WANGANUI.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 234, 8 October 1870, Page 2

WANGANUI.

October 4. —One of the most severe and prolonged shocks of earthquake experienced here for some time occurred at a quarter-past two o'clock yesterday afternoon. It lasted fully one minute, and m.de everything moveable quiver very preceptibly. COTTKT MaRTIAIi EXTRAORDINARY. A species of court martial of the most extraordinary and unprecedented character took place yesterday morning on board the 8. s. Wanganui. It seems that about 10.30 o'clock one of the directors of the company proceeded on board of the vessel, summoned the officers to the cabin, and constituting himself at once as judge, prosecutor, and counsel, began to make a most rigid investigation into the circumstances connected with the perpetration of the late practical joke, whereof the aforesaid director was the victim. The proceedings certainly were conducted in a most singular manner. His lordship insisted that everybody present, from the captain down to the cabin boy, " should take the oath" forthwith, and incontinently began to swear them right off, to til;- effect that they had not on a certain morning affixed a certain placard to his (the director's) back, announcing in terms of exultation, " that he hud breakfasted on board the Wanganui." The enquiry, however, did not proceed in a very satisfactory manner. Some of the officers objected to " take the oath >! at nil; while one facetious individual declared, in the words of A.rtemu.B Ward, his willingness to take ai\y amount of " oaths," hot. with sutjar. One or two, however, did solemnly vow and swear that they did not remember of a.iy placard;. that they had. never heard of any such thing ia the whole

course of their natural lives, and in short, they were inflicted with & most hopeless failure of memory with reference to the whole affair. A somewhat hot and strong legal argument then ensued between the judge and one of the accused; the former contending that his position as a director and a shareholder entitled him to the respect of the accused, inasmuch as " he helped to fill their bellies ;" while the other retorted that he scorned to eat the broad of dependence, and would acknowledge no obligation whatsoever to the director, if he did his work. In the end the enquiry came to nothing, except that the fact was proved to demonstration that tbe director did get his breakfast, but no " nip" of brandy afterwards, while the question of " Who parted the placard ?" was still left an inscrutable mystery.