SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE

PORT OF AUCKLAND.

STJNSET: This evening, 6.5G SUN-RISE: To morrow morninrj, 5.31 HIGH WATER: This evening, 7.44; to-morrow morning, 7..59

ARRIVALS.

Prince P.upert, ketch, from Wangaroa, with timber Mercury, schooner, Diez, from Mercury Bay

DEPARTURE.

Mav:s, schooner, Primer, for the Kaipara, with general cargo

PROJECTED DEPARTURES.

i'or Southern ports: Taranaki, s.s,, Saturday For Southern ports, via Napier : Paterson, p.s., early For Norfolk Island : Ivanhoe, schooner, Saturday For Honolulu and San Francisco: Nebraska, mail steamer, 20th inst. For Boston, Mass. : Ayr, barque, early For Cork : Polar Star, ship, early For Northern ports : Bowena, s.s., Monday next For London: Glenhuntly, barque, early For Sydney and Melbourne: Wonga Wonga, s.s., early ; Hero, s.s., about 2Sth inst.

VESSELS EXPECTED.

Durham, ship, from London. Sailed 29th November Edinburgh Castle, ship, from London. Loading Parsee, ship, from London. Loaning Langa, barque, from Liverpool. Loading East Lothian, barque, from New York. Sailed 20th December Thames, barque, from New York, via Sydney, loading Briton, barque, from Newcastle Southern Cross, schooner, from Sydney Prosperity, schooner, from Melhc^nme Corredo, barque, from Syr^y Drover, brig, from Sy<^ liey "

The B^jsh. built brig ;jfii ej 164 ton , registe;^ j S f or sa j e or charter. -Cne mail steamer Nebraska is advertised **- leave this port for Honolulu and Sar Francisco on Thursday next. The schooner Ivanhoe will leave for Norfol_ Island on Saturday next. The p.s. Challenger will leave for Wan garei and Mangapai at six o'clock this even ing. The s.s. Wonga Wonga is announced tc leave for Sydney and Melbourne on Saturday afternoon at three o'clock. The schooner Clyde will leave this evening for Wangarei and Mangapai. The s.s. Southern Cross left Tauranga for this port at eight o'clock last night. The ship Warwick will haul alongside the wharf to-day and occupy the berth vacated by the Polar Star. The schooner Effie Meikle has cleared out wards for Wangapoa with a general cargo, The schooner Opotiki has cleared outwards for Poverty Bay with the followin» caro-o : 25 half-cases geneva, 100 c„ se s brandy, Lewis Bros. ; 24 cases old to__, 1 parcel, E. and H. Isaacs ; 9000 brick a, B. Keane ; 3 coils rope, J. S. Macfarlane ; 10 tons coal, H. Gilfillan; 60 casks, H. Quigley; 10 pgs furniture, Cooke ; 1 case, 3 pgs leather, Ireland Bros. ; 175 pieces timber, G. Holdship. The WeeMy Dispatch of the Bth December gives the following intelligence:—" The Challenger, wooden corvette, Capt. George S. Nares, is equipped for her scientific expe dition round the globe. She will leave for Gibraltar in a few days. From Gibraltar she ■will proceed to Maderia, St. Thomas, the Bahamas, the Azores, Bahia, then to the Cape of Good Hope, southward to Kerguelen Island, and below that as far as the ice will allow ; thence she will run to Sydney, and after visiting New Zealand and the Pacific Islands will pass between Borneo and Celebes to Japan ; thence to Ivamsckatka, and through Behring's Straits |to the Aleutian Islands ; will touch British soil once more at Vancouver's Island, sail down the west coast of the American continent, and home round the Horn. Professor Wyville Thomp son will be director of the scientific staff, and it is expected that the ship will be absent about threeyears and a half or four years." An experimental cruise was recently made by Admiralty officials, in her Majesty's ship Vigilant, to test an apparatus, the invention of Mr Thiers, an American, designed to pump out the bilge-water of ships and ven tilate the lower decks, It is purely auto matic, the rolling motion of the ship itself supplying the motive power. The ship Polar Star has cleared at the Customs for Cork, with 1100 tons of guano. She will leave for her destination on Saturday next. There are still about 40 tons remain ing of the Robert's cargo, which will be shipped by the Harvest Home to London.

COMMERCIAL.

Mr P. Arthur held a sale this morning of fruit, ex Wonga Wonga, and the following prices were realized :—Pears, Id to l|d per K>; apples, 2d to 2^d per lb; plums, 4d per lb; grapes, 5d to s^d per lb ; passion fruit, 10s to lis per case; lemons, 13s 6d per case; oranges, 7s to 9s per case; pines, 2s per dozen. Messrs. B. Tonks and Co. sold at their mart, to-day, 50 cases Borthwick's stout, in bad condition, at 6s 9d per dozen ; 202 qr. barrels blasting powder, damaged, at ljd per Tb.

