The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1874.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 236, 5 October 1874, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1874.

Aurora; AuBTRALis^-Arhere was a brilliant display of this beautiful phenomenon in the aouthetn,(fikieft,laß{ night betyreeJL eight aad nine o'clock./; ABTILLEBt ENTBRTA-N-SrEN- 1 .— We remind obr " reader^ of ; the dramatic entertainment to be given to-morrow evening, when the drama of Blackeyed Susan will be followed by a new add n.oßt»ac-using-farcei V i The Gothenburg wbb to leave Melbourne on the 30th instant, and consequently will? be due at the Bluff tomorrow. The Otago was advertised to follow by the same ( rouf,e ou the 6th instant. "' ' ' ** " * ! ' [ Sericulture — To those who interest themselves in this particular industry, we Recommend Vperueal of a letter from a Hokitika correspondent, whicb appears in the fourth page of today's issue. "-"''• ' ' Hops. — In our commercial column will be found news from England that, disastrous as it may he to h6p*growers in the old country, will be encouraging to those pursuing the same industry in Nelson. Vert like a Moa — Poor R. K. M. Smythe has been ieft moaless, the birds that he secured with a tether rope having made their escape, and returned to their native wilds. It is to be hoped that the next time, he secures a.uch a prize he will take better care of rt. The ship Chile from London, with immigrants,,. may, be looked for at .any time now, as sheis 71 days out. having • left on the 24th July. Tha Pasithea is keeping up the character for making long passages of the vessels lhat usually find their way to Nelson, beiog now 121 days out from London. Probably she and the Chile eaay arrive together. We have received several coran__hicatioos complaining of the manner in which the contract for carrying , the . Motueka mail has been let. For all other service? tf n<lors are invariably invited, but in. this particular case the usual coarse was not pursued, and the first intimation the public receive of it ie that the present contractor haa been guaranteed £200 a year fora tri-weekly coacb service. We have no fault whatever to find with the choice made, for than the contractor, a better man could scarcely have been found for the work, but we quiteagree with those who complain of the action of the General Government in the matter. It is : al waywell to avoid even tbe semblance of jobbery in connection with the public service, and that 'has not been done in tbe present instance. Tbe Good Templars have erected a commodious and handsome hall in Dunedin. The Guardian says it has been erected on the principle of a joint atock company, consisting of 3000 shares of 20*' representing a. capital of £3000. The design belongs to thie decorated Italian style of architecture, the building being constructed of stone , aod brick. The ground floor consists j of a hall 42ft long and 25ft broad. lis , height from floor to ceiling is 35ft. '■'■■' Lately there were in the Immigration . Barracks at Oamaru 187 souls, or over 100 more tban the building is supposed to accommodate. ■The Cr. H. Argus bf Wednesday I last says:— The severity o( the weather was, if possible, greater yesterday than during the 'iwo previous 'days The rain came down more continuously, but the wind was hardly so strong in tbe, afWhdon as it was in' the morniop. **' It rained heavily a'l day, but it moderated a littleafter.dark, although there were sharp squalls at intervals A d tiring" the night. The river was high, but not swollen to such a degree as it was expected it would be, or as the Etate of the weather up country would indicate, but, ire fDc inlaud. As all but suspended owing to the sate of tbe rivers aod roads. Coasidi/rable damage has been done at Nd Town, where a substantially-built tramway was washed away, and the creek did some damage by breaking into the woi kings of i\ie' Chinese (along its bed. Another extensive landslip took plece.oes the main roa', between tho Stillwater and Alubasttr'p, and the road went down bodily, .together wiih a p*rtioo of tbe railway formation, near the Concord Hold. Fiom all parts of the colony disastrous accounts of the weather and its bad effects are. coming. At Reefton tbe lower part of Broadway was flooded for several houra. It was ruining veiy hard, without any sign of a change for the better. At Ahaura the wet weather still continued, but there were no indications of a flood at J.W'.J? 8 i&- °>|sß^ge yesterday The greateet damage seems to be°do_,e about Charleston^ ; where mining property lo the value of £2000 was destrojed with several narrow/escapes of life. Westport has also suffered, bur the protective works,' primitive 1 as |hey are, saved the town.