TELEGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 190, 13 August 1870, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE.

THE GREAT ROBBERY. Dunedin, 1.4G p.m. A man named Elvis, au old offender,, has been arrested at Oamaru as being concerned in the late gold robbery. A £5 note was found iu his possession. Remanded till Thursday. Great excitement. I The Escort has brought in 500 ounces I of gold. A nugget weighing 11 ounces has been fouud at Tokomairiro. For remainder of News see Fourth page.

Baby Farming. — Tho following is from the Wellington Evening Post: — The results of " baby farmiug " which has prevailed to a larger extent ia this province than people are aware of, are shown in a case which has beeu ouce or twice before the Resident Magistrate's Court. Some time ago a young woman, named Mrs. Challis, lived iu Wellington. She was f heu the mother of three children, and as her 'occupation — that of a barmaid — precluded her from atteuding to them, she put them to nurse. The woman who took charge of them looked after them well, and everything was satisfactory for a time. Mrs. Challis, however, went to Auckland, and took a situation there, promising to send regularly the amount she was paying for her children. However, the remittances did Dot come, aud the nurse made repeated applications, and afterwards sued and obtained judgement. Instructions were sent to Auckland, but the bailiff could find nothing to levy on, and so the matter rested for a time. However, the children had to be fed and clothed all the time (and to do the nurse justice tbey had good treatment) and so other steps had to be takeu. The nurse has applied for a warrant to compel the mother's attendance, and make her take charge of her children. The nurse will in all likelihood, lose what she has expended, but it will give her, and perhaps others, a lesson as to leaving the baby farming business alone. ExTRAOEDINARY DISCOVERIES AT BRISTOL, England. — The excavations for the branch line of railway which is being constructed from the Great Western terminus at Temple Mead, Bristol, to the Floating Harbour, have disclosed the existence of a complete network of subterranean passages underneath Redcliffe parish, and brauching out iu various directions. A deep cutting has been made parallel with Guiuea street, and which is to go under Redcliffe Hill. At one place, where the cutting is 30ft. deep, the men discovered the narrow entrance to a huge cavern. On Monday night a party consisting of half-a-dozen geutlemen explored a portion of the underground network. Before entering the place, a line was fastened to one of the outside supports, aud each carried either a torch or a candle. After creeping through a narrow, low passage, some twenty yards in length, they came to a row of three arches, each of which led in an opposite direction. Taking the centre one, the party had to crawl on their hand£ and knees for about ten yards, under a great rock, and then they emerged into a spacious and lofty cavern, whence there were other branches. A journey of some 200 or 300 feet further, chiefly through low, narrow corridors, brought the party to what appeared to be the grand saloon, or chief cave. It was perfectly circular in form, the roof being supported on eight columns, besides a very strong column in the centre. The cavern was some 40 or 50 feet in diameter, and from 6 to 8 feet high, the roof sloping to within a few feet of the ground. The spaces between the pillars, with the exception of the route by which the explorers had come, and one iu a straight line with it, had been walled up all round, and this was the first piece of masonry that had been seen, the whole having been excavated from the solid rock. There can be no doubt that the place has been excavated, and that a good deal of skilled labour has been used in the work. Passing from this large cavern, the party proceeded along a wide corridor, beautifully arched overhead, and supported ou each side on strong columns, the spaces between them being walled up. This had evidently been a chief eutrauce to the cavern, but it could not be explored to the end, beiug walled up. Two or three branches were tried and found to be walled up. In two or three places the further progress was stopped by huge masses of rock, which had fallen aud blocked up the way. One of the passages was traced in a direction which must bave brought the party very near the Floating Harbour, formerly the river Avon, aud it is conjectured that the caverns might have been used at tbe time when Bristol carried on an extensive slave trade, or that they may have been used for smuggling purposes. According to a map of Bristol, iu Barrett's history, the Hermitage of St. John occupied this site in 1250. -====