MINING. The following are the current calls and dividends payable in the companies Darned below :— £, s. d. DIVIDEND. Black Angel.. .. 012 6 Feb 13 CALLS Van 0 0 6 Feb 14 Imperial Crown .. 10 0 Feb 17 All Nations .. .. 0 0 4 Feb 18 Inverness .. .. 0 0 3 Mrchl2 Eoyal Standard .. 00 6 Mrchl2 MEETINGS. Masonic, Coromandel, 15th February Shotover, Insurance Buildings, Auckland, 2 p.m. 17th February Coromandel Tunnel, Mr Tothill's office, Auckland, 10 a.m., 18th February Bismarck and French Republic, Insurance Buildings Auckland, 2 p.m., 21st Febraary Tokatea, Coromandel, 21st February Watchman, Grahamstown, 21st February Central Italy, Grahamstown, 27th February 1 - -■ • ■ '

CHIEF POST-OFFICE AUCKLAND.

Mails will Close as Under :— Por Thames, this day, at 5.30 p.m.; and to-morrow, ~at 10.30 a.m. and 5.50 p.m. For Coromandel, to-morrow, at 2.30. p.m. For Wangarei, Wangarei Heads, &c„ per Challenger, this day, at 5 p.m. For Kustell. per Fiery Cross, to-morrow, at 9 a.m. For Taranaki and the Southern provinces, per s.s. Taranaki, on Saturday, 15tli inst, at 9 a.m. For Mahurangi, Matakana, Mangawai, &c, per Lady Bowen, ob Saturday, 15th inst,, at 10 am. For the undermentioned places, per s.s. Wonga Wonga, on Saturday, 15th inst., as follows :— For the Australian Colonies and the United King dom, via Suez, at 2 p.m. For the United Kingdom, via Brindisi, at 2.30 p.m. Money orders, registered letters, and newspapers, S Late lettersforthe United Kingdom (via Brindisi), ' Sydney, and Melbourne, at 2.30 p.m. For Norfolkjilsland, per Ivanboe, on Monday, 17th inst, at 5 p.m. For the undermentioned places, per s.s. Nebraska, on Thursday, 20th inst., as under :— For Sandwich Islands, British Columbia, United States of America, British and Foreign West Indies, and Continent of Europe via England, at For United Kingdon via San Francisco, at 12.30 P- Late letters for the United States of Americaand United Kingdom, bearing a late fee of Gdm addition to the postage will be received at this office until I p.m., and by the mail agent on board the steamer up to time of sailing. _ (Signed) S. B. Biss, Chief Postmaster.

A beautiful woman, said Fontenelle, is the purgatory of the purse and the paradise of the eye. Miss Phoebe Cozzens has been cozening the people of Omaha with her " Woman's individuality." !

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News and the Morning News

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1873.

• For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrongs that need resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do

Dabe: clouds are again beginning to gather over European politics, and very ominous signs and rumours of wars are borne to us by telegram. It may be premature to feel alarm at tbe present condition of the relations between England and Russia, but it is quite clear that the latter power has taken another step on the way leading towards Eng land's Indian Empire. It is true tbat the English mind is exceedingly sensitive regarding the Eastern pos sessions, and there is a tendency to ex aggerate every movement of a power that is supposed to view tbem with a covetous eye. But it is also true that JRussia has long ago written down her future history, and it is accepted as the province of her rulers and states men to gradually but determinedly give realisation to the hereditary national policy. That policy is one of aggrandisement, and, however baffled, Russia appears pleased to abide her time and merely wait for more favourable conjuncture of circum stances. It is never supposed that she has surrendered her designs on Turkey, and there seems an equally general conviction that it is only wait ing for the most favourable moment that delays the advance on India. The time may not yet have come, but the present advance on the other side of the Caspian Sea, and the evident preparations, and we might almost say alarm in England, are calculated to convey the impression that Russia is preparingat once to carry outher policy and to seek satisfaction for Sebastopol. In another column will be found one day's later telegraphic intelligence, from which it will be seen that while the military workshops are engaged in active preparations, the journals are endeavouring to allay alarm and show the impossibility of a war. As to the grounds on which the Times bases the belief that Russia could not maintain a war in Europe and in the East, we are not informed ; but it is difficult to see in what respect England would be more favourably placed. The Indian Empire, while in every age a mine of wealth to its rulers, has always been held with j uncertain tenure ; and the influence ! of Russian emissaries on a disaffected I people held so long in restraint by a I handful of Europeans might well cause grave anxiety. In Europe, Russia would probably act merely on the defensive, and the difficulty experienced in the capture of the single stronghold on the Black Sea shows what mischief might be per- I petrated by offensive operations in India before Russia could be wounded in any vital part. It is neither pleasant nor prudent to be alarmist; but it cannot be concealed that the aspect of affairs is of an exceedingly threatening character,andtbat England may be on the eve of a war surpassing in peril to her national prestige and 'greatness any that have preceded. It would be a war in which fleets would have no part, while it can hardly be said that at the present hour England has a single ally on which she could depend. The only faithful and gallant ally that would have stood by England«

