NELSON.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 174, 31 March 1847, Page 3

NELSON.

Bt the Catherine we have received a file of Nelson Examiners to March 20. They contain a full report of the dinner to his Excellency by the settlers, who appear to have him a most cordial reception. The late hour at which we received them obliges us to defer the report of these festivities, as also an account which appears in the Examiner of his Excellency's proceedings at Taranaki, to our next number.

Fire. — A fire broke out in the house of an industrious small farmer, named Kinzett, on Friday week, on the Wairaea road, which, in the course of a few minutes, reduced the building to the ground. Though assistance was close at hand, very little of the property in the house could be saved. Besides the loss of furniture and clothing, a quantity of barley, which was in one part of the house, was also destroyed. The total loss cannot be less than £100. The fire must have originated by a seam in the chimney, through which the thatch was ignited.

CoAL.-^ghe Inflexible has taken thirty tons of Massacre Bay coal, which will be giviug it a fair trial, and we shall therefore learn by the next vessel from Wellington the result of the trial. We do not think the sample was the best, as it had lain on Fifeshire Island exposed to all weathers for nearly a twelvemonth.

The Waieau. — Mr. Ligar and Mr. Fox

returned from their trip to tbe Wairau on Saturday last. These gentlemen travelled the whole length of the plain, and without seeing a Maori or finding the least trace of native residence or cultivation. From information previously obtained in Cloudy Bay, it appears that from three to five acres of cultivation is all the Maories have in Wairau. We believe his Excellency was of opinion that he should be able to secure this district for our settlement in a very few days after his return to Wellington. We are sorry to find that the Principal Agent of the Company has declined forwarding the resolutions passed at the meeting of the 30th January, which had been sent to him for that purpose. Though the resolutions were passed in ignorance of the real circumstances of the, case, we cannot see why they should be barked, if the gentlemen who passed them wished otherwise after the real facts became known. The course taken by the Agent in the business we deem highly impolitic, to say tbe least of it, as it must inevitably greatly irritate many of the land purchasers without producing any good effect, for the steps which the latter have adopted might easily have been foreseen.

The following account of the massacre, by Malays, of three persons on board the Paul Jones is taken from the Sydney Morning Herald. The Paul Jones belongs to this Port, was built by Mr. Wilcox of Waiwetu, who was principal owner, and after having been for some time engaged in the coasting trade, she left Wellington sth April, 1845, for Adelaide in the command of a person named Bathe, who had a small share in hei, and was to have returned to this Port direct. Bathe, however, traded from thence to Swan River and other parts of Australia, and ultimately proceeded from Swan River with a cargo of Sandal wood to China. The sequel will be found in the following extract : — > The Bramble brings an account from Copang respecting the cutter Paul Jones, which left Swan River for China with a cargo of sandal wood, recently discovered there. Her cargo sold advantageously there, and she left on the 14th July with tea and china goods, having on board Mr. Bathe master, Mr. Grunsell acting mate, Mr. A. Moulton supercargo, Henry Grey and John Barr seamen. Through stress of weather they were compelled to request the assistance of the English whaler Rover, to tow heir into Amboyna, where she refitted. Captain Bathe left the vessel at this port,- when she was taken charge of by the supercargo, who proceeded with her to Copang, to endeavour to procure a sailing master. At this place they took on board as passengers Mr, Middlecoat, his servant (a Malay boy), and two Malay seamen, and left again for Swan River on the Bth October. On the morning of the 14th October the Malays rose upon the Europeans, who were asleep at the time, and murdered the acting master Mr. Moulton, Mr. Middlecoat, Mr. Grunsell, wounding also Barr one of the seamen. Not understanding navigation, the two seamen were spared, with I orders to steer for the nearest land. On the | 22nd October they fell in with a Dutch | schooner, which refused to render them any assistance without they would propeed to her port of destination. November 10th she fell in with the London whaler Brothers, by which she was taken in tow, and conveyed to Copang. The two British seamen and the Malays were taken into custody for the murders ; the former were discharged as soon as their evidence had been taken, but the Malays were detained. — Sydney Morning Herald, March 2. The following letter was addressed by his Excellency the Dutch Resident at Copang to Lieutenant Yule :—: — | (Translation.} Timor, Copang, Nov. 25th, 1846. According to your Tequest of this day, I have the honour to furnish you with the answers to the questions pot to me concerning the cutter Paul Jones, which had been run away with and brought in here. \ 1. The Paul Jones arrived last at Copang on the 13th of this month. 2. She was conducted by the English whaling ship Brothers. 3. Commanded by F. L. Locke. 4. The Paul Jones had sailed from Copang on the Bth October, 1846. 5. Bound for Swan River. 6. Sailing under the English flag. 7. The names of the owners are William Wilcox and John Bathe. 8. The passenger was named Middlecot. 9. The crew consisted of 1 Captain 1 1 Mate > English 2 Seamen 3 1 Native of Macassar. 2 Natives of Timor. ' , 10. The cargo consisted of. 128 chests of tea and earthenware. 11. The affairs of the Paul Jones were turned over to the management and decision of the Court of Justice of Sourabaya, the vessel

and cargo in the meantime have been taken under the protection of the government of Copang. 12. The crew were also sent to the Court of Justice to stand their trial. 13. Information concerning the occurences which befel the Paul Jones, was forwarded by the Resident only to the government of Java, and to the Court of Justice. I hope that the above answers to your questions will prove satisfactory, to which I likewise add that as far as known to me, the Capt. (Moulton), the mate Roderick M. Lennon, and the passenger Middlecot, were murdered ou the sixth night after their departure from Copang. The Resident of Timor, (Signed) P. Sluijter." To the Commander of H. B. M. Schooner Bfamble, in the road of Copang.