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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 265, 7 November 1868, Page 2

Monday next being observed as a public holiday, in accordance with our usual practice, no publication of this journal will take place on that day. The arrangements made for the celebration of the 27th anniversary of the birthday of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales promise to afford ample choice of amusement to those loyal subjects who purpose doing honor to the day by keeping holiday thereon. In the city the procession and subsequent tea meeting of the Band of Hope, followed by other amusements during the evening at the Temperance Hall, will furnish enjoyment to a large number of juveniles and their friends. The children attending the Sunday-school held at the Temperance Hal!, will also have

their anniversary pic-nic and tea party in Brook-street Valley, near the Reservoir, aud for the convenience of persons desiring to visit the scene, trucks will run ou the Dun Mountain tramway, as far as the Company's stables at the head of the valley. A cricket match between members of the Nelson Band of Hope and the Stoke Clubs is annouuced to take place on Victory-square, and the steamer Lady Barkly will make excursions to-day and on Monday to Motueka, at a most moderate charge, affording facilities for a sojourn of three days at that place. The Moutoa also will make excursions to the Waimea and Rabbit Island on Monday, Uyhich will enable our pleasure-seeking citizens an opportunity of enjoying a thorough change of air and scene both by land and sea. A ball will take place in the evening at the Oddfellows-hall. We observe that our country friends have also made preparations for the celebration of the day, a tea meeting and ball being announced at Richmond, with similar entertainments at Spring Grove. We are glad to be able to state that the schooner Amateur, which was stranded on the Saudspit on Thursday last, was got off about 3 o'clock yesterday morning. The Lady Barkly then towed her down to Astrolabe-roads, where a survey was made, which proved that she had been very much shaken, the copper being off her starboard bilge, and the stancheons and waterways started. It was however considered that these injuries were not likely to imperil the safety of the schooner, which has accordingly proceeded on her voyage to Newcastle. The Provincial Engineer leaves this eveuiug by the Kennedy, in order to make his promised inspection of the wharves, &c, at Westport. The next assizes of the Supreme Court commence on Monday, the 16th instant. At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, Richard Townsend was fined £1 for allowing four cows to be astray in Vanguard-street, Charles Harley, £l for allowing a horse to be astray in Churchstreet; W. Osman being mulcted in 2s. 6d. for a similar delinquency on the part of a donkey. We regret to hear that a serious accident occurred to Sergeant-Major Edwards yesterday afternoon, on his way from Wakapuaka to town.' It appears that he had dismounted from his horse, aud in trying to remount the animal, a rather restive one, he was dragged for some distance in the stirrup, and received a severe kick in the breast. He is now confined to his bed, but we are glad to learn that his medical attendant thinks more favorably of the case than was at first anticipated. The North German brig Emma, 170 tons, arrived to-day from Mauritius, laden with 250 tons of sugar, after a passage of about 28 days. The following Wellington telegram, under date of the 4th inst., which appears in the Westport Times of Thursday last, gives fuller details relative to the present state of things at the Front on the West Coast, thau was conveyed by the telegram we published on Weduesday last: — Intelligence has been received from Wanganui that Colonel Gorton had received on the Ist inst. a letter frora the officer commanding the Wereroa redoubt, suyiug that Tito Kowaru had advanced to Perakaraa. aud taken up a position at Papatitu, seven miles from the redoubt, aud was there joined by Aprihama, Paul, and nearly all the Waitotara natives, the whole force numbering about 600. On Saturday night Mr Durie's house north of Waitotara was attacked by 40 Hauhaus. The inmates however were warned just in time to make their escape undressed. The Wanganui Cavalry under the command of Captain Noakse, were sent to reinforce Wereroa, till the arrival of the militia. The first class militia started at 4 p.m. on the Ist instant, for the redoubt under the command of Colonel Gorton. 175 men who had arrived in Wellington from Auckland, enlisted for the Front, and left last night for Patea. They are all Waikato or 65th regiment men. We have already referred to the fact that Colonel Whitmore, previous to the departure of the Nelson Contingent from Patea, passed a very flattering encomium on the general conduct of its members whilst on service at the Front. The following is the district order alluded to, and we have much pleasure in giving publicity to so creditable a testimonial to our fellowtownsmen:— - The Colonel Commanding feels it to be a pleasing duty to thank Captain Spiller and the Nelson an d Tara-

