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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 84, 7 April 1873, Page 2

• The residence of Mr Puckey, missionary at Kaitaia, has been totally destroyed by fire. It is believed that the fire originated in the flax. At the Wanganui Rifle Association meeting, W. Churton won the champion prize — a cup.given by the Vice-President — with 182 points; D. Guy who made 177 points being second. The barque Cliaudiere, now loading at Port Underwood for London, has nearly filled up, Laving now on board some 1600 bales of wool and flax, besides a considerable quantity of wheat. She has room for about 250 more bales of wool, which will be lightered to her shortly, and it is expected she will be ready for sea early next week. During the year 1872 there left the port of Newcastle for New Zealand 232 vessels carrying 101,605 tons coal, and nearly one-third of tbis quantity came to Wellington. The vessels paid in the port of Newcastle for tonnage dues, pilotage, harbor and light dues, £2,491 8s lOd. Each of these 232 vessels would probably disburse £150 during its stay in Newcastle, making the following amount paid out of New Zealand to New South Wales: — Present cost at Newcastle, 12s per ton, for 101,605 tons of coal, £60,963; disbursements of vessels, say £150 eacb, £34,800. Total, £95,763. Dunedin Distillery. — The following from the Dunedin Morning Star shows that great progress is being made by the Distillery Company : — Dunedin, already celebrated for its ales, seems likely sto become equally noted for the quality of the spirits manufactured at tbe New Zealand Distillery Company's works. At the South Australian Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society's Exhibition held in September last, tbe prizes for all the Australian Colonies were awarded to the Company for both whisky and gin, and the Society's medals, with the money prize of £8, have been received by them. The Company also took the first prizes for whisky and gin at the Thames Exhibition ip August last, and again at the Christchurch Exhibition, just closed. So well pleased were the judges with the quality of the spirits exhibited, that ..the Company bave been requested by the Secretary to the Exhibition to forward duplicates of their exhibits for transmission to Vienna. Twelve , months ago the. Distillery Company thought their premises and plant sufficiently large to meet all reFor remainder of news, see fourth page.

quirements for years to. cornel Latterly, however, their business has so rapidly increased that they have been encouraged to make additions to the plant necessitating an outlay of about £3000. When completed there will . be five stills in full work, capable pf producing from 2000 to 2500 gallons of spirits per week with one shift only, but with two shifts, 'or by working night and day, double the quantity mentioned, A new tun-room is in course of erection, where fresh apparatus will be erected. A monster worm cistern is being constructed outside the still-house, in the neighborhood of which a new smoke-stack will be raised. Increased accommodation has also been found necessary for coopers, carpenters, bottlewashers, packers, and others, while due provision has been made for further enlargement in all the departments if found necessary. Melanesia** Mission. — The death of Bishop Pattesou, says the Auckland Star, so far from decreasing the interest taken in missionary operations among the Melanesian Islands, has served to give ao increased impetus to effort in that missionfield. The missionary staff is about to receive an addition of four members, viz., the Rev. J. Selwyn and Mrs. Selwyn, Rev. J. Still, and Mr. Brumley, from Melbourne. The latter gentleman is expected in Auckland in time to join the missionary party who will leave for Norfolk Island about the middle of June. The natives employed on the Poverty Bay road (says the Herald) have spun a queer yarn about seeing the "debbil." They say that during the night of the 24th or 25th ull. they were awakened by their dogs loudly barking, and on going out of the whare they saw a tall figure coming towards them. They attempted to surround it or bim, but it vanished in the bush. This, happened on other occasions until they got fairly scared, declaring the place haunted, and that it was a warning to them to discontinue the road. The " debbil " afterwards proved to be a native who killed one of Te Kooti's relatives three' years ago, and fled to the bush, where he has lived ever since. The Recent Ministerial Crisis. — On this subject the Australasian remarks: — The crisis which has lately occurred in New Zealand is the most comical of all political complications. As it stands represented in the official correspondence printed in the Gazette, it is inexpressibly ludicrous. ' It appears that the Premier, Mr Waterhouse, suddenly or gradually became impressed with the idea that he was only playing second fiddle to Mr Yogel, and that he was only a nominal Premier. So he wrote to Mr Yogel, whose " stronger will " he duly acknowledged, announcing his intention to resign. It is believed that the fact of Mr Yogel having written the' prorogation speech, instead of using one prepared by Mr Waterhouse, had something to do with this decision. He also wrote to the Governor resigning his Premiership. The Governor in reply /ailed, in ' common with Mr Waterhouse's colleagues, to see any reason for the resignation, which would, of course, dissolve the Ministry. Mr Waterhouse, in his next letter, complained of the Governor consulting the other Ministers, and condemned this conduct as unconstitutional. As Sir George Bowen was anxious to get away from Wellington, Mr Waterhouse went so far as to place the Governor in embargo, by refusing to permit him to use the Government steamer to convey him to Auckland. It cannot be supposed that this tended to smooth the diplomatic correspondence between the two gentleman. The Governor, in answer to Mr Waterheuse's complaint, said that his only object in conferring with that gentleman's colleagues was to endeavour to dissuade Mr Waterhouse from resigning, for his own sake. Mr Yogel on his return would be requested to become Peemier. The correspondence should cease. Mr Waterhouse next professed that he was equally desirous that the correspondence should cease. The Governor then wrote that after Mr Waterhouse's action it was imperative on the Governor to accept his resignation. Mr Fox was appealed to, " under very, peculiar circumstances," by the Governor and by his colleagues to accept the position of Prime Minister and Colonial Secretary, and consented to do so. He wrote to the Governor; "The painful position ' in. which your. Excellency has been placed by the action of Mr Waterhouse, in refusing to permit you to übo , the' Government steamer to convey you to Auckland, appears to demand that you should be relieved from your official ; relations towards;; that gentleman | without further delay." ;rHe would accept • the ; offices on the understanding: that he p "would resign* i<them on gentteman is then to,;; be; requested to' accept ithe post of Premier. So that the whimsical faction ; of 7Mr \^Waterhouse , towards: Mr Vogel pim i^pp^hoieSeciqt $$.Jjf£^^ in future ,hewill be "nominal Premier as well as the I

