FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1870.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 118, 20 May 1870, Page 2

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1870.

Wangapeka Quartz. — A smoli portion of qnartz, weighirjg 18ozs., which had beeu brought from what was considered the poorest part of the Culliford reef, and in which no gold was visible, was yesterday crushed and yielded the very satisfactory result of at the rate of 4ozs. 15dwt. to the ton.

The Theatre. — The Star Company have been most unfortunate in the weather since their arrival here, no performance having taken place since Tuesday, owing to the heavy rain that has been falling. To-night's programme consists of Tom Taylor's comedy " Still waters run deep," and it is to be hoped for the sake of the members of the Company, whose patience must have beeu sorely tried by the incessant rain, that the clerk of the weather will prove more favorable to their interests.

The Superintendent and the Council. — The deputation appointed by the Council last night to confer with the Superintendent on the subject of his message, waited upon him this morning, and were engaged for nearly two hours in discussing the matter with him. We understand that no definite result has been arrived at, but that on the Council meeting this evening, his Honor will send down a message expressing his views on the report of the Select Committee.

There were Giants in those days- " And," says a correspondent, " there is reason to believe that the race is not yet extinct. In walking up Trafalgar-street this afternooD, I saw a group that attracted my attention from the massive proportions of its component parts. It consisted of five individuals, none of them strangers to the town, who presented so solid an appearance that I was induced to make some enquiry, as to their weights and heights, and in order to show that my curiosity was not unreasonably excited, I may state that the aggregate of the former was 80 st. 1 lb., and the total of the latter 30ft. s|in.; what it might* have been had they been rolled out, I am afiaid to say, for their superfluous thickness, if added to their height, would have materially increased the latter. Grenadiers of such goodly proportions are not often to be met with, and I therefore thought it worth while to make a note of the circumstance."

Accident to Holder's Coach — A Woman Drowned.— We regret to state that news has been received in town today of an accident which occurred to the Waimea coach in the Wai-iti River last night. It appears that the river, was slightly flooded, but not sufficiently so to render it dangerous to cross, Mr. Holder, therefore, drove on as usual, but, on arriving at the opposite side and just before ascending the bank, one of the traces broke, and the coach was at once acted upon by the force of the current and washed down the stream. Two men, who were seated on the box with the driver, contrived to get on shore at once, but inside was a woman named Mrs. Hughes, who was seen by Mr. Holder to be washed out as the coach turned over. He at once swam after her, aud succeeded iv seizing and swimming with her for 200 yards, when he became so exhausted that he was compelled to let go his hold, having just sufficient strength to crawl out on the shingle-bed, where he lay some time in a perfectly helpless state. Owing to the darkness, the two men who had jumped out were unable to render any assistance, nor were they able to find the unfortunate woman, whose body was however discovered this morning a few yards below where Mr. Holder was washed out. We have not been able to ascertain whether the horses escaped, but the coach, we are informed, is completely smashed. The public generally will warmly sympathise with Mr. Holder, who, during the many years that he has been on the road, has, by his carefulness, steadiness, and willingness to oblige, earned for himself the esteem of all with whom he has come in contact. An inquest on the body of Mrs. Hughes „~. ue held at Foxhill to-morrow.