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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 298, 17 December 1874, Page 2

A very successful show of locally raised flowers, fruit, and vegetables, has been held at Greymouth under the auspices of the Horticultural Society. The Times says that it is reported that two or three of the Karamea settlers have found their way along the coast back to Westport and prefer the chance of work here to their prospects on the new settlement. The Buller News of Monday last says — The Provincial Secretary is still at the Karamea, bat he hopes t. be able in a few days to return to Westport. Everything seems to be going on wel. at the new tettlement Good observations were taken of the transit of Venus at Hokitika on Wednesday, all tho different phases from the first to the last moment of external contact having been distinctly visible. At Westport also, had sufficiently powerful instruments been availab c, correct observations might have been recorded.— Westport Times. The following passage (says tho Westport limes) occurs in a letter Irom the father of the late Mr Kynnersley re ating to his son's death. The letter is addressed to a gentleman in Nelson: -"I should like very much if there were any opportunity to express my thanks to the diggers who carried him to his last resting plac.. He always spoke most warmly of their sterling good qualities, and of their attachment to himself, bia thorough B-ra-g-tforwar-ness and absence of all prstentiousnesa would be sure to recommend him to their esteem, and I value very much their regard lor him. I shall always take a deeD interest ia the West Coast, and if I were a few years younger I .hould like of all thines to mc iu, and especially the place where .he is laid but I fear there is little chance of thafc BOW."

A very flagrant case of goli-stealma- by a miner has been brought to light at Ballarat. Tho local papers recently gave currency to a sensational story of a poor man having obtained £1000 worth of gold as the result of one day's work. The "po>r man," who-e name was James Goodman, was sho'tly Hfterwards arrested on a charge of stealing 250 ounces of gold, the property of the Queen Company, Ballarat East, on whose claim he was a " tributer." The evidence against him is regarded as conclusive. During the hearing of the case, three of the prisoner 'a mates made some statements which disclose the existence of very loose raining morality, to say the least of it. They admitted, with the. utmost simplicity apd candour, ttmt ihey had taken small quantities of the rich stone home with them, pouuded it in a nsortar, and divided the proceeds among themselves, though hound by their tribute agreement to send all quartz to the company's battery. When asked by the police magistrate if they did not think it was equal to stealing, one of them replied, he did not see any harm in taking these small rich patches for themselves. The New Zealand Herald states that the Madras Government is pursuing tho came policy that New South Wales and New Zealand initiated some time^ back. It is getting rid of ita criminal population by transporting it to distant countries. It haa sanctioned the deportation of five notorious vagrants to Sydney, Melbourne, and England. One is a surveyor, formerly employed ia the BeDgal revenue survey, who has been twice admitted as a vagrant ; another is a laborer, who hasn't been able to got employment either in Calcutta or Bombay. Tbe third is a fireman, who went lo India in 1868; the fourth, n locksmith, who took horses to Calcutta iv 1871; and the fifth is an ironmoulder, *• at present undergoing two months' rigorous imprisonment." The notorious Gardiner had as narrrow an escape of his life from shipwreck, us had aoy man whom his bullets missed when on a ranr*iuding expedition. Amongst the vessels that were damaged by the typhoon at Hong Kong was the Charlotte Andrews, which conveyed the bushranger Gardiner to China, where the vessel encountered great peril, after losing her bowsprit and foremast. An exchange of criminals between countries aod colonies may, if allowed to continue, lead to competitive trials as to which shall send away the greatest number of the greatest scoundrels who bave escaped hanging. Two thousand wethers wera Bold last week for £2000, says the Wairarapa Standard. This price must certainly prove satisfactory to the sheep farmers, whatever it may do to the butcher sand consumers. It shows the necessity of breeding those sheep that will produce not only the most wool, but the most mutton. But we also learn that those which will produce the most of the on 9 one will also produce the most of the other. The pure bred Lincolns, the property of a large sheep farmer down the Valley, have produced scoured fleeces averaging 121 b eacb, which is a greater weight, we understand, than has ever before been attained for scoured fleeces, unless in creep, ional cases, A rather plucky along shore trip has been made from Brighton to Westport | by Mr Diaper, a well known resident on the coast, and an nld nautical man. On Friday afternoon he put off from | Brighton beach in hia skiff, the € « Royal Mail," a taut little boat. of some 21 feet keel, and that night made the Nile river where ho moored for the night. He left again on Saturday morning, and got to the Buller safely at 2 p.m., after haviog dragged heavily against bead winds and flood tide. In passing Capo Foulwrod, Mr Diaper, to his intense surprise, found his boat literally surrounded by sharks, which kept rubbing alongsfde, compelling him to use his paddles vigorously to drive them away. Some of these ugly customers were from twelve to fourteen feet in length, and Mr Diaper says that during his long residence on the coast he has never before seen sharks in such nu tubers or so near in shore. (.For remainder of News see fourth page.)