bravely in the hour of trial she suffered to be ground down to the very dust, France is no longer in a. position to marshal her armies and clash into the battle for an idee, and though we have no doubt that French sympathy would go with English soldiers when fighting against Russia, the German grip is too firmly fixed to permit those sympathies to assume a practical form. The magnitude of a war with Russia for the possession of India can ' hardly be over-estimated, and can- j not be dissociated in our thoughts I from visions of massacres and j bloodshed of which the Indian mutiny gave but a very faint foreshadowing. The war would be one in which as colonists we would not be so imme diately affected as if it had been with some other Powers, but ther _ is no one with the feelings of a British citizen \ who would not mourn at the terrible J blow which such a struggle would inevitably inflict on the whole nation.

The proceedings ias. night at the North Shore were unique in their way. Generally, indignation meetings are not attempted un less the promoters are pretty sure of a dis tinct and strong deliverance. In this _e_rj-c* the movers in last night's meeting can have a present of the result. Circumstances are generally favourable to the promoters of in- I dignation meetings j in this case they were specially so. The committee had to defend themselves for an act that was utterly inde fensible except on the most exceptional and special grounds. The people could be fired with the assertion that they had been dis franchised, and the promoters had the advan | tage of havihg about the most unfair but otherwise incapable tool for their chair man. And yet, after all, no one could with honesty say that they obtained one of a majority; Mr Atkin was placed in the -li_ir for a purpose, and he fulfilled it. He refused to permit any personal reference to Mr Oliver Mays, when the main point was the identification of that gentleman indivi dually with all the mischief that has occurred in connection with education at the North Shore; and he permitted any amount of personal vituperation against the chief offender on the committee. He at tempted, by a ruse of the most disgraceful kind, to suddenly put the question while Mr Rees was in the midst of his speech, and with a partiality only equalled by the inaiiity exhibited, he acted as a spe cial pleader in the chair, the whole of his conduct cuhniiiutiiiy in distinctly refusing to count the votes and bolting from the chair, afraid lest the meeting should be further tested on the two resolutions in re serve. With respect to the persecution of the teacher there was really no denial made, but reasons were merely given why he de served to be treated so ; and the speakers never denied, but on the contrary unwittingly proved, that it was and still is their determi nation to drive away Mr Worthington if they can. That gentleman has already been for mally appointed teacher by the committee, so that the work which, they intended has been performed ; and though the teacher could be worried until his life became a burthen to him, and he might be driven to resign, it is not now in the power of any committee to dismiss him without the express sanction of the Board. In these circumstances the com mittee would have been happy to have re signed, not one of them has-ing either in tended or desired to continue to hold office. By the result of such a meeting as that of last night the committee could not be guided, but as tin unfair but per fectly natural use has been made by their opponents of the stand taken by the committee against oppression and wrong, we are authorised to state that the committee will, with great pleasure, submit themselves to the test of the opinion of householders, and will not only resign, but stand again for re-election. We may add that the Act creates some diiliculty on this point in having no provision for re-elections, but the com mittee will discover some means of over coming this diiliculty, when they will at once resign. We cannot close this reference to this subject without drawing attention te the conduct of the editor of our respected contemporary, the Herald. During all the time that the committee had been doing these very heinous things, there was not a chirp from him. He did not know exactly how the cat was going to jump. The editor of the Cross, on the contrary, fired away at the committee from the first, while this morning he says not a word on the subject. Which is the more manly course the public can judge. "Turn-again Newton," true to his instincts of jumping about at the wrong time, thought he was safe to speak after last night's meeting, and accordingly he delivers a lec ture on morality. " Looking at the names on the minority committee," he says, "we are grieved as well as surprised to find them identified with such a questionable transac tion." Only to fancy the honourable mem ber for Eden being grieved at seeing '' a questionable transaction." But more curious still to see him " surprised " at a " question able transaction." Why we should have thought that a questionable transaction would not only have been to him like the face of a dear old friend, but would have been the very fiddle of his heart. However when he does things nobody is " surprised, " however "grieved" one may be at seeing the representative of a respectable consti tuency wheel about and turn about, and do just so, and every time he wheels about, jump Jim Crow. His Excellency the Governor may be expected in Auckland about the latter end of next week prior to his embarkation for Melbourne. A great farewell gathering of natives has been arranged to take place at Ngaruawahia, at which his Excellency will be present. Kingites may attend if they wish to meet the Governor but they will not be specially pressed to do so. His Excellency, before visiting Waikato, will proceed to the Bay of Islands in order to preside over the ceremony of erecting a monumental stone in honor of the famous chief Tamati Waka. The stone has been prepared and will reach Auckland in a few days. The Russell and Beckham enquiry has been brought to a close this afternoon. The Com missioners will forward their decision to the Government, and the result will not be made public until after the meeting of the Assembly. At a meeting of the Board of Education held this afternoon the interim report of the committee appointed to enquire into the management ofthe Grammar School was read. It stated that whilst acknowledging the high attainments of Dr Kidd, and giving him credit for earnestness and zeal in the discharge of his duties, they feel reluctantly compelled to recommend that his resignation be ac cepted. The report was adopted, and three months' salary voted to Dr. jKidd. A protest was read from Mr Kerr against the Panmure election, and it was agreed to hold an enquiry into the matter. The meeting was proceed ing when we went to preea,

