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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 97, 24 April 1878, Page 2

At what is called Totara Rush— for want yet of a better name to designate the locality —some twenty parties have set in to sink ihaf ts aud test the ground. The prospectors are driving in their claim, huving met with too much water to continue sinking. Practical men who have been on the ground say there is very good indication of gold. The one delay will be in bringing water on to the ground by race, but it is considered feasible to lay down a tramway to the river bank, about two miles, and truck the wash stuff there and thus command a practically unlimited supply of water. The problem to be solved is whether the stuff will prove rich enough to yield a payable on cost of working and transit.— Westport Times. Many people have wondered that in their despair the Turks did not unfurl the Standard of the Prophet. Their forbearance was a necessity. According to the Gazette ds l' Allemagne du Nord, it is no ionger in the possession of the Porte. An Italian traveller is declared to have stolen it, unobserved by the keepers of the Mosque, and the relic is now in the Turin Museum. In the hearing of a case at the Resident Magistrate's Court on Saturday (says the Lyttelton Times) Mr Garrick, who was the acting-solicitor, brought out evidence to the effect that a man who had been drinking went to a Chrisichurch furniture dealer and sold him the whole of the furniture, valued at least at £200, for £15, amongst the items being an e ! ghty guinea piano. The dealer at once went and forcibly removed some of the goods, but it was understood that steps had been taken to protect the remainder ; ; and a doubt was even expressedas to whether a, monetary consideration had passed. The! incident serves to show that the consciences of some men have an extraordinary amount of elasticity. A recent cable message. announced that there had been severe fighting in the Transvall, and we understand that Sir George Grey has received a telegram from England: confirming the news forwarded to the press. We take from a contemporary the following regarding the district in which the outbreak has occurred:— "The Transvaal isa large: tract of country north of the Orange River Free State, and lies between lat. 22 degs 15 ' mins 28degs 40 mins S., ard long. 29 degs 32 mins E., extending from the Vaal river as far as the Crocodile River. It has au area of 1 14,360 square miles, and contains a white population of about 30,000. Against these there is a warlike native population of about 270,000, a large proportion of which is well armed. The white population consists principally of Dutch Boers, who seceded from Cape Colony in 1840, and formed a Republic, but in 1877, being threatened with annihila- ' tion by the natives, sought and obtained re-annexation to the British Colony. The Transvaal is mountainous aud difficult of access, affording numerous strongholds for the natives. At latest advices the British forces at the Cape consisted of six regiments . and two batteries of artillery, but these troops were considered insufficient, and there was a cry for reinforcements.'* Mr Hutchison, of Orakau, Auckland, has I just reaped 1060 bushels of wheat off thirty, acres of land. This is exclusive of a quantity destroyed by rust. ;i

It is probable, unless the news should teach him through some stray labor vessel, that about Ave months will elapse t^fore the Bishop of Melanesia will learn the sa J intelligence of the death of his father, the latb. Bishop Selwyti. The mission schooner left here _n the beginning of the month, and with fair winds atid weather would probably reach Norfolk Island in five days, but if the weather was unfavorable a fortnight wouM be occupied in the voyage. The custom of the Bishop ia to go with the ship ou her cruise, and he sometimes remains on one of the islands until the schooner goes back to Norfolk Island and returns agai_. He did this last year, when he took the place of the Rev Mr Still at bis station, in consequence of the illness of the latter; and the probability is that the same might occur this year at some other mission station. Should he, however, return with the schooner to Norfolk Island without remaining on any of the other islands three months at least will probably elapse before his return, and there is vCry little probability of the news of his father's death reaching him before that time. Auckland Heratd. The Marlborough Express of Saturday says :— Last Thursday Mr Green's station at Upcot, Upper Awatere was the sceue of a great disorder, owing to the nnmber of persb'hs Who were taken ill, evidently the result ' of arßeufcttt poisoning, all the symptoms of which being expetieflced, as burning ia the throat, bad taste in mouth, heavy weight in pit of stomach, violent retching and loss of strength in limbs, violent pains across fore- , head, loss of sight and appetite. Among those effected were Einil Matzdorf , P. Ward, Hugh Prazer, R. M'Lennan, J. B Green, H. M'Shane (sheep inspector), R. Witt, George Whitney, J. Imrie, W. Arnold, — Waxman (drafting for Mrs Mowatt., M'Masters (drafting for Mr Teschemaker,) (Kiernan : (drafting for Waihopai), Harry the soldier, and some others, iucluding the cook, Alick I M'Donald. All these persons having partaken of food were more or less affected, some very seriously. An enquiry instituted : on the spot placed it beyond doubt that the poison was mixed with the flour, and all that , could made tracks for fresh fields and pas- ; tures new as soon as possible. A Timaru telegram dated Sunday says ;— At half-past twelve to-day a man named William Taylor, a baker, who had only been in town a fortnight, ahd who had heen drinking heavily, committed suicide by strangling himself in a email building adjoining Allan and Stumble^ blacksmith's shop. When discovered he was lying ou his back on the ground, with a strap drawn tight round his neck. Near him was an upright post, with a ; piece of timber projecting crossways, about four feet from the ground. It is supposed that he held one end of the strap to this timber, drawing himself back, thus' tightening it round his neck and strangling himself. He then let go his hold and fell on the ground. A very accommodating geyser has been found at Rotorua, a telegram from which place says : — While His Excellency and . party were at Whakarewarewa yesterday, the big geyser started spouting about sixty : feet. This geyser has been silent since 19 th February ; it has been spouting to-day, and is likely to continue for some time.