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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 289, 10 December 1869, Page 2

]\Jr..Cotterell's. Entertainment. — There was a very fair attendance at the "Oddfellows' Hall last night; when Mr. • Cotterell, .accompanied by "Mr; Oakey on the piano, gave one of his- capital musical and. dramatic entertainments. Prospecting Parties.— A meeting of the subscribers to the prospecting fund is advertised to beheld at Mr. Nehse's-this evening, at half-past eight, when business of importance is to be transacted, Desertion. — At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning three seamen for deserting the barque Hera were sentenced to one month's imprisonment ■ with hard labor. Perseverance Company. — A rumor was abroad , this morning, said to have been brought over by the Lady Barkly yesterday,,, to the effect that -the leasehold of the Perseverance Mining Company, or some portion of it, had been jumped, owing to. some informality or neglect on the part of * the holders. On euquiry, however, we learn that the report is entirely without foundation and that the - leaseholders have been assured .by the Warden that .everything has been donecorrectly and, strictly iv Order; Collingwood Quartz Reefs.— -Some week or ten diays ago a report was rife that . ; . several. fine specimens of auriferous quartz', had been brought over from' Collingwood. by Mi*i ; M. Davisj 'but-- the.. matter. was kept' very quiet "and but little more was said' about it. To-day however, we were shown the lumps of, stone, some jOf them weighing., nearly 4blbs;, which Mr. Davis assures us, were taken from the reef in. his presence ■ : aud certainly we were astonished -at their evident richness. „ The gold is plainly visible, aud, from . the weight of the specimens, there can be little doubt that the repf from whence they, came must yield handsome returns. It is proposed to form; 'a' company for the purpose of working the claim, ! /which' adjoins that belonging to the 1 Perseverance, Company .;,< ' J Losses At ' SeA.— lt as not long since,; we were called^upon to recOrd the loss of the* Blue; Jacket.'; by, fire, :;|;the ';caus4 of which was said, whether rightly 5 or'•wrongly it is impossible to ■ determine, to' '[ja&y.e. heeri ;the ! heMing ;of • the .flax which' ! formed part of jher t cargo.j We ! tfow learn that the ship -Mataoka which! ,"! sailed .'from s',5 ', ' O^ttelton'in 'May^last.>''haß'^)apt /y ßillce been*V • heard ofi; and^that - < 80 ' guineas'- per, : cent;;: { i'lion^pn'iiforf. msjn^cej^^ -^*7Z - Ifthat:; this;,vessel !,sa)Je<^fjwm '^^ Zealand" another ship, the Celoeno, cleared - out at Lyttelton, and-she, we find, arrived at her v Idertinaitioa^ on looking over the manifests of the 1 two;-;

ships we find; that the; latter had no flax on board, but jthat |lhe ;former had 300 bales among her cargo. .Can this in any accouut. for the ship not having yet arrived in London. We have no desire whatever : to 'alay runnecessaryralarm/ on this head, for we believe that there is nothing to show that fiax7~ if properly prepared, is -more liable,, to ...take, fire than wool, but there can be nodoubt that if. sufficient caire be not takeh-iu thoroughly drying it, flax would prove a most dangerous cargo, and we cannot altogether get rid of the suspicion that such has been the case in Canterbury. From Auckland it has been shipped in small quantities at various times for the last 30 years, and it has never been known to have taken fire, therefore it cannot be said to be necessarily an unsafe freight, but has the same amount of care been bestowed upon it at Canterbury? This is a subject which is well worth inquiring iDto. From October 1 5 to November 1 8, gold . from the Long Drive to the value of £11,031 .was deposited in the Bank of New Zealand at Grahamstown. A man named Thomas Taylor, in the employ of Messrs. Stone and M'Gee, ! bakers, at the Thames, lately met his death : from foul air io a well. He went. down to recover a bucket, and when within a few , feet of the bottom he became powerless. Before assistance could be rendered he died. Intelligence has been received from Mr. Ormond, that, a rumour is afloat to the effect that ..Kereopa . had joined Te Kooti with the object of niaking an attack on Tupuaha-nui at the north end pf Taupo lake. Such a movement would be rather desirable than otherwise. Kereopa's force is very small," 'alrid Kboti's much reduced, while thefriendlies at the place threatened, under the command of Major Roberts^ are very well, prepared to receive an attack, and would no doubt quickly turn the tables on the " allies." M'Donnell's force is stationed at the southern extremity of the lake, at present" inactive ; .but he possesses means of communication by water with Roberts, and can support hira if necessary. If Koqti make this forward movement, it may perhaps result in his death or capture ; the only thing to be feared is that he will cling to the wild "M'Gregor" country of the Governor, where he msy long elude . all efforts directed against him.