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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 28, 3 February 1870, Page 3

The Bruce Herald is responsible ior the following: — "A case of youthful maternity has occurred not a hundred miles from Tokomairiro. A girl aged only 12 years and 3 months has become a mother. Both mother aud child are doing well." We, Southern Cross, are informed that that an immense tract of flax country, extending all the way from Raglan to Port Waikato, a distance of about thirtymiles, aud haviDg a breadth of three or four, has been leased from the natives for the period of twenty-seven years by a gentleman named Young, who, it is said, intends to have it surveyed aud cut up into portions - to suit persons desirous of entering into the flax-preparing business. This will supply a want much feh at present^ for there has latterly been considerable difficulty in obtaining flax laud iu convenient places, aDd at a reasonable figure. The New Mail Service. — The Sydney correspondent of the Melbourne Argus writes as follows :— -"The contract is not formally in the hands of any compauy, so the service is to be styled the 'Californian and New Zealand aud Australian Mail Line of Packets.' Although the con- ' tractor is an American, the vessels are to be subject to all the regulations of New Zealand as to survey, &c. The length of voyage between Sydney and Auckland is fixed at 144 hours, aud that between Auckland and San Francisco is 600 hours for the first six voyages, and 575 hours ' afterwards. A bonus of £30 is to be given for every 24 hours short of the contract time within which the voyage may be completed, and a similar fine for every dayovertime, and this applies to the voyages on both sides of Auckland, viz., to that to , California and to that to Sydney. The ' detention at Auckland is not to exceed 30 hours, and the Government there relieves ; the contractor from all port charges, r.nd ' agrees to give him every facility. The postages are to belong to her Majesty. The contract is to be for twelve months, a but the contractor has the option of making it a five years' contract, and he deposits £1,000 as security for making a start. The dates of departure are to be — March 26, April 27, May 28, June 30, and thereafter on the last of every month from „ Sydney, and the 7th of every month from " Auckland, The passage-money by this route to England will be £40 from Sydney to San Francisco, £18 from that port to ISTew York by the railway, and £16 from New York to England. This will include victualling for the whole distance." American Immigration. — A lending article in the New York Tribune of the 4th of October last contains the following : — " Few people realise the importance of the great stream of immigration flowing into our country. Duriug the year , ending on the last day of Juue there were recorded nearly 390,000 arrivals, of ;, which about 353,000 were real immigrants. Of these 253,754 landed in New York City, almost 700 per day the year through. The nationality of these new comers is rapidly changing. A few years *" : ago, two-thirds of them were from Ireland; now Germany and the Scandinavian, countries furnish 183,731 ; Ireland, 64,938 ; 'Great Britain, 60,286; and France, Italy, and Spain, a mere fraction. We presume tbat these immigrants bring an average of > 100 dols. each into the country, which makes an aggregate of over 35,000,000, dols. in gold. But aside from their money, they bring the best material for the country in the form of stout young men and women, able and anxious to work their a way in the world. And we observe, with much satisfaction,ihat there is a growiug tendency to avoid the crowded cities, and find homes and opportunities, in the roomy wesk