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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4982, 12 March 1877, Page 2

The Agnes returned to harbor last night, after successfully laying the remainder of the new Cook Strait cable. The first portion, it will be remembered, was ' laid over three months ago; but several miles being required' to make complete connection, she had to stay here till it came out from England. It arrived in the Adamant the other day, and was as speedily as possible transhipped to the Agnes, which vessel left here on Friday evening for Worser Bay, where she came to an anchorage forthe night. The morning following, at 4.30, she was on the cable ground, the end which was buoyed boiug taken on board, and splicing operations were commenced and successfully accomplished. The cable was then paid out, the vessel coming in as near Lyell Bay as possible ; the surf was, however, found to be too heavy thereto allow of the end being taken on shore that day, and yesterday morning the surf was still too heavy; but as the day wore on the sea went down and the end of the cable was placed in the boat and taken towards the beach. Here, however, an unfortunate accident happened—the capsizing of a boat, aadthe drowning of one man—-par-ticulars of which will be r tound elsewhere. The sad oocuiTcnoe caused considerable delay, aud it was w’eU into the afternoon when a rope, was made fast to the end and taken ashore: Four horses were then yoked oh toit,«nd'at 4.30 p.m. the second Cook Strait cable was successfully laid, the end being afterwards taken to the cable-house, and at 6 o’clock p.m. the connection was complete. Mr. Gregory Taylor, the Agnes’ electrician, and Dr. Demon afterwards tested the cable, and at 10 o’clock it was as-

curtained that communication was complete. The work was performed in a manner which reflects credit on Dr. Lemon and all concerned in its performance. The Hon. Dr. Pollen was a passenger by the Hinemoa which arrived last evening from the Manukau.. The following addition has been made to the nominations for the Manawatu Handicap— Lucifer, 6st. lOlbs. The weekly- meetings of the Wellington Literary Association will be resumed on Tuesday evening, at 7.30 p.m., in the Presbyterian schoolroom, Willis-street. There was no service at St. Paul’s yesterday evening. All attempts to light the gas proved unavailing, and those who had taken their seats had to be dismissed.

The s.s. Stormbird has been laid on by Messrs. Turnbull and Co. for the Wanganui races at a return fare of £2 10s. The Stormbird and Manawatu are both announced to leave this afternoon at three o’clock.

The sculling match between Woods and Hearn, for Mr. .L R. Brown’s silver scull, took place on Saturday afternoon. The course was from Magazine Point, round the Clio, to the wharf. Hearn won by about ten lengths. An emergency meeting of the Loyal Orange Lodges, Nos. 16 and 23, will be held at the foresters’ Hall, Lambton-quay, on Wednesday next. It is announced that the business to be considered is of importance. Visiting brethren are invited.

An inquest was held at the Morgue on Saturday afternoon on the body of James Taylor, who died suddenly in Taranaki-atreet on Friday afternoon. Dr. Munro gave evidence that death was caused by softening of the brain from disease. “Death from natural causes ” was the verdict by the jury. The Right Rev. the Bishop of Wellington returned on Friday night from his pastoral visit to Otaki and Rangitikei. The visit was satisfactory, as showing considerable progress on the part of the Maoris of those districts in religion and civilization. Confirmations were held at Motoa, Otaki, and Matakiwi (Rangitikei). The number of candidates confirmed at the different places mentioned were—At Motoa, 19 ; at Otaki, 27 ; and at Matakiwi, 19. At Maitakiwi the Maoris have just erected a new church, the cost, £4OO, being defrayed entirely by themselves.

The arrest of a drunken man in Willisstreet yesterday morning caused an exciting scene, as there was only one constable to do the business—Buchanan—and two of the inebriate’s friends resisted the arrest, and attacked Buchanan fiercely. Under these circumstances it was simply a matter of “ rough and tumble,” and Buchanan would likely have got the worst of it but that Constable Waglan came to his assistance, when the three men were arrested. They will be brought up at the Resident Magistrate’s Court this morning to answer for their misconduct.

At the Resident Magistrate’s Court on Saturday the business was as follows : —Three drunkards were punished in the usual manner, and four unfortunate women were brought up on various charges of ill behavior. Thomas Gibbons and John Jamison, against whom a charge of damaging property belonging to Patrick McCafferty had been laid, did not put in an appearance when called upon, and the case was withdrawn by complainant. Mrs. White and W, U. Saunders were convicted of having scabby sheep in their possession, and were respectively fined 30s. and 405., costs being added in each case. A Maori named Hori Ragapaka was brought up on a charge of vagrancy, to which he pleaded guilty, and his application for a remand was granted. There was no other business.

An inquest will be held at the Morgue today on the body of a man named Andrew Illasamburn, who was drowned whilst engaged with others in landing the cable yesterday morning. It appears that there were six men in one of the boats belonging to the Agnes, and a rope attached to the shore end of the cable was running through a loop or eye of rope at the bow, when the eye suddenly gave way and the boat was capsized by a big wave that was rolling in shore at the time. Three of the men got on the bottom of the boat, and only one was seen to be in danger, because the water was not very deep. It was Illasamburn. One of his mates went to his assistance, but he could not save him, and so looked after his own safety. The body of the deceased was soon washed ashore, and it was conveyed to the Morgue during the morning. It is thought that deceased must have hurt himself in some way, and so lost the power to help himself ; because although there was a tolerably heavy surf on at the time, the water was not deep where the boat was ; in fact, it was not out of an ordinary man’s depth. An important alteration, says the Manavsatu Times, has taken place in our postal arrangements, but whether for the better or worse we are scarcely yet in a position to judge. The coach from Wanganui is now supposed to arrive in Palmerston every Monday and Thursday at 9.30 p.m., and leave for Wanganui again every Tuesday and Friday at 3 a.m. On and after Monday next, the Napier coach is to arrive in Palmerston every Monday and Thursday at 9.30 p.m., leaving again for Napier every Tuesday and Friday at 3 a.m. The night train from Foxton with mails will arrive in Palmerston at 9.40 p.m. every Monday and Thursday, and return to Foxton again on the same evenings at 10 o’clock. On Monday evening last our township was enlivened, if not alarmed, by the inauguration of this new regime. First was heard in the distance, proclaiming the approach of the iron horse, what might be characterised as the tolling of a “ fog bell,” only that ,we feel inclined to repudiate the existence of fogs in the salubrious locale of our township. Next was heard the puffing of the locomotive, and then were seen the red lights of the fast approaching train. By this time the inhabitants were fully alive to the fact that a novelty of some description was being introduced, and the consequence was a general rush to the railway station. After a delay of a few minutes the Wanganui coach appeared in sight, and quickly drove up to the platform, and from the scene which presented itself there for a time one might easily have imagined himself suddenly transferred to the heart of a large city. Quick travelling is all very well in its way, and a little excitement now and then is very good, but still we must ever consider the expense at which we purchase these things, and we think the cost of these night trains will prove something considerable. Moreover the residents of Foxton and Palmerston will be manifestly inconvenienced by being unable to reply to Wellington and Wanganui letters by return mail. However, as our experience of the working of this new arrangement is at present very limited, we will defer any further remarks upon it till a future time. Mr. and Mrs. Lingard left Wellington by the Rotorua on Saturday evening.