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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 220, 12 September 1873, Page 2

"-L " '■ "■■■"' " ■ A'nmi i i a The Wellington Post of August 23 j says: — *• The long, dreary, though perhaps important six hours' debate in Committee of Jthe House last evening on the Native Reserves Act was enlivened toward the close by one single spark of wit. Mr Brandon had "moved sundry amendments which very few in the House heard. The question was put, and a division called, when Mr White said Tno one knew what the amendments were. , Mr C. Parker said he 4 rose to a point of order;' upon which Mr White retorted that it was the only point the hon member ever did rise to.- "" ;: T <.-,-" ■ •"« i — ; .;• The West Coast Times of August 30 says-— " Captain Clarkeo.n) of the schooner Spray, a3 an old coasting master, poiuts out to us & fact which -liiust be observable to . all .mariners who have to pass through Cook's Straits, the dangers which exist in those Straits, and moreover complains that however the Hght on Mana Island may be to jvessels making theNorth Island, it is not of much useTt,o vessels bound through the Straits to the West Coast of this island. Before fpeniifg up tho ligh t on Mana Island to take a departure down the West . Coast, several rocks' lay right in the fairway, for instance, the Brothers and J Rock Island. The latter is only three feet above water at High water. ' These objects have to be passed before seeing Mana light. -It wou!d[.,;he as -woll, seeing that the Government'. 'contemplate placing a lighthouse at the entrance of Tory Channel, tq urge tha£the firstjTecommendation of Her Majesty?s surveying ships, viz: — to place a lighthouse ;on the JBrothers' Island should be carried out. It is hot many years since a human skeleton was found npon them, and it is impossible to ever arrive at the number of missing vessels endeavoring to make that passage, which, may have been wrecked upon them. A mysterious affair at Lake Wakatipis described by a contemporary :— Ou the 19th instant two men n&tti&d James Rennie and James Reid left Queenstown in a boat for the purpose of returning to: Mavora station, where they were : both employed. Two days afterwards it was reported to the police that Hennie had reached the station alone, and on board the -steamer Antrim, i Rennie stated that when Reid and himself left Queenstown they were both the worse for drink, and the boat was leaking very ! much. After proceeding about four miles, | Reid proposed that they should open one of two bottles of brandy which they had on | board. Hehnie objjej&te&- |o j^his proposal, and the boitleVashottoiicheii.'' There was a great deal of water in the boat by this time, and Reid took a bucket to bail her ! out. He missed his balance while doing so, and fell bverbo|rd. Rehnjjja succeeded in getting' him aboard, but al the' bucket had gone over with ReiU they had no means of bailipg.the water. Then.they resolved to run her ashore, io" order to get rid of the water by capsizing her. Rennie states '• that when he jumped ashore, Reid pushed the boat off at once, and paying inp heed j to his remonstrances, headed up the Lake. . Rennie lost sight of the boat, and then bad to make the best of his way oat of the bush. After wandering about for some time he discovered a deserted tent at the Seven, .Mile Beach, in . which he slept for the remainder, of the night. : He* tben returned to Queenstown just in time to catch the steamer Antrim. Dilligent search has been made for tbe missing man, but no trace of him has been discovered. The mast and sail of Uhe'boat were 'picked up on the 21st jnst,, between yQueenstown "' and Kingston. Reid is a single man, and is said to be a. cousin , of Mr Roid, late of Dunedin. . . Fftr \ remainder ii/ news sea Jour th page. \ „ ', i '„■■:': ."■'.. \o.','.- --'/'TTT "'..:-.. .".■'■' "I

A seal 18$ ieet long was captured at the Bay of Islands tho other day. The WeUington correspondent of the Auckland Star recently telegraphed to that journals-*-" Mr Harrison, M.H.R., has summoned the Galatea Hotel proprietor, for being abroad *nd inebriated -.at. two o'clock, a.m., when only tbe police and the press should be about; Other M.H.R.Y are implicated. Legislative skio, hair, and teeth were wanting after the fractu." Calcraft, the hangman, has announced his intention to retire from official life, and seek the repose of cultivating roses, dahlias, and turnips, for which he hae a great taste. The Globe, in noticing tbe fact, says he retires a disappointed man, because he so long entertained a hope that he might have occasion to perform on a newspaper reporter, but he has never yet been gratified.