naki Contingent, now on the point of leaving this station for their homes at the expiration of the period for which they enlisted, for their excellent behavior in camp and in the field throughout this campaign. These services are inscribed where doubtless Captain Spiller and his men would most wish them to be recorded, iv the recollection of those who shared their dangers and witnessed their conduct, aud doubtless through their comrades of other corps, become known and appreciated by their fellow-settlers. But a corps which has so distinguished itself deserves a full recognition of its merit; and the Colonel, in biddingt hem goodbye, takes this opportunity of acknowledging their services to the colony. Lieutenant Rowan (late of the 43rd), who was severely wounded ia the disaster, at Rua-aruaru, is, we are glad to say, progressing favorably; so also is Dr Best. Private Melwyn has died of his wounds. The Westport Times of Thursday says : — Very good reports come in from the new diggings discovered to the northward of Deadman's Creek. Quite an excitement on the subject prevails in the townships of Caledonian, and Giles', and a good many men are knocking round the neighborhood of the new ground situated under Hatter's Terrace within two miles of the Waimangoroa river. It is estimated frora the prospects obtained by the prospectors, M'Gowan and party, that the diggings will pay about £15 to £20 per man, per week. The ball in aid of the funds of the funds of the Westport Hospital took place on the 3rd instant, but appears not to have been so well patronised as it deserved to be, a result which the Times attributes 'to the evil influence exerted by one or two members of the Hospital Committee, who, from some cause or another, disapproved of the affair.' The attendance, as regards gentlemen, fell far short of what was expected, but the gentler sex was well represented, rather a strange fact in a mining township. The arrangements generally gave great satisfaction, the supper con- . sisting of general contributions of excellent quality. At the meeting of the Otago Acclimatisation Society, held at Dunedin last week, a very satisfactory account of the progress of tbe trout-ova was given. It appears they were nearly all hatched, and in a very healthy state. Arrangements are put in train for their future distribution, and various rivers were mentioned as suitable for their reception. Not the slightest clue has yet been got to the perpetrators of the late extraordinary attempt at robbery of the ova boxes, and subsequent attack on Mr Clifford. At the annual meeting of the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society, which came off on Wednesday week, the Secretary's report showed a much more satisfactory state of affairs than had previously existed. The question of shows underwent a long discussion, and it was arranged that the annual show should come off in alternate years in the chief agricultural centres — Oamaru, Waikouaiti, Dunedin, Taieri, Tokomairiro, and Clutha. It is hoped that this will better meet the convenience of the exhibitors in the various districts. A correspondent of the Southern Cross asks why it is that, while the price of flour at Sydney is £15, at Hobarton £16, at Melbourne £14, and at Adelaide £13, the price of the same article at Auckland remains firm at from £19 to £21. He says that it seems to have become a custom for the millers of Auckland to keep the price of flour a pound or two above the Australian rates, and the public appear to have got used to it. But when it conies to be a matter of £5 extra, he considers it time that some stir was made to destroy the monopoly by which these high prices are maintained. Mr Hugh Law Rose, who has lately left Canterbury, writes to the editor of the Inverness Courier as follows: — In your last impression I remark that sheep are quoted in Canterbury at 2s to 2s 3d per head, and your correspondent states that four years ago they cost 12s. About five years ago I bought maiden ewes at 34s a head, and almost any description of sheep were readily saleable at about 30s. As you remark, pastoral affairs do not appear to be flourishing in New Zealand. The causes of this, I believe, are to be attributed to the war (which has saddled the young colony with £3,000,000 of debt), over-speculation, and the general depression of all commercial affairs in this country. When I left the province of

Canterbury, about a year ago, every third house was for sale, and about half the old squatters ruined or nearly so. Now is evidently the time for boiling down, but as such an establishment requires a certain amount of capital to set up and work, it is almost beyond the power of sheepfarmers to establish privately. I should imagine that sheep would average, with fleece and tallow, about 8s a head; and if a firm could ; guaranteea regular rate of 6s a head, there would be a good margin for profit, besides giving to the squatters a certain sale for their over stock, at present I believe unsaleable even at the very low figure of 2s. Should this be the means of inducing capitalists to invest their money iv such an undertaking, I have no hesitation in saying that, being early in the field they may depend on a'considerable share of business, and at the same time materially benefit a colouy which, I fell certain, will yet emerge with splendor from her temporary difficulties.' It is stated that Major-General Bisset, C.8., formerly Administrator of the Government of Natal, for many years on the staff at the Cape, aud an old Kaffir warofficer, has received the substantial appointment of Governor of Mauritius, at a salary of £700 per annum, rendered vacant by the resignation of Sir Henry Barkly. No little excitement was produced in Niagara, recently, by the announcement that another victim had been added to tha list of those who have gone over the Falls. At about half-past 3 o'clock that afternoon, as the General Superintendent of Goat Island was passing Bridge No. 3, on the islands known as the Three Sisters, he discovered the body of a man passing directly under the bridge. Following the body down the stream he saw it pass over the Horse-Shoe Falls. The unfortunate man is supposed to have been sun-struck, and to have fallen from a boat a few miles above the Falls. Further than this, nothing is known of the affair. This is the fifth man that has gone over the Falls within a month.