LATEST INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 4, 6 January 1869, Page 2

LATEST INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

(From the Melbourne Argus.) A most destructive fire occurred last Saturday evening, 12th ult., at Carlton,, which in less than an hour consumed property to the estimated value of £5,000. .The fire began at Madeline-house, a drapery establishment of considerable extent, at the corner of Madeline and Queeusbury Streets, occupied and owned' by Mr Edward Cornell. Captain Stack's third enrolment has not proved so successful as the others, and the contingent of less than 30 men, who are to start to-day per Rangitoto for theseat of war, still leaves him considerably less tban his required number of 200. We regret to be informed that a third case of smallpox has occurred in this city. The person attacked is a girl who lived in the neighborhood of the ImmigrationHospital, in which the two poor fellows, Webster and Bessell, died lately — theformer from this disease, and the latter from acute diarrhoea, while laboring under an attack of smallpox. Henry Carter Campbell, said to be tbe son of a wealthy squatter in New Zealand,, has absconded under circumstances of themost discreditable character. He wasemployed to drive a flock of 700 sheep from Nangunyah station, N.S.W., to Beechworth. On arriving at Rutherglen^ however, he sold 400 of the sheep to a couple of butchers,. and disappeared on the--Bth ult., leaving the remainder of the flockin the charge of two boys. A warrant will most likely be issued for his apprehension. We understand that the military authorities have not yet determined on transferring the troops now in this colony to the scene of war in New Zealand. NoCommunication on the subject, it appears,, was received from the New Zealand Government by the mail which arrivedfrom that island on Sunday last. Our files from Hobart Town are to the 16th inst., but they contain little news. We observe that the younger portion of the inhabitants of the city had been somewhat excited by a prophecy — which came from nobody knows where- — that, on the 17th inst., Australia was to be scourged by a tidal wave, which was to overtop Mount Wellington. As we have escaped ihe earthquake, we may hope that our neighbors on the otber side'have not been swept away. A mad youth, who had been employed as a draper in Launceston, had created some excitement there by the direction his hallucination took. He fancied he had become the possessor of great wealth, and, disgusted with the manner in wbich the trade with Melbourne was conducted, had offered tb buy up the Tasmanian Company's vessels and business for £70,000 to meet which he 'deposited a cheque for £50,000 at the Bank of Van> Dieman's Land, and one for £40,000 at the Commercial Bank, drawn in favor of the company. Some private troubles had disordered his intellect, but a rest for a few days is expected to restore him to hia right mind. During tbe tremendous thunderstorm tbat broke over Daylesford on Tuesday morning, tbe lightning, says the Mercury, entered the machine-room and played : about the press. The men who were at work started back in a fright, but fortunately were not injured. , « It is calculated by the South Australian Register that tbe present harvest will give

a yield of about 6,600,000 bushels bt wheat for that colony. The surplus over local requirements is expected to be nearly the same as it was in 1 867. From all parts" of the country come complaints of want of hands for the harvest work. The Ballarat Star has been informed that the farmers in Carisbrook and Maryborough are at present in great straits for want of men to cut down the harvest, not being able to find any for love or money. There ought to be no cry of want of work while such a state of things exists. After a lapse of twelve mouths the remains of a clergyman, the Rev. Samuel Bromley, who disappeared in an" unaccountable manner from Pyramul, near Meroc, in NeW South Wales, have been discovered : search had been made without avail until within a late periodj and all hopes had been given up of obtaining any knowledge of his fate. On tbe Ist inst., a skull and other human bones were found in a gully by a shepherd who gave immediate information to the friends of the unfortunate gentleman. From the clothes and articles found, there can be no doubt that the remains are those of Mr Bromley. It is conjectured that in the course of a ramble he had been overtaken by sickness, probably dysentery, to which he was subject, had sat down completely prostrated, and had been unable to rise again. Mr William Weaver, formerly engineer-in-chief of the province of Auckland, and inspector-general of telegraphs of New Zealaud, was found dead at the Victoria Hotel, Geelong, yesterday morning, 18th inst. He had been there during the last fortnight"" on a visit. An inquest was held on the body, and the evidence disclosed the fact that death resulted from an attack of sanguineous apoplexy, and the jury returned a verdict accordingly.