The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, MAY 13, 1879.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 113, 13 May 1879, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, MAY 13, 1879.

, By a misprint in our "Notices of Mails" yesterday the mail by the Taiaroa was advertised to close at 5 p.m. to-day instead of 1 p.m. We can but express the hope that the mistake has not occasioned any inconvenience. There was a very successful entertainment at the Lunatic Asylum last night, when a large number in excess of that which the room could aocommodate applied for admission. The performance, thanks to those who had taken so much trouble in getting it up, passed off exceedingly well, and a trifle over £5 was collected iv aid of the Recreation Fund. It is, we understand, intended to give entertainments of a similar character more frequently if they can possibly be arranged for. The annual tea meeting in connection with Trinity Presbyterian Church will take place to-morrow evening. Tea will be provided at six o'clock, and the usual after meeting will he held. During the evening there will be some vocal and instrumental music by the choir, and a number of readings will be given by members of the congregation. Thk Naval Brigade muster for drill at half-past seven to-night. The annual dinner of the Past Grands' Lodge of Odd-Fellows will take place this evening at the Nelson Hotel. We have received a long letter from Mr James M'Namara, the plaintiff in the recent action M'Namara c. Norwich Union Company. As, however, it deals only with matters of a purely personal character, and is confined to assertions of his own " honor, respect, aud honesty," we must decline to give it publication. An ugly accident occurred last Tuesday to Mr Cederman who was at work in the bush about ten miles up the Aorere Valley, when the bough of a tree fell on him bruising him badly about the back and arms, and dislocating one of his 6houlders. He was conveyed to Mr Hanson's house in Collingwood, and Dr. Wallace was sent for, under whose care he is progressing favorably. A London telegram of the Bth instant to the Post announces the failure of Messrs Swan, Clough, and Co.'s Bank at York. Although this is not a very large establishment (on referring to the Post Office Directory we find that the limit of its circulation was £46,387), the failure may, from the fact of the Bank being in the heart of the wool manufacturing districts, have an injurious effect upon the sales that are now taking place in London. The following item of news appeared in last night's Post as a special London tele--1 gram, dated 10th inst .---"News from the East announces the satisfactory termination of the Afghan difficulty. Yakoob Khan, who went to the British Camp on the 7th inst. to negotiate for peace, had a prolonged conference with the Governor-General, the result being that he ultimately accepted the terms of peace offered by the British Government, iovolviug a material rectification of the frontier." A correspondentof the Christchurch Press hints that « Mr Barff will be called to the Legislative Council as a further reward for past services. He might represent the Government in that House." Very" like a whale I The Karamea correspondent of the Westport Times writes .— I bave seen the gold the miners have brought down, aud I have conversed with David Stephenson's party first telling them that it was very likely I might write to the Westport limes giving the result of the information they might ' furnish me. Their earnings have been from 10s to 15s per day. On the 19th inst, they made 19s each. They unhesitatingly state that there is plenty ot ground for 50 or 60 men that would be contented with from 10s to 12s per day, but they would not advise any one to come yet until the road is cut on the north bank of the Karamea. The following " specials," dated London, May 10, are from last night's Post :— The Paii Mall Gazette and other journals contain articles commenting on the result of the Victoriau Embassy to England, in the course of which Mr Berry is viciously attacked, and his conduct impugned in unmeasured terms. —The copper market is without any noticeable alteration, prices still ruling at £62 5s to £62 10s.— Owing to the severity of the spring, hops are very backward.— Melbourne ox-hides, best heavy, are worth 4|d, _J-d, and 5d per lb, according to quality; do do, best lighf, 4|d. Sydney ox-hides, best heavy, are worth 4,d to 4|d; do do, best light, 4£d. —The prices of tallow are falling, owing to large supplies. Mutton tallow is fetching from 29s to 345; and beef, 29s to 32s 6d.— The tin market presents a quiet appearance, to 69s per 496 lbs, according to quality.— Australian wheat is being sold from the ship's side at 48s aud 48s 6d; flour, 32s 6d. — Considerable business is being done in wool at full rates; 9891 bales are offering. The proceedings at the "Great Native Meeting " at Kopua, we were recently informed by telegraph, had to be postponed for a day or two on account of the commissariat department not having been properly attended to. Up to the time of the postponement, the appetite of the assembled natives must have been pretty fair, judging from the account given by the correspondent of the Auckland Star of the amount of

kaikai gathered together at the opening of the meetiug. He says :— The following are particulars of food distributed : The length of the pile is 90 yards by 6 feet thick. Quantities of food : 3 tons of biscuits, 7 tons of sugar, 10,000 baskets of potatoes (each 501bs), 40 tons of flour (arranged in a pile 7 bags thick and 227 long), 22 carcases of bullocks, 58 pigs, 15 sheep, 15 tons of beef and mutton, 10 tons of fi9h, 140 calabashes (huahua) of pork and birds preserved in fat. Formerly no pork was used. One Maori apologised to the Rev. Mr Buddie for the intermixture of pork by stating, "Yon stopped our supplies of powder and prevented our obtaining guns." Each huahua weighed 40lbs. £80 worth of tobacco, 400 kits of dried pipies, 56 pipes My friend Whitiora distributed the food, which is valued at £3000. The food Was contributed by all the tribes. The natives say this and the Remuera meeting were the largest distributions of food ever known. At Remuera there wero more sharks, because there was no beef or mutton. An old chief says there is tbe largest amount of pakeha food distributed at this meeting ever known at any gathering.