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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 264, 10 November 1870, Page 2

As a mark of progress in communication at the present age, it is worthy of notice that Fiji has been placed in possession of English news of only five to six weeks old duriDg the past few months. The accounts from Auckland depict a terrible state of depression. A complete exodus is taking place from the Thames, and men are walking about the country begging for work or assistance. Fifty family men commenced work on the road 6 on the 17th ult. The Thames evening journal says, the British Hotel — or rather a buildiug formerly known as sueh — was sold by auction this morning, and knocked down for £29. It cost, we believe, the late proprieter something like £1600 to go into it. It has been secured by No. 3 Company Hauraki Rifles for a drill room. Somnambulism. — A case of somnambulism is reported to have occurred at Weatherstone's, Otago, the other week, when a certain gentleman got out of bed at midnight, yoked his horses, and commenced rolling a paddock. After working with a will for a short time, and giving his horses a good sweat, he stabled them and retired quietly to rest. The Lyttelton Times iuforms us that prompt steps are being taken to erect stores, and the ground is being rapidly cleared of debris of the late fire. Mr. Pitcaithley's store is being erected, and the Bank of New Zealand will commence to build at once. Workmen were employed on Saturday in clearing the ruins of Mr. Merson's stores, and a large building will be erected on the ground. All the hotelkeepers have erected small shanties and tents for the sale of refreshments during the time their hotels are being rebuilt. "It may be interesting to many persons to hear," writes the Murrurundi correspondent of the Maitland Ilercury, " that it is proposed by three or four gentlemen to cut a tunnel through Mount Wingen, four feet wide, for the purpose of knowing what has been for so many years burning. There is now a second place fiercely burning, a mile and a half on theßickham side of Mount Wingen, and evidently, from the smell, kerosine is on fire. There are persons here who believe if this tunnel is cut through the mountain — and £80 to £100 will pay all the cost — that kerosine will be found in vast quantities — wells of it." If these enterprising Victorian gentlemen are successful in their efforts to penetrate the mysteries of mother earth, we may perhaps hear of a company being formed to investigate the cause of the combustion going on at present in Tongariro. It is anticipated that complete electrical communication between England and , Australia and China would be effected by , the summer of next year.

There is nvws via Mauritius about the discovery of diamonds at the Cape. For one stone nine thousand pounds were offered and refused. An average of fifty diamonds daily are being found about Baal river. There are five thousand persons there. The revenue by pule of tobacco in France during last year nmouuted (o 248,000,000 francs, say £9.920,000 sterh'Dg. The Parisians alone have consumed, cither in smoking, chewing, or snufftaking, 40,000,000 francs, say about, £1,600,000. Mr. and Mrs. George Case have arrived iv England, and are successfully entertaining large audiences at Margate and Ram spate, which, like all the principal English watering-places, are unusually full, owing to the almost total stoppage of continental touring. Australian Meats. — The Lords of the Admiralty have accepted the tender of Messrs. John M'Call and Co,, the agents of the Melbourne Meat Preserving Company, for the supply of 175,0001b5. preserved beef, and 42,0001b5. preserved mutton. The Amenities of Journalism. — We take the following from the Wctngamti Evening Herald: — "The Chronicle sayß — 'Our idea of religion is as wide as the poles are asunder from that of the Editor of the Evening Herald!' True, very true! The CJironicWs idea of religion, is in being periodically bound over to keep tlie peace !" | A gentleman in Melbourne has received a business letter from a Parisian manufacturer which may be regarded as a sort of historical curiosity, since it emanated from Paris immediately before communication was closed between the beleogured city and the outer world. On the upper left hand is a medalion head of the ex-Emperor, which has been obliterated by the writer. The letter concludes thus : — "ln my letter of the J2ih Augu&t I said if we were not victorious all would be lost ; well, we lost that and many others. Paris is in a state of si(ge, and we expect the Prussians in a day or two. Paris is ready for any emergency, if the enemy gets iuside the foi tifications. In that case fare you well, sir ; I mean to fight it out to the last." "If (says .the London Times) our battalions aud infantry muster barely more, than a third of their full strength, if our cavalry regiments stand at half the force of Continental regiments, if 34 batteries nominally available would furnish a meagre 14 at war strength, if we are destitute of any means of filling up our cadres from the militia until the alarm of war is actually upon us, it becomes the Government at once to consider how the army may at least be rendered capable of recovering its efficiency at brief notice. It is of no avail to recount, with Lord Northbrook, the number of battalions, troopp, and batteries we have at home, unless we can be assured that they are ready for prompt action, and capable of becoming effective parts of an organized force." A remarkable conflagration occurred near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, on June 28, In Sbarpsburg, along the bank of Alleghany river, are numerous petroleum refineries, with oil tanks, buildings, and all the accessories of that important business. About 2 p.m., a heavy thunderstorm passed over Sharpsburg, and at half-past two the lightning struck simultaneously two 20,000 barrel oil tanks. They caught fire, fell to pieces, and the burning petroleum flowed in all directions along the roads, railways, sewers, kennels, and the Allcjzhaivy river bank, while the river itself was covered in that portion nearest Sharpsburg. One man was burnt to death, aud the bridge across the Aliephany destroyed. Hundreds of people had to flee for their lives, for cellars were quickly filled with burning oil, and the neighboring buildings destroyed. At least 50,000 dols. worth of property is said to have beeu burnt. Henry Ward Beecher says "man is bom into a house of a thousand rooms; he lives in one or two and leaves all the rest unopened, unenjoyed."