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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 204, 27 August 1880, Page 2

The Inangahua Times saya there is a f ow amongst the chain- men engaged on the Government survey staff, Reefton. It seems that notice has been received by the hand? that not only their pay, but equipment and field allowances, would henceforth be docked 10 per cent. The men hitherto have been receiving £3 per week, but according to the new order of things the pay will for the future bo only £2 14s per week. This rate the men have refused to accept, and have thrown up their employment, and as they are all experienced hands, having been some time in the service, their loss cannot but occasion some interruption to the working of the department. A report has reachel Napier from Blackhead (says the Auckland Star) that a volcano has broken out under the sea at that place, a short distance from the shore. The natives who have seen it state that the volcano causes the sea water to boil up, and that occasionally volumes of water are thrown midair, with a loud report. It is just possible that this new volcano may have some connection with the recent earthquake. If the report of the natives is true, the matter is certainly worth investigating. On Saturday last (says the Telegraph) a gentlemau said good-bye to Napier after having thrown upon the town the light of his counteuauce for a couple of weeks or so. His visit was all too short. He icported himself to be immensely wealthy, and he showed himself to be extremely, quarrelsome. For some insulting remarks to an unoffending boarder at an hotel this visitor got a pair of beautiful black eyes, consulted a surgeon, and wore green spectacles. On leaving the wharf for the steamer on Saturday, he said " good-bye " to the doctor, " I did not know I what your fee was, but I have left two guineas with at — : — — Hotel." " My good fellow," said the doctor, " don't mention it." The doctor called at that hotel, but found that nobody knew anything abont the two guineas. Some amusement (writes the Wellington correspondent of the Auckland Star) was created in the House last night by a neat little speech by the Premier in reply to Mr Montgomery, the member for Akaroa, who was very anxious to be informed whether the Government were in earnest in the proposal to attach the Chatham Islands to the Akaroa constituency. The Premier in reply quoted statistics to show how the proposal would suit the eternal fitness of things, seeing that any representative of the Chathams should know something of navigation, as in visiting his constituents be might have command of his own vessel. As the member for Akaroa was supposed to possess experience in the useful art he was the fittest person that could be selected to represent the Chathams. It should be explained that many years 'ago, before Mr Montgomery became impressed with the notion that his forte was Colonial Tin ance, ho was skipper of a fishing | smack. | On the evening of Monday, the 2nd inst., a brilliant meteor waß seen from various parts of Otago. The Tuapeka paper states that a young lad named Samuel Gare, residing at Wetherstones, was going a message between seven and eight o'clock, when he was suddenly surrounded by a dazzliug blaze of fire, which severely scorched one side of his face. The details of the circumstances are not given, but they are said to be of an extraordinary character, and the lad is said to have been so much burnt as to bear a black mark on the side of his face for some days afterwards. A sad-looking man went into a Burlington drug store. " Can you give me," he asked, " something that will drive from my mind the thoughts of sorrow and bitter recollections?" And the druggist nodded and put him up a little dose of quinine, and wormwood, and rhubarb, and epsotn salts, and a dash of castor oil, and gave it to him, and for six months the man couldn't think of anything in the world except new schemes for getting the taste out his mouth. No less than 16 cases of sly-grog selling was heard in one day last week at the Dunedin Police Court.