of the year 1872 has included 35,555 persons : 32,660 to the United States, 412 to British Worth America, 1,144 a to Australia and New Zealand, and 1,339 to other places. Of these emigrants, 14,707 were English, and 12,816 of them went to the United Btates ; 1,887 wero Scotch, 1,659 of them for the United States; 8,597 were Irish, 8,351 of them for the United States 3 9,816 were foreigners, 9,685 of them for the United States j there is no account given of the remaining 558, except that 149 went to the United States. This is the largest emigration since 1866 for this quarter of the year. As compared with 1871 there is an increase of 1,759 in the English emigration, 79 in the Scotch, 3 in the Irish, and 6j270 in the foreign emigration. We regret to liear that a very serious accident occurred yesterday morning, to a little girl named Shields living at Mount Eden with her parents. The child is only eight years old, and from what we can learn Bhe was in a paddock at the back of the house when she was kicked in the mouth by a horse. A portion of her face was completely forced in and four of her front teeth were knocked down her throat. She was picked up quite senseless, and a medical _ man Bent for, who sewed up the wound in the child's face as well as he was able. This is somewhat an unfortunate family for accidents, as it is only a short time [ ago since one ®f the little girls, two years old, had two of her fingers cut off by a chaff-cut-ting machine. A case of some nicety occurred yesterday in the Supreme Court. It appeared that Mr. . a. Macfarlane had been serving on the U-rand Jury to about noon. Shortly after that he was subpesned as a witness in the case of a prisoner named Moffat. Mr. Brookfield informed the Court that he had seen Mr. J. S Macfarlane, who refused to attend as a witi cXd if® a PP lled J lO Mr. Macfarlane called upon his subpoena, and intimated his I intention at the rising of the Court, to ask for an attachment against Mr. Macfarlane for 1 contempt. What passed will be found in oar 1 ordinary report. Mr. Macfarlane, however ' shortly afterwards entered the Court, and " further proceeding in the matter was Btayed.

The atrocities which hare been perpetrated under the, ao called, labor trade in the South Pacific, cause the Home Government to suppress it altogether. The journals possessing the confidence of Mr. G-ladstone point out that the trade is clearly a slave trade, and that the only way to atop its horrors is to stop the traffic which causes them. The fact that Dr. Murray's ressel carried on the traffic under the licence of a British consul has caused general astonishment and indignation. "■»

"What hare become of the numerous actnZ 1 and actresses who hare played in p I during the last five or six years ? They now spread over every portion of the »i o v* ' l ~ though many of them, who when here formed I members of one company, still stick well to { ther in different parts of these colonies. If' Charles Mathews is still playing as fresh ever at home ; Mr. Hoabina, Miss Col-rilf* I Mr. Hill, Mrs. Hill, and Mr. Musgrave at' at the Theatre JBoyal, Dnnedin; Measn Hydes, C. O'Brien, South, and Glover, ami E Miss Anstead, and Mrs. Glover, are plavin» near Duaedin; Mr. Burford and Miss Clara ' Stephenson fare on the West Coast 5 Messrs f ; Steele, Howard, Keogh, Miss Adelaide Bow! • ring, and Mrs. Howard are at Christchurch • - Messrs. B. N. Jones, Mrs. Jones, and Mr ■ Joyce are in Sydney; Mr. Stuart O'Brien" Miss Juno, Mr. Bobarts, and Polly Leake are' in Melbourne, where Hsselmayer, Harry ' Rickards, and Carry Rickards are also giving ' performances j poor Montgomery lies buried ' iu Eensall Green cemetery; Miss Cleveland ' is at the Gaiety; Mr. Talbot is starring in the provinces ; and that energetic and fiery little actor, Mr. J. B. Howe, is back to his home at • the Britannia ; Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Hall are in the Midland Counties; and Bandmann is, we believe, playing at one of the liondos • houses; Harry Edwards, Miss Eannie Young) ; Madame Doret, and many more well-known ' in Auckland are in different partsof America • : Joey Gougenheim, Miss Bose Evans, and > Mrs. Heir are in Australia, each at the head : of a company; Mr.Heller, the prestidigitateur j Mr. Charles Herbert, and Mr. John Howe are \ in India; and Mr. W. Carey is, we.believe, ■ travelling with a lecture far up north. Then : there are many others who claim connection : with the stock and buskin whose names vre ; have forgotten, and who sinee leaving have ! been scattered by the sands of time and dis- : tance. Who, casually glancing their eye I through the above list of names, will venture i to say that Auckland has not a right to be considered a theatrical town ? And yet we fancy we have not mentioned one-third of the names which we might have done. _ We are to have a City Park on the western side of the city, and it has been resolved by the City Council to fence and, we believe, in a very few weeks to plant the park with ahrubbery of different kinds. Surrounding this park is a quantity of land which is to be cut up into allotments, and leased to tbe highest bidder, —there being, however, a reserved price put upon every lot, to prevent it going too cheaply. We perfectly agrea with the remarks of Mr. Hobbs that there should be a plan of villa residences drawn ud, and that no person purchasing a lease should be allowed to depart in any main point from the design. If the same principle had been carried out in Queen-street, when city property was leased, we should not have the many unsightly buildings which now meet the eye at every turn to complain of. We believe this principle will be followed when the Albert Barracks site is cut up into a park, and the surrounding land sold on a building lease. A very handsome and uniform square of stone or brick villas might then be built, enclosing a small park or reereation-grounds, planted with trees, and containing fish-ponds, &c. This would then be the real aristocratic portion of tha city. We understand that something of this kind is to be done, and that the whole subject will come up for discussion at the next meeting of the City Improvement Commissioners.

