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Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1722, 10 February 1874, Page 2

Mr Bonar, M.L.A., Superintendent of Westland, and Mr Lahman, M.L.A , arrived by the Waipara from Hokitika yesterday afternoon. We hear from both of these gentlemen that it is the earnest intention of the Premier, Mr Yogel, to visit Westland before the next meeting of the General Assembly.

After the arrival of Captain Bonar, Captain Commanding the Westland Volunteers, yesterday afternoon, an order was issued, that the prize firing should take place at the range this morning at six o'clock. Considering the state of the weather, the condition of the rifle range, and the short uotice given, we consider the local company is unfairly treated if they have to fire under the circumstances.

A fatal accident occurred at Hokitika wharf on Sunday afternoon. A little boy, named Albert Benjamin, nine years of age, was engaged in fishing on the wharf, a few yards above where the Sea Bird is berthed, when it appears that he fell into the water. The children who had been with him ran away instead of raising an alarm, and the boy must have been floating for several minutes when he was observed by some men on board the Sea Bird. They immediately jumped ashore, and there being no ropes within reach, they threw to the drowning boy the end of a gutta percha hose which lay on the wharf. The child must by that time have been insensible, as although the hoae reached him, he made no attempt to seize it, and almost immediately sunk. Some time after the accident, Mr Callaghan, who is in the employ of Mr D. Cameron, dived from the wharf and attempted to recover the body, but without success.

The Nelson Mail, of the 4th February, supplies the following :—'? Mr Kynnersley's remains were conveyed to the cemetery this afternoon, accompanied by a. .large number of his friends and of the general public. The hearsjj was followed by about twenty miners, who happened to be in town, headed by Mi Lowther Broad, as Resident Magistrate and Warden. At their particular request, the coffin was carried from the house to the hearse, and from the hearse to the grave by some of themselves ; indeed, they were anxious to be allowed to carry it the wbole of the distance, by way of showing their reSDect for the deceased. Immediately behind the miners were Mr Kynnersley's more immediate friends, followed by his Honor the Superintendent, the members of the Executive and the Provincial Council, and following them was the general public, occupying a large string of carriages. The volunteer corps had expressed an earnest desire to take part in the procession, but the friends of the deceased requested that this might not be, as Mr Kynneraley had frequently expressed his wish that there might be no pomp or display whatever at his funeral. The body was first conveyed to All Saints' Church, ' where the first portion of the service was read by the Rev R. J. Thorpe, and from thence to the cemetery."

The followinguominatedimmigrants having arrived at vVellington by the Ocean Mai), will reach Greymouth by the first steamer from Nelson, viz., Allan M'Donald, wife and family ; John Bagbut, wife and family ; and Thomas Prendergast.

We learn from a recent issue of the Westport Times that Mr Charles Mace, of Reef ton, had returned from inspecting the Mokihinui reefs, and that he reports very favorably thereon. He spent some days in tracing the line of reefs by the outcrop, and is satisfied thet a very large track of valuable mining couutry awaits profitable working.

There has been some bad weather at Charleston lately. The Herald say 3 :— " During the past few days a very heavy sea has been rolling, dashing, and foaming in mad fury along our immediate coast line ; to many it has occasioned considerable injury and annoyance, to others it will be beneficial particularly so to the combers, for it has been the means of thoroughly cleaning down the grey sand, and leaving a deposit of ' auriferous black,' in some instances, we are informed, of a very superior description. The daaiage on the Nile beach has been a loss of some 18 flume-boxes, which were unshipped and carried out to sea. This property belonged to Jones and party. Parson's hotel also suffered from the fury of the waves, which at times half submerged the house and garden. On the Nine-mile beach a dreadful havoc has been made of the claims on the back lead. The damage done by the washing up of the tail-races and filling in the claims, choking the pumps, &c, will be a serious loss to this portion of the beach-workers."

