TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Waka Maori, Volume 11, Issue 11, 8 June 1875, Page 120

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

London, April 27. The Cospatrick relief fund has been distributed. It amounted to £3,050. Dr. Featherston was present at the meeting of the Distribution Committee. £SOO was awarded to the two daughters of Captain Elmslie; £862 among dependants on crew lost; the remainder among dependants on passengers. The schooner "Margaret Crockard," 169 tons, capsized-at Papeete on 23rd February. Seventeen lives were lost. The news was brought to San Francisco by the " Marama," which arrived on the 30th April. The vessel was bound to San Francisco, and had Captain Cottier and the crew of the wrecked ship " Airy Force " and one passenger. The calamity was due to a sudden squall, which struck her about

midnight, and turned her bottom upwards instantly. Captain Cottier made his escape through the com-panion-way, Captain Godfrey through the skylight; the rest below perished. The survivors endured great privations on an uninhabited island, and started ~9 r Tahiti, and fell in with the schooner " Island Bell, which put them straight for Papeete, where they arrived on the 22nd March. The cargo of ?!- a^j? es -.^ as iusured, and the vessel, valued at 15,000 dols., partly. _ Auckland, May 31. A. li/otorua telegram states that a party o'f three gentlemen, Adams, Kemp, and Gilfillan, on their way in a canoe to Manupirua spring (Rotorua Lake) were capsized in a gale on the 27th instant, on the Rotorua, between Ohinemutu and the Island of Mokoia. John Gilfillan, of "Wanganui, was drowned. Ihe other two, by sticking to the bottom of the canoe, drifted towards Mokoia, from whence the accident had been witnessed by the natives, who made several unsuccessful attempts to launch a canoe to go to their assistance. Upon the canoe drifting within a short distance towards the island, a native woman courageously swam to their assistance, bringing the survivors to land, carried them in spite of themselves into a hot batli, which soon restored them. The state of the Lake prevented communication with the main land until Saturday morning. The body of Gilfillan has not yet been, recovered. The natives and Armed Constabulary are searching for it. Quite a gloom has been cast over the district by the accident, as Gilfillan was much respected. # Christchurch, June 2. The Ljjttelton Times has just received important information respecting the New Zealand passengers by the homeward San Francisco mail of March last. Captain Rose, who left New Zealand for England bv the " Mikado," in March, on business connected with the New Zealand Shipping Company, writing from Ogden, Utah Territory, April 22nd, says that oil arrival at Ogden he found the line was damaged by floods for a distance of 200 miles beyond that spot, and in consequence he had been detained there for a week, but expected to proceed on his journey that day. Owing to the state of the roads, he calcu- ' lated that he could not embark at New York before the Ist of May. Forty New Zealand and three hundred other passengers were detained, with Captain Rose, at Ogden. The mails by the " Mikado " had been sent on by the previous train from San Francisco, and got through to New York after four days' detention from the floods. It will be seen from this that Captain Rose and the rest of the passengers could not leave New York at the earliest before the Ist of May. The " Schiller" was lost at the Scilly Islands on the 4th or sth of May, and must have left New York at the latest on the 25th or 26th of April; it follows, therefore, that the New Zealand passengers per the " Mikado" could not have been on board the " Schiller." Port Chalmers, Thursday, June 3. Arrived: The ship "Earl of Zetland," from London, 77 days out, with 257 statute adults; all well. JSTeio Zealand Times.