A meeting of ladies interested in getting up a bazaar, the objeot of which is mainly to aid tlio poorer country districts to build manses, and aid in reducing the debt on those manses, was held at St. Andrew's Church yesterday afternoon. There was a large number present, the Rev. D. Bruce occupying the chair. The Chairman opened the business by reading extracts from several letters received from th e Rev. Mr. Barclay, late of 2Japier, showing that goods to the value of about £300 were about to be forwarded here, and urging the ladieß of Auckland to contribute a like amount of goods. The bazaar is to be held as aoon as the goods arrive. It was agreed that four stalls should be contributed by parties hore— one by the ladies connected with St. Andrew's Church, another by the ladies connected with St. James's Church, another by the ladies of the Thames and Coromandel churches, and another by the ladies of the Otahuhu, North Shore, and other country congregations. It was left to the ladies in the several quarters to organise and carry out the foregoing. | With regard to the Chinamen employed on the Clutha railway works, the Tuapeka Timet says:—"We were in error when we stated that Messrs. Brogden and Co. had entirely dispensed with Chinese labor on the Clutha railway. It appears that the first batch of men were phyiscally incapable of performing more than two-thirds of the amount of work expected, consequently, they were discharged. A fresh batch of better working Celestials were engaged, the majority of whom earned their wages. This last experiment proved so satisfactory, that it was determined to continue it. The incapables are being gradually weeded out, their places being filled by useful navvies. No difficulty is experienced in procuring Chinese labor, large gangs of Celestials being camped at various places along the line, waiting for employment. Thirty-eight Chinamen are now at work on the railway between Adam's Flat and Tokomairiro. This number is expected shortly to be considerably augmented." n _ On the occurrence of a fire there is invariably much difficulty experienced in getting the hose piping laid down and the joinings perfected. To meet this difficulty, and to prevent delays on the occasion of outbreaks, the Insurance Companies have, at considerable