Shipping Gold at AucKLAND.~The Herald says :— The public often read about the shipment of gold, but few persons are aware of the precautions taken to ensure its safety when taken off to vessels lying in the stream in watermen's or other small boats. Having witnessed the operation of shipping a large quantity of gold in this way within the last few days, we can enlighten our readers on this subject if they have any curiosity in the matter. The gold is placed in a very strong net, which is safely, secured around it. To this net a very strong and a very long line is attached, and at the other end of this line a small mooring buoy is fastened. The whole is then placed in the boat, with the boat so coiled that, should the boat capsize and the gold go overboard, the line would run smoothly out and the buoy remain above water. We are not aware whether any accident of the kind has ever taken place when shipping gold in this harbor but the precaution is certainly a very ingenious and a very necessary one. Follow the Leader. — Seldom has a simple story been told in more touching language than the account given by the Toronto Globe of a lamentable accident which lately befel a flock of sheep when passing over a bridge in Upper Canada. " There is" says the Globe, "a covered bridge at Peoria 500 feet above highwater mark. A drover recently attempted to drive 1000 sheep across it. When about half-way over, the bell-wether noticed an open window, and, recognising his destiny, made a strike for glory and the grave. When he reached the sunlight he at once appreciated his critical situation, and with a leg stretched towards each cardinal point of the compass, he uttered a plaintive ' Ma-a ! ' and descended to his fate. The next sheep, and the next followed, imitating the gesture and the remark of the leader. For hours it rained sheep. The erewhile placid stream was incardine with the life blood of moribund mutton, and not until the brief tail of the last sheep, as it disappeared through tbe window, waved adieu to the wicked world, did this movement cease." The Bay of Plenty Times says: — "The church of Opotiki is at present used for constabulary barracks — church service (for there is a clergyman) in the schoolroom. There is also a R.M. holding his Court in an unpretending iron building; but I in vain looked for the lock-up — no building of any kind would pass muster as such. I thought possibly there might be stocks, or at least a strong post and chain for the custody of offenders, but nothing of the kind could be found. At last I discovered that the lock-up was in the steeple of the church, approached by steps like the loft in a stable. Here if prisoners will not ascend, they are hauled up by a rope. Out of curiosity, I took a peep at the accomodation, and found it shared by a colony of pigeons. There is also a post office at Opotiki. I had occasion to visit it, and found the postmaster a very civil and intelligent man. He has charge of the postoffice savings bank, and money order office, and performs the whole duties for the sum of £10 per annum. Who says the New Zealand Government is extravagant. " Sharpers are not confined to Christian lands, or the Christian races. The Friend of India has the following report of a case which came before the Commissioners of Police at Calcutta. , A Mahommedan keeping a barber's shop in Dhurrumtollah street, was visited by a decently dressed native, who after being attended to, asked the barber if he would take care of his hubble-bubble till he returned from the bazaar. The native bad not been long away when a rajah entered the shop, and said, " What is that you have there?" pointing to the hookah. "The article is not mine," replied the barber. The>rajah replied that he would give one hundred rupees for it. The barber replied that he would let him know whether he could sell it or no in a few hours. Shortly after customer No 1 came in. •' Will you sell that hookah ? " asked the barber. " I don't mind, if I obtain a good price, " was the answer. " Will you take fifty rupees?" No, I could not accept less than sixty rupees." "All right," said the barber, "here you are;" and the sixty rupees were paid. It is needless to add that customer No. 2 never called to see the barber again. The United States Economist gives an almost startling estimate of the rapid growth of the American commerce within the last twelve years in spite of many impediments. The journal finds that the total number of manufacturing; establishments increased from 140,433 in 1860 to 252,148 in 1870, or nearly two' for one; that the number of 'V hands " employed; was almost doubled in the same period^ the aggregate in: 1,860 . having i 'been 1;3i1,346 » and in .1870 to fewer than 2,053,988. The annual cost of labor in 1860 was 378,878,i96e3;dp11ar5, in 1870 it j had amount^ ftotice%-ffi | ;

