ANGLO – COLONIAL NOTES BY THE AUCKLAND "STAR'S " LONDON CORRESPONDENT.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 113, 1 August 1885, Page 5

ANGLO - COLONIAL NOTES BY THE AUCKLAND "STAR'S " LONDON CORRESPONDENT.

London, June 18. Catastrophe on a P. and O. Steamer. The danger of employing Mongolians in the capacity of domestic servants in families where there are children has just received a very painful illustration. On the arrival at Plymouth of the P. and 0. steamer Valetta, the other day, it transpired that amongst the passengers were included a Mr and Mrs Abbott, of Melbourne, who at the commencement of the voyage were accompanied by their two young children and a Japanese ayah. Where they picked up the latter is not stated, but most probably at Colombo. During the passage to Aden Mrs Abbott had occasion to find fault with the ayah, to whom Bhe administered a sharp rebuke. The Japanese nurse became greatly excited, and gave vent to some words of menace which led Mr and Mrs Abbott to keep a vigilant watch over her and the children entrusted to her care. Unfortunately, the watch kept by these anxious parents was not, after all, sufficiently close. Oneevening, Mr Abbott was sitting with the nurse and her two charges, when something called him away for a moment. The passionate and unforgiving woman availed herself at once of the opportunity, and seizing the eldest child, a beautiful fair-haired girl, about six years of age, she thrust her through the wide open porthole, and then iumpedlthroughherBelf»and followed her|poor ' little victim to the same watery grave. It was but the affair of a moment, and although the steamer was stopped and boats lowered, nothing more was ever seen of child or servant. The anguish of the bereaved parents may well be conceived, and there is something peculiarly pathetic in the additional announcement that the lost child was a general favourite on board.

Personal and General. Amongst the guests present at the State dinner at the Colonial Office in celebration of the Queen's birthday were Sir F. D. Bell, Sir John Hall, Lord Carrington, Sir Henry Barkly, Sir F. Weld, Sir Edward Stafford, Sir Saul Samuel, Captain Ommaney, Mr John Bramston, Mr Reginald Antrobus, Mr H. W. Just, and the Hon. Evelyn Ashley. Later in the evening several of the above attended Lady Granville's reception at the Foreign Office. Sir James Ferguson, who acted as Gov* ernor of your colony some years ago, was entertained the other evening at a special reception given in his honour by inhabitants of Bombay now resident in London. Sir James has recently returned from governing Bombay, where he was very popular. Mr Tallerman is making great efforts to popularise the new City and Colonial Club in Basinghall-street. An hour has now been fixed at which colonial members are to meet daily and hold a sort of "high change." At the conversazione of the Royal Society held at Burlington House last week Mr J. Kerry Nicholls, who is now posing as the leading authority on Maoriland, exhibited a collection of native weapons. Some parcels of New Zealand hop* have been received in London during the fortnight, and placed on the market at prices ranging from £3 to £3 5s per cwt. Tasmanian parcels fetch £2 16s to £3 33, and Australian, £2 10s to £3. The preserved meat market continues brisk in so far as boiled beef is concerned, but boiled mutton goes off slowly. Great difficulty has been experienced (so the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile people say) in disposing of 21b tins, the size being so useless as to be almost unsaleable.

Passenger Notes. Mr Branwell will be a through passenger to Auckland per P. and 0. Valetta, sailing on the 2nd July. Mr and Mrs Livens were through passengers for Wellington, and Mrs S. E. Kessell for Lyttelton per s.s. Potosi, which sailed on the 10th June. The following take passage for Auckland by Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company's s.s. Tainui, which sails to-day : — First saloon : Dr. W. B. Erson. Second saloon : Mieses F. Elder, E. Cobbe, M. Hamilton, E. Haynes, J. Douglas, R. Stark, andJ. Nelson, Mr and Mrs Mann, Messrs E. N. Baker, James Muir, J. A. Fellows, and R. Miller and four children, all for Auckland.

LATEST. June 18, 5.30. With the cooler weather of the closing week there has been a better tone about transactions in frozen mutton. There are no large supplies on hand — no heavy consignments expected just at present, so that there has been a small advance in price. The moat noteworthy fact, however, is that it is now definitely superseding imports from Germany and other Continental countries. Prices, 3s 6d to 3s lOd per stone. The wool sales are improving, I hear to-day, though there are still no buyers from the Continent.

The Castletown-Roche Murders. — Com znittal to the Assizes. The prisoners, Wm, Sheehan and his brother-in-law, David Browne, were again brought before Mr Eaton, R.M., at Cork, yesterday, and were finally committed for trial at the Cork Assizes, which open on July 23. The case was on the point of being closed last week, when the solicitors for the Crown suddenly asked for an adjournment, as the prosecution believed it was on the point of finding some fresh evidence of importance. This expectation was fulfilled, and a new light was thrown upon the affair. The first medical inspection of the remains found in the well must have been of a very superficial sort. The Crown recently ordered a more minute inspection of the skeletons, with the result that Dr Curtis, who had charge of the examination, found that on the skull of the male were two fractures, one caused by a sharp-pointed instrument, and the other apparently by a fall. This witness was questioned as to whether the throwing of the body into the well, down a fall of 70 feet, might not have caused both fractures. The doctor said^ "No ; the first- mentioned is a clean incised^ wound, and has been produced, in my opinion, by a violent blow with a sharp instrument The effect of such a blow would be to produce insensibility, and ultimately death. With this, and some evidence given by Sergeant Hannen, of the constabulary, to the effect that he had been stationed at Nenagh since 1872, but knew of no persons there of the name of Sheehan, the case closed. The prisoners on their removal from the Court were hooted by a large crowd. (Further particulars of the trial will be found on page 4.)