On Friday evening next an entertainment will be given in the large room of the Young Men's Christian Association in aid of the funds now being raised for the building of a school-room in connection with the church of All Saints. Mr Hammond, the superin tendent, has been laudably endeavouring to realise this object for a long time. A school house is really needed for the children of this increasing locality, and as the entertain ment will be a good one, and its object good, it should enlist the practical sympathies of the public. The Naval Company and Cadets met in full force last evening under the command of Capt. Le Eoy in the Albert Barracks, and fired off a number of rounds from the big guns. The Engineers also underwent their military exercises in the Princess - street drill-shed, The Good. Tempters of Auckland will hold a meeting this evening >» the Oddfellows- Hall, for the purpose of making brethren ; „isu ior xiis considemticm of the best means of promulgating their views for the gfin^'A. good of society. The directors of the Greymouth Gas Company have accepted the tender of Mr Georgo Martin for 400 tons coal at 16s per ton. i 111. drcUsr id fchc.tirage tha coal, trade of the port the Grey River Steam Tiig Coirt pany have resolved to reduce the towage on all vessels calling here in ballast specially for the purpose of loading coal to 3s per ton burthen. The Wesipori Times reports; m a matter of personal gossip, that a fair young Hebe of Greymouth is about to enter the lists in a breach of promise case against a gay Lothario who has failed to fulfil his contract to enter into the bonds of matrimony. A meeting of gentlemen, natives of the Midland counties, was convened yesterday afternoon at three o'clock, at the British Hotel, for the purpose of forming an associa tion of Englishmen, the object being to pro mote the interests of the province in particular, to their mutual advantage, at the forthcoming general and other elections. Ihere was a moderate attendance (of re porters). Mr John Maon occupied the chair, and lucidly explained the object of the pro posed association. In referring to tho ap proaching election for Superintendent he said that the province had been governed by Scotchmen and Irishmen, and he would re commend that an Englishman now be elected. Mr Andrews interrupted the chair-, man, and said that an Englishman had ueen superintendent. The chairman asked who it was, to which Mr Andrews replied, "Mr Whitaker." The chairman answered, "Then put him in again." " God forbid," replied Mr Andrews, midst great laughter. After a few remarks the meeting was ad journed until Saturday next. The meeting for the election of district school committee for the Mount Hobson Educational District will be held this even ing, at half-past seven o'clock, at the Presbyterian school-house, ISewmarket. The evening entertainments of the Magnet Variety Troupe are fast drawing to a close, and its gifted members are about to depart for the South. Their vocal, musical, and gymnastic performances last night were fully up to the mark. The songs of Mr Fred Clifton and Miss Fanny Sara were greeted with rounds of applause and encored, while the exercises of Lottie and her brothers met with the same enthusiastic reception. The musical parts were also effectively ren dered. In truth the feats of the whole com pany won the favour of the audience, and were so marked that there seems no reason why the troupe should not run with equal success for another three weeks. The peculiarly distinctive merits of the Magnet Troupe are too well-known to need a critical notice ; but we may honestly affirm that this troupe is the best, in the full meaning of the term, that has appeared in Auckland for several years, each member in his and her allotted capacity exhibiting a grace and finish which continued practise alone can give. Lottie and her Brothers, by a course of careful training in their apparently difficult, not to say dangerous art, have approached per fection, and their nightly peiformances have met in this city crowds of appreciative spectators. Whilst we write thus of Lottie and her brothers, it would be unfair not to award due jiraise to Messrs Buckley and Holly, whose inimitable dancing and rare farcical powers have so pleasantly diversified the scenes at the Prince of Theatre. Lottie ami her brothers take their benefit to-night, and a grand programme is prepared. Lottie will appear in a new sensational scene. We expect, on this occasion, to see a crowded house. The latest telegrams bring us, amongst other intelligence, news of tho dangerous illness of Dr. Edward Pusey, who has now passed his 73rd year. The name of Dr. Pusey will be long remembered from his polem ical tracts, which he wrote with the view of checking the spread of rationalism, and which stirred some twenty-five years ago the religious life of England, and resulted in ritualism, and the establishment of the me dium church between Protestantism and Catholicism. Dr. Pusey was suspended in 1843, for three years, from his Hebrew pro fessorship in the University of Oxford for his sermon on the Holy Eucharist. Fresh tenders will be received for works on the Remuera road, near Newmarket, if delivered before four o'clock on Monday next. The Bay of Islands Coal Company notify that the price of coal at the Company's load ing ground will be sixteen shilling per ton until further notice. Information respecting Robert Charles Hardiman, who left Tasmania for Auckland 1566, is required, and will be gladly received by Hugh Hardiman, Black Boy, Tasmania ; or, Mr T. Bakewell, Stak office. {Vide advertisement.) At the meeting of householders of Newton in St. David's school-room, last evening, about one hundred and fifty persons were present. Dr. J. R. Nicholson was in the chair. Thirteen persons were nominated for the school committee, out of which the fol lowing were elected : —The Rev. Dr. Wallis, Messrs Batger, Wayte, Hughes, and Warren. A meeting will be held this evening in the Presbyterian school-house, Newmarket, for the purpose of electing a committee for the Mount Hobson District. Henry Ward Beecher asked a celebrated American poet why he did not come across to Brooklyn sometimes to hear him preach. "Because,"replied the poet, "I have con scientious scruples against going to places of public amusement on Sundays." The Vetto Pisani, in her cruise from Japan, called at the New Guinea Coast in search of Signors Edouard Beccari and L. M. D'Albertis, two Italian naturalists, who had been engaged for seven months in the exploration of that island, and found them at the TJtanata River. Both these gentlemen report that they found the natives of New Guinea of a peaceful and hospitable dis position, and in no wise so treacherous and savage, as reported by other authorities, j Signor D'Albertis came to Sydney in the l corvette, but his companion has returned to . Europe.

