AUCKLAND.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4729, 4 March 1884, Page 2

AUCKLAND.

This day.

Arrived: Zealandia, with the outward English mails. She left for San Francisco at 2 o'clock ; the Australian dates are the same as the Waihora's.' Hurricane at Tonga.

The schooner, Golden Isle, which arrived in tho harbor last night from Ibnga, brings news of a severe hurricane which swept over the Island on the 7th February, lasting to the 10th. The storm, which was of a rotary nature, commenced .from the south-east, ending in the westward, and did considerable damage to the bouses and plantations. A number of the former were partly destroyed, whilst trees were uprootud and blown downj fortu* nately no lives were lost. When the first indications of the hurricane were felt every preparation was made to meet the

full force of the storm, so that the extent of the damage was not so great as might otherwise have been the case. The barometer was down to 29"18. The Golden Isle fell in with the hurricane when about twenty miles off the Island, and during the storm her starboard bulwarks were carried away and other damage done.

A fire occurred at 2 o'clock this morning in the shop of Mr Wall, a draper, Queen street* The Brigade were promptly on the ground, and extinguished it, but great damage was done to the stock. The shop forms part of a block, insured for £1000 in the Standard.

Lateb.

Wall's stock was insured for £3000. The police consider the circumstances of the fire suspicious, and are making enquiries into it.