The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 1871.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 195, 18 August 1871, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 1871.

Winter Evening Lectures. — Dr. Cotterell's lecture on "The Mechanism of the Human Skeleton," will be delivered at the Assembly Room this eveuing. The Government steamer Luna arrived this morning from the Astrolabe Roads, where she has been engaged for the last day or two in laying down new buoys. 7-Death of a Sister of Charity.— We regret to learn that Sister Mary St. Stanislaus, a Sister of Charily, who had recently come from Wellington to Nelson for the benefit of her health, died at St. Mary's convent last night. Her funeralwe understand, is to take place on Sunday, but full particulars will be published tomorrow. A Contrast. — Governor's speech : — " Our relations with the natives continue to improve." This morning's Colonist : — "Auckland telegrams report Te Kooti's forces to be menacing the Whakatane settlement, and threatening to attack." Are the telegrams to be looked upoa as a confirmation, or a contradiction of hia Excellency's pleasant assertion. (?) A rather curious case is reported as likely to be sent to the Supreme Court from Patea for trial. It seems thnt a settler there, being troubled by rats, which devoured his produce, imported a number of cats to stay the plague. This they did, killing a number of the rats, and driving the rest on to the property of a neighboring farmer. The latter, not approving of this result, threatens proceedings against the owner of the cats for damages. There is some talk of a compromise beiug effected hy the cats being divided amongst the two farmers with the object of driving: the rats on to the pioperty of a third neighbor; but in any case, in the present temper of the parties concerned, it seems likely that a jury will ultimately have to settle the mutter. In reference to the late fire at Wanganui, the Wellington Advertiser of the 4th, says : — " It is now impossible to doubt tha a foul crime, a murder of the most deliber ate and revolting type has been committed. The man M* Donald, has himself confessed that he deliberately planned the setting fire to the hotel, for the purpose of defrau iing the Insurance Companies, and that he personally, or by ngenr, carried out this villainous scheme in euch a way as to endanger the lives of four men, to actually destroy the life of one. No one can have any sympathy for such a wretch, but we should have expected that even a man capable of conceiving such a scheme, would have recoiled . in horror from, or have been struck with remorse at the fearful fulfilment of the plan. It adds new horror to the. scene, when we find M'Donald, as a witness, has sworn he did, making light of crime, and saying of his victim, '* D— n it, he's but a common man, and there's plenty of his sort in New Zealand." We take the following from a recent issue of the Moss News : — " One of the most extraordinary instances of endurance aud long-suffering by a horse we have ever heard of, was described to us on Saturday last. Mr. Clacher, of Bowen, about five weeks since, lost a very valuable horse, which he left in his paddock. He had long since given up all thoughts of ever recovering his steed ; but, fortunately, last week, the attention of a man was called to an object in the scrub, not many yards distant from the track in the paddock, aod his surprise was of course great when on reaching the spot he found the longlost animal a prisoner to the supple-jacks which encircled him. Of course, after a few weeks' starvation ordeal, the poor horse was scarcely recognisable, being a complete skeleton. The supple-jacks had so cut his legs that the sinews were r exposed in several places, and yet, strange to say, on its release, the poor; beaßt manned to walk to the water and drink, and afterwards partook of a little branmash.. He is now so v far improved that confidence is expressed of his useful services being brought intbrequitjitiori : by his master in-a r&V- weeks."