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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 169, 20 July 1868, Page 2

The Port Louis Commercial Gazette of the 25th of April, says desparingly of the fever which has been raging at Mauritius for some time past: — The fever will not leave us. The mortality for the past month exceeds that of February, but; since the first of this month the number of deaths, and, as far as we can learn, the number of new cases of fever have diminished. The deaths during the past month as compared with February are as follows :— March, 2,817; February, 2229. The total population of the colony is not at present more than 300,000. A death rate of forty per 1,000 per annum would give 1,000 per month, and more than double that number have perished, and are perishing. Taking the town separately with its 50,000 inhabitants, and the average mortality of 1,000 per. month, a few years would only be required to exterminate its population.' The latest news received from the Victory is to the effect that the man who is recovering- from yellow fever is now only suffering from debility, and is: able to move about on deck. It is considered necessary to land the crew on Middle Island, and fumigate the vessel before releasing her from quarantine. It appears from the Cornwall Chronicle of June 27, that great alarm was occasioned at Launceston, by the arrival on the previous day of the brig Victory, from Mauritius, with fever on board. The vessel had been put in quarantine. The following quaint epitaph on husband and wife is to be seen in one of the Parisian cemeteries: — 4 lam anxiously expecting you. A.D 1829.' ' Here I>m. A. D. 1867/ So the good woman was 40 years making up her mind to follow her husband.

"The Auckland Weekly News of the 11th instant, says that a bet of £100 a side has been entered into, between two well-known gentlemen of Auckland, that the yield from Hunt's Claim, at the Thames Gold field, 'will prove to be ten thousand ounces at the expiratiou of one month from commencement of operations with their machine. The machine will commence crushing on Monday next. It will carry twelve stamps, capable of crushing 15 tons of calcined quartz in 24 hours. Twq retorts, equal to 500 oz. each, have been ordered. Up to this time there are 200 tons of quartz lying on the ground ready for crushing, and which it is estimated will yield 50 ozs. to the ton. A large parcel of specimens, weighing over a ton, is expected to yield £,500 ounces.