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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 947, 18 February 1871, Page 2

After all the most natural beauty in the world is honesty and moral truth. True features make the beauty of the face, the true proportions the beauty of architecture, as true measures that of harmony and music. In poetry, which is all fable, trytfe still is the perfection,

The Grey River Argus, of the 11th instant gives the following particulars of a melancholy case of drowning, by which Mr E. H. Davis, assistant geologist to Dr. Hector, lost his life :Mr Davis had for some time been engaged in a scientific examination of the coal deposits of the Grey district, and was returning from an inspection of the coast line between the Grey and Razorback Point. On arriving at the Ten-mile Creek, a narrow but rapid stream, with a shifting bottom, he rode in, expecting to cross easily, as he had done the day before. A slight fresh had, however, occurred in the meantime, and the creek was running both deep and strong. He and his horse were suddenly carried down and swept into the surf. The horse was recovered but its unfortunate rider was drowned. What adds to the calamity is the fact that there is a safe bridge over the creek, about a mile away from where the deceased was drowned, and it was in endeavoring to save about half an hour's detour that he met his sad fate. Mr Davis was a rising and talented officer of the Geological Survey Department, and had been specially selected for the important enquiry previously alluded to. He had completed his investigations, and was on his way to town, expecting to reach Wellington by the next steamer. Immediately on receiving the sad news of his death, Mr Warden Whitefoord telegraphed to the Colonial Secretary, asking for instructions as to the final disposal" of the remains, which will be interred in the Cobden Cemetery on Sunday. Mr Davis, we are sorry to hear, leaves a widow in Wellington.

In jumping at least, (says the Otago Daily Times) the Southland men appear to " whip creation." In the Southland Times' report of the Caledonian games held at Invercargill on the 2nd instant, we read that Mr Ferguson, who carried off the first prize for the running high leap, " registered a height of forty feet two inches, and Mr Cameron, second prize, thirty-eight feet." Even Baron Munchausen would have had hard work to beat that.

Our Auckland telegrams (says the Evening Post.) afford confirmation of what we said in previous issues as to Government interference with the elections. Reprehensible as the conduct of Messrs. Vogel and Gisborne in endeavoring to induce the electors of Otago to return representatives they approved of to Parliament may have been, that of Mr M'Lean is infinitely worse. In Otago, Ministers only tried a little humbugging, which the electors could see through, but Mr M'Lean has actively employed his influence among the Maoris —influence sustained in a manner which we are all acquainted with —to induce them to favor candidates of his choosing. He has gone so far as to carry Mr Skeet—a candidate for the representation of a district in which the majority of the electors are Maoris —to visit those Maori electors in the Luna, a steamer kept running at the public expense, and for all that we know to the contrary, some of the usual Government largesse (? black mail) may be bestowed at the same time. The Native Minister must necessarily have an immense amount of influence over the Maoris, so much being in his gift, and all their intercourse with Government ou important matters being through him, and one can easily see what chance an independent candidate can have entering the field against Government nominees, such as Kemp and Skeet. Mr M'Lean's influence over the natives is great no doubt—he has on one or two memorable occasions shown that it is far too great for the good of the country —and it seems to us that it would be quite as well for New Zealand if the Hon. Donald M'Lean occupied a position where he would not be able to use it so freely. The Colony looked anxiously to see an exercise of this influence in the Waikato resulting in the apprehension of Todd's murderers, but the Colony was disappointed, Mr M'Lean has never shown face at the scene of disturbance —he was too busy electioneering—and will allow Todd's murderers to join with those of Fulloon, whom he liberated from gaol a short time ago, and follow their own devices, This is the system of native policy winch Messrs. Hart, Johnston, Hunter, and Pearee, are lauding to the skies, and asking the electors to supprt. —The following is the telegram referred to : " At the declaration of the Eden poll yesterday, Mr Creighton denounced M?

H'Lean's interference with the elections, and said he would bring the matter forward in the Assembly. Charges of this kind were frequent lately, owing to Wi Katene's lapse. He also alluded to the fact that the Defence Minister had not gone into the Waikato since Todd's murder ; to M'Lean taking Skeet in the Luna to visit his Maori constituents on the East Coast, and said that he was now gone a similar mission to the Bay of Islands, where no Maori troubles exist." —lt will be seen from our telegrams today that Mr Skeet has been defeated.

A correspondent of the Thames Advertiser, writing from Ohinemuri under date the 20th January says :—Kimball Bent, who, whilst in the rebel pa of Ketemarae, shot Captain Hassard whilst in the act of charging the pa, visited this district in company with Beihana Te Tauhau, who picked him up at Taranaki. Whilst here he was recognised by one of the Defence Force men who was at the attack on the Ketemarae pa, and saw him shoot Capt. Hassarif. He has been an armourer's assistant, and is therefore very useful to the rebels. He has left the district, thinking, no doubt, that it would not be very safe to stay in the vicinity of the Europeans. He is a miserable looking man, dressed in an old shabby trooper's suit.

The Auckland Evening Star, Feb. 15, reports that in consequence of the favorable news from the Caledonian mine today, shares have advanced to .£47 10s., aucl cannoc now be had under <£so. Junctions have also been enquired for today at 16s, and Thames Gold-mining at £lO. Belfasts have been dull of sale. The New South Wales Peace Society ha\e been delivering addresses in Sydney, deprecating the warlike preparations being made for the defence of the colony.

A company is being formed in New South Wales to test, on a small scale, Mr Scott's new invention- for an atmospheric ship-lift.

The Sydney Government have received proposals for a steamer to run from Java to Normaiivown, where telegraphic communication now extends to, and thus bridge the gap in the telegraph line from Australia to England. This would sup ply English news of twelve days old.

The construction of the beacon and lighthouses between Auckland and the Thames is being pushed forward with despatch. The first framewoik has been already erected.

The Southern Cross, Feb. 11, says : Mr James Farmer —who came up iu the Gulden Crown lrom the Thames, last evening—was the bearer of a magnificent specimen from the Caledonian Guldmining Company's claim. It weighed only one or two pounds, and contains, as proved by assay, eleven ounces and a-half of gold. The piece of stone is thickly sprinkled with gold, outside, but, being broken into three pieces, disclosed a beautiful vein of gold almost filling the whole of the interior of the stone. The specimen reminded one of the bygone days when people crowded about windows in Queen street, greedily looked at glittering specimens, and rushed frantic;dly away to buy scrip in some " duller." The brightest specimens are regarded suspiciously now-adays: the fish come by, cruise cautiously round, and depart without so much as a nibble at the bait.

Mr Woodru.ffe, of Prince's Park, Liverpool, found on the sea shore, about three miles south of Blackpool, a bottle which contained a piece of paper, on which the following was written: —" Henry Goodhead, Thomas Wilkinson, Edmund Wilkinson, were wrecked at Gibraltar in the year 1870, May 25—three dying sailors."

As the winter is approaching, it may be a benefit to early-rising readers to know how tu " hurry up " a cup of coffee in the cold morning:— To make firekindlers: Melt together a quart of tar and three pounds of resin, and when they are partly cooled, knead into them as much sawdust, with a little charcoal added, as possible; then, while the mixture is still pretty hot, spread it out on a board, and cut it into lumps about as large as hen's eggs. Leave these lumps to cool fully, and use one of them to light the £re which it will do well, being easily ignited by a match, and burning strongly long enough to start any wood fit to burn The above given quantity of materials ®ill majie kindlers enough to last a year.

There were 1,250 violent deaths and 41 homicides in New York during the past year. During the week between Christmas and New Year the losses by fire in the United States exceeded £685,000.