We are requested to state that the majority of the volunteers who assisted at the late < fire were Engineers. The summons against Mr Hardington for , omitting to license his omnibus running to \ Onenunga was dismissed this morning with costs. A lecture, which will no doubt be in teresting to all young people, and not a few . old ones, is announced to be delivered in the school-room of the Pitt-street Wesleyan Church, to-morrow evening, at half-past seven. The subject is " Courtship_ and Marriage," which will be reviewed in its various°aspe_ts by the Rev. T. Buddie, whose popularity as a speaker requireth not praise , from us. Mr J. L. Wilson will occupy the j chair. The report and statement of accounts of , the Melanesian Mission has just been issued, . and subscribers and friends of the Mission •■ can obtain copies by calling at Mr E. •: Wayte's, or at Upton and Co.'s. The report I includes an interesting account of a visit to Norfolk Island from notes taken by the j • M"-, '■ ~nd during his visit m • Bishop oi _. ™-_ total receipts of the ; November last. __- - —£3673 10s lid, j Mission during the year were- . "-915s ss; I of which New Zealand contributed 3--_. ' -- ilnd Australia, £1030 19s 7d. . After v. ( fraying all expenses there remained at the , _ldse' df the' year a balance of £320 los 6d. j Mr A. BucMand held his _h'mtai slieepfair yesterday, when between 4000 'Ma 5000 j sheep were penned, and met with good com- j petition. A pen of ewes offered by Mr V\ . ; Kerr, of Springfield, was purchased for the j Hon. Mr Waterhouse at £3 12s fid each. ; We referred in a former number of the Star I to Mr Kerr's pr?_- loTrg-Wjl ram, and we j understand that the ewes hoHighi yesterday | for the Premier were the culls of Mf Kett s young ewes, and he still retains his best . ewes, which are under offer to go South. Shareholders in the All Nations Gold ! Mining Company are notified that a dividend j of four shillings is payable at the company s I office on Tuesday next, February 18th. , " "They were lovely in their lives and in , death they were not divided " is not exactly the sort of epitaph that strikes one as most suitable for a dead murderess and her victim. But they seem to be of a different opinion at Wagga, where the local paper tells us the woman who murdered her niece and then herself, was buried in the same grave as her victim. No doubt the grave ends all quarrels, and so far as the unconscious clay is conc-.rned , ,it can matter nothing who or what its j ' companion in the last narrow house may be. j But to the living it is a new horror where j certainty none was wanted to think of this j very literal ''burying of the hatchet especially if it be true, _.« stated, that the woman's motive for tbe murder was jealousy. But they are not very particular in that part of the country, though there are people there who could no more be buried together with out quarrelling for the best place than they could live in the some house together with out squabbling for the best room.— Sydney Empire. A cricket match between an eleven belong ill" to H.M. Blanche and eleven of the legal profession will come off on Saturday next. The le"al team will be selected from amongst the following gentlemen :—Messrs J. Russell, • W. L. Rees. Hesketh, Connell, T. Kissling, W H Kissling, Newbury, Brassey, Dufaur, F. Whitaker, H. Whitaker, J. E. Macdonald. oiston, Browning and Davis. A capital game may be expected. At the District Court, Melbourne, on the 30th ult., the attention of the Bench was occupied some time in the investigation of a dispute between John Bond, a supernumerary employed at the Theatre Royal, and the Brothers Leopold, at present performing in the pantomime at the same place of amuse ment. It appeared that in the course of the pantomime, on the night of the 23rd Dec, Bond accidentally tore a portion of Henry Leopold's dress, and upon going to the wings he made use of bad language, and grossly insulted Mrs Fanny Leopold, the wife of Henry. Upon Henry Leopold expostulating he applied an insulting epithet to them, which induced Henry to catch him by the throat, with the object of ejecting him from the place. The other brother then interfered and separated them. Bond now sought to recover £5 from the brothers for assault, but had the tables turned on himself by the Bench dismissing the case with four guineas cost. Mr Gourlay is now exhibiting at his show rooms, in Pitt-street, Sydney, a very re markable dried specimen of an aged chieftain which he has procured at considerable expense from the captain of the French barque Victorine, who brought it a few weeks ago to Melbourne, from Darnley Island, near the New Guinea coast. This mummy was pro cured from the natives by custom of barter. The natives averred that the remains were tliose of a distinguished chief of the main island, who was the first settler on Darnley Island. The remains appear very much shrunk and shrivelled, but the sinews and dried liesh are in a wonderful state of preser vation. The sea has cast up some strange burdens, but seldom, we should fancy, a more un welcome one than the South Australian Enoch Arden, whom it has just returned to his too-much-married wife. The meeting must have been an awkward one on both sides; but, upon the whole, the lady must be said to have had the best of it. She at least had been consoled with a " substantial subscription," and had dried her tears for her old husband on the manly bosom of a new one, while ho, poor man, was drifting about on the open, thinking doubtless, of the girl he had left behind him, but little of the surprise fate had in store for him, more cruel even than the sea. It will be interest ing to hear the conclusion of the story, and how the affectionate trio have managed to arrange matters. He should be inclined to leave it to the lady, who must certainly be the best judge as to which of her two hus bsnds it would be best to send this time adrift. — Empire. A Titusville paper, under the heading of "Shocking Accident," thus describes a bolt : —" It seems that Mr Pumpjerker, one of the numerous milk-dealers who supply certain of our citizens with coloring material for their coffee and tea, was coming in from his dairy with his hand-cart filled with milk-cans, and (owing to the epihippic) drawn by two sorrel headed hired men, one a young and spirited fellow, who had not been worked in harness but three days, and the other an older beast with windgall on his head and blind iv the off eye. Mr Pumpjerker was pushing behind, not dreaming of danger, when just as the team turned from Brook street on to Franklin they caught sight of several cows, and not being familiar with such looking animals, became affrighted and dashed off down Franklin-street at a fearful rate of speed, with their coat-tails in that horizontal position necessary for the enjoy ment of the game of chequers, and their soap locks flying in the breeze. The hand-cart ' was upset near the corner of Walnut-street, but the now thoroughly maddened team soon kicked themselves loose from the wreck, and, with the tugs flapping about the calves of their legs, fled out on the Pleasant ville road, where they were stopped by a saloon-keeper, who held a couple of cock tails in front of them. Mr Pumpjerker's loss was about $6, mostly of tinware and wasted chalk,"

