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Grey River Argus, Issue 78, 12 July 1866, Page 3

An es|raordinary spirit of gambling of the *mosT reckless character has broken put amongst the natives, almost everywhere. One peculiar kind absorbs them for a time, when it is abandoned for some other one. "When tops is in, marbLi goes out." The peculiar phase ju3t now is, the lighting of a candle or a wax vesta, previously marked, betß being taken all round that the lighter will count so many before the >flame reaches the-mark. This amusement is varied in a variety of ■ways, and the play generally advances far into the night. Dreadful Boiler Explosion.— Two Lives Lo3t, and Eight Persons Injured „ ..- The Nelson "Colonist" txmtains the particulars of a terrible accident whjch occurred at Auckland oiirthe l6th f ult. As the explosion occurred after the morning's issue of the local papers, they, of course, contain no account of it j and.it is to a passenger per the s.s. Phoebe that '■ the " C<*lonist" is indebted for its information. It appears that while smelting operations were being carried on at the premises of Mr Hawkswood, engineer and ironfounder, Chapel street, on Saturday last, the boiler which worked the blast apparatus, suddenly exploded, when one of the workmen, a blacksmith, -was killed on the spot, as was also a little girl of seven years of age, daughter of Hawks- "■ wood, the proprietor, who himself, at the same moment, sustained several injuries 'from the fragments of all. descriptions; which were scattered about with, extraordinary force, aM from the scalding steaim which seems to have enveloped iimmbre ; than the rest of the sufferers. Another child of Mr Hawkswood is said to be in ai V'^pjirecarious.. 'state, owing to the severity of j v^the scalds he had received,- but the other; .sufferers have a better chance of recovery. -\ r The suddenness and mischief caused by; ' the. occurrence, produced a great sensation! -An Auckland, two fives having been; I sacrificed, four persons severely; , ■ .injiifed, and a large amount of property^ 1 destroyed; v - '■"" /■: > :/- ; '-'- ' .'"'■ ' '}