NELSON. [From the Nelson Examiner, August 14.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 220, 8 September 1847, Page 2

NELSON. [From the Nelson Examiner, August 14.]

The prisoner, Spike, who broke out of gaol last week, after leading the constables and gaolers a dance over the country, was captured on Thursday, between Waketield and Fox Hill, by Shumacber, Mills, ond Rogerson. Spike, it appears, on first getting loose, made his way northward, towards Wakapuaka, passing through the Happy Valley. Here.he was seen by several persons, aDd he endea-, voured to obtain a guide to conduct him through the wood to the pa. Not succeeding in this, and rinding that the chief constable was on his track, he dodged about and returned to the neighbourhood of the town, which he passed through on Sunday night, and directed his course towards the Waimea, hoping to find his way by the Wairau to Cloudy Bay, where he had formerly resided. On Monday morning he was seen crossing the Wairoa river by Mr. M'Rae, who was then on his way to town. As soon as this became known to the Resident Magistrate, the two gaolers started off in pursuit, but the precautiou had previously been taken of despatching one of the constables towards the Wairau pass, to prevent him escaping that way. For nearly four days Spike must have found shelter in the upper part of the Waimea ; and, as he had a good store of scone-, or bannocks, which had evidently been baked in-doors, it seems highly probable that he found some friend to assist him. A total ignorance of the road to the Wairau, and a disinclination to face the difficulties he would have to encounter, seems to have deterred him from pushing forward in the first iustance, * hich, had he done, he could not have failed of getting clear a\gay. We doubt whether, on the whole, Spike enjoyed such comfortable quarters dur« ing the week he was at large, as did a former prisoner who broke out of the gaol, between four and five years ago, and who was also at large several days. This man, on leaving the gaol broke into the Court-house, feeling certain that he never should >be sought after there. On the top of some boards, placed over one of the rooms of the building, from which, he could look down into the, Police-office aqd^ hear all the plans that were, discussed 3 fop his capture, he remained in perfect security for four days. At night he descended into a room, in which the Police Magistrate, the late Mr. Thompson, kept stores, and regaled himself on claret, sweet biscuits, and preserves. Some unlucky noise at length led, to, the discovery of his hiding-place, and deprived him of all further enjoyment of the Magistrate's claret.

Sealing on the West Coast. — A boat with four hands, which left Nelson last summer for the West Coast of this island in search of seals; returned here a few weeks ago. At a place'known as the Black Reef, or Throe Steeples, 1 near the mouth of-the Bailer river, nearly sixty, seals wjere . taken, but between, that 'and; Open Bay, whichwas the farthest "pbint 'they reached to the sbutH- : ward, only a few were caught, 1 "as 'two' boat's, with fourteen hands, from the neighbourhood

of Otakou had preceded them, and had sealed up the coast from FoVeaux Strait to near the Black B,eef, which a northerly gale prevented them from gaining. The number of skins obtained by the Nelson boat was sixtyfive. During, the expedition the men at times suffered greatly from want of provisions, as their principal stock at starting was only lOOlbs. of bad flour. The entire distance sailed by them in an open boat, on the most stormy and iron-bound coast in New Zealand, was little short of 800 miles. A little to the southward of Bluff Point (which was the extremity of, Messrs. Brunner anJ Heaphy's journey last winter) the sealers found the hull of a brig, surrounded by bushes, with a small tree growing through a bole in her bottom, and lying nearly two hundred yards above high-water mark. They supposed it to be the wreck of the Active, a brig which left Sydney for the coast of this island in 1814, and was never afterwards heard of. Whatever was the name of the vessel or the pe.riod of her wreck, it is evident that great changes have since taken place on that coast, and that the land has gained on the sea considerably. The vessel, to judge t from her position, was ran on shore with all sails set probably in the nighf, and her crew it is likely fell victims to the natives.