The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1872.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 41, 16 February 1872, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1872.

His Honor the Superintendent, who is now on a visit to the West Coast, held a large and successful meeting al Charleston last night, Notice to Horticulturalists. — We have received by the last mail from C. Platz and Son, of Erfurt, Prussia, seedgrowers and nurserymen, a catalogue of a " choice collection of flower, vegetable, and tree seeds," accompanied by a circular in which it is stated " that it will, no doubt, be of great interest to some of your honored readers, especially for nurserymen, seedsmen and florists, to know of a solid and reliable source for procuring European seeds, fruit trees, bouquets, and other beautiful ornaments made of tried (quoere, dried ?) natural flowers, &c." The catalogue contains an elaborately illustrated sheet of flowers, bouquets, and floral ornaments of every description, as well as a somewhat amusing business notice as follows : — " Those of our Costuraers wich, when the Amount of our bill is due, prefer to remit direct by Cheque on London or any other place of Great Britain, anstead of paying their draft, are respectfully requested to inform us of it when they send their Orders. Returning our drafts unpayd, causes a great deal of Expences wich must be charged to the Drawee's." Celestials. — The G. R. Argus says that " by the s.s. Alhambra the first instalment of Chinese for the Grey district was transhipped per p.s. Dispatch. It is understood that these are but the forerunners of a numerous body of Mongolians." Death in the Pot.-t-A very serious accident occurred last week at Mr. Green's station, Upcot, Awntere, whereby eleven persons narrowly escaped a painful death. It appears that some time ago a small quantity of arsenic was left in a bag at the shearing reserve ; no label or distinguishing mark being attached to it, a young man who was packing the stores from thence to the station mistook the arsenic for flour, and turned part of a large sack into it, for convenience of packing. Shortly after bis arrival, the cook used some of the poisoned flour to thicken «ome gravy, of which all hands partook. The consternation and sufferings of the party may be surmised when shortly after dinner they were all seized with the pains peculiar to the action of this deadly poison. There was no aid within several miles, and not one of them was able to go for help bad it been nearer to hand. They are now all under medical treatment, and one man is still very ill from the effects of the poison. We know of no practice more reprehensible than that of leaving poisonous substances in the way of children, or persons who are not acquainted with their nature. They should at all times be carefully marked in large letters. The consequences in this case, have barely escaped proving fatal. — Express.

Fatal Accident in Queen Charlote's Sound. — We take the following from the Marlborough JPress of Wednesday last : — Oq Friday morning last, about 5 a.ro., Messrs. S. I. Fell and Hamilton Browne left Brooklyu, Arapawa Island, for Picton, in a boat usually used for the purpose. Wheu the boat with its occupants was about a mile from the starting point, an ominous appearance was observed upon the water, and the boat was made Bnug to receive the squall that was seen bearing down. After the canvas was all stowed, and all preparation made that could be, the gale came on, and such was its force that it actually pressed the hull of the boat beneath the water, when of course she filled. The roughness of the eea and the force of the wind prevented any attempt to bale the boat or right her in any way. Leaving Mr. Fell in the boat, Mr. Browne started swimming for the Bhore, for the purpose of obtaining assistance for his unfortunate companion. Thinking the wind /would assist him to reach the shore, Mr. Browne attempted to swim with the wind, but he found it so strong that he was continually forced uncler water and in great danger of being drowned. Finding that he could do little that way, he began to swim against the wind, and, being a particularly strong swimmer, managed, after a long and arduous task, to reach the shore, very nearly exhausted. Upon touching land, he acquainted Messrs. Gibson and Cowie with the perilous .situation of Mr. Fell, and these two gentlemen immediately started for the scene of the accident, in a small boat. During all the time Mr. Browne had been swimming in the teeth of a gale towards the shore, the boat to which Mr. Fell was supposed to be clinging was carried to the opposite shore, and Messrs. G-ibson and Cowie did not reach her until she was within three-quarters of a mile of the" land. Approaching as near as prudence would allow, for the hurricane was still in full force, they found the boat was continuously rolling over, aod no sign of Mr. Fell could be seen. They then pulled for the shore to wbich the capsized boat was drifting, and there waited her coming. When the boat beached, it was searched, but no trace of Mr. Fell could be discovered. From the time Mr. Browne left the boat until be reached the shore, an hour elapsed, and he is of opinion that Mr. Fell could not have remained upon the boat more than half that time in consequence of the turmoil between wind and waves. Search was made for the unfortunate man, but up to this time his remains were undiscovered.