THE COLONIST. NELSON, FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 1861.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 366, 26 April 1861, Page 2

THE COLONIST. NELSON, FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 1861.

The Lord Worsley, Captain Wheeler, arrived on Wednesday morning with the English mail from Sydney; she had '■$ quick run of five days and a-half, tempestuous weather prevailing. Our dales are from England to the 26th February, and to the 18th instant from Sydney. The Airedale arrived from the south on the same morning, also the Storm Bird steamer from Wellington and Picton; she has been purchased by the Wellington Steam Navigation Company, to run in conjunction with the Wonga Wonga to Hawke's Bay, Wanganui, and Picton fortnightly. The price to be given for ihis vessel is €3500 : particulars of her admeasurement, &c, will be found in our shippiug list.

The Weather.—The latter part of last week and beginning of this has been remarkable for the exceedingly heady rain that fell in town and country. For two days it poured down incessantly, filling the gutters and \va er courses to overflowing, and establishing pools in the deepest indentations of the roads which remain to be dissipated by absorption or evaporation, in spite of the very general drainage and improvement, of roads that the province can boast of. Heavy falls for some hours continuance followed each day, until the bad weather might almost be said to have compassed a week. The steady downpour was of a very unusual character here, literally descending in " buckets full," and more violently than has been known for a long time past, accompanied by vivid flashes of lightning- The rivers, however, bore the greatest indications of its might, becoming impassible, tearing down banks, posts and rails, and disembowelling large trees and stumps that had been halfburied in the sand and shingle on their margins for many a day. The mail was delayed on two occasions between Nelson and Wakefield, and neither letters nor newspapers could be transmitted. The banks of the Wai-iti, near Gaukroger's, have been washed away, and a precipitous ledge formed where the crossing place was previously ; a digger with his swag was carried down in attempting to ford this stream, but hy dint of hard swimming landed safely. Mr. J. Lines ventuied to cross the Wairoaatßush fordon Monday afternoon, and was fortunate hi only losing his cart and harness for hazarding it. The horse and vehiclegettinginto the flax bushes that the flood had encroached upon, the animal could move neither way; Mr. Lines was (hus obliged to get out on the shafts and clear the horse from the harness; even then it was difficult to extricate the horse, as the shafts were entangled and would not drop down. Eventually horse and man got safely out, with the prompt assistance of Mr. Thomas Hill and a youth, who came to the rescue with a rope, but the cait next day had disappeared down the stream. The Brook-streat stream has also done its best for mischief, and encroached upon its banks. A report was rife that the Maitai river had been seen to bring down the bodies of two men; this however proved to be without foundation. So heavy a fall of rain has not been known for the past ten years.