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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 64, 14 March 1873, Page 4

The Auckland Steam Packet Company are extending their operations bo as to enable them to have an ecean service to Fiji. They have purchased the Star of the South with that object, and are increasing their capital from £25,000 to £50,000, by the issue of shares (£4 paidup) at £4 10s. The New Zealand Herald states that there is no district in New Zealand which, perhaps, gives so much promise of future greatness as Egmont (Taranaki). It is rich in agricultural land and timber; it is well watered ; and, in addition, it is skirted on the coast line by a belt of ironsand, which must ultimately become a source of wealth and profit to the inhabitants. What mineral deposits the interior may contain is not known, as it has never been thoroughly explored, but there is reason to suppose that it is not wanting in useful minerals. The agricultural statistics for Canterbury, taken last month, are published in the Gazette, and show that the number of holdings in the{ province was 3,619; extent of land broken up, but not not under crop, 48,570 acres; acres under crop including sown grasses, 318,658! ; estimated gross produce of wheat from present crop, 1,487,174 J bushels; of oats, 897,544| bushels; of barley, .134,607 bushels; of hay, 12,901§ tons. There were 195,420^ acres of land laid down in permanent artifical grass; and 5,725| acres were sown with other crops beyond those previously mentioned. Judging by the following paragraph taken from the local paper, colonial industries are progressing fast in the Wakatip district "We learn on good authority, that another new industry is about being started in the district — namely, a soap and candle factory. The woollen manufactory previously mentioned is, we believe, to cost some £15,000, and will be commenced as soon as certain preliminary arrangements have been completed. Besides these, we are to have additions to present industries in the shape of another brewery, while the enterprising proprietor of the Wakatip Mills is erecting machinery for an oat-grinding mill." Clever.-— Some few days ago a stranger arrived at one of our large seaport towns, and availed himself of the offer of a cab. Having reached his destination he asked Cabby what his fare was, and received the reply "ss.*' The gentleman expostulated but without effect. At length the idea crossed his mind of calling a policeman from the other side of the road, which was done, but John having given him the wink, he said he thought possibly 5s was too much but half-a-crown was little enough. The latter sum was paid (though the proper fare was sixpence), and the traveller departed, as did also cabby and bobby to liquor up.— Wanganui Chronicle. The scarcity of water, even for ordinary household purposes, is becoming really alarming, and unless we have a rainfall soon, illness, already prevalent from drinking impure water, will be dangerously increased. Water for washing purposes is almost impossible to obtain, and in some cases people have to carry what they want a distance of nearly half a mile, and then can only get it from wells in many cases brackish. Up the country the drought has effectually put a stop to mining operations as far as washing is concerned, and there are hundreds of men on the adjacent; goldfields who have not been able to realise sixpennyworth of gold for the last six weeks, through this cause. The worst of it is there does not seem the least prospect of an early change. — HoMtika Star, The marriage of Mr William CJarke, the beir of the wealthiest man in Australia wonld have created more excitement in almost any other country than it did in Victoria. American journalists would have devoted columns to descriptions: of the beauty and grace of the bride, the toilettes of the bridesmaids, and the appearances of the bridegroom. In England theiooluiiina 'ot\l^e:.'Morningf':'jPds(: woujd have teemed; with the particulars of the I nuptials of the landed proprietor whose

