LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 256, 24 April 1865, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The Mails per Lady Bird. —We are requested by the Postmaster to state that the mails for the Southern Provinces per s.s. Lady Bird will close on Wednesday next, the 26th, at 11 a.ra. Erratum.— ln our last issue we find that in reporting the late inquest on the body found in the harbor, we have printed the word years instead of months. We presume that the context would prevent any one being misled by the error. Arrival of the Egmont. —This fine, new screw steamer arrived in harbor on Saturday morning, bringing our Auckland files to the 19th, she is of 401 tons gross, and 309 tons register ; w'as built by Henderson aud Company, of Renfrew, with engines of 80 horse-power: is brig-rigged, with straight stem, and is fitted up in a most beautiful style for fifty-two saloon, and fifty second-class passengers. She has been placed and is now making her first trip on the line between Auckland and Manuku. She will leave Auckland on the 17th of every month, calling at Napier, Wellington, Picton, Pelorus, Nelson, Taranaki, and arriving at Manukau on the 2nd of every month. The Egmont being under any Government contract for carrying mails, but entirely dependent on passengers and cargo for support, will call at any intermediate port, should sufficient inducement offer. She remained only a few hours in the bay being something behind her advertised time. H.M.S.S, Esk arived in Auckland from Wellington on Thursday night, via Napier and the Kawau, with his Excellency the Governor on board.

Arrival of the St. Kilda, from Poverty Fay.— The St. Hilda returned from Poverty Bay and the coast yesterday morning. All seems to be quiet there just now, the great body of the fanatics having left the district. She reports the death by drowning, in the Turanga-nui river, of two men (Europeans)—Yates and Thos. Albert—the latter well known in Napier, through attempting to cross a river when in a state of intoxication.

Profits of the Banking Business in New Zealand. —“ The dividends paid to the shareholders in these banks for the last year amounted to £262,717, giving from 15 to 17h per cent, on the capital, besides a large reserve set aside out of the profits. A reference to the table will show the manner in which the enormous business done by the banks in New Zealand is shared amongst them. The Bank of. New Zealand, a corporation that has only existed a little over three years, has secured to itself the giant’s share. The unprecedented success of this banking company in so short a space of time, is little short of marvellous. The Union Bank of Anstralia, which until the last five or six years monopolized the whole banking business of New Zealand, stands next in order; hut the Bank of New South Wales approaches it very closely. The Bank of Australasia stands next in order; then comes the Bank of Otago, followed by the two others we have already mentioned. Looking at the returns as a whole, and remembering that the European population of New Zealand is still short of 200,000, they are conclusive evidence of the great wealth the colony contains. —Nelson Examiner.

Beware of the Steam. —As the steamer Egmont was getting alongside the wharf at Auckland, several persons in a small boat were severely scalded by a discharge of waste steam from the vessel’s side. A boat, containing three persons, who were waiting to go on board as the vessel cast anchor, lay alongside, and a backward movement being necessary waste steam was let off full into the faces of the unlucky occupants of the boat. Mr. R. H. Lewis, one of the occupants of it, was severely scalded, and was as once con veyed to his home, where Dr. Kenderdine attended him. The other passengeis were slightly injured. Stranding of the s.s. Eleanor on the West Coast. —A report reached Okitiki, overland from the Grey, tha* the s.s. Eleanor had gone ashore on the Grey Bar, and was fast breaking up, the passenand cargo being safely landed. Two Lives Losx on Okitiki Bar. —We are sorry to hear of the loss of two lives on Okitiki bar, caused by the capsizing of a boat. The schooner Triumph was leaving the river on Wednesday, March 22, and as there was no wind, a whaleboat with four hands W’as made use of to tow her out. While on the bar, the boat was struck by a sea, which capsized her, and two of the men only were rescued. One of the men drowned, a carpenter from Christchurch, was named James Cotterell, but the name of the other unfortunate man we have not been able to ascertain. —Nelson Examiner , April