The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1877.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 31, 5 February 1877, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1877.

_ The incessant rain that has been falling since Saturday morning has done a deal of damage to the orchards and gardens, where the stone fruit has been spoilt by the excessive moisture, while an immense quantity of apples, pears, peaches, &c, were blown down by the strong wind yesterday morning. But bad as is the weather here, it appears by the report posted at the Telegraph Office to be | far worse in other parts of the colony, heavy I floods being the result in many places. In Blenheim, as will be seen by our telegrams, the Opawahas risen to a height no ver reached before, but fortuuately the Taylor is not up. Should this rise as well as the Opawa the consequences would be most disastrous for the town, which certainly has good cause to complain of its treatment by the elements within the last few months. The water at present is said to be eight inches deep in Penny's Hotel, but although- this has an alarming sound, comparatively speaking it does not mean very much, for in the same hotel high water mark as registered in 1868 at about a level with the top of the counter is still pointed out with a degree of pride to

incredulous visitors who decline to accept as true all the statements that are made of what Blenheim can lay claim to in the matter of floods. The monthly meeting of the Port Fire Brigade will be held this evening. The Regatta Committee will meet this evening for Ihe purpose of receiving the report of the Sub-Committee. A little Company, which has been playing for some time at Blenheim with considerable success, is about to visit Nelson, where fie first performance will take place at the Masonic Hall on Thursday night. The principal performers are Mr E. A. Hart, Miss Kate Kussell (Mrs Hart), and Mr Luscombe Searel), whose talents as a pianist are well known in Nelson. The monthly sitting of the Resident Magistrate's Court was held at Richmond this morning, but there was little to be done beyond dealing with one or two assault cases of a trivial natnre. In one of them the assaulted lady asserted that her opponents came at her like " wild hengines," but even so powerful a metaphor failed to produce the ' desired effect upon the mind of the R.M., who dismissed the case. The other charges were treated in a similar manner. Mr Deacon, who has been for a number of years connected with the shipping business of Messrs Nathaniel Edwards and Co., of Nelson, has entered upon the duties of agent for that firm in Wellington, to which port their steamers now regularly trade.— Evening tost-