NELSON. [From the Nehon Examiner, Oct. 21.']

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 340, 4 November 1848, Page 2

NELSON. [From the Nehon Examiner, Oct. 21.']

We omitted last week to mention, tfi^t^a meeting which had been called of the friends , of Mr. Brunner, it was agreed to present that | gentleman with a testimonial for the perseveI tancewith which, almost entirely at his / pwn cost, he had explored a great portion of 'this island. A. subscription hat was at once opened which lies' at the warehouse^of Mr. Fell, who kimlly consented to ,a.et as treasurer. This acknowledgment of Ml*. Brunner's services on the part of the settlers,, will not lessen the claim, which rWe^a^eive that gentlemen to have' Both an- the Government of- tlije _ colony and the New~£eaJand Company. The journal we haye published 6F~Mr. expedition q yes an unvarnished statement of the extreme privations he encountered ; for when the nature of the country is considered, and the total absence of all external succour be experienced, we consider Mr. Brunner's jour- I ney as lone ok the .most extraordinary ever ac-Sj complished. ■ During 1 ti/e^preSehfcVeek,' the inhabitants of Nelson ha.veb~eead£eptr:iu\asta;e ofcon^iderable excitement, fjom the occurrence of one of those singular subterranean phenomena which in ''some countries are occasionally productive' df g>eat' devastation' and physical calamity, b^urwhteh', in .^evr Zealand-, have hi.rherto appare^ly-.^been 'Uttattendednith.any very destructive- effects.' •<• • -- •< ' ■ On Monday' hist, at lh.'4om;,"p.in., an earth-tremor, or, as it is comraoniy cal'ed, an_e'artl>quake, unceremoniously roused every body from their sleep by'^the violence-and long continuance of its vibratory movements, causing somewhat K-oscilhtions of the ortUed'wellijbgSj.aswe}! as of the furni-j ture ia the interior. . The firsti shock lasted, upwards' of twa minutes (though torn* tie of

]hsn{&fir tififtjjhiee distinct shocks are comprised in^rh.|s«^me) and_was succeeded by nurii?VfpuV others; of greater" or ."Jebsej^, force for the space'*et it? hour, a?tes>'wjti£b^»n^*uang the whole of the dayi^l»tfttion^-of a'iriitior kind were constantly experienced: Oii^jTiiesday the state of things was no better — a violent but short concussion taking place at 3h. 40m., p. m., preceded and followed by many 'minor tremors. On Wednesday the earth w^asin.'% very" trerrfulolis 'state, but there we^jfio^sho'cks of muchiforce. -Irf rbe evening ttie^urora Austral is was^ visible for a con.«iderable time, throwing out rays of lurid light and giving to the sky a wild and somewhat ominous aspect. On-Thursday again a smart shock occurred at 4h. 55 m., ..a.m., las.ting nearly half a minute, and, as on the previous days, there was a constant succession of vibr.ai|gj)s.jind,CQnc.us.sioas,of.,a.les&er^fMce. In the evening, at about 7_ o'clock, there was a tremendous thunder storm, which passed over a part of the town only, trom > the, -directions of east or souih-east. The Aurora Australis again made its appearance, a£ About nj ne ». exhibiting its corruscations in the same singqlar manner, and adding as if were to the intensity of excitement and anxiety in the minds of many; which had been produced by_tbeselunusual demonstrations of terrestrial agitaticn. On Friday, the earth's crust still laboured under the same causes of com motion as before — the undulatory movements, although generally slight, constantly occurring at. short intervals during the whole ol the day and following night. The bhocks appear all to have corhe'from about N.E., and as they were, felt Jioth'hr the Straits and at the . mouth df the bay, by the Svpply and the Rulfh Bernai, we make no doubt but they have been experienced whh equal seve { rj|y-,m the other island. Although the people in the town are con-siderably-alarmed, and still anxious as regards the stability of their dwellings, such repeated and long continued wo do not hear 0/ much, damage leaving been sustained. One or twochiinnies have been partially dislodged, and fissures have occurred jo ihe' walls of two or three brick dwellings. ' Undoubtedly this has been thejuost Serious visitation of the kind that we have experienced since the foundation of the settlement, and one that will cause,- a-little a,irxiety to the more timid, although -in -reality- we ou;rsejy<f3 .sde" 'no jfurther; fcaqs.* j foir pefrjnjauent alarm ,that in,ay. ,be adduced.jUpm, demonstration of other phenomena- during, uature's progressive development of her myst^cl^s, or, 1 hart what may happen in. theicomraon chapter of, accidents incidental to human l|l«^ v^> In concluding our notice of this subject," it may not be amiss to 1 suggest, that' it^ehbves all persons about to erect houses of brick_ or stone, to be careful in having their work welL bonded and>cemented together, and the # foundation's properly secured. Some of ihe^tffldings of ( this kind that' have been constructed in this settlement have been far> from.,sufficiently substantial in this respect. • ~- Theßarque Rul/,h. Bernul, from Sydney, botind^ro Loudon, with a cargo of tallow^Jiitles, wool, &c., put, in here a leak, \yhich she S]>rung in a gale" of wi^^f^o days,al'ter sailing. A survey has since been held* -and it Was -found that the leak, which is in the fore part of 'the vessel', may ti£got at by lightening her at the bow. It is therefore probable that she' will not be delayed beyond Tuesday next, and that she will then- p'rfrqjjTed on her voyage. The Ralph Bernai is -^he Post Office Packet for October, and J 'lt fw^s there'ore with great, reluctance that'Captatn Maclaren made this slight deviation iu ' his voyage ; but to have proceeded round' Gape Horn -wi'li a leaky ship, rather thin.experience a week's delay would^>iV£^besnj highly blameable. - — Since leaving' Sydney on the 6th instant, the Ralph Bernai has 'met with! « ietie||of gales of the worst description^, ibd c Sthe new« trom our own coast r i Dows that the present season has been unusually <t«ppestuous'.