The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1872.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 31, 5 February 1872, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1872.

A Napier Telegram saya that small pox is raging among the natives. Mr. Fox was to leave Wellington in tl»e Luna on Saturday, on a visit to the West Coast. It 13 probable that he will spend a month in making a tour of the whole of the West Coast Goldfields. Australian Grain and Flour Market. — The latest quotations by the Albion are : — Melbourne, flour, £12 15s. to £13; wheat, ss. to ss. 3d.; oats, 3s. to 3s. 3d. Adelaide, old wheat, scarce at ss. 5d. ; new wheat coming in slowly, 4000 bushels sold at ss. Excelsior Minstrels. — This troupe of male and female minstrels whoso sensational placards have adorned the walls for some days will make their first appearance at tha Oddfellows' Hall this evening. The singing, dancing, and acting of the various members of the company are highly spoken of by the West Coast papers, and a most amusing entertainment may be expected. The Weather. — Those who are learned in such matters predict from various signs that a change in the weather is at hand, and most earnestly do we hope that they may prove correct. The attnostphere was heavily charged with electricity last night, the telegraphist who was in waiting at the office for the English telegrams reporting that the iustrument was at work the whole night through, showing that a thunderstorm was taking place in some part of the island, although the precise locality has not been ascertained. Church of England Sunday Schools. — In response to an invitation issued by the Bishop of Nelson, the children attending these schools mustered yesterday afternoon in large numbers in Christ Church, where they filled the transepts and a considerable portion of the nave, the rest of the building being crowded with the parents and others interested in the work of Sunday School teaching. A short service had been prepared and printed for the occasion, at the contusion of which the Bishop delivered a brief but most suitable address, which was attentively listened to by all present. Doran's Reef. — We have become so accustomed to hear of the failure of the various raining speculations that have been entered upon by the people of Nelson that the news received on Saturday to the effect that the late crushing of twelve tons of stone at the Doran battery had resulted in an almost infinitesimal yield of gold will create but little surprise. The crushing was conducted under the superintendence of Mr. Adams, the mining manager of the Perseverance Company, and although all the most approved appliances were brought to bear, but twelve dwts. of gold were obtained. Alas ! for Wangapeka. Testimonial to Mr. Bennett.— -The following is a copy of the address presented to Mr. Bennett on Saturday last, and which was most tastefully illuminated by Mr. Wix :— -To Arthur William Bennett, Esq., — Dear Sir, — We, the commanders and officers of the steamers " Kennedy M and " Charles Edward " learn with regret that you are about to resign your situation in Messrs. Ni Edwards & Co.'s service, to proceed to Christchurch to undertake still more important duties. Your connection with, us has left many pleasant, recollections, and we cannot allow it to be severed without presenting 1 you with this testimony of our appreciation of the uniform courtesy we- have received at your hands. We remaiD,-— Dear Sir — Yours very truly. Signed, by the officers of the steamers! _ „ Peo^inciax Scholarships.^— The list of candidates for the Provincial Grbvernment scholarships, whichr .we published, yon Saturday lasi* ,;'indic^||;|s.;^alb l < the^aeßir'e. 1 to obtain these valuaMe o prizes is not confined to one 4)r,.t^q^dist,ricts^n.j^B"provinc;e, but that ifjljsbarfid i& by. »lbrgl. proportion of the Government schopts,rwhilQ the number of marks obtained by the various can-

didates shows that the competition has beeu a keen,' and, on the whole, a satisfactory one. It is, however, noticeable that the schools in two of the most thickly populated of the country districts, namety, Wakefield and the south division of Waimea West, have not sent in any candidates, but as the total number of those who have presented, themselves for examination shows a considerable increase upon that of last year, we may look forward to the competition becoming aunually more general, until in the, course of another year or two it will'be found that it has become a point of honor among the masters that the schools over which they preside shall each of them send at least oue representative to the [ yearly tournament, from taking part in which even those who are defeated must derive some advantage. We are glad to learn from the examiners that a very keen interest has been taken in the contest in every district that has furnished a candidate, and while offering our congratulations to Bullard and J. Harkness, the two winners, upon the success they have so honorably achieved, we would suggest to the less fortunate candidates that they should not be down-hearted on account of having failed this year, but rather devote themselves with increased energy to the task of preparing for the examination that will take place twelve months hence. Even should they then agaiu prove unsuccessful, they will have no cause in after life to repent the additional time and attention bestowed upon their studies in their endeavors to secure a prize which it is gratifying to find is so highly appreciated by those to whom it is offered., The WEATHER.-The present anomalous condition of the westher which is, and has for some time past prevailed upon the East and West Coasts, is accounted for by the explanation given by Maury and other meteorologists as to the causes of those dry hot winds which are the distinguishing features of the weather in several parts of the world, which explanation is strikingly illustrated this season in New Zealand. Their explanation is that winds laden with moisture, as are the westerly winds iv New Zealand, are intercepted by snow-clad mountain ranges, aud that two effects follow.. The first is a heavy rainfall on the windward side of the range, and the second is the complete abstraction of the moisture from the atmostphere by its encountering the freezing temperature on the mountains. What is a wet wind on one side of the range becomes thus a dry hot wind on the leeward side, producing a perceptible difference in the natural vegetation of the country, and materially influencing, when of long continuance, the condition of the crops. Instead of the wind on the leeward side being a cold wind, as most people would suppose, the effect of the snow-clad mountain-tops, such as those of the Southern Alps, is actually to raise the temperature of the wind, or at any rate to rob it of that moisture with which it comes laden from the sea. It is thus that we have this year the apparent anomaly of frequent and heavy rains and flooded rivers on the West Coast, while on the eastern sea-board of the island the rivers are either dry or reduced to a series of waterholes, the grain crops are comparative failures, and bush and grass fires are frequent and desolating. — Charleston Herald. A Twenty-five Stall Stable is being erected in the gully immediately below the East Taieri Church (Otago) for the convenience of church goers. 'The Canterbury Press regrets to have to report a serious loss by fire which occurred at Lawford on Sunday, whilst Mr Cardale was at church. It appears that Mr. Bailey's man had previously been on the ground for the purpose of threshing out some grass seed, and it is supposed that the cook had left some live embers which kindled the grass and ran on to the stacks, burning about 800 bushels of beautiful seed,, besides Mr. Bailey's combine and elevator, altogether destroying about £700 worth of property. The following are a few latest notes received yesterday from Reef ton : — Humors are flying about of the discovery of some immensely rich stone, distant, as far as I can learn, about ten miles north of Reeiton. Report says that the lucky discoverers dug into the reef to a depth of two feet, and hand-crushed stone that returned 4§oz. of gold. — Starvation is imminent unless immediate step's are taken relative to the construction of a good road. There will not be a supply of the common necessaries of life to satisfy the demand. At the present moment there are not five tons of flour in 'the place, with a population of 500 to 600 souls, and that number being augmented daily.— The revenue for miners'; righto^ -business , licenses, leases, &c, for the last 20 days ia £1000.—Shiel's prospecting claim is getting richer stone than ever 4 'also' in -Rhody Ryan's claim, next to Kelly's boundary, ..; .they.. are getting magnificent atone.— -G. R,~ Argus, JJ&n. 29.