THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 249, 22 October 1870, Page 2

THE WEEK.

The long expected mail by way of San Francisco has arrived during the week, and although it speaks of uo new battles fought, it tells us of a most alarming state of things in Europe, aud gives fuller details of the great events of the war. Some of the fairest provinces of France overrun in tbe midst of harvest by enormous masses of aimed men ; the cornfields saturated with the blood of slaughtered thousands ; mothers and children driven from their homes at midnight by the advancing foe, and separated in their hurried flight, never again perhaps to meet in this world 5 the sky lighted up with the fierce

glare of burning cities ; citadels, with all their gallant "defenders blown up ; hospitals full of wounded men set fire to by the exploding of shells, thus adding to the thunder of the cannon the dying shrieks of the poor fellows who are unable to escape from the jaws of the devouring element ; the beautiful forests around Paris all laid low, in order that they may afford no shelter io the victorious Prussians ; — these are some few of the horrors now being enacted on French ground that are recounted to us by the lately received mail. From what different points of view must this fearful war be looked upon by the German and French nations. The former, victorious on every occasion on which they have met their foes, and carrying the war into the enemy's country, thus being able to look with comparative unconcern upon the scene of havoc aud , devastation around them ; the latter fighting for their hearths and homes, watching ; the huge wave of advancing hosts whose progress they are utterly uuable to check, i and knowing that on every mile of ground over which they pass, the homesteads of their fellow countrymen are being laid desolate by hundreds. And there is a probability of England being sucked into this Maelstrom, in which case the scenes of ruin and desolation that are now marking the war-path on the Continent may before long become only too familiar to us in the colonies. With the possibility of such a contingency occurring, it is no wonder if we look forward with painful anxiety to the receipt of the next news from Europe. Of local news there is a decided dearth, the past week haviug been the dullest and most barren of anything of interest that we have had for a long time, and that is saying not a little. The Wangapeka question has cropped up once more, a rule nisi agaiust the Commissioner of Crown Lands having been applied for aud granted yesterday. The case wiil be argued on the 2nd December, so that there is every probability of this wearisome question once more becoming the theme of public discussion. Our mines have not furnished us with any topic of conversation during the week, but before this letter is in the press the Lady Barkly will have arrived from Collingwood with the results of a month's crushing. I trust that the hopes of even the most sanguine of the shareholders may be realized. Doran's reef, the stone from which is said io be the richest yet discovered in the province, is likely to be worked soon, as a large number of the shares have been applied for. It is a pleasure to see this Company taking the initiative in encouraging local industry by proposing to order their battery "from Mr. Moutray instead of sendiag out of the colony for it. lam sure I am but echoing the general wish when I say that I hope he may, before many months have passed, be overwhelmed with orders for quartz-crushing machinery. Our amusements have been confined to a performance by a local company of Christy Minstrels, who, under the leadership of Mr. W. H. Bent, gave a capital entertainment on Wednesday last. Another theatrical company have arrived, and propose to give a performance on Monday evening next, the following night having been appointed by the Organ Committee for the last of their series of entertainments. This brings my very scanty notes of the week to a close. F.