THE COUNTRY.

Evening Star, Issue 3335, 28 October 1873, Page 3

THE COUNTRY.

Maerewhenua. —We have now a little more accurate information as to the fresh trouble at Maerewhenua than was at our disposal last week. It appears that the high price wool has been fetching in Europe have tempted Messrs Burton and M‘Master, commendably enough, to go to considerable expense in perfecting their apparatus for sheepwashing. Hitherto they have always been able to use water from the Maerewhenua. This year, in consequence of the completion of several of the races from permanent sources, the river is too dirty for sheepwashing purposes. Being naturally vexed at this, and also being unwilling to lose the difference between the value of the wool well washed and only shorn in the grease—perhaps, on their largo flocks, a difference of Ll,ooo—they have consulted the lawyers, and been advised to give the miners notice that they must entirely cease work for six weeks. Just now there is a plentiful supply of water; in six weeks time it will be a fortunate season if there is anything at all approaching to a full supply. Consequently, to leave off working at tne present time would be to lose from over L2O to L3O per man — amounting in the aggregate to a very large sum. Southland.—The scarcity of labor continues to be much felt in tho district. The demand for carpenters especially is very pressing, tho rate of wages now paid to this class of artizans being from 12s to 15s per day. Indeed we have heard of cases where there has been no response to invitations for tenders for erecting new buildings. The consequence of all this is that a number of people are holding hack from carrying out contemplated improvements.—Our Campbclltown correspondent, writing on tho 23rd, says:—A rather extraordinary phenomenon was witnessed here on the evening of the 21st inst., at about 8.30. At first it had tho appearance of a lantern suspended in midair, giving the onlooker the impression that it was a vessel coming into the harbor with a light at the mast-head. It appeared first just at tho month of the harbor, and after remaining for about five minutes, disappeared. In about ten minutes it returned, further away, and this time of various colors, and after remaining for a few minutes stationary in the air. it slowly began to ascend, and then suddenly burst, as it were, into two streaks of light of all colors, and disappeared. After this it appeared and disappeared five times in succession, assuming different shapes and colors—sometimes coining as it were from off the beach, and at others rising out of the water. It at last took the appearance of a large blaze of fire on the beach, at some distance from where it first appeared, then with great rapidity it was seen to rush across the water in a south easterly direction, and disappear. Having noticed in the telegraphic column of your issue of the 21st an account of the signal-man at the Heads at Wellington having signalled a vessel on fire outside, it may possibly have been something like what I have attempted to describe that he observed, as the last appearance exactly resembled flames from something burning on tho water, and was large enough to justify tho impression that it might be a vessel, and at other times it seemed ns if rockets were being fired from a vessel iu distress.- -Timex.