MISCELLANEOUS.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1013, 26 March 1883, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

A singular phenomenon was seen on the 10th instant at Sydney during a thunderstorm. A huge ball of fire appeared in the clouds in the south’for upwards of two hours, and it occasionally burst forth, sending shoots of fire in all directions. It is stated that Te Kooti bas beard all about the threats that have been made by the people of Poverty Bay. Tliisjias caused him some apprehension; ahd 5 -it is believed that be lias written ,to the Native Minister on the subject. Caotain Kelly, of the British King, informs the Wellington papers that the labour market at the Cape (where the steamer called) was in a very depressed condition. Numbers of men stopped him in the streets asking him to let them work their passages to New Zealand; The diamond-fields were also in a depressed condition, owing, Captain Kelly was told; to the operations of a “ ring” formed to keep down the price of diamonds. Major Atkinson in his address at Christchurch on Tuesday said we were not- only a hard .working people, but a hard drinking: fahd: smoking ;people. Last year consumers of drink' and tobacco paid away jjver .£3,000,000. He thought everyone considering this fact must admit that among a population so well housed, clothed/ bhd : fed *as 'flip people of the colony were, there, was-great room for saving l .' This would come out in strong light when it wasrknpwn bow much’ was put by during the year. The total income of: the friendly societies was £63,000 ; increase in savings banks, £27,000; and amount of insurance premium, £300,000 ; a total of about £600,000/ against a drink and tobacco bill of £3,000,000.