AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 221, 1 February 1865, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

_ Considerable disappointment has been occasioned in Auckland by the non-arrival of the English mail. Ed telegram of its arrival at Adelaide had been received in Sydney on the 15th inst., the day on which the Prince Alfred left that port. Curiously enongh it was the same mail of the past year which broke down between England and Australia. The machinery of the Bengal on that occasion broke down in the Bed Sea, and the mail was brought on by another steamer then in Aden. The mail which should have arrived in Auckland about the 23rd of January last year was not, it will be remembered, received until the 4th of February. The Otago will, we understand, bring on the mail from Sydney immediately on its arrival, remaining in Sydney, if necessary, until the 20th. Should the mail not have arrived by that day, the Otago will wait no longer, but sail without it. In the absence of the English mail, our readers will receive with interest the few days later European and American news which was received in Melbourne by the clipper ship Ethiopian, Capt. Edward, and made its way via Nelson per Phoebe to the Manukau. The Ethiopian made a splendid passage of sixty-eight days from Plymouth, and brings intelligence to the 3rd November. —New Zealand Herald. During the thunder-storm on Friday night the cutter ‘Morning Light,’ Tiller, master, was coming in between the North Head and Rangitoto, when a ball of fire struck the top of the vessel’s mast and exploded, to the great alarm of those on board. Moke Troops foe Wakgakui. —The Government transport Alexandra, Captain Williams embark to-morrow morning some 300 men of the IBth Regiment, for Wanganui. The Rev. Mr. McSweeney, R.C. Chaplain of the Fort, will bo a passenger by the Alexandra. Forgery.— A barefaced, reckless forgery by a sawyer, named John Calvert, was disclosed at the Police Court on Saturday. It appears the man was at work for Mr. Macdonald, manager of the Auckland Saw Mill Company’s works, at Mercury Bay, and on the sth of last October discharged with other men. Each man was paid a cheque on the Bank of New South Wales for £l, bearing the endorsement of prosecutor and the person’s name in whose favor it was made out. A cheque in favor of W. Kirk, one of the three men discharged, was given to the prisoner by mistake. Ihe three men then went to work at TVangapoa, and whilst there prisoner was seen by one of his companions, named Joseph Ashley, to insert the word “thirty” before “ one,” and the figure “3” before the figure “ 1,” in the cheque produced. He told the prisoner he would get himself into trouble by it, but nothing further transpired until the men came to Auckland, when prisoner presented the cheque, altered from £1 to £3l, at the Bank of Now South Wales, and received the amount on October 24. The forgery was not di - covered for some months after, when Mr. Macdonald came to Auckland, and instituted an inquiry at the bank. The alteration was adroitly made in imitation of the prosecutor’s hand-writing, and could only be detected on close examination. Prisoner was fully committed for trial.