THE SOUTH.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 95, 26 October 1868, Page 259

THE SOUTH.

By/the amval of the;steamship ‘treDington’ yes-: terday forenoon we received our usual- packets of Southern files, from whic& we gleari the foilowirig SUMMARY;;GOF : NEWS. - 7 - : . The earthquake of Mondhy- lasfcfsdems to have been felt:throughout the Colony. In Wanganui it was-felt about ten minutes past 12]* arid is said to be the heaviest since those, of 1855^. The Times says it lasted two,: min utes,. though the hbusesrocked and. reeled double that/time. /A number .'of chiirineys were injured, arid' a considerable quanti- - ty of glassware broken. Three or four slight sliooks-' followed the first. ■ The substantial bridge overithe' Tarakina, erected at a cost of £1,400, is so damaged as to be considered unsafe. By the Lyttelton Times we perceive that it was felt in Christchurch at 12.13 a.m. - The vibration was riot very violent, bnt.caused the office -lamps "to . swing in a marked .manner. It was severely felt at Hokitika, where it was preceded by a rumbling sound. .Great alarm was felt, and a large number of persons betook themselves to the hills, fearing an earthquake wave. 'lt was also felt severely in Westport, Greymouth, and Charleston, but no mention is mode of it at Dunedin, "where, however, the tide was unusually high. . In Nelson the shock Was felt. severely, and did considerable damage. It lasted about 45 seconds, and was accompanied with load subterranean rumblings. It is said to be the severest since 1855.

From Wanganui we learn that another murder has been committed by the rebels, a settler named Collins having been shot by an ambuscade of fifteen or twenty natives, while in company with another gentleman. The body was recovered on the following day, frightfully mutilated, and with'the head missing. The ambuscade is supposed to have been planned for Captain Hawes, from information given by a •* friendly ” native.—Titokowaru’s whereabouts is unknowiT.—Colonel Whitmore is at the Front; much is expected of him.

We learn from the New Zealand Advertiser that liis Excellency the Governor contemplates a visit to Wanganui about tbe 10th Nov. Dr. Featherston will most likely accompany Sir Geo. Bowen. On his return, his Excellency, accompanied by Lady Bowen and family, will leave for Auckland, where it is anticipated the summer will be spent.

The third session of the fourth Parliament of New Zealand came to an endou Tuesday last, anch was prorogued with tlie usual formalities. The steamer ‘ Nelson,’ the property of Messrs. Edwards & Co., of Nelson, has been totally lost at West- Wanganui. All hands saved. The West Coast Times, 20th inst., says that portions of wreck and dead cattle are reported to be all along the coast from Nelson to Westport. New r s of floods reaches us from Canterbury. In Kaiapoi in one 200-acre field of corn, 150 acres are under a swift • running stream, in some places 4i feet deep; and other farms suffered in proportion.

From Hokitika and Westport we have also news of heavy floods. In the former town on the 15th inst. some of the streets were converted into rivers, and the inhabitants had to be removed from their houses in boats.

We recently mentioned the fact of the Rev. J Tyerman of Canterbury accepting the doctrines of Swedenborg, aud that he intended making a public statement of his reasons for so doing. On Thursday tlie Bth a meeting was held in the (late) Independent Methodist Chapel, for this purpose; The meeting was largely attended; many appeared to have come for the purpose of creating a disturbance, and several were drunk. Mr Tyerman - during the first part of liis address with difficulty,, obtained a hearing; but when he spoke of the . means by which the society to which he belonged ' had obtained the building 1 he could proceed no ' further. An orgie ensued which had never been . ° • • - -A # - k equalled in Christchurch, and was especially, disgraceful in a place of worship. A person described in one of the papers as “ a being in human • shape” commenced the hachanaliau chorus “For - he’s a jolly good fellow, ’’ and the meeting broke up iu confusion. -The press of the province is. naturally disgusted. Mr Tyerman fiuislied his. , explanation in the columns of the “ Press,” and : a tea meeting was held in connection with his church on Wednesday evening last, which was largely attended aud very successful.