Page 2 Advertisements Column 6

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1408, 16 November 1886, Page 2

WHAT Tf*K RUSSIANS WERE UP TO IN WELLINGTON. * (North Otago Times.) The other day a cable message informal the people of tbe colony that a Russian spy had been caught sketching the fortifications at Vancouver's Island, and previous to that we were told that the Russians had, In anticipation of hostilities with England, made all their arrangemen's for cutting the cables connecting the. colonies with the Old Country, This hot is significant in view of what wo h vo 10 say A gsn’leman who returned to Oatnaru from a visit to Wellington some time ago informs us that while in the latter town be was told by a resident that when the Russian war vessel Vestnik was in Wellington harbor he (the resident) got on board one day along with a tradesman who was supplying stcres of some kind to tbe ship. In one of the deck houses he saw plans and photographs of the fortlfi : cations of Wellington. He saw also « theodolite, which was evidently paed for taking the beatings of the points of interest to tbe visitors, as well as photographic apparatus. It will be remembered trat a suspicious looking .vessel was reported to have been seen off the cable station, and it is supposed by the gentleman who supplied our i< formant with his information that the exact bearings of the cable station were taken, as well as photographs of tbe locally. All this would go to show that the Rutsiaus were not neglectful of their opportunities while they visited the colonies, for no doubt what was donsat Wellington wm done eliewhere,