A special meeting of shareholders in the Coromandel Excelsior Gold Mining Company was held this afternoon at Mr A. A. Browne's office, Wyndham-street. Mr Geo. William son in the chair. The object of the meeting was to give the directors power to let the ground on tribute upon the best terms they could arrange. This was unanimously agreed to and the meeting separated. The time for receiving applications for shares in the National Bank of New Zealand closes tomorrow. Applications should be sent in to the Union Bank of Australia, In tending investors have now no time to lose. The°old hag who before figured in the Police Court for imposing upon and frightening foolish girls by fortune telling is ao-ain at her work. She has plenty of customers, chiefly silly young girls who pay their half-crown or five shillings to see the old woman fumble a greasy pack of cards, and to hear from her the description of their husbands that are to be. She has, we believe, abandoned the practice of terrifying girls with threats of murder, finding no doubt the quiet way of doing the business most profit able. She exacts ten shillings from men, and from five shillings to half-a-crown from girls. Perhaps Detectives Ternahan and Jeffrey would learn something from her —warding their future fortunes that would **-_ -=_ul to them. They should give the prove Uo-. old lady a can. . .. -^^ &t A correspondent of the -_ ~ t h e 26th St.- Petersburg says (writing -_. nlera ult ) • The ravag«s produced by the cn_. and small-pox in all parts of Russia have given rise to numerous complaiEtts of detec tive sanitary arrangements in the enrptrs, I. appears from official statistics that tn. number of persons who died from cholera alone in Russia during the past year was up wards of eighty thousand, and this year we are threatened with an epidemic of small pox as well. It is alleged that the chief cause of the spread of these terrible diseases is the negligence of the authorities. There are it is true, so-called sanitary commis sioners in all the capitals of the provincial districts, composed of the heads of the "ovet-nment ; but, though they meet oc casionally to discuss sanitary matters, no one has ever heard of these discussions having pro duced any satisfactory result. These gentle men think they have done their duty when they have collected the facts as to the spread of any particular disease; it is very rarely that they ever make any attempt to check it, and people are so accustomed in Russia to govern ment interference that no private individual will venture to introduce a sanitary reform, even in the largest towns. The consequence is that although there are plenty of sanitary officials, no real work is done to check the spread of contagion, and that in some districts the population is decimated by the cholera and small-pox, while in others it is half starved by the destruction of its cattle by the rinderpest. A statement has lately appeared in the London Spectator of every fortune of £250,000 and upwards, consisting of personality which has been transferred in England by death durin?' the last ten years. In 1863 that des criotion of property was estimated at £3 250 000; in 1864, £6,750,000; 1865, £8,000,000 ; 1860, £4,050,000 ; 1867, £8 150 000 ; 1868, £7,850,000 ; 1869, £10,600,000 ; 1870, £9,950,000 ; 1871, £10,:>Ti0,000 ; 1872, £7,050,000 ; total, £70|000,000. This amount was left by 158 individuals, and averaged £481,000 each. To this amount may be added the value of their real property, which maY safely be estimated at one hundred millions Sterling. Amongst the large landed proprietors ar. t- f°und f e naif es of the late Marquis of WeStu-11^. wh°se., Per sonalty was returned at £800,^00 ; the Duke of Cleveland at £800,000 ; Duke o. North umberland, £500,000; Duke of Beci-P 1' 0-. £600,000 ; and the Earl of Abergavenny. £300,000, all of whom it is well known possessed very extensive freehold estates. The millionaires were ten in number, and their aggregate personal wealth was estimated at £16,700,003. The largest individual amount was £3,000,000, left by Mr Giles Loder, of London; the next was £2,800,000, by Mr Richard Thornton, merchant, London ; Mr Wm. 'Crawshay, of South Wales, ironmaster, £2,0^3,000; Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild, £1,800,000 ; Sir B. L. Guinness, of Dublin, £1,1C0,CC3; Mr Samuel Scott, of Cavendisb Square, Lon don, £1,400,030 ; Mr Thos. Fielden, of Well field, £ 1,30 J, C: 3; Mr Samuel Eyres, of Leeds, £1,2C3,000 ; Mr Hudson Gurney, of Norfolk, £1,100,000, and Mr H. Forman, ironmaster of South Wales, £1,000,003. The preceding facts present substantial evidence of the wealth of the United Kingdom, and they in clude not only numbers of the aristocracy, but many of the leading firms of the great commercial establishments of Great Britain. The use of concrete in the erection of buildings is extending in Great Britain and France, and the buildings constructed with the material are substantial and held in high estimation. Lord Kinnaird has had two dwellings erected on his estate, by Gall and Company's patent apparatus, in order to show the advantages possessed by concrete over masonry. The result is an immense saving in cost, with increased durability, and equal comfort and neatness. The building erected by Dr. Campbell, in this city, de monstrated the same fact, and, no doubt, several other houses would have been con structed with concrete had not the scarcity and high price of Portland cement (chiefly due to excessive rates of freight) deterred persons from proceeding with such erections. Cement is, we learn, now being made at Mahurangi, and as good cement is known to exist in other parts of the province, effort should be put forth to make it available for use. The concrete employed by Gall and Co. is a mixture of gravel, furnace slag, smiths' clinkers, oyster shells, crockery or any hard, durable material, mixed with Portland cement, in the proportion of eight of gravel to one of cement.

