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Southland Times, Issue 3298, 15 January 1879, Page 2

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(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH, PER PRESS ; . :A The Agnes Donnelly, schooner, has arrived at Auckland, from Levuka, and brings news to the 4th inst. :— : .'" . The schooner Tubal Cane, recently wrecked at Onolsland, is being repaired rapidly, and is expected shortly to be in Levuka. The damage is note: so greakas was estimated; "The : schooner MageHen "Bland,"-- withliiaize, sailed for Auckland on the* 3rd, and the schooner Wmifred is'-'ifc leave; op the 4th ; for the same port." A.k '"' ' ..-'" '" : 'p'. : "'/'. -\ : Mr A. Thurston, postmaster at Fiji, met with a serious and probably -fatal -accident; He . was out riding, when his horse shied and bolted, throwing the rider. with jsoiisiderable violence, his head coming in contact with the iron wire -.'stays of the^ ?flagstafE,^frbni w^ he received a. severe scalp wound.. Mother parts of his. body were much/ bruised. '-.' Two severe shocks of /. earthquake . were experienced, : .ddirig serious damage. Several large sugar . mills have"; recently been started at Levuka. v ;.'.'!' ''..;. Diphtheria" is; /very prevalent at : Bandavia. - A large number of natives have succumbed to its insidious attack. ••'.' ; :.' v -/ ' ;• !^ y ..'■'■"'■ Labor is very scarce at Fiji; Fortunately over. 20Q natives have engaged .themselves at Kindavan. '-'■'-,''■ ,",.•> The sugar mills erected at. Eewi Iby Mr Waterton are expected to crash sufficient cane to manuf acture four tons of sugar daily. Four- hundred coolies are expected from India early.: this^^year, -but Polyuesifin^labor con tinues to be preferred by 'the planters. Surveydrs are much required at Fiji. ' Two gentlemen have arrived-from. Ceylon to commence coffee planting. Thos. ; Keele,'-an old ! settler atNetewi Bay, aiid' formerly of New Zealand,:has.been^accidentally drowned. A 'number, of suicides have taken place among the natives in consequence of the /oppression to which they are subjected by iheir^hief in connection with the native taxation senemerr'— -^---v...... -'; '*. , The schooner Lady Palmefslon^^ on the reef off Boliki.' k /: 'AA '7 '•The three-masted.- schooner Winifredi reports tliat the 'natives at Obaw/fircd on the boat's crew, wounding a seaman with a poisoned' arrow. ' A native in the boat pulled out 'the. arrow, and when the seaman was taken on , board the wound was lanced and well washed with nearly pure carbolic acid. The man recovered.- " . . A 'The ■ schooner Daphne ' has /returned to Levuka, from the -Kew: Herbrides and- Solo-- . mon Islands, after V not very successful cruise for laborers.;: On^'he 6th July, when off -Evauna Lava, signal -nios near ;:"A.dres were noticed, and the 'schooner stood in and sent a boat ashore,' but : could get no news. The natives offered: to supplypigs and cocoanuts and left to fetch them-; i The mate :'■ then put ofE.f fom the A .shore, a. little, to "vyait their: return, when'/.bhe of i"the^natives, who had just' reached thie scrub, Jairned and fired his musket at the bbatV ** "'. The 1 crew threw themselves down in the boat-ftod fired over the gunwale. Several shots were "exchanged. These natives were returned laborers from Queensland and : spoke English. None of the boat's crew were injured; -On the, schooner's arrival at Solomon's Island particulars of Townsend's death were heard of .]; .The boy whom he had with him. at the ; time received eight spear wounds, but has since recovered. Fever and ague had been ;t very -prevalent there. „ '■ -■- ,',, -y,- •-'.*.' A' : -■