The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1876.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 55, 26 February 1876, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1876.

••jftJCiiE Bishop ol* Nelson will preach at Christ Ohurch tomorrow evening in reference to the great event of the last lew days—'- The laying of the cable." By reference to onr advertising columns it will be seen that the Takaka Licensing Court is adjourned till the 14th of March. The Naval Brigade boat was put into the water this morning, and taken down to the boat shed. She will be officially launched on Thursday evening next, that being the anniversary of the Brigade. Itis intended to celebrate i the launch by a dinner, and aa the

tickets have been fixed at as low a price as possible there will no doubt be a large attendance of members as well as of tbe public. "Vyi. would remind those interested iv horticulture that the autumn show will be held ou Thursday next. A mektinc. of the trustees of the Nelaon Savings Bank will be held at four o'clock on Monday afternoon. Seemons will be preached in the G-ospel Hall, "Wakefield, to-morrow evening, and on the following Sunday morning. The spotted boy and the tiny lady who is in company with him held another levee last night. They will be on view again this evening. # Attention is called to a notice signed by the Town Clerk stating that all rates remaining unpaid after Wednesday next will be sued for. The Lightning Calculator held forth last night, and amused his hearers by his diverting talk and astonished them by his rapid calculations. He has on sale a large number of books descriptive of his system of arithmetic. He will appear in public again to-night. A rather serious accident occurred on the wharf at the Yogel reception at Wellington. One of Mr Black's workmen was standing among the spectators when a rocket fired from a ship made a swoop downwards, and after passing right through the skirts of his wife's dress, struck the unfortunate man ou the leg, part of the rocket-stick entering the flesh and inflicting a nasty wound. He is now under medical treatment. An accident also occurred to Miss Clayton, Lady Vogel's sister. It appears that a rocket-stick fell near where she was standing, and set fire to her dress, but the fire was extinguished before any damage was done. Edwin James, a son of Edwin James, barrister, of London, having tried two or three times to put an end to himself at Tauranga, hts been committed to the Auckland Lunatic Asylum. Prior to his committal, and while in custody in the Tauranga redoubt, he jumped over the parapet, and after being chased by a constable, leaped from a cliff 60 feet high down to the beachj and, strange to say, sustained no injury. He then ran into the tide, struck out into deep water, and held his face under water with the determined intention of drowning himself, but just in time one of the constables, John Kelly, swam in after the drowning man and brought him to shore. A Penny Savings Bank was established three weeks ago by the Auckland Savings Bank In the short space of three weeks no fewer than 265 accounts have been opened. The average amount of the deposits, instead of a penny, has been no less than 2s each. There are a few pennies, but the amounts range as high as los and £l. One peculiar feature is that mothers have, in a great number of cases, opened accounts for the children. Lay your finger on your pulse, and know that at every stroke some immortal passes to his Maker — some fellow- being crosses the river of death ; and if we think of it, we may well wonder that it should be so long before our turn comes. On Saturday, the 12th instant, at Mr Waldegrave's farm, near the Manawatu, was born a pig — that is if the animal can any longer be classified pig — that has an elephant's head upon it. There is (says the local journal) no exaggeration whatever in this statement ; not only is the shape of the head of the elephant most clearly defined, but the trunk, about thres inches long, is quite perfect. The mongrel lived for 24 hours, and is now in pickle awaiting further investigation. A fine subject, no doubt, for investigators of the Darwinian theory. — Argus. A writer in the Australasian gives the following what he pertinently calls t: disheartening " result attained by free secular compulsory education : — At a competitive examination at Avoca this not very alarming problem in arithmetic was submitted for solution to the fifth class, consisting of seven pupil?. "If a ton of potatoes cost £7 10s, what will be the price of a bushel when there are 401 bto the bushel?" Thirteen pupils solved the problem thus: — 2s and 1520 over, £120, £677,800, £6,720,000, £57,200, 2s and 1520 over, ,£1 6s Sd, £18 and 1680 over, £3 15s, 13s G£d, and four wouldn't face so appalling a test, and returned blank papers. The fifth class having thus demonstrated its proficiency in one branch of English education, the sixth was tried with dictation, which resulted in " rhythm " being spelled " writham, writhum, rithem, rithim, rytheim. and " metre " — metior, meter, meator, meator, meatum, raeoter, metor, meteor!" The Timaru Herald says : — " Talking of high wages and the demand for labor, we heard of an amusing and very suggestive instance a few days ago. The owner of a farm in the neighborhood of Timaru had a crop which needed to be cut without delay. He had previously had great difficulties about labor, aud was afc length driven to extremities as regarded this particular crop. Finally he was able to get hands, but ouly on the terms that he was to give them 14<s each and beer, and they were only to work for four hours and a half. These conditions they decided upon among themselves, and absolutely refused to work lor a penny less. We have reason to believe that they did their work well enough when they did turn to ; but what a piece of extortion they were guilty of beforehand! One of these very, men, by-the-bye, complained bitterly that he had only had two days' work in a fort-

night. No wonder, wheu he would not take less than 27s or 28s tor a full day's work !" A gentleman has indented a shell which deserves the immediate atiention of our Secretary of War. "It is filled with small shells, and when it bursts among ten thousand soldiers these smaller shells are scattered in all directions, and bursting in turn, send out still smaller shells, which travel around recklessly, and by the time the miniature shells contained in the third size explode, the army is nearly wiped out, and the few men remaining want to go horae."— News Letter. Madame Adelina Fatti (Marquis de Caux) has just concluded one of the most successful engagements she has ever fulfilled in Moscow. Afler singing in La Traviata, Romeo c Giuliella, II Darbiere, and jßigoletto, Bhe crowned ber success on the occasion of her benefit by appearing in the Huguenots. The house was full to overflowing, and the enthusiasm of her hearers was exhibited by showering upon the stage bouquets, wreaths, and even baskeis of flowers, to the number of 1200. After the fourth act Madame Patti was presented with a beautiful broach ot emeralds and diamonds, the gift of the subscribers, and of the value of £600.