The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1877.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 263, 6 November 1877, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1877.

The great sporting event of the southern hemisphere, the race for the Melbourne Cup, takes place to-day. The entries closed with 116 nominations, of which 42 accepted. The Canterbury races also commence to-day and last over to-morrow and Thursday, to-morrow being the Cup day. A most interesting lecture, or, more co** 1 rectly speaking, narrative of hia journey from Pekm to St. Petersburg, was given at the Provincial Hall last night by the Rev. G. A Whyte, F.R G.S, and we cau only regret both on account of the charitable object in view and for the sake of those that were absent, that there was not a larger attendance. The descriptions of the mode of travelling, of the incidents of the journey some of a serious and others of an exceedingly comic character, of the strange company to be met with, of the sufferings of the exiles, who for some paltry political differences of opinion had been banished o Siberia, of the country passed through and. temperature experienced, were all given in a most spirited manner, and fully entitled the lecturer to the hearty vote of thanks accorded to him at its close. The chair was occupied by the Bishop of Nelson. Tub annual meeting of the Nel3on and Howard Lodges of Odd-Fellows will he held at their Hall this evening, when the Hall Committees' reports and accounts for the past year will be presented. We regret to notice the death of Mr W. Coppins, an old and respected settler, who for many years past has resided in Motueka, where he will be much missed by his numerfriends.