MEETING OF THE BONSHAW G.M. Co.

A meeting of shareholders in the Bonshaw Gold Mining Company was held at the office of Mr R. K. Baber, Insurance Buildings, this afternoon, when twenty-nine shareholders were represented in person and by proxy. Mr G. Bennett occupied the chair. The following resolution was carried unani mously -.— " That it is desirable the Bonshaw G.M. Co. be voluntarily wound up, audit is hereby resolved that the directors be required to wind-up the said company in manner as follows: 1. That the sum of £11 Us 4d, moneys now in hand, being the total asset-? of the company, be disposed of, firstly in liquidating the costs of convening this meeting -and any expenses which may further be incurred in winding-up the company, and that the balance be handed over to the manager, Mr R. K. Baber, 1 for services rendered. 2. That the books and documents be left in the possession of the said R. K. Baber, to be safely kept by him for such time as he shall deem neces sary, not being less than one year from this date. 3. That notice of the company hav ing been voluntarily wound up shall be ad vertised in two daily newspapers published in Auckland, whereupon the said Bonshaw Gold Miuing Company shall become dis solved,"

TELEGRAPHIC.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

THE WHANGAMATA ROW.

TAURANGA

This day. The Southern Cross sailed for Auckland yesterday at eight p.m. Passengers-—Messrs Cook, Mann, Wood, and Mrs McFarlane. Arrived —Bessie, from Whangapoua. Sailed—Bella, for Whangamata and Auck land. Two of Mr Alley's stockmen have driven eleven hundred sheep from Napier. Tiietic^ have identified the two bullocks alleged ;Qp have been stolen by Faulkner. The cutter Bessie brings the balance of of timber for distribution amongst the military settlers. A man answering to the description of Brogan's mate arrived from Wangamata. He is evidently a fugitive, having no swag. The diggers threaten to roast Brogan, who has not yet turned up.

