THE ENGLISH MAILS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XIV, Issue 599, 30 July 1868, Page 2

THE ENGLISH MAILS.

Considerable disappointmeut, not to say annoyance, was felt in town on Monday afternoon, when it was known (hat the s.s. Lord Ashley was not the hearer of the mails via Suez and Panama, both of which it was known had some days previously arrived at 'Wellington. It transpired that these mails had been placed on board the s.s. Wellington, which left Wellington some horns before the Lord Ashley, and was observed to pass the Bay in (he morning, during the heaviest period of the storm. The Lord Ashley arriving later in the day, when it had somewhat abated, was able to come safely to her anchorage. We cannot

see why, when the subsidised steamer was about leaving at her time, the mails should have been put on board of another. If, indeed, it had been leaving Wellington some days before, there would have been good reason for it; but we see none for entailing additional expense for the sake of an hour or two. As it is, we shall pro* bably Lave to wait for our mails until the return of the Wellington from Auckland on Sunday next; unless, perchance, they may be sent down by the s.s. Star of the South (due here to-moirow) should that vessel not have left port on the arrival of t£e Wellington. The country settlers will share in our disappointment, as they would be expecting tin ' ; i last inland mail, espet >v detained twenty-four ; ■ its usual hour.

The Hoax. — A contemporary expresses surprise that the hoax concerning tho French whaling barque should have gained credit in Napier. We believe that no hoax was intended, it was known that such a barque was in these seas, and a threemasted schooner at a distance might well be mistaken for such a barque, especially in the dusk of evening or early morning Indeed had tho report been that the prisoners had taken a government vessel and forced it to convey them from the Chatham’s to Poverty Bay, such might well have been doubted and regarded as a boas. It is very well for our contemporary to be wise after the truth is known.

The Weather.— During Monday, tho storm which wo reported as being at its height when we went to press, gradually abated, and the sea went down so that the Lord Ashley was able, contrary to our anticipations, to enter the bay in the afternoon, and since then fine weather has returned. We learn that the whole lowcountry was flooded during Monday, and that considerable damage was done, but ihe waters have since abated, and the roads are becomins dry.

Spirited Eeterpbise.— The Wairarapa Marcury, 24th July, contains the following paragraphWo are informed that our jducky fellow colonist, Mr Watt, of Napier, has chartered two steamers for the purposo of conveying sheep from that Province to Auckland, to supply the diggers with good and cheap meat; and that it will prove a very remunerative undertaking may bo gathered' from the fact that the boiling uown establishment at Napier has been closed, consequent on tho price of 18s to a £1 being obtained for good fat wethers. M hat are our Wellington merchants about? Answer: Watching the “patent slip.”

Another Murderer roe Trial. By (he arrival of the Ivanhoe, schooner, Capt, M'Greggor, from Mongonui, on Sunday morning the authorities received a prisoner —the Maori Same Te Kara, who confessed to the murder of the young man, Charles W. S, Sydney, about the 10th April, 1867. The murdered man waa found in his bed with his stull split by a tomahawk. The murderer was committed for trial before Mr White the Resident Magistrate at Mongonni. and was brought ap in charge of a special constable and lodged in the Stockade. Two Maoris are now awaiting their trial for this same crime. —New Zealand Herald, 6th July. The Wauganui Times is highly indig* nant at the ides of two companies of the 18th Royal Irish being kept at Weilington when their services are so urgently required at Wanganui; and urges on Sir George Uowen the necessity of at ones sending these men direct to Petes.