INTERPROVINCIAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 194, 13 August 1878, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL.

[press agency.] Dunedin, Monday. One hundred and sixty-eight acres of landnear Fo'rbury, about two miles from Dunediu changed owners to-day at £25,000. Tuesday, i In some small parcels of minerals lately ! forwarded to Professor Ullrich from tbe Mount Stewart district he found three true oriental rubies and a sapphire. These gems were small but it is expected that larger ones exist in the same locality. The customs revenue collected at the port yesterday was the largest for four years, and amounted to £4,553. Lyttelton, Monday. Sailed— Taranaki, for North. Passengers for Nelson — Mr aud Mrs Berry. Auckland, Monday. Intelligence received at Cooktown from New Guinea, reports that a great number of men in the diggings party are sick. Matters are very critical. The Sappho has arrived with a welcome supply of medicine. No gold is reported yet, although strong colors are said to have been obtained. A party of native officers sent by Ratu Eskoli Pako, of Province, to capture an offender, committed a great outrage. They confined all the male inhabitants of the village in one hovel and the females in another, and subjected the latter, despite their cries and struggles, to indiscriminate violation. On the intelligence reaching the European officer at Noumea, he ordered the arrest of the offenders, and forty were punished. Tuesday. Arthur Gerald Manning, a young man well connected in Queensland, has heen arrested on a charge of stealing £100 from the Bank of New Zealand at Christchurch, and remanded to Christchurch. He goes by the Wanaka this afternoon. Christchcbch, Tuesday. A public meeting re the We3t Coast railway was held last night, about 250 beiDg present. It was resolved, (1) That this meeting desires to urge upon the Government the desirability of connecting the East and West Coasts of the Island by railway with as little delay as possible in order that the productions and mineral resources of both sides of the Island may be interchanged to the mutual advantage of each. (2) That, in the opinion of this meeting the most direct and cheapest route will be via Amberley and Ahaura, and that the Mayor be requested to forward these resolutions to the Hon. the Premier Another meeting was held at which it was resolved to telegraph a congratulatory address to Earl Beaconsfield. New Caledonia, undated. The troops after destroying the village were, upon their return to camp, attacked by about 250 to 300 natives at Boularpari. Waiting for a place sufficiently open to afford a chance of seeing the savages, the troops kept on, and then suddenly turned, and fifteen blacks bit the dust. How many more were wounded is unknown for the rebels disappeared in the thick scrub as though by magic. To-morrow much is hoped for from an expedition to be made against the insurgents by the friendly tribes assisted by soldiers. Everything remains quiet in all parts of the Island except the scene of revolt and there operations are circumscribed to a very small area. Au attack organised yesterday resulted in the destruction of villages only, the natives fleeing among the mountains. Many people express surprise that more is not yet achieved against the insurgents, not so, however, those who come from the scene of action and are well acquainted witb the country and its black population. The better informed know the tedious process. Starvation and black against black are the means wbich must be depended upon for the reduction of this handful of agile i devils who leap from rock to rock, dive into | the friendly covering of thick tangled bush by

paths known to themselves only, or disappear in numerous ravines worn in the mountain sides by tbe rains. Up to the latest moment the number known to be killed in the late fight is 1 1 8. The latest despatch, dated Jul fr 15, says:— "An ambuscade succeeded agiiihst revolted tribes and kill*e_ the Son p-f .ttie chie*f ahd seve-al -others, ahd biitnt and destroyed ih tbe last day 'or two tVventy iiiot;e villages. Yesterday some natives bearing tbe tricolor flag came in and .'offered their Set-vices to the Government at the camp at Boularpari and BoiVnl. Two tribes of natives are fighting among themselves, and several are killed,