LATEST TELEGRAMS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 114, 16 May 1877, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAMS.

[PRESS AGENCY.]

INTERPROVINCIAL

Auckland, Tuesday. The May Queen, supposed to have been lost afc Tonga, was insured in the New Zealand office (open policy) for £2000; National, £300; also £1000 in the New Zealand on specie, of which a quarter of fche latter was reinsured in the Standard, and a quarter in an Australian office. During the hurricane at Tonga, between 600 and 700 houses were blown down. There is general ruin all over the island. The ketch Pearl left Tonga for Eoa to load sheep, Tout determined to run back. Both she and the May Queen were caught in the gale, but the Pearl managed to get in before the passage became impassable. The May Queen was unable to enter, and was last seen on the lee of the island on her beam ends. The Favorite lost three sails, and the Pearl, Prince of Wales, William, and Caroline were all driven high and dry. The German war ship . Augusta," and H.M.S. Sappho are at Apiila. The insurances on tbe William Gilford, on shore near the Bluff, are as follows:— New Zealand (cargo) £1300; National (hull), £530; Staudard (hull), £330; South. British (hull), £420. Oam aro, Tuesday. A meeting of the Municipal Council was held last nighfc to consider tenders for earthworks, pipe supply, and pipe laying. The first was divided into four contracts, for which seven tenders were received, the total cost ranging from . £55,350 to £46,174. For the pipe supply nine tenders were received, ranging from £24,646 to £18,310. For the pipe laying six tenders were received, ranging from £2762 to £1938. The tender of John Henderson, of Wellington, for the construction of works, exclusive of pipes and pipe laying, was accepted, the amount being £42,425.

Lyttelton, Tuesday. Arrived— Piako, from London. She made the passage in 85 days from land to land, and had moderately fine weather. She brings 46 passengers and a large cargo. Wellington, Wednesday. A largely attended public meeting was held last night upon the question of drainage for the city. The meeting did not advance or retard matters, the Council having already decided fco take the plebiscifcum of the ratepayers to determine whether Climie's system of' underground drainage be adopted or not. A general vote will shortly be taken to decide the matter, , The rock along along the beach slipped after the late rains injuring a -'.couple of hotels. More slips are immiuent. As the Governor does not visit Christchurch at present the Commodore will not take the flagship Wolverine there, bufc he leaves here for Fiji via Auckland to-morrow. H.M.S. Sappho is ordered to return to Wellington from Samoa. If the City of New York left San Francisco on the 25th uit., as stated, she is expected to arrive at Auckland on fche 19th inst, in which case arrangements have been made for the Hawea to bring the mails down the coast immediately upon arrival. ["This information might have been valuable had we not been in possession of it a month ago. In the Union Company's time table for May (published about the middle of April) the Hawea is advertised to leave Onehunga with the San Francisco mail on the 19th inst., a footnote stating thafc in the event of the mail not having arrived she would be .detained for a day. In addition to being a mouth in advance of the telegram, the printed time table had the further advantage that there were no wire charges attached to it.— Ed. N.E.M.] Ch kistchurch, Wednesday. The meteor referred to in the telegrams from Auckland yesterday was seen at Lyttelton. Constable Buller states that about 1.30 a.m. on Thursday (?) saw an immense meteor pass along the sky, appearing to remain stationary in the mid-heavens for several seconds,^ and then pass [southward. He reports thafc ifc was of a blueish color, and of great brilliancy, illuminating the whole sky which was then quite starless. Meetings re the drainage scheme in the suburbs have all endorsed the action of the Christchurch meeting in condemning Mr Carruthers' scheme.