PROVINCIAL AND GENERAL

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 174, 8 June 1871, Page 6

PROVINCIAL AND GENERAL

It is rather melancholy to read that the South African '" diamonds," after due scientific examination, turn out to be "lumps of translucent quartz." The best London lapidaries will have nothing to do with these worthless crystals. The mistake which it is averred has been made is not an uncommon one, aud very large stones are always of doubtful value. We have seen it stated that the great Brazilian diamond, once the pride of the Imperial collection, is a quartz crystal, and that it is now kept out of sight and not exhibited with the other Crown jewels. A young woman named Elsie Knox has committed suicide at Hamilton, Auckland, by plunging into the river, owing to blighted afftction. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, Auckland, a settler named Patrick M'Grath has been committed for trial for selling arms to natives. 161 sheep of mixed quality, and weighing on an average 451 b. each, have been boiled down at Featherston, Wairarapa, the result being an average return of ss. 8f d. per sheep. At Christchurch, a child has narrowly escaped poisoning, through chewing a piece of a green collar-box. On analysis, it was found that the box contained both arsenic and copperas in its composition. It has been noticed as a singular circumstance that the last day of 1870 ended the week, the month, the year, and the decade. This has not happened before during the present century ; nor will it again before the completion of that term. A legislative attempt is to be made during the ensuing session of Parliament to abolish the taking of oaths by plaintiffs, prosecutors, and witnesses in our courts of law. A Nelson member is to take action in the matter. A hen, during incubation, some two or three months since, was frightened from her nest by the passing of a traction engine which was being driven by a humpbacked man ; and, strange to say, six out of the batch of eggs produced humpbacked chickens, and these may be seen alive at the farmhouse of Mr. Barrett, of Saddlebow, Lynn, who vouches for the truth of the above statement. Two accidents are reported by the " Mount Ida Chronicle," of the *2Gth ult., one being at Surface Hill and the other at Naseby. In the former case, a man named Provan was severely crushed by a fall of earth. The other accident occurred to a man named Macevoy, whose arm became entangled in the cog-wheel of a sausage machine, and was seriously lacerated. A similar accident to the last is reported by ; the "Dunstan Times" to have occurred at Alexandra, to a man named Cannell, by which three of his fingers were completely smashed, and the sinews of his arm all torn aud dragged away. An incident in the adventures of Chang has been brought under the notice of the "Ballarat Courier." The giant's agent met a rather attractive young woman, whose acquaintance they had made at Pleasant Creek. When visiting one of the charitable institutions there, she presented Chang with a splendid bouquet, and asked to be allowed to kiss his celestial countenance, with which she professed to be enamoured. Chang blushed, and after some hesitation consented. The inamorata detailed her worldly prospects, her wealth in shares in a golden claim on the North Cross Beef, which she would place at her disposal if he would make her his bride. Pursuing the object of her love, she has come to Ballarat to make a fresh offer of her heart and hand to the tallest man in the world. People who fill up census papers have some of them very funny notions of the exact meanings of the questions. One gentleman in Napier, in reply to the questions, " Number of children," and " Where born ? " has placed on record this answer : — "Three children; one born in the kitchen, and. two- in the parlour." The sea is making rapid encroachments again on the north beach at Westport, and many a^e of opinion that the north end of Gladstone-street will be washed away this winter.

