The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1870.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 6, 7 January 1870, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1870.

The Stas Capella may now be observed for a short ii;ne low down in the lioiizon, due north, between 9 and 10 in the evening. It is t he i«o*t northern ot the English stars, visible iv this latitude. Sale of Perseverance Company Shares. — .Fifty shares iv the Perseverance Gold Mining Company are to He sold sit auctiou by Mr. Elliott to morrow at m>on. Accident. — An accident occurred yesterday to Mr. Traynor and Mr. Adams while crossing: the Motueka River in a dray. The horse got into a quicksand aud was soon drowned ; the cart aod harness were afterwards recovered, but Mr. Traynor lost all the goods he had with him. Mr. Adams was in the water for half-an-hour when he was rescued by Mr. Talrot of the ferry, who was very prompt in rendering assistance. Mr. Traynor was washed ashore by the current some 200 yards further down. Protection of Eiver Banks. — Mr. Grove, who has met with considerable success iv turning the course of the Waiiti River at Foxiiill, has furnished us with a plan of the breakwater system by which he has accomplished his object, he writes as follows : — By careful observation of our rivers, I have come to the conclusion that during flood time the water aud not. the land, is the governing power, that is to say, the water shifts its bed at will and is not confined to one course or another by the banks which when the river is low define its boundaries. After the flood is over, the water loses the controlling power it possessed and has to flow in the channel foimed by itself at flood tiine,;hemraed in by the undestroyed land on its shores. Actiug j upou these observations, I have found it advisable to attack the water and not the land. I cut no channel, fill up no holeSj nor stop any waterways, but by altering tha course of of the water, I can cause a river to cut through a shingle or boulderbank here, or fill up a hole or a channel there, just as I desire, and can, by placing my breakwaters in the proper place and at the* proper an^le, contentedly leave them to utilise the immense power of the river in a flood, thus rendering, what was a formidable master, a most useful servant," Serious damage was inflicted upon dam-holders, diggers, aud others, by a heavy rain that tell at fho West Coa^t lasc we< j k. At Orawaiti and German Creek damage has been done to the extent of several hundreds o! pounds. The miners who poured into Wesl.port to enjoy their Christmas holidays have all returned to their claim?, and the Times says tlutt duriug the whole week no r h urge of druhk'eoness or ilisor.lerly conduct appeared on the police sheer. The fentuivs of the holidays were good hunur and good order. Mr. Timothy "'Gallagheb. —At a meeting lately held at Chariestou this distinguished legislator is reported to have B»id thai. *" he was thoroughly convinced that as a rule the Press of New Zealand was the most venial aud corrupt in the world." We thank him for his good opinion, but would suggest that the mistake of substituting venial for venal is bardlj pardonable in a leading member of the legislature, such as Mr. Timothy Gallagher, M.H.R. Manuka. — The Melbourne correspon. dent ofuurOtago contemporary, writing on December 23, says : — Your crack horse Manuka seems yet likely to do something on our turf. He has been placed under tbe care of Mr. Phillip Dowling, the trainer, and a few days since was cast and fired, the operation, as' far as can be diagnosed, having been as successful as was expected. He will not do any more work until tl)6 Cup, when, if the firing has rectified his mishap, and he is in any sort of condition, it will take a good horse to show him the way round the Fiemmington course. He is in excellent fettle, and stood the operation well, and without apparent Bhock to or depression of the system. i