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Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1622, 23 October 1874, Page 402

A fire took place in Auckland yesterday, destroying a block of buildings at the junction of Wakefield-street with Queen-street and Rutland-streets. At a meeting of the South British surance Company, held in Auckland, the report was adopted. It showed that the total premiums received for the half year amounted to £37,949 ; interest on investments, £2,935,; -losses £21,098 ; re-insur-ances, £5,040. A dividend for the half year at the rate of ten per cent, was declared, by which £2,109 was absorbed; £5,000 was carried to the reserve fund. Messrs Chamberlain and Howard were re? elected Directors. The following item, from the Auckland Star, may interest our lady readers:—- " We have been requested to draw attention to a lady's beautifully-worked lace handkerchief, on. view in Mr Wayte's window, in Queen-street, which is the delicate emanation,of the skilful fiugers of the two Misses Teutenbcrg. It is not to be presumed that newspaper writers are experts iu the-matter of worked pocket handkerchiefs. They may form an opinion, but it is not to be looked upon as worth much. The reporter who has interviewed this piece of needlework states that the design is elaborate, and the manipulation of the delicate threads altogether beyond his conception as to how it has been executed. It must be seen to be believed, and even then people will be incliued to doubt their eyesight. But he proceeds to say that such an exquisite piece of filigree can only be a pocket-handkerchief in name. This he wishes to be distinctly understood. For ornament it is all that an exquisite taste could demand; but for use,—well, for use, our reporter says that a second handkerchief would be required, for at the utmost such a piece of needlecraft could not be put to any more practical use than to conceal a lady's blushes; it would be too delicate for tears; it would be profanation to remove perspiration from the brow with it; to light to cause the removal of a too obsequious fly. It is something to look at, to gaze upon, to admire, to praise, to ask the price of; but it never can be made to subserve the purposes for which pocket handkerchiefs are virtually intended even in the politest of circles." The Southern Cross says:— " Yesterday there was placed on exhibition in the window of Mr E. Wayte's shop one of the finest pieces of lace-work which has yet been 6hown in the city. Tho work was done by the Misses Teutenberg, of Grey-street." The article manufactured was a lady's handkerchief. There was a small plain round centre, but for a depth of about ten inches all round was the richest class of needlework imaginable. The amount of work upon it maybe estimated when it is stated that the cost of the article is £ls, and that it was made to order. It is well worthy of ft careful examination, as showing what class of needlework can be accomplished in Auckland." " Mosquitoes in London," is the title of a letter printed: in the Times of the 24th August. So graphic is the description of a plague with which Australasians are too well acquainted, that we readily transfer it to our columns. The writer says, "I do not pretend to say that there were on Friday night more than two mosquitoes in the metropolis, but as to the existence of'two I am quite ready to depose on oath, not as to the best of my belief, but as to my actual positive knowledge. On that night I slept in a highlyplaced room in a very large hotel not far from ! the Victoria Station—the word ' slept' being applicable solely to the acts of undressing, getting into bed, and lying down, for-not more than two minutes had I closed my eyes before I was roused from preliminary dosings into clear consciousness'by a puncture oil my hand over the knuckle, which was followed by active itchiness, and the .latter symptom was speedily extended to forehead, knuckles, and wrists, so that I got up, lighted a candle, and proceeded to search for creeping things' to which I attributed my malaise. There were none, visible, nor were there any, traces of them about, and after friction with cau de Cologne of the irritated hands I was preparing to woo the gentle goddnes, when close to my ear came the familiar ' bizz' or the, unmistakable mosquito, which I listened to ,'in breathless wonder till the bizz ceased, and there was just that feathery touch one can feel when watching for it of the wretch's wings as he alights. Then came the insinuating puncture, followed by the abortive loud sounding slap on the .spot attacked, which all mosquito-hunters know well, and then the useless stratagems and the incessant assaults, till in desperation I ; got up again and sought my persecutors face to face—l heard two bizzes distinctly. As I had to start by a very early train,,l had not much-time left -to hunt them up by daylight,' but'therej' quite bloated, hung one from tho valance of the curtains about 10ft.; above me, and as I made a desperate sweep at it with my umbrella it sailed away' with it 3 legs hanging down, as a gorged mosquito will 'do, and'cluug *« another curtain quite beyond mo, but close to au aldermanic-looking ■ '""*' lf: ; in company with which it had revelled in my. blood. As to the facts, you may believe them as positive,"