expensg, provided their Fire Brigades with a hoae-reel, capable of holding 600 feet of hose. The reel has been manufactured by Messrs. Gee and Potter, and is a very creditable piece of work. It haa met with the unqualified approval of Mr. Mathews, the captain of the Northern Fire Brigade. With this appliance for laying down the hose, the Brigade will now be able to perform with comparative ease , and rapidity what has hitherto been a difficult task, as it will deliver hose in one-third the time it would take to lay it down by hand, as formerly done. The hose-reel is fitted with tacklings, so that horses may be attached to it for its more ready transit. As showing what can be done by the careful and skilful treatment of a substance from which there is generally a difficulty in extracting gold, namely, arsenical pyrites or mundic, it may be mentioned that from 3 cwt. 3 qrs. of it collected off the tables of the Waipori Quartz Company's battery, 18 ozs. 8| dwts. of gold were obtained by Mr. Dermer, the manager of the G-overnment battery. This is at the rate of 98 oza. to the ton. A sample of the same »tuff, treated by Dr. Hector, yielded at the rate of about 70 ozs. to the ton ; and another quantity, dealt with by Mr. Dermer, at the rate of 78 ozs. to the ten. From 2 lbs. 3 ozs. of tailings from the Shag Valley reef, and which had been finally disposed of, Mr. Dermer got about 6 grs. of gold. A number of business men ani mine speculators at Wellington are desirous of forming accompany to work the Brunner Coal mine in the Grey—Nelson district. The object is to form a company to work it, with a capital of about a quarter of a million, to form a railway, if necessary, from the mine to the mouth of the river, and to construct a fleet of steam colliers to carry the coal. Application has been made for the terms of lease to the Superintendent. These have, we understand, been supplied, and in ten days or a fortnight, after the Internal Communication Committee has reported, a definite reply will be furnished to the Wellington projectors. Mr. Willoughby Brassey was admitted yes terday to practice as a solicitor and barrister of the Supreme Court. His Honor, in refer* ring to the examination papers of Mr. Brassey, signed " Semper Idem ," paid a high compli* ment to the candidate for admission. Mr. Brassey was aworn-in after the usual form. The first meeting of the Harbour Board after the recent holidays will be held on Tues" day next, at the time—.half-past two. The ordinary business to be brought forvrasfi is oi considerable importance.

It transpires that Mr. Brogden while in Melbourne, previous to his departure for England, made an offer to the Victorian Government- to lay a cable between that Colony and Hew Zealand. The Age says, "At this stage it would be premature to speculate upon the character of the proposals that have been made, or as to how far they may clash •with subsequent offers to be made by the New Zealand Government; but there are certain broad considerations that cannot be entertained too early. There will certainly be some slight advantage to this Colony in having a Dew Zealand cable landed on it* coast, in preference to some other portion of the Australian seaboard, while it certainly will be more to the interest of New Zealand to be immediately connected with Melbourne than with any other metropolitan city in Australia. tThe New Zealand Government will, no doubt, keep the question of the Australian terminus an open one, until it haß been ascertained whet support the eastern Australian Colonies will respectively give to the scheme.

Our Thames evening contemporary hath it that the Warden's Court is so infested with Seas that those in attendance are flea-marked to such an extent that they are not known by their nearest relatives. The reporter of the paper, dilating on the subject, says :—" It may be noticed that the members of the Press enjoy immunity from the fleas —not because tha fleas hare any respect for the " mighty engine of modern civilisation not a bit; but because the members of the Press have a long and wide form to themselves, upon which the recline as did the old Romans at their banquets, and so deprive the fleas of their banquet. This is resented by the fleas, who contend with each other madly, in a series of high jumps, to reach the form and their ranished prey. But they cannot, and, therefore, when a member of the Press puts hi» legs on the floor —which he only does in order to bolt from the Court—he is pursued by fleas, who chase him even beyond the Court door." A story is afloat which shows that his Fijian , majesty, Cakobau 1., has clear and distinct ideas on the subject of trade and barter. A few weeks back a gentleman from this colony on a visit, half of pleasure and half of business, to Fiji, had occasion to require more shipping accommodation than was available. Urged on by some friend he requested an audience of the King, and asked for the loan of the royal yacht. His Majesty received the request very graciously, and even promised the boon asked for, but as the grateful visitor was retiring with a bow, his astute Majesty observed with a look of indescribable knowingBess, that gentlemen who went fishing were Hsually in the habit of taking care that they had an attractive bait on the hook. A more delicate way of hinting that the royal navy would not object to a subsidy has rarely been given.

