The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1870.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 29, 4 February 1870, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1870.

The young Karl of Pembroke has started to New Zealand for the benefit of his health. Mr Sewell, intends shortly returning to N-.-W Zealand fora time, and it is stated that Sir Geora-e Givy contemplates paying a visit there during'the winter. Theatrical. — The Star Company gave their first performance at the Oddfellows' Hall last night before a very fair audience, and we have little hesitation in sayin- that they are one of the best companies we have seen iv Nelson. The acting of Mrs. H. Jackson, and Mr. J. G. Joyce especially, in tho drama of Time Tries All was remarkably good, while Mr. Kay ncr in the Jealous Wife aud Mr. Howard in the Phenomenon iv a Smock Frock callftd forth loud plaudits from the delighted audience. Wh observe that there is to iv* -inoih-jr [loifoimance to-nig' = t whej: ;ve hopv lo see that these talented artistes will be as largely patronised as they deserve to be. Nelson Regatta. — At a meeti ug of the Regatta club held last night it was decided to hold the annual regatta on Weduesday next. The Committee have been compelled to give this short notice in order to enable the celebrated Lyttelton boat Red Jacket, which has hitherto proved victorious wherever she has been, to run, and as she has- been sent up specially to compete for the Challenge Cup, we may expect to ccc a really good race. The programme appears to be an attractive one, so far as concerns the spectators, but in order to render it equally so to the competitors it is necessary that the public should come forward with their subscriptions with as little delay as possible. The Committee have wisely refrained from specifying the prizes until they have learned what, amount of support is likely to be afforded to them in their endeavor to provide a day's amusement for the public. Another Gorse Fire. — This afternoon, for the second time this week, an alarm of fire was created by the ignition of gorse within the town boundaries. On the present occasion, the fire occurred at the entrance to Brook Street Valley, and was caused, we understand, by sparks flying from where one of Mr. Hunter Brown's men was burning some rubbish on the hill side, into a quantity of gorse that is growing near tbe house formerly occupied by the late Mr. Newcome, and which was only rescued from the flames to-day by the active exertions of a number of persons who speedily congregated on the ringing of the fire bell. These two warnings, following so rapidly on one another, will, we trust, have the effect of inducing our legislators to take some steps towards insistiug upon the destruction of gorse hedges withiu the town. Mount Owen. — Mr. Culliford who is at present at Canterbury has called upon Mr. Haast for the purpose of obtaining from him some information relative to the mountain named by him Mount Owen, and the result of his interview is contained in the following telegram which has been kindly placed at our disposal by Mr. Everett, to whom it was sent ; — "Mount Owen named by Mr. Haast is situated three miles North-west of the junction of the River Owen with the Buller. (Signed) A. Culliford." This, we are informed, would be some fifteen miles to the westward of tha diggers' Mount Oweu, and would consequently, if accepted as the terminus of the --straight

line from Mount Arthur," raa]k§i^^^ferial difference in the relative positiofror the disputed land to the boundary of the South-west G-oldfields. New Zealand and San Francisco Mail Service. — We are indebted to the Postmaster-General for a copy of " the contract, charter party, and correspondence" reiatiug tothe establishment of this service. A paragraph, however, which we re-published yesterday from the Argus supplied all the information as to the arrangements for the couveyance of the mails between Sydney, via Auckland, and San Francisco. The only portion of the service as yet unprovided for is the distribution of the mails throughout the colony, but Mr. Yogel informed a deputation of Auckland merchants which lately waited upon him that the Government intended to arrange for a quick service so thafc the whole colony might benelit by it.. The followiug startling piece of intelligence appeared iv a lato number of the Wellington Post : — "A great native meeting is proposed at Raglan ; 2,000 are expected to be present, including Tawhiao, the Governor and Mr. M'Lean." That this latter gentleman should afc last come out in his true colors, and be included among the " natives expected to be present," does not at all surprise us, but tbat tho Governor had turned Maori, and should suffer himself to be looked upon as a secoud rate chief, only to be mentioued after King Tawhiao, is a piece of news for which *we were not prepared. Sir George Bowen arrayed in a Maori mat, and defiantly waving a mere at a lot of Englishmen who had refused to pay him his salary, would make a fine subject for a cartoon iv the Auckland Punch. From the Melbourne Argus we learn that a scheme has been broached for a telegraphic cable from Sydney to New Zealand, and the subject of the communication between Carpentaria and Batavia is also being discussed.