ADDITIONAL MAIL NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4404, 24 December 1875, Page 2

ADDITIONAL MAIL NEWS.

DISASTROUS STORMS IN ENGLAND. LOSS OF LIFE. THE NEW GUINEA EXPEDITION [from our own correspondent.] Dqnedlv, Friday, 5.30 p.m. The storm and floods did immense damage in England. The week prior to the sailing of the mail boat a tielnge of rain was nshered in by violent gales, a tremendous sea breaking on the beach at Sunderland, whick knocked down about a score of persons, and carried them out with its flow, two of whom were drowned. At Yarmouth a barque went down, in the sands, and the waves cut away the masts. The steamer Britannia was abandoned. At Horey's Island, a vessel, worth £12,000, and not insured, with a valuable cargo, was broken to pieces by the tide. At St. Andrew's, a large barque was wrecked, and the crew was all drowned before the lifeboat could reach them. Day after day swelled the terrible list till the sea was strewn with fragments of wreck, and every vessel that weathered the hurricane and came into port brought tidings of loss. The waters rose rapidly in Nottingham, and great distress prevailed. For two days large numbers of persons were crowded into various places without food- Thirteen persons were drowned, three thousand houses were inundated, and forty factories stopped. At Wilsford, a village near -Nottingham, ' the water rose so rapidly that in 10 minute* i the people had to seek the upper floors. Th» / Yicar pulled off his carriage-house door, and thus made a raft, and with it procured a boat, which saved hundreds. The people had to cook drowned horses, rabbits, and fowls, and live as they best conld. It wonld be impossible to tell a tithe of the disastrous incidents of these floods, vr to trace their course across the country. In many parts the railways have been greatly injured, and at some points the trains were overtaken and brought to a standstill, or allowed to moT« slowly through the rising waters. Great numbers of cattle have been carried away. It was at Exeter that the heaviest rainfall was recorded, and here it reached the *nprecedented quantity of 3-26 inches in about three hours. The Exeter rose many feet above its nominal height, and many squar# miles were soon under water. A large number of cattle and sheep were swept away from meadows in which an hour or two before they seemed to be in perfect security, and bridges were carried away or partially damaged. , ' . From other regions, also, we . have m- , telligence of floods. From Bombay, wehear of the invasion of the ancient City of Thandabad, by the waters of the neighbouring river which rendered HOOD people -homeI lengthy correspondence is published in the Times between Sir Julius Yogel, the I Colonial Office, and the Board of Trade, on ' the subject of broaching cargo in immigrant ships. Sir Julius Vogel pointed out the dangers whil® at sea that were involTci i*

Buch practices, ancl that a small punishment Btich as would bo grren for petty larceny ashore, was not sufficient to stop the evil; and finally elicited from the Board of Trade the legal opinion that the offence, was punishable under the Larceny Act of 1857, prescribing the punishment of three years penal servitude, or two years hard labour. Sir. Fox, ex Prime Minister of New Zealand, is frequently figuring at Temperance meetings both in England, and Ireland. When jat Carlow he lately delivered a lecture on "Social Legislation at the Antipodes." The progress of Froude, the historian, in South Africa, is a perfect ovation, and at Grahamstown 24 guns were fired in his honour, and an address presented in the presence of 5000 people, and ladies strewed flowers in his path. Communications from the diamond fields state that the price of labour is extremely high; everything is frightfully dear; and finds are not remunerative. It is stated that a New Guinea expedition will leave England at the close of the year, and about 250 adventurers are expected to go. A thousand more have volunteered. The party are to be regularly enrolled, and required to enter into a contract to submit the same discipline as on board Her llajesty's ships until the Home Government establishes authority outhe island. No pay is to be given, but each man is to receive rations and a lar.d order for four square miles. Mr. Mabel has presented a vessel of 1200 tons, as a subscription to "the scheme, and it will also have a small steamer and steam launch. Upwards of £10,000 is said to be subscribed. When a suitable place has been selected for settlethe ground is to be cleared and dwellings. and fortifications erected. A store is to be opened, and every inducement given to the natives to barter. A church also is to be put up, and the prospectus states "by example and education they will teach the natives to observe the Sabbath, which day •will be at all times observed in a Christianlike manner.''' Exploring parties will be despatched. 150,000 out of a Christian population of 500,030 in the Turkish provinces had fled to Austria, and many have succumbed to hunger and cold, notwithstanding that the Crimean Government spend £400 a day in alleviating their sufferings. The Pope has called the German Emperor a new Goliath, who must be signally punished or else converted.