Yesterday's Coromandel Mail says : "In one of our Auckland contemporaries, a few days back, a correspondent forcibly drew the attention of the Provincial Government to the necessity of sending some of our experienced resident miners to thoroughly examine the large blocks of auriferous country in the Wailoromiko and Kennedy's Bay districts, the greater portion of which, we understand, is owned by the province. We are glad to learn from a gentleman who has just arrived from Auckland, and who assisted in bringing the matter specially under the notice of the Goldfields Secretary, Mr. Sheehan, and the ProTincial Secretary, Mr. H. H. JLuak, that the proposition has been favorably entertained, and that the district engineer, Mr. A. Aitken, is likely to receive the necessary authority in S day or two to have the examination carried Ofct under his immediate supervision." Oa Monday afternoon last a lad named George Bennett narrowly escaped death by drowning. Entering the water near to the gas-'.vorks, and having hold of a rope to hang on to should he get out beyond his depth, this aid to security slipped from his hands, when he was instantly in imminent peril of perishing. A young lad named Bernard Newstub, seeing Bennett's danger, rushed into the water, struck out, and succeeded in dragging the sinking youth into shallow water as he rose for the third time. It was a brave and gallant act, one worthy of due recognition and reward, and which, we hope, wiU meet with mere substantial acknowledgment than the encomiums which are offered in the columns of the local journals. A meeting of the Hospital Committee was held last night, says our Coromandel correspondent, at which, after all the routine business had been gone through, Mr. Woollams informed the meeting that he felt compelled to take away from the committee the building of which they had the use for some six months past or more. The Secretary was, conse- j quently, instructed to write, to the Govern- I ment, informing them of the fact, and requesting them to take steps to hand over the buildings now used as offices, and which have been promised as a hospital some time since. I trust the institution will not come to • standstill for want of a suitable building. Mr. Lloyd, proprietor of the rope-work, Ponsonby Road, has sunk two artesian wells on his premises, for the purpose of supplying his works with water. The depth of the wells is 44 feet, circumference 18 feet. The artesian tubes go down to the depth of 110 feet below the bottom of the wells. The water in the two wells was 19 feet deep yesterday. It took six days in boring, and Mr. Dloyd tells us that if he had not done this his works would have been Btopped, as he uses about 2000 gallons of water daily. On Monday last he filled a large boiler 20 feet in diameter from these wells. A new society of amateur musicians was initiated on Monday evening last, something after the manner of "the " Excelsiors." Honorory officers were appointed and arrangements made for opening night. 'The designation of the socie y is to be "The Auckland Amateur Serenades." It is to be hoped the yonng aspirants for musical fame and honors will not deem it necessary in their entertainments to use burnt cork and tallow grease to blacken their faces, soil their garments, and generally to disfigure themselves, as amateurs in this city have hitherto had a liking to do.

Our Coromandel correspondent says : " Witli the new year the early closing movement has been introduced amongst us all, or very nearly; all our business people having signified their intention, by advertisement, of closing at 7 p.m., except on Saturdays. The movement is a good one, as it will enable those trho are forced to remain in-doors all day to obtain more exercise, and at the same time it will not, in the slightest degree, interfere with the general public, who will soon beeome used to the change in hours." The contemplated road from Freeman's Bay to the Queen-street wharf was commenced on Monday last at the Freeman's Bay end. The earth is being carted from the north Bide of Drake-street to the bay, where it is being put above the sewer from Welleeley-street to the beach. The hill on the east side of the bay is also being vigorously attacked by another gang of men, who are making great headway in demolishing it. An extraordinary meeting of the shareholders of the Von Tempsky G.M. Co., was called by advertisement for yesterday afternoon, but as a majority in number and value were not present the meeting lapsed. There Baa been a large number of mining meetings lately, which have fallen through because of the non-attendance of a quorum of the shareholders. j ' earn . his Honor the Superintendent has retired for the present from the cares of business, in order to enjoy a fortnight or three weeks' holiday in the country districts, after the cares and fatigues of the late eewion of the Provincial CoHncil. There is a very handy machine in Lloyd's rope-work, Ponsonby Road, which ia used for oiling and tarring the flax-yarn. It ia worked by steam, which is brought by pipes fixed on the Doiler, and connected with the machine. We observe that the repairs to the outer T of the Queen-street wharf have been completed at last. New piles are being put down underneath where the Landing Waiter's Office was.