LATEST SOUTHERN NEWS.

/?__? ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN TELEGRAPH COMPANY.)

THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO AUCK-

LAND,

WELLINGTON,

This day.

His Excellency the Governor has receweo. an invitation from the friendly chiefs c_ the-. Waikato tribes to attend a meeting at Ngaruawahia before his departure. Kew_ has promised to attend. The Governor con sented, and will meet the natives about the middle of March. The Government yesterday deemed to ask the Superintendents of the various pro vince to invite the principal surveyors ol the colony to meet at Wellington to discuss the method of improving the general survey oi the colony. . , The Government propose offering a bonus for the fiisfc screw collier put into the coal wade with Greymouth. An offer has been made by the VYestlanc_ County Council to lease 5,000 acres for a coalfield on the south side of the Grey river, containing part of the same seam as that which is being worked in the Brunnel mine. The Independent says : " Oh, for a good old irresponsible tyrant for a few months who would kick into the outer darkness he so well deserves to be in the Superintendent of Nelson." The Governor has given a donation ot £15 to the Benevolent Institute.

The new Provincial Executive was sworn in yesterday.

DUNEDIN.

This day.

The City Council has under consideration a proposal from ONeill, Thomas, & Co., of Wellington, to lay down a street tramway. They offer to give the city 10 per cent, on their net profits after the Company has realised "th per cent, on the capital invested. Sir David Monro is expected to address his constituents at Waikouaiti.

The wool market is dull. Buyers show no disposition to make purchases except at greatly reduced prices. The Star of the East Company have declared a dividend of 3s Od per share. The company is reported to be on good stone.

TARANAKI.

This day,

The Hon. D. McLean remains here a week. A Native meeting will be held at Pariaka, at which Mr Paris, Parata, and Wi Tako will attend. Major Atkinson has received a letter from the Minister of Public Works, stating that the plans of the Waitara Railway are in a forward state. The survey of the line behind Mount Egmont will be at once commenced.

WANGANUI.

This day. The races yesterday were a great success. There was a large attendance. The Produce Stakes was won by Grass hopper. The Stock-horse race wss won by "Woman in White. Licensed Victuallers' Cup : Black Eagle, one. Ladies' Purse : St. Peters, 1 ; Creeping Jenny, 2. The latter was badly ridden. Town Plate : True Blue, 1. The Jockey Club dinner took place in the evening and the races will be continued to day.

SPECIAL UNPUBLISHED CABLE DESPATCHES.

[Pee Kangitoto, at Hokitika.]

ONE DAY'S LATER ENGLISH NEWS.

THE ENGLISH PRESS ON THE ATTI-

TUDE OF RUSSIA,

ACTIVITY AT THE ARSENALS

FEBRUARY WOOL SALES

[Per Anglo-Australian Press Telegram

Company.]

LONDON,

February 5,

The Times and other journals in discussing the Khivan question point out that En^ - X

need not be alarmed by the Russian \.et parations against Khiva. Russia could not long maintain a war in Europe and in Asia simultaneously. England, if necessary, could make large sacrifices to do so, and for the sustenance of the conflict.

There is unusual activity at the arsenals, but the Ministerial press deny that there is any preparation going on beyond the usual requirements of the country.

Flax is easier.

A private telegram from Antwerp, of Feb ruary 5, says that wool in the Continental

markets is firm.

The prices at the London February sales are expected to reach those of July last.

Dr. Featherstone expects a speedy.re covery. His official duties are fully pro vided for,

Wtl __rVtt_tiN6 .B* &% THt)'EB33AI/CTBRtTAUY ll Ml



-___-_---iliiii ]uuuimim-nvimmmimM»mmmMm—mm—m T) A N A M A HATS! Panama hats!! Just Received, 72 SUPERIOR REAL PANAMA HATS, Will be sold at lGs 6d each. SAMUEL COOMBES, CITY CLOTHING MART, No. 80, QUEEN STREET, T COSGRAVE & C O.'S SALE OF DRAPERY & CLOTHING COMMENCED ON SATURDAY, FEB, 1, | __fe Public are requested to inspect the Goods as the Reductions are Gekuine. CAN THE BEST MOLESKIN TROUSERS IN NEW ZEALAND BE SOLD FOR 6s. llD.? NO! DRAPERS AND OTHERS ontside the Clothing Trade may offer such baits to the public, but as THE CLOTH lER OF THE PROVINCE, and the only one whose business is exclusively confined to the manufacture and sale of Men's Clothing, I maintain that it cannot be done. I can, however, offer to the Working Men GENUINE BARGAINS, being prepared to sell a pair of Moleskin Trousers equal in every respect to the Gs. lid. article, FOR ss. 11d. And a pair of GENUINE Crown Moles, FOR 6s. 11d. And the best in New Zealand, FOR Ba. 110. SAMUEL COOMBES, MANUFACTURER & CLOTHIER, 80 & ISO, Queen-street.