Very heavy floods have lately been experienced in Southland. The " Wanganui Chronicle " is responsible for a rumour that, on the expiration of Sir George Bowen's term, the Marquis of Normanby will be the next Governor of New Zealand. A youth of nineteen, who recently murdered an old man of seventy-six, in the State of Vermont, U.S., has been sentenced to solitary confinement for one year, and then to be hanged. As there is some curiosity to know the exact amount of the indemnity payable by France to Prussia, it may not be uninteresting to state that a milliard is a thousand millions. The value in British money of a franc being 10d., and the indemnity being five thousand million francs, any one may easily see that the amount of the indemnity in British money is £208,333,333 6s. Bd. The Bordeaux correspondent of the "Daily News," speaking of General Chanzy's army, says : — Just as they were going into action, 15,000 of them " blubbered and roared for priests to confess them." Compliance with their wishes caused considerable delay, and even then they ran away. A " local industry " in the shape of a witchcraft establishment has been started in Auckland by an energetic female, who invokes the Fates and binds them to the interests of her suitors — many of whom are wives and daughters of the upper circles — for the small charge of half-a-crown for each miserable dupe. It would seem that Brigham Young, the Mormon prophet, has cast his eye upon the Australian continent as likely to offer him a pied-a-terre. The The " Wallaroo Times " intimates that a gentleman in Adelaide, who has just returned from a tour through the United States of America, and who interviewed " Bigamy Young," as he called out of his circle in America, states that lie was very minute in his questions about the interior of the Australian continent, the means of transport, habits of the natives, &c, hinting that should the States prove uutenable for the Mormonite flock, the interior of the Australian continent might serve as a retreat for them. A meeting has been held by the residents to consider a proposal for bringing Riverfcon (Southland) under the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act. A late telegram from England, via San Francisco, stated that the Princess of Wales had had another son, which bad died shortly after its birth. The full telegram on tl.e subject is as follows :—": — " The accouchement of the Princess of Wales was attended with serious consequences. The child lived but a, few hours. The Princess is very ill, her condition being considered of a most critical nature. The announcement of the death of the infant and the serious illness of the Princess causes the deepest sorrow." The long-expected collision between the authorities of the United States and the Mormons has at length taken place, and numerous arrests have been made in Salt Lake City. The offenders have been charged with "engaging in rebellion against the United States." Brigham Young, wishing to command an army as well as to feed his flock, has mustered an array of well armed, well-drilled young " saints " ; in doing which he ran counter to the law, which prohibits private citizen? from raising armies for their own purposes. For several years the existence of the Mormon Militia has been winked at by the Governors over the territory of Utah, who have at length decided to suppress it. The result of the trial of the Mormon rebels will be looked for with much curiosity. The population of the colony of Victoria, according to the census taken on the 2ud of April last, numbers 729,868, of whom 400,700 are males, and 372,168 are females. The rough estimate compiled from the census returns shows the present population of South Australia to be 185,000, of whom 95,000 are males and 90,000 females. The population of Adelaide is 27,200. It appears, according to the " Daily Times," that George Rennie, who was sentenced to six years' penal servitude in September last for the gold robbery at Clyde, has been released from prison. Rennie recently petitioned His Excellency the Governor for a free pardon, on the ground that he had given evidence which had led to the conviction of an offender, in terms of the proclamation issued after the robbery was discovered. As M'Lennan was acquitted, it was impossible that fche Government could recognise Rennie's claim to pardon upon the ground stated. We learn, however, that the Colonial Secretary intimated that if Kennie would petition for a commutation of sentence because he gave evidence against an accomplice, it was probable that His Excellency would at once grant him a free pardon. At the same time he was to understand that the Government do not admit that he has any claim either to pardon or reward. Rennie received a free pardon, and was discharged from gaol on Thursday last. - A plague of rats has spread over a large portion of the north of South .Australia. In a case tried in the Supreme Court in Victoria recently, it was decided that a person suffering from delirium tremens was a lunatic under the Lunacy Statute.

There is a prospect of a company being floated in Canterbury for the manufacture of salt by the evaporation of sea water. A strike of nn tmpreeedented nature has just taken place in the coal mining districts of Pennsylvania, by which 100,000 men have ceased work. The total number of sheep in Canterbury on Ist January last was 2,450,058, being an increase during the year 1870 of 84,778. The " Grey Biver Argus " gives the following extract from a letter just received by a gentleman in Greymouth from Fiji : — " This place is not what it is represented in the newspapers. The climate is not suitable for Europeans, and the first four months of the year are especially unhealty. We have had fifty deaths within three months." A new way of paying old debts has been discovered in Wanganui. A Mr. Chadwick, an auctioneer, in announcing a sale of stock, invited his creditors to attend, and make purchases to the amount of their accounts. We (" Thames Advertiser ") understand it is the intention of the Provincial Government to commence the works for the supply of water to the townships at once. The following additional regulation for the management of the post-oflice has been issued by the Governor in Council: — "No letter, newspaper, parcel, or packet bearing on the outside thereof any profane, obscene, or libelj lous words, figures, drawings, paintj ings, or other matter shall be received into the post-office for transmission, and if tendered shall be refused. If such a letter, newspaper, parcel, or packet be posted, it shall not be forwarded, but the postmaster or other officer in charge of the post-office where the same shall be posted or be found, shall transmit without delay to the Postmaster-General any such letter, newspaper, packet, or parcel so posted ; and the Posfcinaster-GiMiera 1 is hereby authorised lo open such letter, newspaper, packet, or parcel, and to cause the same, and also its contents, to be destroyed — unless the Postmaster- General shall direct the same to be forfeited to the Crown or returned to the writer or sender."

Under the heading of a Mount Cook Exploration, the "Timaru Herald" of May 3lst, says : — Last Sunday week a man named M. Beddoff stained on an exploring expedition up the glaciers of Mount Cook, and reached a part of the mountain never before, we believe, trodden by man. Beddoff (more commonly known by the name of " Big Mike,") holds a small run under the mountain, and has his homestead about six miles from the foot of the glaciers. He undertook his expedition for the purpose of looking for some sheep which had been driven off by dogs, and were supposed to have gone on to the heights of the mountain. He tracked the sheep from glacier to glacier by their foot-tracks in the snow, and crossed the celebrated Tasman glacier, about 3 miles from which he came to a place called by explorers '-The Gully," a vast ice chasm, which few men, if indeed any, have succeeded in crossing. The gully crossed, Mike went still onwards, his dogs being his only companions, and went boldly up one of the main spurs of Mount Cook. On the highest point possible for sheep to reach he found his missing lot, eleven in number, but in returning four were lost by falling over precipices. For two nights Mike camped out upon the ice, one of which he was lying as it were under the shadow of Mount •Cook's highest peak, which ascended upwards as a high wall of solid ice, unbroken save here and there by huge points of rock. The travelling in many places was so bad and risky, that Beddoff had to take off his boots and trust to his stockinged feet for a foothold. He returned home the following Thursday, but his boots, which were almost new at starting, were literally cut to pieces l>y the rough usage they had received on the journey.