SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 887, 18 February 1879, Page 2

SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

[FROM OU7t OWN CORKESPOKDENTSi.] » WELLINGTON. February 17The Post is informed authoritatively that land to thetotal value area of nearly half a million awes has been acquired by the Government during the last month on the west coast of the ftorth Island. The purchase-is of is described as tfeing b£ the finest class for agtl(^nural J morfe, from its,! position. It Being situated and along the Tajgnaki, A'ucMSiJjl'' Hof railjijjjy, and-i chiefly to the northward of Wanganui, this will tend materially to facilitate the extension of the railway so soon as a favorable occasion arrives. The agitation respecting the impurity, of the water 3upply still continues. The Post to-night remarks that although no fewer than 70 deaths occurred in Wellington last month—the largest number on record—it must not be supposed that this heavy death rate is at all decreasing, for no fewer than 30 deaths have taken place during the first half of • the present mouth—a larger proportionate number even than was shown last month, thus showing the fatal influence still to be in full operation. The accounts which have appeared in the Wellington papers of the condition of the water in our iv.'icrvoirs indicate an ample and suflicient cause for this heavy mortality, by far the greater number of deaths being from diarrhoea and dysentry. The cleaning of the distributing basin was finished late on •Saturday afternoon, and the water from the reservoir was allowed to run. This appeared to be of a horribly filthy nature, anil conclusively proved that some small portion iif the impurities might come from the distributing basin, though the main reservoir was chiefly to blame. The water will never be wholesome until filteringbeds are erected. So black was that supplied through the mains yesterday morning that a number of gentlemen went without their customary bath. A jiai'ty «.r six who went out towards the island yesterday in a whaleboat to tish, had a somewhat adventurous trip. They had started on the return home in the afternoon, when a heavy south-easter sprang up, and the boat twice almost filled witli water. They were then obliged to '

pur back to the island. Fortunately the little strain yacht Vesta had also been out. to the isl.Mid, and took the, weather-bound fishermen on boiil'il, iu.d their boat in tow. When almost half-way across the entrance to the harbor one of the whalcboat men fell overboard ;ii;d had a narrow escape for his life. He manured to clutch hold of tlie gunwale of the yacht however, and was pulled on board again v wetter, if not a wiser, man.