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Nelson Evening Mail, Issue 250, 19 October 1872, Page 4

The manager of the Melbourne Argus lias stated that the cost of of receiving 50 word 8 a day by the Indo-European line of telegraph will amount to £10,000 a year. Three more alligators have been caught in the Fitzroy River, near Rockhampton. One was a male Bft long. A fisherman seized it by tbe tail, and it turning upon him, he clutched it by the jaws and held them closed till help came. Tbey think nothing of doing these things at Rock- , bampton. A Gentleman connected with a Boston bank as a clerk recently robbed the bank. They called him a "fellow" and other disreputable names at first, and some intimated tbat he was a thief, for they thought he bad stolen only a few dollars. But it turns out that he took 85,000 dols., and is not a thief at all, but a defaulter. Whirlpool op Fire.— On Saturday night the waters of Raritan Bay were impregnated with phosphorus. The whole bay was covered with phosphorescent bubbles. These bubbles were about the . size of peas. They could be seen oozing from the bottom of the: bay, to the depth of three feet There was a fair wind, and : as the water broke against the boats riding at anchor, it 'seemed to coyer them with a spray of white fire; The beach for miles * was fringed with a broad ribbon of phosphorescent light, and the piers, deluged ; with the burning water, seemed' like breakwaters of illuminated alabaster. The splashing of oars stirred . up small whirlpools of fire. At Richmond Valley Mr LaForye's Newfoundland dog jumped into the illuminated sea, stirring up great eddies of white light. When the dog reappeared upon the beach his shaggy hide yjaKone like^^ the satin dressof a ballet dancer under a, strong.,, calcium light. Pro-i "'■.,., bably \t^ sight was an immense school of terrifi(Bdmosß- bunkers. MillipDS of these gold, fish V water yin Vci^ riders,, T^ hundreds -i y ftf ;fees sieemed^ : . y ■. pinwheel. yNear ytbey shore . tfteyWateri , ' y ■.' ' - '■ ■-y o : B6eb^d:tO <betof^ " ,i V ' ■'.. .. : ' ; 'tvV(-ligfi v i'fleeme^ J y'yy.y '\ yily^yy ■$™^$f&^ ■ '^oy^y§^^ I

The Countess of Blanchery, who in one of tbe battles of Übe Franco-German; war/ fought witha.mußket/ in her :hand as ..a. . private soldier, has just bad the .Cross of the Legion of Honour conferred upon her. "It seems Btrange," say s. .the. .Pa # Mall Gazette, "to hear of the importation of coal into England, yet this is what we have arrived at, owing to the increase of prices." " Tbe Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway Company have," says the Manchester Guardian, " taken the practical step of drawing upon the Belgian coal fields, where they consider they can be more economically supplied than from our own pits. Their coal bill for the last half-year showed an increase of about £6000. The Company's steamers are now occupied in bringing over cargoes of Belgian coal, and if tbe fuel proves good, the example will probably be followed by other Boards. It will be interesting to watch the progress of this; movement, and of others which are now taking place in a like direction. While coal-owners, coalmerchants, and colliers are quarrelling over a division of tbe profits gained by the late rise in prices, consumers are busy, in devising means by which they may become less dependent on the dis'putans." Refening to the recent unfavourable news from Charters Towers, the Sydney Fmpire of the 27th ult. says:— "The following telegram was received here yes-. terday afternoon by the A.S. N. company, from their agents, at Townsville: — 'Large numbers of men are returning here from tbe diggings without money. They want passage south. The police are unable to maintain order. The men threaten to burn down the stores and to rush the steamers;' Immediately upon receipt of the above telegram, the manager of the company posted it on the same board upon which was announced the departure that evening of the Governor: Blackall, : which steamer had been specially chartered to convey passengers to Townsville. This course was taken with the view to afford the passengers by the Governor. Blackall some knowledge of the state of affairs at Townsville, in order that they might have an opportunity of retracing their steps from what forebobed disaster. The telegram was, however, unheeded, and 116 passengers, most of whom come from Melbourne, left -for Townsville by the Governor Blackall yesterday evening, althSugh they had been offered by tbe manager of the company free pasages back to Melbourne if they chose to return there."