SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 496, 30 November 1877, Page 2

SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

Aucklanp, November Hi). The Australia, from San Francisco, arrived to-day. Sho brings the English mail and tho following passengers for New Zealand :—Mesdanies M'Hngli, Collins, Mason, Mumford ; Mr, and Mrs. Sinclair, Mr. and Mrs. Moss and family, Mr n "d Mrs. Einys, Mr. and Mrs. Rons ; Messrs. Tapper, Rankin, Mason, Adams, Beardsley, Thornton (2), and Richardson.

SUMMARY OF ENGLISH NEWS. Frederick Dandall, of London, lias failed. His liabilities are L 300.000. A disastrous colliery explosion has occurred at Pemberton, Linoonsliire. Immediate danger from the famine in India has disappeared. High prices rule, but the pressure will lie wholly removed when the :.,>ring crops are assured.

Tiie Consett, steamer, from Antwerp to New York', arrived at Oueeiistown on October 11, having had her bows stove in and her forward compartment filled with water by a collision with the ship .lesson while on her voyage from Liverpool to Melbourne with passengers. The collision occurred a hundred miles west of Fasnet. The .lesson shortly afterwards sunk. All the passengers and crew-, were rescued by the steamer.

Messrs. Nancampo and CT\7T,' builders, London, have- failed for L270,0U0.The steinner Kuapniau was sun.r in the Straits after a collision. Twelve lives were lost.

A terrible colliery accident lias occurred at Lugh Blantyre, mar (Glasgow. Two hundred and thirty-three men descended into the mine that morning. One man working near the mouth of the pit escaped. Explorers have commenced work, but owing to noxious gases progress is slow. Knocking is heard at the bottom of the shaft, but it is impossible to reach. Four men were discovered alive at 11 p.m. One died before morning, others hopelessly prostrated. The (had bodies were fearfully mangled. On October 2">th complete access to both pits was obtained, when it was found that two hundred ami fifty persons had perished.

Beard's cotton mills, at Oldham, have been burned, down. It contained 40,000 spindles. Notice of 5 jut cent. I'oduotion is given by the mill owners of Staleybridgo and Mussel try. Lord Derby declares that England has no opportunity of suggesting peace negotiations.

Half a million sterling of gold arrived at London on October 2!), from Australia, India, and China. The drain of gold on the Bank of England from foreign shipments have been large during the month of September.

The San Francisco mail arrived at London on November 2, making the distance from Sydney in 42 days, against 50 by the Suez line.

A commotion has been caused amongst the Society of Jesuit", a general order having, by the Pope's command, expelled Father Oiorei. editor of the Oirici. (hthatio. As a sacred writer and orator, Oiorei is considered one of the brightest ornaments of his Order and of the Catholic Church. His offence was maintaining Papal infallibility not necessary to the well-being of the church, lie maintained this position in the Oecumenical Council. Ciorci intends publishing an account of the differences between the Vatican mmcu 1871.

FRANCE. A coalition Government will probably bo formed. The President favours a compromise. General Grant was received with great honours in Paris. SPAIN. An attempt to create disturbances resulted in the arrest of twelve ltopnblicans and the seizure of several compromising papers, ITALY. The Vatican Council is discussing the proprietary of abolishing the right of veto on the election of the Pope, claimed by Austria, France, and Spain. GENERAL NEWS. War lias commenced in South Africa between the Gourkas and the British and native allies. Only two battles have been fought, 8000 Gourkas being in the fi hj? The trouble arose between the (Join. .1

.and the Fingals, on the question of the boundary. Hostilities were not anticipated.

Cape Town news of September 4 states that the order to- dispatehV troops to the frontier has'-been countermanded, the Gourias haying, withdrawn from the bbimdaryj>f Fingal land, and the Fingals returning. homeward..- - ... i-;; - : ;. The GburkVslhave,since invaded Fin-gal-land. "•"■'" ; ' ... - In the battle fought on September 24. the Gonrkas lost 200. The,loss <>u ihu 29th is unknown. ( Reinforcements are being pushed forward. Kreila is defeated, and the territory annexed.

WAIL NEWS.

On November 7 Mukhtvr Pasha abandoned Erzeroum at the request of the inhabitants of the town, not being in a position to stand the siege. The Russians then entered without striking -mother blow.

After the 10 hours' fighting at Dive-

1 <>yan on the 6th, when Mukhtar Pasha vis slightly wounded, the * Ardahan division of the Russian army entered the Western Euphrates Valley, endangering Turkish communication between 'Batoum and Erzeroum and Trebizonde. The fighting since the battle cf Aladja Jugh has placed the Turks in a worse position. Mukhtar Pasha and Ismail Pasha have been beaten out of the field, and their armies becoming titterly demoralised, retreated from Aladja Jugh to Erzeroum. It was a complete rout.. No details of the losses at the battle of the 6fch have been received. -

A great battle on the heights before Kars was fmi-sH on October 15. The The right rendered on the field, the left wing and centre being driven under the walls of a fortress by the victors. The Turkish loss in killed and wounded at Aladja Jagh is'estimated at 14,000. Eighteen thousand men, 40 cannon, 2000 horses, and a large quantity of military stores have been captured since then. There have been running fights, resulting invariably in loss to the Turks in Bulgaria. Gourka has completed investment of Plevna, defeating Chefket Pasha in several bloody engagements,

October 24.

Guaruji Dubruk was captured after a clay's engagement; two Pashas, 30,000 infantry, and one regiment of cavalry were taken prisoners. Teliche wa3 subsequently carried by assault by the Imperial Guards, who attacked the position simultaneously with the .jssault on Guriji Dubrnk. Several positions commanding the Sophia road have since been carried, and is threatened. It is sf. -?d at Constantinople that abandoned a large army intended for the relief of Plevna.

The Czarewitch army made a reconnaissance in force along line of Lom on 25th October, but withdrew after some fighting. An attack was simultaneously made on the works at Rustchuk, but was repulsed by a sortie from the fortress. The Russians retired to Pyrgos. General Zimmerniann debouching from Dobrudscha threatens Silistria. Prince Hassan, with the Egyptian contingent, has been detailed to check him. The general position to the latest date was— Plevna closely invested, Kara ready to capitulate, Erzeroum occupied by the Russians, and Mukhtar Pasha beaten at all points. Suleiman being checked by the Czarewitch along the line to.Lom, remains inactive ; his communication with Silistria and Varna is menaced by the advance of Zimmermann, who was massing a large army from Tirnova towards Osman Bazar. He is unable to place another army in the field, while the Russians are calling out all reserves. The Cossacks, embodying one hundred and three infantry battalions in Arminia, are practically lost to the Porte. The Russians are clearing the Balkan passes of Turks.