TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5454, 19 September 1878, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(kiiom a couuespoxdekt). Makeiu, Wednesday. • Kaingaroa, No. 1 block, 114,000 acres, passed to-day. Judgment was in favor of the Ngatiamauwa. This has been one of the most complicated oases ever board by a Land Court. It lasted eight weeks. Eight tribes were counter claimants. Great credit is due to Ju Jge Halse for his tact and patience. (PER PRESS AGE NOV.) Auckland, Wednesday. The brigantine Active, which arrived to-day from Samoa, reports that on the outward voyage, when about T2O miles to the east of Nuknlaelae, vast quantities of pumice stone were passed, and the shores of Ellice Islands from Nuknlaelae to Nucato and Noumei are thickly covered with it, and there is no exaggeration in saying that hundreds of tons have been thrown up on every island. Stones, trees, and thick bamboos with roots attached are thrown up on some of the islands. Early in May the brig Isabelle (Evans master), from Sydney, called at Kaitupu and left a report that there had been some volcanic eruption in the Society Group. One report oven says that Kaistea and Boribora wore destroyed and 2000 lives lost. There were also passed, while beating back between Nuknlaelae and Eakiola, one malili tree about 80ft. long, one cocoauut tree, and other gigantic forest trees, all evidently proof that the story of Captain Evans is probably only too true. Pumice stone be"au to arrive .on Ellice Islands about the middle of April, and continued to the middle of June. When first noticed there was no seaweed growth on the pieces and uo barnacles,. but by the beginning of June both began to bo plainly noticeable. There is no trace of .pmuice in the Union or Gilbert groups, and the time ofjits arrival at the Ellice group will be interesting to those radio study the question of ocean currents. The John Williams left again on the 24th for the Society Mauds and the Hervey group. llewi is expected to visit Waikato before next March. Some of his tribe have asked him to go there to settle some tribal matteis. Ho has had some difficulty about his steamer, which was intended to open the ICawhia trade. It appears that the Customs authorities objected to the steamer ruuuing from the Mannkau, because she had not conformed with Customs rules. Eewi telegraphed to Mr. Sheehan, and early on Sunday morning the Commissioner of Customs at Auckland was telegraphed to. to pass the steamer, so that uo •further difficulty in that respect will arise. GrahaMSTOWN, Wednesday.

Negotiations have been entered into by the Government ageuts for tho purchase of large blocks of native land in tho Thames District, and are now approaching completion. 181,600 acres passed through the Lands Court at a recent sitting here, of which 123,300 acres are for the Crown, and the remainder for the natives. The minimum value of tho land passed recently through the Court is £350,000. The total area of land under negotiation in various stages by tho Land Purchase Department is 750,000 acres. * O.vstAKU, Wednesday.

The Hon. It. Campbell’s Whitson estate was submitted for sale by auction to-day. There was a largo attendance of buyers. All the lots except two sold at an average all round of from £2l to £25 per acre. The bidding was spirited. '

•Lawrence, Wednesday. Yesterday while a man named Percy Greeves was taking a load of firewood from Molyneux bush, his dray went over the embankment, carrying three horses with it, and drowning them. On Monday morning a stable belonging to William Camming, Dunkeld, caught fire and .burnt three horses to death. The building was insured. Dunedin, Wednesday. Keith Ramsay has been requested to allow himself to .bo nominated for tho Mayoralty, Mr. Frank Egan, master of the Christchurch hounds, was presented la*t night with a handsome silver* cup by Mr. Hugh McLean, on behalf of a few friend*, in the Criterion Hotel. The presentation was made in honor of tho first visit of the hounds to Otago. This evening the following telegram was received from Inspector Fox at Edendale I have arrested the offender, Jas. Walsh, about three-quarters of a mile from Mcßae’s station. * He does not deny the charge of wilfully murwife on last Sunday, He says that she todk all his money and then turned round upon him.” At the annual meeting of the Otago Bifio Association last night it was resolved to accept the suggestion of the Christchurch Association *to establish iuterprovincial matches between Canterbury and Otago. A proposal emanating from Wellington, to form a New Zealand Rifle Association, was also favorably entertained. Invercargill, Wednesday. A telegram from Inspector Fox says he had arrested Welsh, the supposed murderer, lii Waikawa bush to-day, and an inquest on the body of Mrs. Welsh'will be held at Waikawa on Friday. H McCulloch, coroner, goes from Invercargill to officiate. Jealousy is supposed to have been tho cause of the alleged crime. This is all the information to hand at„presenfc, Macrorie and Cuthbertson held an important sale of town and suburban properties to-day. There was a large attendance, and the bidding was spirited. The first lot of three quarteracre sections in Tay-street, run u in hundreds and fifties, fell to R. Sloan at £2525. The second lot was a hotel and dairy farm at One Tree Point, five miles from town, containing 125 acres. The first bid of £IOOO ran up iu hundreds to £ISOO, then in fifties and twenty-fives to £2500, fulling at that figure to H, Wragge. Tho next lot, section 47, block 8, Invercargill, containing 190 acres, fell to B. E. Kenstern, at 50s. per acre ; a lease, having ten years to run, at £27 ground rent, was bought by O. Freeman at £IOO. Several other properties were withdrawn.