NEW CALEDONIA.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1592, 10 July 1874, Page 282

NEW CALEDONIA.

The schooner Dauntless, which arrived in Auckland on the Bth inst. from New Caledonia, brings the following news : Admiral Ribout has arrived at Noumea, from France, to inquire into the escape of Rochefort. All communists will be removed to the Island of Pines, and another island to be selected. Bateman has been sent to France to fulfil his term of imprisonment. The convict executioner has been murdered by one of the convicts. The murderer was afterwards guillotined Duels are very prevalent. Three took place on the 20th of June. One between Lieut. Devarenne and Guillerain, of the Gendarmes, resulted in the latter being killed. Permission was given to fight by the Governor, who attended the funeral, and addressed the soldiers upon upholding their honor, even at the cost of life.

The Kaipara public library, like the Ohristchurch museum, is in future to be opened on Sundays, The members decided on Monday last by a majority of one ■—the numbers being 38 to 37—to open the library and reading room from two to five o'clock every Sunday afternoon. The Ohristchurch City Council, carrying out the recommendation of the Provincial Treasurer, decided on Monday evening last to apply to the General Assembly for a Bill to endow the city with the proceeds of the dog tax, and auctioneers' and publicans' licenses, collected within the boundaries of the city.

It is repotted, on the authority of the Press Telegram Company, that a deputation of members waited upon the Premier on Tuesday, to make inquiry regarding the duration of the session, and that Mr Vogel, in reply, gave them to understand that as far as was possible to determine at present, the session would not exceed two months.

The Supreme Court, in Wellington, adjourned on Monday evening till Monday next, when sentence is to be passed upon M'Donald.

In the Supreme Court, Auckland, on Tuesday, the grand jury, after a deliberation of twelve hours, returned a true bill against Alexander Brown for inceudiaism. In the Supreme Court, in Ohristchurch, on Tuesday last, John Wilmshtirst, the Surgeon-Superiutendent of the ship Isles of the South, was convicted of larceny as a bailee of medical comforts on board the vessel, and sentenced to eighteen mouths' imprisonment with hard labor.

The Thames Advertiser of Monday contains the gold returns for the month of June. The total quantity is 11,6320 z., showing an increase of 3,223pz, on.the previous months returns.

Large Land Claims by a Native. Tho following telegram from its Wellington correspondent''appears in the Auckland Evening Star of the 27th June : —"Sir Tairon, M.H.R., writes to tlic New York Herald ', and' the 'London Standard complaining of his treatment. by theOtagojGovernment; of the denial of his ' tenths' to the Otago block, which was about 500,000 acres, including the towns of Tokomairiro, Balehitha, and Dunedin. He claims one-tenth of tho whole.tbwn allotments and acreage. He relies on Captain Symonds, of Onehunga, principally, to. have tlie claim provedThere id no doubt but what Tairo.l will obtain heavy compensation. The Native Minister will look favorably on Tairoa's claim. Tairoa says if he gets no justice here ho will go home." i ..•• ■.■ Lost in the Bush. ..'■ An extraordinary case of suffering and of sustaining life in the bush has occured in the Opotiki district. The discover}' of the sufferer was made* hy a party of Captain-Simpson's men, who were traversing the bank of tlie Motu River, under circumstances which aro thus described by the correspondent of the Bay of Plenty Times:— Ono of them, Mr Vereoe, fancied he heard a faint cooey on the other' side of the river. He proceeded to cross On some logs, and on reaching the other side fouud the lost man almost at the point of death, and so shrunk and shrivelled as to create a feeling of horror in the beholder. Mr Vereoe took him up in his arms and carried him across the river again, over the logs, with the greatest case. The unfortunate sufferer was taken into the camp r where he wastreated with great kindness by Captain Simpson, who instantly despatched messages to the nearest township to procure delicacies and restoratives, while others of the party went to work shooting pigeons to make him broth, &c. For some time the poor fellow was totally insaue; but has since, under the care of Dr Knyknd, who reached the camp shortly alter his discovery, recovered his senses. He gives his name as William Gill, formerly of the 18th Regiment, Royal Irish. He left Mr Simpson's camp at the end of the Ormond part of the road on the Bth of May ; had with him about 21bs. of biscuits; was first discovered by Nicholls and the native on the 4th of June, who left him their food; he was finally taken into camp on tho 7th instant. He describes himself as having existed upon flax and toi-toi roots, leaves, and water during that period. He is now about the weight of a child four or five years of age. The first instalment from a specimen crushing of the Mannkau claim, shows a total of 5590 z. In Wellington, yesterday morning, five publicans were fined £5 each for selling liquor on a Sunday. Another shipment of fifty draught horses has been landed at Lyttelton from Hobart Town with a loss of only one. Several meetings have been held throughout the Province of Canterbury, at which it has been resolved to promote the establishment of the new Colonial Bank. A third term of office for Grant as President of the United States is now considered likely. There is no prominent opposition candidate. Senator Morton's chance has been extinguished by the advocacy of his Inflation Bill. The American Congress has decided that the expenses of the United States Geneva arbitration shall form a first claim on the indemnity money. The claims of the insurance companies will likely not be recognized. A curious instance of absence of mind is mentioned by the Melbourne correspondent of a Ballarat paper. A gentleman of the Hebrew persuasion, on being sworn in a Court of justice, placed the book on his head, and kissed the crown of his hat! The New Zealand Times, Ist July, reports : —Mr A.'Younghas not yet heard what is be done in respect to the stoppage of his line of coaches between Palmerston and Bull's. The Maoris have put up a gate up at the bridge, through which the coaches are not allowed to go. This necessitates a detour of about eleven miles, and a delay in the delivery of tho' mails of about six hours. The establishment at Christchurch formerly .known as TattersalPs being now without an hotel licence, it is to be thoroughly re-modelled. The repository, says the Times, is to be converted into lively and bait stables, subject to the usual sale of horses on Saturday, while the best bar is to be converted into a billiard-room, and the other bar into a saddler's shop. People should confine themselves to their own line of business. A "popular clown" connected with a circus troupe of "more than average ability," while in Wakefield, Nelson, helped himself to some £2O in ca.sh, the property of the landlord with' whom he was staying. Boniface, apparently unable to appreciate.the joke, set the poli.ee on his track. The result is that the clown has exchanged the motley for the plainer garb worn by the inmates of Nelson Jail, and is booked for a nine months sojourn at that institution.