President Grant declines to seek reelection. 'The last Hospital Sunday collections in Melbourne amounted to over £4OOO. "The population'\>£ the colony of New SoutH Wales is ascertained to be 570,000. 1 Afea cattle sale in Westland last week ?beev!| brought 70s per lOOlbs. . ; ism Ger.nan scientific expedition has sailed from Melbourne for the Auckland Isles. The Eev. Charles Clarke, the popular ,||f,lbQuro,e n pr,e.agh.ei:, = .r.ejigas,hiß,pafltorate at the end of the present year. The libel case Fraser- v. Evening Star occupied the Supreme Court. Auckland,- all Tuesday. The jury were then locked up all night, and being unable to agree, were discharged. The prospect of the tea season in Eastern and Northern India has never been so good.as it is this season. The crop is estimated at 23^,millions of lbs. against an actual outturn of 19f millions last year. During a recent visit of the : King of Cambodia to Saigon, an exhibition of agricultural products and tools was held, at which 200 kinds of rice were exhibited. A poll was taken in Wellington on Friday on the question for or against a free public library, and resulted in a majority of 214 against, only 21 voting for it • ~... •-] Tne Agent for the collection of the Education Rate is about in Grahamstown. He expresses surprise at the number of bachelors on tho Thames under the age of 21 years. An American paper notes that a timid Chinese dined with the three hundred ladies at the Mount Holyoke seminary a lew days ago. Ho was very bashful, and all he could say was "Too inuchee girl." ; No'less than 154 wagons, loaded with at least 11,000 tons of dead weight, passed through the Lytteltoti railway tunnel on the Ist September, the largest quantity by 300 tons, that' has ever passed in on© day. A youngster in Dunedin, six years of age, was amusing himself with a copper token the other day. It slipped down his throat and is still there, notwithstanding the efforts of the medical faculty. He has also the measles. A West Coast exchange says that at only one division during the last sitting of Parliament were the four West Coast members present and unanimous, and that was to increase their pay from £IOO to £l5O. \J Tho Balance sheet of the Otago Guardian Newspaper Company, lately published, shews: Debtor, £10,91110s 5d ; creditor, £9120 10s 10d, or a debit of £ll9O 19s 7d on the first year's transactions. A fire in Hobson-st., Auckland, on 16th inst., destroyed a detached house occupied by Smith, a greeu-grocer. Mrs Smith was the only person in it at the time; she was carried out of the house unconscious and halt-suffocated by the smoked India is now beginning to supply herself with coal from the deposits beneath her soil. For several months past several of the coaj mining companies have been producing from their several properties to the amount of 1,200 tons per month. The Russians are now engaged building indigo factories in the vicinity of Khiva, recently captured by Russian troops. In the local markets, Russian merchants have it all their own way, to the detriment of the former channels of trade , with the Indian Empire. A smart young messenger boy in the telegraph department, Hokitika, has been found guilty of destroying messages to save himself,the trouble of delivering them. He used tp affix signatures to the receipt forms himself. Through one of these freaks 38 immigrants were landed at Greymouth instead of Hokitika. , : Taranaki papers record the death from heart-disease on the 16th iustaht, of PoliceSergeant J. Dunn, the i respected head of the Provincial police force, formerly pf the 65th Regiment. This was the officer who more than once.liberally refused to accept an increase in his salary, on account of the impoverished state of the Provincial finances, Messrs Bucldand and May have* addressed their constituents at Waiuku. Mr Buckland said'that the Premier's policy was bad and would, work miseries unparalleled'in the history of the colonyi ; Mr vogel acknowledged to have paid a million and a, half of money, for which: the colony had-got:nothing,,.but -he had to pay it to carry out his policy. The Polynesian trading scheme would benefit Auckland ultimately! With at least one of the objects,of the Auckland Reform League- we can most heartily sympathize (says the Wellington Post). • It ' is that of' " securing an appeal to the constituency before any constitutional changes are made.":; The other objects >of; the League: arej or should, be entirely Secondary to this'point. It is one involving to the fullest extent the liberty of the people, and their right to a potential: voice in'the GovernmenJ; of the country. . ••. v A jury in Truckee, California, had been out four hours when the sent the Sheriff to learn: whether they, were going to agree. The' Sheriff put au eye and then an ear to the keyhole of the room in which they were located for deliberation. Then he brought the Judge, and together they opened the door. On the table in the centre of the room stood a big bottlo of whisky, and around it the drunken twelve were hilarious, marching in single file, The foreman carried on his back a i bass drum, .upon .which the man behind was pounding him. Next came a juror playing a sual'o drum, then a shrill whistle,' imitating a fife,'and the 1 rest were singing'. " Wo couldn't agree on a verdict nohow;'' said the tipsy foreman, in reply to the Judge's reproof; "and we didn't think 'twas any hurt fur to have a social time a'long's we was a con'gen'l party.'.'-