operatives in different branches of manufacturing industry, an increase of more tban 42,000. Strange Phenomenon. — A remarkable celestial phenomenon in Kentucky is thus ' described by the Lexington Free Press : —Shortly after the sun had passed , the meridian, a dim, hazy halo gathered about the sun. This is a natural phenomenon of frequent occurrence, and attracted but little attention. Sood, however, the mist or halo increased in density and assumed a yellowish glare. The outer edge of the mist separated from the main body and formed a well-defined circle, in which tbe tints of the rainbow were visible. A second, and a third, and a fourth ring of variegated colors formed in quick succession. By this time the heavens were the centre of attraction. All eyes were turned upward, and all over the city crowds of people collected in the streets, and strained . their necks and eyes to get a good view of the wondrous scene. Close observors soon discovered a more wonderful phenomenon than .the parti-colored circles. From the inner circles small spheres of a brilliant white color were being shot forth in countless numbers. Some of them struggled slowly to the surface of the mist, and then sailed slowly and gracefully to tbe earth in a direct line. Others were propelled in different directions with greater force and rapidity. As they sailed earthward the glittering globules grew less brilliant; and at (apparently) the height of half a mile they disappeared entirely from*' view. This wondrous display of celestial pyrotechnics continued for several ■ hours, and was witnessed by nearly every man, woman, and child in the city. The emotions excited by the magnificent spectacle, more grand than any earthly pageant, were various. Amongst the ignorant and superstitious the wildest alarm was created ; the day of judgment had surely arrived, and many were the hearty attempts to atone for a lifetime of misdeeds by an hour's repentance. Various theories were offered in explanation. of the strange spectacle, but none of them were satisfactory.

John Goggins, a bill-sticker in Melbourne,, was summoned the other day for sticking bills on a Sunday, contrary to a statute passed in England in 1676. The magistrates dismissed the case, saying* the printers who worked on Sundays might as well be proceeded against as the billsticker. . Pebvention of Fire. — The Melbourne Aryus says: — While the reirieinbrance ef the recent great fire in Little Flindersstreet is still fresh in our minds, it is ; worth while inviting the attention of our architects and engineers to a system of fire prevention that has been lately applied in England, and is noticed elsewhere in connexion with the mention of the London theatres. It appears that Alley's Amphitheatre has recently been altered and improved, and the changes comprise the novelty we allude to. This is an arrangement by which, in case of a fire occuring "auy person by turning a lever will be able to convert the gas jets into water inlets." That is, as we understand it, that the gas is turned off at the meter, and the water supply is sent with such pressure as is available into the system of gas pipes, every jet contributing its share to the influx of water at all parts of the house. The advantage of this method, it will be observed, is not wholly lost should tbe pipes become melted or torn down with falling materials, each to the last still contributing to discharge its stream of water into the burning building. The complete application of the method might involve a modification of 'the gas piping and the form of jet, so as to allow of the issue of a larger stream of water, but probably this is provided for in the scheme of the inventor. The account states that when the invention was tested it was found to work " most efficiently, a tremendous body of. water falling in less than one minute," Some of our gas engineers should look into the subject, and investigate the practical value of the invention and the desirableness of introducing it in our large gas-lighted buildings in Melbourne.