Correspondence.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 28, 4 February 1869, Page 2

Correspondence.

To the Editor op the Nelson Evening- Mail. Sir — I am a very regular aud careful reader of newspapers, so of course a letter by M. L., which appeared in the Colonist of Ist of February, did not escape my notice, By the bye it is a pity M . L. did not take his children to the fete instead of troubling himself with letter writing on such an eventful day as the 27th Anniversary of the Province, especially as the information, for which he has been looking so long was at the time in the hands of the printer, which the Editor of the Colonist (at the office of which paper the Government Gazette is printed) might have mentioned in a foot note, if only to allay the anxiety of his correspondent, but he, no doubt, was too busy (aud wisely so) with the pleasures of this world, and at the time did not think of it, or perhaps tried to forget it. It is a little strange that M. L. should be so very anxious about the Provincial accounts when he appears to know the exact balance against the Province at the Bank. Being a good elector, and making provincial affairs my study, I also am looking very anxiously for the Government Gazette, containing a statement of the accounts, and shall not be at all surprised to find the balance against the province about one half of what M. L. imagines it to be. Trusting my imagination may be nearer the mark, I am, &c.. FOKESTER.

To the Editor of the Nelson Evenikg Mail. Sir— lf you, or either of your readers happen to be troubled with too great a flow of animal spirits, I think I can supply you with an infallible remedy for what in these times, is at least a very rare complaint. The plan I would recommend for your adoption is as follows : After escaping the importunities of the cabmen at the stand, walk up to the Dun Mountain bus station, get into the conveyance, stretch yourself out at full length on one of the seats — the chances are about three to one in favor of your being the only passenger, so that you will have ample room to indulge your lazy propensities— and wait until the driver is quite ready to start ; on no account must you attempt to hurry him, because he doesn't like if, and in tbe course of time, should no unforeseen accident occur, you will, having met possibly, two nurse girls and a perambulator on the road, find yourself at the Queen's wharf. Here, of course, you naturally expect to find a large amount of bustle and excitement, but I must at once undeceive you on that head, for if such were the case, it would not answer the purpose for which I have brought you to the business quarter of Nelson. But I must drop the advice-giving style I have adopted — with an unprincipled thermometer standing at 87deg. in the i the shade, it is too hot to give advice, and people generally are too quarrelsome in such weather to take it — and will in the place thereof recount my owu experiences of a visit I paid to the port some few days ago. Alighting from the 'bus,' I at ouce proceeded to the wharf, where I certainly did expect to see a little life — well I wa: not disappointed, I did see a Jittlo, a very little. But first for the shipping. With the exception of that graceful looking image of Noah's ark, the Moutoa, and some three or four toy craft, the only vessel in harbor was that magnificent ocean steamer, Lady Barkly, so that from what I there saw I was not able to arrive at any very clear idea of what is meant by a forest of masts. The only signs of life on the wharf (I told you they were very little) were two boys, a rat, and three blowflies. The boys, with an amount of energy that was scarcely compatible with the intensity of the heat, were pushing an empty truek — from the dilapidated state of said truck, I should say that emptiness was its normal state — along the rails that were carefully wrapped up in a coating of rust. The rat, who had evidently seen better days, was standing at the edge of the wharf gazing in a contemplative mood on the Lady Barkly and, as it appeared to me, musing on the mutability of mundane matters which could have caused her to be the sole representative in Nelson harbor, of the steam fleet that used to frequent its waters. I liked the look of that rat, Ism certain he was a deep thinker, and at the same time of a most versatile disposition. When first I caught sight of him he was in a fit of the blues, and arguing within himself whether 'twere better to remain on shore and be starved, or plunge into the water and be drowned — possibly he was an admirer of Shakespere, and was repeating to himself Hamlet's soliloquy. His ruminations might perhaps have ended fatally, had not a waft from the galley of the steamer reached his nose just at the critical moment, upon which my friend smacked his lips, and retired to his den thinking that on the whole he'd rather face the. ills he had. But I've been talking so much about the rat, that I have not left much room to tell you about the three flies, who were perfectly frantic with excitement at ' seeing a human being on the wharf, they got into my whiskers, crawled down my neck, and on" the whole became most unpleasantly familiar — They were so unaccustomed to man | Their tameneas was shocking to me ;

and it was was with considerable difficulty that I succeeded eventually in getting rid of them. Altogether there was nothing very inspiriting to be seen on the wharf, so I made up my mind to return, but before doing so, I thought I would take a look at the piles which supported it, and these I found, as I had rather expected, to be in a state of decay, however, there was some comfort in the reflection, that as there was no shipping, there was not much necessity for a wharf, so that the expense of building a new one would be spared to the province.* At last I reached the street, and here I found a large crowd of nearly seven persons listening to the blandishments of an auctioneer, who was vainly endeavoring to persuade them to purchase a bankrupt's stock which be had received instructions, etc. This again was cheerfully suggestive of a prosperous state of affairs, and I didn't wait to prospect any further. I was in a moderately good humor when I left the town that morning, having succeeded in transacting busiuess to the amount of close on ss. 3d., before midday, but wheu I got home I was cross and depressed, and the meat wasn't half cooked, and the baby was crying, and my wife andi had a few words, ond what with one thing and another —well, just you take a trip to the port, Mr Editor, and see if it doesn't effect you in the same manner, and then you can describe your feelings, better perhaps, than I can mine, I am awfully sorry to take up so much of your space but it has been a great relief to me to unburden my mind. Yours, &c, Robinson Ceusoe.