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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 328, 30 November 1865, Page 1

Me Charles Dickens. — The Evening Mail (Canterbury) says:—“By a private letter received from the agent of Messrs Chapman and Hall, the celebrated publishers in Piccadilly, we understand that arrangements have been entered into with Mr Charles Dickens to proceed in January next to the Australian Colonies, to give a series of readings from his Christmas works in all the principal towns of the Australian and New Zealand colonies. We are informed that the sum of £l2O is guaranteed to the great novelist for each reading, and that the arrangements will be finally completed attheolß.ee of “All the Year Sound,” on the 21st November.” An unexpected Sea Voyage.— The West Coast Times relates an amusing incident that happened to Mr Bonar, and a clerk in the Bank of New South Wales. They had gone on business to the Claud Hamilton, in the Bruce steamer, and remained on board all night, intending to return by the Bruce in the morning. During the night, however, a gale sprang up, and the Claud Hamilton, having lost an anchor and fifty fathoms of cable, the captain said it was impossible to tranship passengers, and put to sea. The two unfortunates were thus hurried off to Sydney without the slightest preparation.

Fatal Gunpowjoee Explosion.—lt ia our painful duty to report that a fearful gunpowder explosion, attended with loss of life, took place on the JJiue Mountains, on Thursday evening last. It appears that a man named George Gamble, in the employment of Mr Kegan of Penrith, was driving a team of sis horses, with a load of two and a-half tons of gunpowder, to Mr Watkins’ railway works, near Hartley. At 7 o’clock on that evening, when about a mile beyond the Weatherboard Inn, the gunpowder exploded, producing a tremendous report, which was staled to have been heard at Penrith, a distance of twenty-seven miles. The unfortuate driver. Gamble, was killed on the spot, and his remains were shortly afterwards discovered in a frightful mutilated condition. A young man named Kegan who was driving another team, was also seriously injured. Three of the horses were killed, and one had two of its legs blown away; and scarcely a vestige of the dray was to he seen. The coach from Bathurst came up to the spot shortly after the disaster occurred. At that time several of the telegraph posts were on fire, the trees were blazing in all directions, the fire having been thrown a distance of four or five hundred yards. The deceased Gamble belonged to Windsor, where his family are residing. It was said that he had been cautioned respecting one of the casks, the head of which, not being properly secured, allowed the powder to leak out, but that he had not paid any attention to the caution. The cause of the explosion could not, of coure, be ascertained, but it was supposed that the tires of the wheels had struck fire from the stones, igniting some loose powder on the ground, and communicating the flame to the powder in the dray. There were several other teams—some loaded with powder—near at the time ; but with the exception of Kegan, none of the drivers were injured, although danger was apprehended from the fire that was flying about.—Sydney Morning Herald, 17th November. Me Chaceoft Wilson and Me Si'affoed.—ln a recent speech to his constituents Mr Cracroft Wilson said:—“ln fact, Mr Stafford became to such an extent master of the sit nation that not a word could be said, and I believe he has done more harm in the way of cutting away the root of our constitution than any man in New Zealand, indeed to such an extent did 1 feel on the subject, that I would have voted to have him expelled from the House. “(Laughter, and prolonged cheering.) I admit that such a measure would be extremely harsh, but the House of Commons has exercised that power, and I do not see why, since we have been treated by Mr Stafiordin such a shameful manner we should not exercise the same pover—(Hear, hear; and cheers) —and thus show statesmen that there is a way of punishment. (Hear, hear.) I believe that Mr Stafford would feel that penalty more than any other that could be inflicted upon him. (Loud dicers.) If 1 should go back—(dicers and interruption)— if it could be done,—(a voice: “It’s all up.”) I should be prepared—(interruption)—to go in for such a measure. (Loud cheers.) Now it rests with you to say whether Mr Stafford shall bo supported next session or not —(cheers) —and I entreat of you when you return to your homes, to think this matter over. (JRenewed cheering.) I recommend you to send men not to support Mr Stafford. (Applause and a voice—“ Docs he get paid for his three offices ?” Another voice—“ It would save expense.”) I don’t believe that, for I believe that no man could manage that. I will now allude to the subject which has been talked of so much lately—Separation. (Interruption.) The other night the member for Ellesmere (cheers, and cries of “ order”) —spoke on this question as he alone can. If you will allow mo to tell you my mind, it is unfeasible—(hear, hear) —it is almost impossible. (Hear, hear and cheering.)”

