SPECIAL TELEGRAM.

Otago Witness, Issue 1340, 4 August 1877, Page 14

SPECIAL TELEGRAM.

(from our own correspondent.) I Auckland, July 26th. The City Council has made arrangements for keeping the unemployed at woik on city improvements. A cause of complaint is that contractors having large jobs, .and who shut up works completely during the winter, notwithstanding the long continuation of [ fine weather, have obtained extension of time from the Council. July 30th. Moanataiari shares ran up to £8 10s today in consequence of a telegram that specimens had been obtained in the winze. The market closed rather lower. At Hokianga, about 3 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, a boat contaiuing two natives and Mr Andrews, of the firm of Andrews and Yarborough, was capsised in a squall close to the heads. Captain Worsp had been in the boat a short time previously, but as the weather was very gusty, he told the natives that the boat was not safe, and made them put him ashore. It was about 20 mimuies after this that the accident occurred, when the craft upset. The occupants managed to get on to the bottom, where they floated in a very uncomfortable position. The brigantine Odalisk was lying at anchor some distance off, and the captain teeing the accident, sent off one of his boats, manned by some men belonging to the schooner Mera. They reached the endangered party and took them off, and then towed the boat to the bank, and ran her up on the beach. The captain of the Odalisk, in payment for services rendered, demanded £5 from Mr Andrew*, which that gentleman at once paid.

Wellington, July 30th. Complaints are made in mercantile circles about the difficulty felt yesterday in shipping cargo per Rotorua for San Francisco. The Union Company would not ship through, and objected to take in cargo on Sunday. July 31st. An acre of land in Masterton, purchased six months ago for £800, was to-day sold in seven allotments for £2151.

Riverton, July 27th. A brass band in connection with the Volunteers has been successfully organised here.

Three of the pontoons for raising the s.s. Express have been launched, and it is expected the others will be afloat to-morrow, so that lifting operations may be commenced next week.