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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 317, 24 September 1874, Page 2

Tbe complete skeleton of a whale is about to be added to the Wellington Museum. It being reported to Dr Hector that the carouse of a whale was lying at Port Underwood, having . been j rejected as barren of oil, Captain Fair- I child too^ the Luna round, and got the carcase on board. It proved by no means a pleasant passenger, being decidedly "high" and redolent of perfumes not of "Araby the blest," and ultimately it was landed on fhe other side of this harbor, that the skeleton might become divested of the malodorous oarnal envelope. — Post. The Post, of Monday last, says:— During the Luna's recent cruise, frjorn which ehe returned last night, she landed stores at the Cape Campbell and Mana Island lighthouses. The Brothers islets were carefully examined with reference to their suitability as a site for a Cook Strait light, as recommended by Captain Johnson in his able report to the Commissioner of Customs, which was laid before the General Assembly. Captain Johnson inspected the islets on Saturday, and found them eminently suitable, abounding in convenient sites, the rock soft and easily excavated, and the landing tolerably gooJ. Cook's Rock, on which the p. s. Queen was wrecked some years ago, then was ife_. amined with a view to ascertaining whether it would be better to blow it up or place a beacon on it. The preliminary inspection was not sufficient to settle this point, and a second visit will be paid to the spot. "The merchants of Gat many and Belgium," writes the Southern Gross, "are endeavooirthg to induce the squatters of Victoria to ship their wooldirect to Antwerp and Hamburg, instead of pouring every bale into London. The state that not only wonld more money be obtained in tho Continental ports, but that the^exTpenses would he considerably less." There is no mistake about the charges. An account; eate*: for IGO bales of greasy wool, realising 13d per pound showed that the charges in Antwerp were £33 15s Id less than would have bean the case for a similar parcel in London. The British merchant must come down in his charges if he wishes to. retain his irade." Mr. W. C. Yoilie (says the Australasian) reports having sold privately to Mr Coorabe, of New Zealand, the racehorse Right Bower, by the Peer out of Midge, by Kelpie—formerly tbe property of Mr Abbott. This horse has grown into a fine animal, and will doubtless, prove a most useful racer. •to his new owner. Also, by auction to the same gentleman, the game son of Peter Wilkins — Flying Dutchman— so well known for his grand struggle with Saleuin in tbe Australian Cup race two years ago. He served last season at the stud, and is now as sound as a bell, and we uodersiand it is Mr Coombe's intention to run him in New Zealand. The Hawaiian Gazette has an astronomical editor, who . pokes . fun at Venus, "Jupiter, the sun, and the astronomers. This is what he wrote on the 12th August last: — " Tbe planets Venus and Jupiter have presented a pretty sight the past few ; evenings, ' as they have been approaching each other for their periodial conjunction. This celestial coquette is making herself unusually notorious this year. After dancing around grim Jupiter and having her periodical tete-a-tete with him, as she is now doing, she proposes a chase after, the sun. When she, flirts wi»h Jupiter nobody cores much about ,jt>: though all must confess she plays ber part well, and makes the fellow stand aside for her. But when she approaches old Sol, as she intends to do December 8, and undertakes to make him her beau, then all the savarisiu the universe are started np, and chase all round this globe to get the beat position to observe the color of her skirts, and measure the length of her shadow.' A strange girl is this Venqs— look at her tfeisj evening and tell us if you don't think she is pretty as she, waltzes past old JspUer?"

The teaders for the construction of,, the Port Chalmers railway, of-: which there were ten, ranged from £47,968 to £84,699. We learn (says the Waikato Times)] that the p.s. Luna will shortly tow a hulk of about 600 lons into tbe Waikato Heads, to be used as a depot for railway and bridge material, large quantities of which will be. brought to their destined place by riv**r. I A train is now run by the Pennsylvania Railway Company, from New York-to Pittsburg, a distance of 444 miles, in eleven hours. Only three stops ! are made on the journey, the longest jrun being 132 miles. The locomotive dips up water frbnf side" troughs at the different stations along the road without stoppage. The Olago Guardian learns that the appointment of Assistant Analyst bas been offered to and accepted by Mr Saul Solomon, a student at the University. This gentleman, at tha last New Zealand University Scholarship examinations, took honors in the chemistry classes. Mr Solomon is one of Dr. Black's most promising pupils. Ninety railway companies in the United States have suspended payment of interest on their bonds, and tbe total amount of bonds thus dishonored amounts to nearly three hundred and fifty millions of dollars. Is it any wonder says the New York Herald, that American credit abroad is no better tban that of Turkey or Brazil.