estates are more extensive than those of ' the Duke of Sutherland, and whose income is not much less than that of the Marquis of Westminster. In Victoria the sole notice of the proceedings was the modest announcement in the daily newspapers that William, the eldest son of W. J. T. Clarke, had married Janet, the eldest daughter of the late Peter Snodgrass, M.P. "Atticus"in the Leader remarks: — "I am glad to see that Mr Clarke made other people happy as well as himself, and that he has forwarded some handsome donations to the various charitable institutions. Property has its duties .as well as its rights. ' The Q-. H. Argus of a recent date says: — " A singular accident, the result of incredible carelessness, took place at the Ikamatua, Lower Little Grey, on Friday last. Two men named Cochrane, father and son, returned home late in the' evening after attending the races at Ahaura. They wanted to procure a light, but neither of them had matches, and there not being any in the house, the very common but re • prehensible practice was resorted to of getting a light from the ignited wadding of a gun. The gun was charged and fired, and after ineffectual attempts to blow the smouldering rag into a flame, it was foolishly suggested that some loose powder should be scattered over it. Accordingly David Cochrane, the son, put a small quantity of dry powder into the palm of his right hand, and stooping down poured it on to the burning rag which was lying on the floor. The flying sparks caught the contents of a canister nearly full of powder which he held in his left hand. The powder, of course, exploded, bursting the flask, shattering the man's hand, and severely wounding him in the head. His face was badly scorched and lacerated from the result of the explosion, and it is feared his eyesight is permanently impaired. The full extent of the injuries he has received cannot be ascertained until the swelling caused by the burns is reduced. Cochrane tba elder escaped almost miraculously, for except getting the wiskers and hair on one side of his face and head singed and a slight burn on one hand, he is comparatively uninjured." A Clerk in the English Admiralty Office lately had his pay suspended for twenty-eight days for addressing to the first lord of that august Board some suggestions in regard to iron ship-building. These suggestions were admitted to be valuable aud original; nevertheless, a 1 clerk had no business to know more than a lord. The Age. speaking of the working of the new Education Act in Victoria, says : — It is apparent that up to the present time the compulsory clauses of the act have not reached the class which it was intended to benefit. These have been styled <c gutter children," but they are not known in the schools in Melbourne and the suburbs. There has certainly been a large increase in the attendance at each of the common schools, but 99 out of every 100 new scholars have been taken from private schools, and in many cases the new pupils are declared to be of a superior class. From this it is evident that it is necessary that the Minister of Public Instruction should frame as quickly as possible a series of regulations, by which the compulsory clauses of the Act shall be enforced; and the " gutter children" be compelled to attend the schools. Plating for a Man's Head.— During the reign of Terror few came to play chess at the Cafe de la Regence. People had not the heart, and it was not pleasant to see through the panes the cars bearing the condemned through the Rue St. Houore to execution. Robespierre ' often took a seat, but few had any wish to play with him, such terror did the insignificant looking little man strike into every one's heart. One day a very handsome young man sat opposite him, and made a move as a signal for a game ; Robespierre responded, and the stranger won. A second game was played and won, and then Robespierre asked what was the stake. "The head of a young maD," was the answer, "who would be executed tomorrow. Here is the order for his release, waiting only your signature, anfjl be quick; the executioner will give no delay." It was the young Count 8., that was thus saved. The paper was signed, and the great man asked :" But who are you, citizen ?" "Say citizeness, monsieur, I am the Count's betrothed. Thanks, and adieu."— -Dublin University Magazine.

In his recently issued book Stanley gives the following- picture of social life in the interior of Africa: — " I have seldom seen anything so. approaching to happiness and perfect contentment as the faces of the old and young women of a Krayamwexi tribe as they have gathered together near sunset from the various houses to sit and chat together of the events of the day, of the very trite subjects of interest that such a social circle as theirs can have to converse about. Each female has her short stool and her young daughter by her side, who*, while the mother chats and smokes, with her faceradiaut with contentment, employs her nimble hands in converting her parent's woolly locks into a series of plaits and ringlets. The elder females, squatted in a circle, begin to recite their experiences, chattering away like swallows. While the village matrons indulge in harmless gossip, the paterfamilias may be found in the young men's Gossip Institute, or the Exchange, where the "prices of things and the politics of the district they live in are discussed with perhaps as much acumen and sense as other things in like places in more civilised lands. They sit on their heels and smoke. They display considerable skill in the manufacture of their pipes, which are made from mud mixed with finely chopped straw."