During the thunderstorm on Sunday afternoon, says the Thames Advertiser, a particularly bright flash of lightning was observed by several persons who stood on Mr. Goodall's verandah, at Parawai, at the time. Watching its course, they observed that the flash expended itself in a paddock of Mr. Banks's. They soon observed smoke issuing from a large puriri tree, near the house of Mr. G. T. Wilkinson, and on proceeding towards it they found it on fire. . The tree was qaite green, and in full growth, before the lightning struck it, and the eifect of the fluid must have been to dry the sap, for the leaves shrivelled up, and the wood seemed to burn pretty freely. The tree was burning yesterday. We venture to assert such an occurrence has scarcely ever been equalled in its wonderful results by any of those recorded of the effects of the electric fluid. The green puriri tree growing was struck by the lightning, and in the twinkling of an ere its greenness disappeared, its sap was dried up, and the I timber burst forth into a blaze of fire.

Three juvenile pedestrians, sons of Mr. Thos. Spenccr, of Parawai, recently started on a holiday excursion into the back country. They skirted the foot of Gentle Annie Mountain, near their own home, and proceeded along the Mangakirikiri to its source. From tbence they crossed over to Table Mountain, and after oamping out several nights, were confined to a gum-digger'a hut four or five days, owing to incessant rains. Tho weather clearing up, they started back from Mercury Bay, the gum-digger's camp at that place not offering the most desirable residence for persons of their tender years. They left the camp early in the morning, and coming along the track via Tapu Creek, reached their own home at Parawai the same evening.

On Saturday, says our Waikato contemporary, Mr. Shaw met with an accident of a serious nature while engaged with his machiue reaping Mr. Burgess's wheat. It appears that Mr. Shaw, who was on the machine, had his foot tightly strapped to the platform on which the stuff falls when cut, and one of tho bolts got loose and came out, letting it go free, dragging his leg back and throwing !aim out of his seat with his hands in front of the knife. The left hand got entangled, and was considerably lacerated, so much so, that it is not known whether he may not lose the use of some of his fingers. Had the horaeß not stopped almost instantaneously, an accident of a very serious character would have to be recorded.

Since the plant of the Thames Gas Company was laid on the ground, tho progress made with the fitting up of the works and the laying of the mains through the streets has been characterised by an energy creditable alike to the manager and the company. The company's yard is a busy scene. Bricklayers engaged building-in the retorts and boilers, fitters putting together the complicated and well-finished portion of the gear, and boilermakers rivetting together the plates of the gasometer. The plant is said to be a very perfect one.

In consequence of the wet weather last evening there was no performance at the Circus. To-night there will be a change in the programme. Among other things the fine Chilian blood horse Garibaldi, and the Belmont colt General Grant will be introduced, and ridden by Signor Chiariui, the celebrated horse-trainer. The Brother* Carlo will introduce the "Young Leotard," and there will also be several other changes of an interesting character. The man Frank "Walker, who was charged at the Supreme Court on Monday with cattle stealing, and was acquitted, was yesterday charged at the Police Court with lunacy, and was also acquitted. He was afterwards apprehended, on warrant, for using threatening language. The persons who laid the charge—some settlers in the Wairoa—declare that they are put in bodily fear by his threats. If the Parnell Highway Board had had the foresight to cover the newly-formed footpaths up the steep ascent to Parnell Rise, with scoria, before the rain eet in, it would have been a great comfort to pedestrians, besides saving expense hereafter. "We trust our hint may be taken, and that as the footpaths are ready for the metal—however short the section may be—it will be spread. "We believe that a special meeting of the City Council will be hdd on Monday next, to discuss the whole subject of a water supply. The applications received on Monday on this subject will then be fully considered. The Council are rigktly determined to Bupply the city with water, if it be possible, though not on such a large scale as was originally intended. Accordingly to the West Coast Time's there seems to be a probability that a valuable deposite of lead ore has been discovered in the neighborhood of Ross. A sample piece of ore, taken from near Donnelly's Oreek, has been tested at the Bank of New Zealand, giving as the result 70 per cent, oflead and per cont. of silver. "With a view to encouraging the planting of Bhade trees in the streets, the Municipal Council of Oamaru has adopted the following resolution : —" That the ratepayers residing in the side streets be allowed to plant trees, 10ft apart, in front of their sections, on the line of kerbing, and to erect temporary fencing in the line of channel." We notice that the Auckland Rowing Club have commenced the construction of their new boat-shed on the Breakwater, and that it is rapidy being proceeded with. We are glad to iearn that the members of the club are going into a strict course of training, so as to be in j proper fettle on Regatta day,