A Stsange Story about Mb Lincoln.— A correspondent of the Country Gentleman writes : —“Three years ago the gentleman I spoke of told us a story of Mr Lincoln which I have not thought of since, until now. When Mr Lincoln received the news of his first election, he came home to tell Mrs Lincoln about it. She was upstairs in the bedroom, and after telling the news, in walking about the room, his eye fell upon the bureau glass. Immediately he throw himself upon the lounge, and told Mrs Lincoln he thought he must be ill, for he saw a second reflection of his face in the glass, which he could not account for. It was perfeet but very pale. ‘ Oh,’ said Mrs Lincoln, that means that you will be reelected —but I don’t like its looking pale, she added; * that looks as if yon would not live through your second term.’ Mr Lincoln himself told this to the friend I mentioned, and this gentleman told it to us in the parlor soon after the first En'l Run battle. It made quite an impression upon me at the time—but one forgets such things. Wa s it not singular ?” ‘

A Tka\'£ ilEli AGAINST HIS WlIVL.— The S.S. Phoebe brought back to the arms of his sorrowing friends, an unfortunate gentleman who was spirited away, much against his will, in the Airedale last week. It appears that the prodigal is in the habit oi paying morning calls to the crews of the different steamers, as they lie alongside the wharf, and that just before the departure of the Airedale he, as usual, was exhorting his friends in the forecastle, all unconscious of the fleeting hours. The poor man was deaf to all bints, the mails were hurried on board, the whistle sounded shrill in the mid-day air, the warps were cast off, and the Airedale slowly and grace ! ully moved away. Ther, and then only, did the dreamer awake to the knowledge of the fix which he was in, and the activity and energy he displayed, though too late to be of any use, are deserving of commendation. To the eyes of the crowd assembled on the wharf, a strange sight v. r as then presented. A gentleman was seen to rush wildly on the top-gal-lant forecastle, clasp his hands and nm from side to side, ho then, as if struck by inspiration, wasseen to dart at the captain, before whom he prostrated himself, and gesticulated wildly,—but it was of no avail. The captain turned a deaf ear to the voice of distress, and explained that a detention of her Majesty’s mail was of more consequence than the forcible abduction of a clerical gentleman, however valuable he might be, and that to put him on shore was impossible. The supplicant implored, the captain shook his head, and they both passed away like a dissolving view amidst the laughter of the lookers-on. So much for the first act of this drama in real life, the s cond and last, shows the return of the wanderer. When the Phoebe arrived on Saturday, the first person to jump on shore and hurry along the wharf was our friend, but looking so woe-begone and wretched that it was evident the “ Sea, sea, the ever free” did’nt agree with him. W e thought of asking him in an easy jaunty manner how ho liked his trip, but it would have been an act of unnecessary cruelty, his face told the tale too truly, and if what we have since heard of hia travels is to be depended on, he has been indeed a martyr. Wc believe that beyond a bundle of tracts his pockets contained nothing when he left, and that these he found were not convertible into ihe coin of the realm. In fact, at Canterbury they would’nt sell at all. “ The Beggar Baffled,” “ The Washerwoman of Wellington, or don’t tear your neighbor’s shirt,” and other interesting little works were drugs in the market, and their poor owner thus kept his little stock together, and wa daresay, has since made them of service in another way. Wo congratulate our friend on his safe return, and hope that all that he has gone through will be a warning to him, not again, in the pleasure of addressing an audience on board a steamer to be oblivious of all that passes, or he may bo suddenly landed in Melbourne or Sydney, in neither of which cities will he find the histories of either the beggar,—the washerwoman, or any other person taken as a quid pro quo for his passage.—Wellington Independent, 21st November.

The Crops in South Australia. —Relative to the alleged failure of crops in that colony, the Talbot Leader says, “A gentleman residing in this district has shown us a letter he has Just received from a farmer there, in which the writer says that ‘the reports of a failure in Adelaide crops is all moonshine, the great bulk of the farms looking as well this year as ever they did, despite the scarcity of rain.’ If this be a correct statement of the facts, the reports which are being spread about the crops are mere canards, designed most probably for some ulterior and not very creditable motive.’ ”

A Fiend in Human Form.— The Waikouaiti Herald, has the following respecting the prisoner Jarvey, which is generally believed in Dunedin: In conversation Mr Meiklcjohn spoke about a confession to which Jarvey replied-*' What good would aconfcssion be now? it would only implicate others' * By many persons this last expression was supposed to be intended to cast a stigma on some other person in connection with the case, by way of revenge ; but there are circumstances which make it very probable that he referred to other crimes and uot other person. I may here mention that had Jarvey by any legal quibble escaped his just punishment, the police authorities had a much stronger case against him, for poisoning his daughter that died in Cumberland-street—adding to this crime that of previous incest, the murder being no doubt to hide the evidences of his guilty passion, for it is stated the poor victim was enoientc . There are other reasons for supposing that he had been a regular systematic poisoner. One of the Tasmanian papers states that there were very suspicious circumstances connected with the death of his children at the Iluon Farm and it is now fully believed they were poisoned,”