MISCELLANEOUS.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 232, 21 April 1874, Page 7

MISCELLANEOUS.

A boy while sitting on the bank of a creek near Port, Denison was seized and devoured by an alligator.

The • 2Viame« Advertiser gives the gold returns for the month ending April 10, as 11,6260ji., being an increase of 328505 i. over last month.

A petition has been got up at Grahamstow.n, and has been numerously signed, praying for the release of the Thames manager, who was convicted of a breach of the Quartz Crushing Regulations Act, by the machinations of the police. A Mr F. M'Cuskea, who seems to be troubled with a number of debtors who will not pay their little accounts, publishes the names of a dozen of them, with the amount of their little bills, in the Taranaki Herald ; and adds in a foot note, " This is only a small samples ; about fifty more will go in this day week."

The Ballarat Courier remarks that they do strange things at Buninyoug sometimes. Last week the Deputy-registrar of the "ancient village" registered his own death in due form. When the coffin reached the ceme.tery, and the usual document, bearing the well-known signature of the deceased, waa presented to the sexton, that officer despatched a messenger to make inquiries at the registrar's office, where, fortunately, the registrar was discovered still in the flesh.

A hurricane occurred at the Norfolk [glands, damaging plantations, blowing fences, buildings, and a church down. Over three hundred pine trees, some of them twenty-five to thirty feet in circumference, were torn up by the roots, and hurled like sticks before the storm. There was a tremendous sea on. The road from the landing place to the cascade was strewn with wreck, supposed to be of the Dialiot and Mary Ann. The embankment facing the sea was utterly destroyed. A tailor, named John Marlow, was charged in the Melbourne City Police Court a few days since with threatening to take the life of his wife. The evidence taken in this case disclosed such brutal ill-treatment as to be scarcely credible. His favourite plan was to put his wife on the tire, which he varied by kicking her and putting her head in a tub of water. The Bench ordered him to find a good surety in the amount of £SO to keep the peace to his wife for twelve months, or go to gaol. The Forbes Gazette, reports that the town of Parkes was visited with a most terrific storm of rain, a few days since, which deluged the streets, and swept goods and furniture out of some of the houses. The rain, which more resembled the bursting of a water-spout than an ordinary pluvial visitation, lasted only for about a quarter of an hour, but so dense was the volume of water that fell, that in some instances, paling fences had to be torn down to make a way for its escape, and from '•ne of the hotels boxes and furniture were floated through the doors into the street.

A singular advertisement appeared in a recent issue of the Grey Argus. It was signed by " Sophia Horsingtou," and notified to the husband of that lady that if he did not communicate with her within three months, it was her intention to get married. Says the journal in question : " Should this monitor ever reach the absent husband within the time specified, and he finds it impossible to comply with its conditions, he will be somewhat in a fix, as perhaps his ideas of the law regulating marriages may be as obscure as that of his spouse evidently is. The fair Sophia had better think twice before she starts the initial chapter of another version of Enoch Arden."

By private advices from Auckland, we leaiT: that Mr Sullivan, of Maungatapu notoriety, is again at large in that city. Io seems that under the management of Captain Eyre, Governor of the Mount Eden Goal, he became very refractory, and had to bo treated rather severely. Immediately after entering the gaol his hair was cut to its very roots, his face once more clean-shaved, and the convict dress resumed. But last week arrived an order from his Excellency the Governor for his release, and a considerable amount of money from the Minister of Justice. What he did upon leaving the gaol, or where he went to, no one appears to know, but he is again a free man, is well supplied with money, and is this time under no control. How it will eventuate it is hard to say, but we should not be surpised at any time to hear of some dark deed of blood being performed by the liberated ruffian.— Guardian. Verv heavy floods have occurred on the West Coast. At Reefton, the Bnller River rose thirty feet in twelve hours, but no damage was done of any importance.—At Westporfc, .the Cobden-street Wharf was carried away, and two ferry punts have been carried ovr the Bar. Four or five acres of the Coal Quay reserve were washed away ; several small houses have been pulled down and removed. The pile, bridge near Charleston was destroyed.—At Greymouth, it rained incessantly for forty hours. The whole town was inundated. The stone protection work stood some severe tests, and saved the town from utter destruction. It was the highest flood vet known in Greymouth. The residents of the lower town were removed to places of safety. Several cottages were swept out to sea. No other losses in town are reported, except gardens, fences, and several landslip? on the Grey Valley road. Severe damage has been done to road and railway works. Disastrous news is expected from Grey Valley.—The damage done on the Christchurch and West Coast road is very great. Several miles have been destroyed, and several thousand pounds will be required to effect nece&sary repairs.