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New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 579, 19 February 1851, Page 2

The present summer has been the dries! | that has been experienced since the forma. S tion of this settlement, and so long a conti- I nuance of warm weather together with th: | absence of rain appears to be an unusual oc-1 currence in New Zealand. The quantity d rain which fell during the month of Januan 1850, was sin. 6tenths, while the quantit? of rain during last month did not amount!; more than the fifteenth part of an inch, anl no rain has fallen during the present month. Several watercourses usually having water at this time of the year have been dried up, and the face of the country generally pre- B sents a brown and parched appearance. Se-|j veral fires have occurred in the country dis.g tricts, from the smouldering ashes of bustF. fires which have been lighted some weeks® since in clearing the land, but which froi the dryness of the grass and of the under*? bush have spread in different direction . causing no small degree of apprehensiont(& the country settlers lest their houses, whiefi are built of wood, should be consumed. LarS week the church on the Porirua-road nar-Q rowly escaped being burnt down, the fireb-f < dint of great exertion having been prevent-j ed from reaching the building. Mr. Justb, Chapman’s house at Karori was also expose® to great danger, so much so that the funcS ture and other valuables were removed the apprehension of the house catching fc Yesterday a fire took place in Woolcot Street, Te Aro, which might have beens'H tended with serious consequences. Soffig hot ashes caused the grass in an section occupied by Mr. James to igni’lp and the whole was quickly in a blaze, tfl fire spreading with great rapidity towariO the bush. Fortunately the efforts of lip neighbours who quickly hastened to the spCj.j' together with the prompt assistance o® strong party of soldiers from the barrack - at Mount Cook, succeeded in the flames and in preventing any Too much care cannot be taken to against accidents from fire which, from j dryness of the season, is likely to pr” 9 more than usually destructive.