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New Zealand Mail, Issue 1194, 18 January 1895, Page 26

An incident occurred on the voyage of the Mararoa from Auckland to Gisborne, says the Poverty Bay Herald, which goes to show the care necessary in navigating through a fog. At about 9.30 at night, some three hours after leaving Auckland, the weather being thick, Captain Chatfield, knowing he was in the vicinity of The Watchman Island, stopped the engines. This brought a number of passengers on deck, curious and anxious to know what was the cause of the delay. After waiting for ten minutes or a quarter of an hour the fog lifted, and right abreast of the steamer, apparently only a few hundred yards away, loomed out of the darkness the rocky cliffs of The Watchman. Having thus found his position, Captain Chatfield ordered full steam ahead. Notwithstanding the delay consequent on the slowing-down the steamer made a passage of slightly under 20 hours from Auckland.

It is said that not less than 13,000,000 human beings have perished in earthquakes since the beginning of the historical era.

Among the many schemes propounded for the amelioration of the financial condition of Victoria is one by the Hon A. Wynne proposing to wipe out the expensive system of pensions, which is a serious drag on the public finances.