Mr. Burns, of the Mosgiel Woollen Mills, gives a suit of Otago wove tweed to the boy attending any of the Taieri schools, who best recites " Scots wha bae," and a pair of Mosgiel blankets to the young lady, a. bonaJide resident of the Taieri, who will best sing " There's nae luck aboot the hoose." The same paper, in a description of the voyage of the brig Dauphin, from Manilla, states that when the brig was passing through Gaspar Straits, the wreck of a large ship was seen on one of the reefs. • The vessel had her lower masts standing, with the lower yards hanging to them. In recording the occurrence of a ball that lately took plaee at the Lyell, the local correspondent of the Westport Times says : " The ball finished up in the usual style, two or three fights shortly after daylight, quite a common occurrence in Lyell, but we are none the less friendly afterwards." The service on Sunday evening, in the Baptist Chapel, Wellesley-streefc, was conducted by the Rev. Mr. Porter, a Baptiit minister, recently arrived from Nova Scotia, who delivered on the occasion an eminently practical discourse. The telegraph poles for the Kaipara telegraph are now in course of erection. About thirty of them are already placed in their respective positions, and a large number of men are busily employed in carrying on the work. The wheat harvest has commenced in the Hamilton district. The grain is heavy and plump, and the crops will average well, —oats more particularly; the late eown are very light. A peculiar mineral has been found up the Totara (Westland.) It icema to be a mixture of lead and ironstone, but there may be silver intermixed. A piece of the ore has been sent to Hokitika for analysis. The popularity of the Government Assurance scheme is evidenced by the fact that during his short stay in Dunedin, Captain Baldwin has obtained proposals for nearly £50,000. * J An American whaler cruising off the coast of Southland has within the last four weeks captured three whales, whose value is variously estimated at from £2500 to £3000. It is estimated that in some of the North* ern districts of South Australia, there were 70,000,000 locusts to the square mile. An analysis of the water of the river Avon, at Christchurcb, shows it to contain unwards of 60 per cent, of organic matter.

We quote the following from a very interesting work just published, entitled, "The Pioneer Missionary in New Zealand, Tonga, and Australia; by his son, the Rev. J. G. Turner."—" The great wants of the colony are roads, population, and capital; and the tendency of recent legislation is to secure them as speedily as possible. Notwithstanding the incubus of the war, and the ill effects of overlegislation, New Zealand has made rapid progress, as well in religion as in matters social and commercial. There is no State aid, and Methodism, having faithfully served the past race of the Maoris, holds an honorable position, and finds its appropriate work, among the churches throughout the land. The largest Protestant place of worship in New Zealand is that of the Wesleyan denomination in Ckristchurch. The statistics of New Zealand Methodism, now seeking self-goverament under a separate Conference, show three districts, 29 circuits, 119 churches, 45 ministers, aided by 181 local preachers, 2638 church members, 16,000 hearerß, and 5615 Sabbath scholars. These returns show the result of steady progress ; for no Wesleyan settlement has been formed, though the Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and Independent bodies have all had their New Zealand Pilgrim Fathers. There is much room for intelligent, enterprising Christian men, and especially for Christian workers."

