Friday.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XII, Issue 42, 6 February 1885, Page 9

Friday.

Thk difference between the Westport Coal Company and their colliers has been4ettled upon a mutually satisfactory basis, and the men return to work on Tuesday. The agreement is that the men shall get relatively the same pay as that paid at Greymouth. such rate to be Bettled by arbitration. At the annual meeting of the Lyttelton Harbour Board, held yesterday, the report showed the receipts for 1884 to be £64,995 including the balance from last year of £32,149. The expenditure was £65,244, of which £32,278 had been spent on harbour works. During the year 1195 vessels, of a total tonnage of 497,850 tons, have used the wharves. 687 of these were steamers, of a total tonnaee of 399,616 tons. The inquest on the bodies of those killed at the Cootamondra railway accident was concluded yesterday at Sydney. The verdict of the jury was to the effect that the Government were guilty of negligence in not supplying larger culverts at the scene of the -accident, and that the catastrophe might have been prevented if the gang of fettlers had been supplied with more than one lamp. The troops under Sir Herbert Stewart made a forced march on Sunday and Monday, and had nearly reached the Nile when they were stopped by the rebels near El Metemneh. The rebels were beaten after heavy fighting. The British loss was riight. The British column succeeded in reaching the Nile after a severe fight, and remained there till Tnesday evening. During the engagement Mr. Cameron, special correspondent of the London Standard, was killed. A later telegram from Lord Wolseley gives the following details of •the action. When Sir Charles Wilson arrived within four miles of the Nile on the 18th inst., th 6 enemy showed in strong force. Colonel Stewart therefore halted his column, although under heavy iire. It was here that Colonel Stewart was severely wounded. Colonel Sir C. Wilson assumed command, and leaving the wounded -at Tarabah marched out the same afternoon. The enemy, led by several Emirs on horseback, charged the British gallantly but were repulsed each time, losing five of their Emirs and 250 killed, besides many wounded. The British loss is not stated. During the inspection of the enemy's position four steamers, under command of Miari Pasha, from Khartoum, reached Gubut Fort, south of El Metemneh, and landed guns and men.