THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 6, 7 January 1871, Page 2

THE WEEK.

An earthquake and a meteor ! The new year has roade a moderately good commencement in the way of natural pheno- i .irj^a,. and should it continue to be corre- j spondingly productive of such sights, soundfs, mid sensations, as we experienced on its birthday, throughout the whole of its course, it is likely to prove a highly interesting epoch to men of science, and an unpleasantly alarming ono to old ladies j of a nervous temperament.' An earthquake is too common au occurrence to create much excitement, unless it happens tobe unusually severe; but as for the meteor, I verily believe such an one was never seen before. I wonder if there are two people in the colony, who give, the i same account of its direction, size, velocity, orthe spot where it exploded ; if so, I have not yet met with them. Unfortunately for myself and the public, I did not see it, or, of course, as it is my duty to make a weekly collection of all sorts of scraps of information and dress them up in what I hope proves a palateable shape for your numerous readers, I should be in a position to give a circumstantial and reliable account of the precise spot from whence it started on ils mysterious journey, its exact size, and the distance at which it passed over our heads. As it is, however, I am at a loss to know what to say about our unearthly visitor; one gentleman assures me in thorough good, faith that he was standing on Nile-street Bridge, and saw it strike the_hill just over his head ; indeed, so confident was he that he was not deceived, that he proposed starting in search of the fragments the next morning, and as I have not seen him since, I am inclined to think that he is s t ill prosecuting his researches. Jusfc as I was becoming convinced that he was right, there came a telegram from White's Bay saying that it fell into the sea within a few yards of the telegraph office in that secluded part of the world ; and then, while I am endeavouring to reconcile these two statements, a gentleman rides in from Waimea West, arid, with a gravity of countenance, that was perfectly inimitable, informs me that it burst in his oat field, and that if he had happened to- have a gun in his hand at the time he could have shot it ! It is much to be regretted that he was unarmed, at the moment, for only imagine what a magnificient contribution it would have been to place pu the table of the Scientific Association, and what a fruitful theme it would have proved for papers and discussions. But, after all, it appears that neither the province of [Nelson nor that of Marlborough was the place it chose for coming in contact with our globe, as we hear from Wellington that it burst close to that city, and that some little children of an inquiring turn of mind turned out to gather up the pieces while they were yet blazing, and were sufficiently thoughtful to place them in a bucket of water, where, ... unfortunately, they dissqlved. and became lost to sight. .Wellington and Auckland are always squabbling as to which is the pleasanter and more attractive place of I the two, aud and I shall not be ,ii± the least. surprised to find 'that, the fact of sitch a meteor having selected the Empire City as. its restiagplace Is made use of as an unanswerable argument 'in ' 'favor of the immense superiority of that favored spot over its. northern rival. X'imus't not, however, de--vote the whole of .my space to this subject, although, if T were to, attempt to give, even, in the mpst condensed form, all the communications I' haye received, and all the talk T have heard with .respect to \ our late .fiery visitor,;! should", require three :or-;.fp,ar v 6f my weekly columns to ' find room for them. - ; ! ' The Caredoniaß^ganies,' of co6rse,i form a prominent feature in the first week of ;the : Dew' year; and' on 'this occasion they were' ~unifit]a,ll7"Biicceßßiulr~'^/liowey^ they hav.e been "alyeady fully reported in your 'pap'er^lfshaU^taiake^no further allusion to I them- thati'tofey tfiat'the Committee Reserve every praise for their excellent arrangements, and that they may^ongratulatei

themselves on having provided for the public a most pleasant way of spending the great Scotch holiday — New Year's Day. Electioneering has now fairly commenced^ as may be seen by the advertising columns of the newspapers, and the candidates are addressing the electors in all parts of the colony. Mr. Kelliug has held" meetings both at Wakapuaka and Richmond; Mr. Parker talked to ithe Waimea West people last night; and Mr. Shephard has invited the electors to meet him on the 18th. Sir David Monro, ■I. hear, intends making a.tour through jhis / districts very shortly, and Mr. ;• Collins either has gone, or is going, to the other . side of the Bay. to look up his supporters. Waimea South is tho only district that has not yet spoken, and whether the, golden silence that prevails there, means mischief or encouragement to Mr. Baigent, ■its late member, is uncertain, indeed, no one yet knows whether that gentleman/ means to offer himself again as a, candj/ date or not. Waimea South must wake up, or the nomination and polling days will have come and gone before she has made up her mind what course to pursue. Your space will, no doubt, be required for the startling news just 'arrived from the Waikato, and which has. so rudely disturbed us from our pleasant dreams of fancied security, I shall therefore intrude no further upon you to-day. (1 F.