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Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 1, Issue 86, 25 November 1890, Page 3

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bin George Grey s Health. Retires From Public Life. Wellington Shipping. [By Telegraph.] (From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, November 24. His Excellency the Governor went out to Pelone by the 9*45 train this morning for the purpose of paying a visit of inspection to the Gear Moat Company’s work'. He was conducted through the works, and also over the freezing hulk, and exp"cssei himself highly pleased with what he saw. His Excellency also expressed a wish to be present when the Company’s new machinery was started. He returned to town by the midday tram. The Zealandia, with fhe English mails of the Ist inst., left San Francisco for Auckland on the 15th inst., contract date. The Alameda, with the colonial mails of 3rd inst., arrived at ’Frisco from Auckland on 22ud inst., contract date.

A French man-of-war passed the Bluff yesterday evening, bound eastward. She will probably be the Voltaic, which is duo here shortly. The tonnage of the shipping in port to-day, excluding the German Squadron, amounted to something like twentytwo thousand tons. Amongst the vessels were the S.S. & A. Co.’s lonic and Matatua, the N. Z. Co.’s Rimutaka, and a large number of the U.S.S. Co.’s boats, including the Manapouri, Pukaki, Rotokino, and Rotorua. There are also several sailing vessels, and altogether the harbour presents a very busy appearance, and shows that the shipping is very rapidly recovering from the knock backward it ree ived through the strike.

The amount passed through the totalisator at the Hult races on Saturday was £4,507. making a total for the two days of £8,314. The flagship Leipzic was to-day cruising about the harbour in the vicinity of Soame’s Island, indulging in torpedo practice. She left her moorings at 5 a.ra. The other vessels did not take part in the practice. The stores for the fleet have arrived in Sydney, but will not be here for some little time. Yesterday the steamers Mana and Torea conveyed a very la-ge number of people to the vessels, which were thrown open for public inspection. The seamen of the city give a ball to the Admiral and officers of the squadron to-morrow night, and the crew will be similarly treated the following evening. Election matters quiet. AUCKLAND, November 25. Sir George Grey will not be a candidate for the representation of the city at the forthcoming general election. Yielding to the advice of Dr Haines, his medical adviser, he has decided not to re enter Parliament, and Messrs Gpo and Kcesing, who were to have nominated him for the City have been informed to that effect, although Sir George was a little better yesterday, his health continues to cause his friends considerable anxiety, and in the opinion of his medical attendant his retirement from public life, and complete severance from worry and the care of political affairs is ossent'al to his restoration to health. GRKYMOUTII. November 24. The Eeefton gold returns for the week are as follows: —Keep it Dark, 2410 z amalgam from 185 tons stone ; Globe, 1550 z from 190 tons ; Progress, 2930 z for the week ; Inkerrnan, 178 oz from 160 tons ; Alpine, 190 oz from 185 tons. Cremation. We take the following from the Liverpool Mercury ;—“ An international congress on cremation lias been held this week at Berlin, and we learn that the delegate from Italy pn seated a letter from Signor Cnspi expressing' the hope that the disposal of dead bodies by tiro may become more general than it is at present. This Italian delegate, by the way, is Dr. Christoforus, of Milan, and the city to which he belongs has set an example which is about to be followed by Pun’s by the Municipal Council. Cremation was adopted at Milan many years ago, and a crematorium erected in the public cemetery of the city. The building is externally handsome, designed as a temple, and provided within with the necessary apparatus. It was bequeathed by a merchant named Alberto Keller, who ordend that his body should be burned, and assigned funds for the establishment of a fitting placj within which the remains of the departed might be similarly treated, Two years after his demise the public auihorities gave the necessary permission, and since then upwards of 2000 bodies have been consumed. There doe? tyt appear to be any rAigjou?’difficulty* inasmuch q 3 a writ' r in the Westminister Review found \'Ga% fpa pnest

and a monk, whilst the wishes of dying persons to he placed in a furnace instead of in the ground are regularly observed. The erst to a member of the soc.ety winch ex'sts in Italy for the extension of cremation is £l, and toall others £2 ; but the poor who cannot pay fees arc dealt with gratuitously out of a fund raised by charging the curious five francs for witnessing the operation- A most tender interest is shown towards the ashes gathered from the fire. These are enclosed in an urn, suitably inscribed, and deposited m safety ; while persons who desire to perpetuate the memory of those whom they have lost, reproduce their counterfeit presentments in busts and statues. One of the features of military drill in the Russian army is the training of soldiers to swim in battalions, at the same time using their weapons. At the recent annua! military manoeuvres, in the presence of the Czar, a fine exhibition of proficiency was given in this direction. A large force ol infantry swam across a lake m full marching order, with the help of fascines made of reeds or rushes, or inflated sheepsuins. At the same time kept up a lively fire on the boats of a supposed enemy who were disputing their passage.