A case of gross inhumanity eomes from Tictoria. Two children, named Keitscliell, residing at Talbot, were accidentally drowned in a creek, and although there was a number of witnesses to th,e accident, the ooronar ordered a post mortem examination of the bodies to be made. A Dr. Talbot was entrusted with the task, and what he did is thus described :—" Having commenced operations, he coolly requested the mother to assist him by holding the body of the child. This she naturally refused to do, and on remonstrating with the doctor for his conduct, the latter unceremoniously turned her out of the house. The viscera and other portions of the body were subsequently thrown into a bucket, and the second child having been treated in a similar manner, and unnecessarily hacked to pieces, the contents of the bucket were thrown on the ground outside the house, as if no more important operation than killing a pig had been performed."

The following is cut out of a. Melbourne auctioneer's advertisement, announcing a section of land for sale at St. Kitda. The advertiser, after expatiating upon the great value of the land, goes on to say —" For proof of the healthy position of St. Kilda, intending purchasers are referred to the tables of the Registrar-General; there it will be found that in the death rate per 1,000 St. Kilda is nearly the lowest, and further examination of these tables shows (and this is likewise a matter of some importance to those who on limited means maintain many) that the birth rate per 1,000 is unusually small." It has been discovered that the machinery of Belfast is too delicate for the manufacture of New Zealand flax, and that therefore the manufacturer who had the job in hand has been unable to produce damask tablecloths from the native-dressed flax which had been obtained by Mr. Thome from Dr. Feath#rstone. That this flax is superior to j uto for the manufacture of sacking and woolpacks has been fully established; and eveu if it could be utilised for no other purpose, the demand which is sure to spring up for it for these goods would be sufficient to give a large impetus to its cultivation. The bill to legalise marriage with a deceased wife's sister, im Victoria, was not assented to by his Excellency the Governor, at the proroguing of Parliament, it having been reserved for the consideration of her Majesty ; but, ! contrary to the usual custom, no intimation to this effect was made by the Governor after he had signed the other measures submitted to him by the Clerk of the Parliament. The measnre will be forwarded by the outgoing mail. Quick's coach, we learn from the Waikato Times, passed over the punt at Ngaruawahia on Monday for the first time. Unfortunately the punt and approaches are so constructed that during the exceptionally low state of the river it is impossible to drive on board, and biped labour had to be substituted for the ordinary motive power. The admirers of the racehorse Black Eagle offer to run him against Peeress for £500, distance two mileß, the horse to bo allowed a stone. The reverse of this appeared in our issue of j'esterday, and we are desired to correct tha statement, which was made in error. Mr. William Shand recommends the transport of fresh meat from New Zealand to Britain by means of intense cold produced by ice, which can be manufactured on board vessel by Mr. James Harrison's process, the same as now employed by Mr. G-ledhill, of W ellesley- street. The manufacture of pith hats has boen commenced by a Melbourne firm for the first time in the colony. They are made from the pith of rushes, but the process, which is rather peculiar, is kept secret. For lightness, coolnes«, and wearing quality, these hats aro said to be superior to the imported article.

A Paris correspondent, alluding to the grea' demand that has recently sprung up for the nicknacks which come uuder the designation of " articles de Paris," Bays that Australia since the opening of the Suez canal has become a prodigious purchaser of pinchbeck jewellery and Paris boots. The navvies have again settled down to their work after the holidays, and steady progress is being made with the railways. The Domain tunnel is completed, with the exception of some twenty-eight yards, and this will bo finished by the end of the present month. The miners who deserted Hokitika and Greymouth for the Charier Towers, are returning by every opportunity—wiser but certainly poorer. In fact, miserable and without a feather to fly with. The want of a medical practitioner, so long felt in the Waikato district, is about being supplied in the person of Dr. T. H. Groodsir, late of the ship Timaru. The prizes lately competed for at the Newmarket Athletic Sports were distributed yesterday afternoon, by the committee, at Newmarket. The wool clip in the Waitaki (Otago) district this season is reported to be the largest ever known there. There was a severe thunder-storm at the Waikato on Sunday, followed by heavy rains. The latter were greatly needed. Blondin is about visiting New Zealand and Australia. He leaves immediately.