GENERAL NEWS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 462, 24 February 1871, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

The survey, of the main trunk line of railway, toSjonncct Dunedin with Christchurch, commenced on the 6th instant.

The Caledonianclaim.ontheTharacs, yielded 5096 ounces for eight days’ crushing. Anthony Noble, condemned to death for the violation and murder of a little girl, named Molaumby, at Hold tika, was executed at that place, on the morning of Thursday,- the 16th instant. He confessed to having committed the crime for which he w r as executed.

As the ship Otago was being towed out from Port Chalmers, ou the 15th instant, a steerage passenger fell overboard. On perceiving the accident the second officer of the tug, and one of the hoys ofthe Otago sprang overhoard, and kept the man afloat until the pilot boat came up and took them on board.

A “ duffer ” rush took place recently to the Little Grey, on the Nelson South-west Goldfields. The man who caused the rush was, with difficulty rescued from the mob of duped and infuriated diggers, by the police. In the lock-up ho confessed to having been bribed to cause the rush, by a shanty keeper, and was sentenced by the Warden to six months imprisonment. The shanty keeper has since been arrested.

A rather heartless hoax has been played upon a digger at Coromandel. On a certain day he paid the priest £2 to perform the marriage ceremony. The girl wont to .the chapel, but not to be married ; for on her arrival at that place she told the priest it was only “ a lark.” The digger, however, was deeply in earnest,. and ns a consequence has been terribly chaffed by his mates. The circumstance has also been made the subject of a local song by Mi. Towers, at present giving an entertainment there, Christchurch now contains about 500 artesian wells, more than 90 of which have been bored during the last year. The total quantity of stone crushed at the Thames Goldfields, during the December month, was 8991 tons lewt. 91b., which yielded 18,08Goz. 7dwt. 12gr. or gold.

An American Epitaph.—The following is the conclusion of an epitaph on a tomb in East Tennessee, “ She lived a life of virtue, and died of cholera morbus, caused by eating green fruit in the full hope of a blessed immortality, at the early age of 21 years, 7 months, and 1 6 days. Reader, jgo thou and do likewise.

“ Observer,” writing to the Times on Tuesday, says—“ The sun is now densely covered with spots. The centre group is visible to the naked eye when protected by p piece of smoked glass. If a piece of smoked glass be secured to the eye-piece of an ordinary telescope the little trouble of fixing will bo rewarded.” 0