Subjoined are the particulars, as far as they are at present known, concerning the supposed suicide last week in the Arnold River. The missing man, Nils Petersen, or as he was more commonly called, " Russian Jack," left his hut at Candlelight Creek (one of the streams on the Arnold watershed, in' the No Town district) last Tuesday. His mates and neighbors, not wishing, for certain reasons, to- lose sight of him, at once went in quest of him, and thinking he had gone to No Town they searched the town and the vicinity, but could not hear of him. The search was continued in other directions, and on Thursday the man's swag was found at a spot upon the eastern bank of the Arnold River, about half a mile above Garven's bridge. The blankets, clothing, &c. . with about L 4 10s in cash, a match-box, and other trifling articles were lying as if the swag had been hurriedly opened, and the straps which should have been round it were missing. Close by, two knives (a pocket and dinner knife), with a quantity of broken ends of twine were found, and it was consequently surmised the unfortunate man had used the ptraps and string to fasten his feet and had then thrown himself into the river.' These things were found on a point of rock overhanging a very deep eddy in the river, and it is thought the body is in this waterhole. The police at No Town, who had been actively searching for the man since he was first missed, were communicated with when the swag was found, and Constable Clark, with the assistance of Mr William Curtis, after great difficulty, owing to the strength of the current in the river, succeeded in getting a skiff belonging to Mr John Giblin, of the Arnold bridge, to the locality where Petersen is supposed to have entered the river. With the appliances at hand it has been found impossible to reach the bottom of the eddy mentioned, and the search was temporarily discontinued on Sunday. It was noticed on Sunday by some of the search party that two large stones had been recently rooted from the bank of the river near where the blankets were found, and although a close .examination was made they could not be seen about, and it was thought the missing man tied these stones to some part of his person before he made the final plunge. Thesn circumstances aeeai to imply that a most determined suicide has been committed, and should this turn out to be the case, a more deliberately planned and efficiently executed one has seldom taken place. Petersen was an old resident of the No Town and Nelson Creek districts. At the latter place he was well-known as one of the shareholders in the celebrated •■« Yak's" claim, on TryAgain Terrace, during the great rush there some years ago. [Since the above was written we have been informed by Mr Warden Whitefoord that the body of the deceased was found near Garven's bridge yesterday forenoon, and that an inquest will be held at Garven's Hotel to-day.]

A fire occurred at Porawhakoho, near Collingwood, on the 30th ultimo, when the house and outbuildings of Mr Francis Roach were completely destroyed by fire. The total damage is estimated at LS6S, L 75 of which was in cash. The house was insured for LIOO.

The Tiviaru Herald of 4th February says : — " On Monday evening last, at about nine miles from the Makikiki, a man named Binstead committed suicide by shooting himself through the head."

A young lad named William Todd, aged 15 years, the son of a farmer residing at the East Taieri, Ofcago, was killed on Saturday last under the following circumstances. A bullock bolted out of the yard on the farm and ran down a by-road. The lad jumped on a horse bare-backed, and pursued the animal for the purpose of preventing him from leaving the farm. A few moments afterwards the horse was seen riderless, and immediately afterwards the unfortunate lad was found on the roadside insensible. Dr Inglis being called in pronounced the deceased, who died a few hours afterwards, to be suffering from concussion of the brain.

The certificate of incorporation of the Standard Insurance Company was granted on the 27th ult. The company is now registered under the Joint Stock Companies A«t. Branch agents have been appointed in the various Provinces for some time, and subagents are now being appointed for the towns and districts of the different Provinces.

A melancholy accident took place at the Ocean Beach, Dunedin, on Friday evening last, when a joung man named Charles Peter Begg was drowned while bathing. The deceased, with his brothers John and Matthew Begg and two other young men, went over to the beach to bathe. The deceas«d and his brother John waded out, and were waiting for a wave to carry them ashore. On the latter observing one coming in, he said to his brother, "Come, let us swim ashore," he himself doing so, and thinking that his brother was following him. But when he reached the shore and looked for his brother he saw him outside the breakers, drifting seawards. Every effort was made by the young raon to save their companion, but without success. The body was recovered about half-past eight on Saturday morning by Mr William Begg, about half a mile from where the young man was drowned. The deceased was 21 years of age, and the son of Mr Adam Begg, of Anderson's Bay, and a surveyor, in the employ of Messrs Connell and Moodie, Princes street, Dunedin.

The London Punch, of November 20, has a cartoon of the Claimant as last seen as Arthur Orton, in comparison with how he looked when attired in the suit he obtained at Henry Young's establishment, at Greymouth, New Zealand. In reference to this the illustrated London News says :— "lt speaks volumes in favor of our antipodean friends in New Zealand when the Wapping butcher can be so transmogrified as to cause him to b& mistaken (to use Mr Hawkins's words) for the ' real Sir Ro^er.' " The paragraph adds, " no wonder Mr Young has bo immortalised his name, when his suit of clothes possesses such a transforming power." — Advt,