WELLINGTON.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 24, 9 January 1878, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

Tuesday. Easby from Sydney brought only 'one later paper, the " Herald "of 31st. It contains a letter from Minion, who has just ret urned from New Guinea. He expresses surprise at statement, of Bedome police magistrate, Somerset, reg-irding discovery of gold at Papua. Minton says he lias sixteen years' experience as raining engineer ancl prospeetoi-, and during tliree weeks at Papua he explored creeks, prospected banks and rivers, nlso at foot of falls and base of ranges, and found no gold whatever ; found any quantity of mica, which looks like gold, and whicli be says would deceive any nonexperienced miner or prospector. He thinks Goldie, being a botanist, was deceived by the mica. Minton brought sand away from different places. He had it analysed by one of the most experienced analytical chemists m Sydney, who pronounced it micacious sand of no value. An account of the hailstorm near Albury says : Cakes of ice from an inch to four inches thick fell. The greatest force of the st orin was near Moorwatha district, covered with small farms, crop just, ready for machines. Within twenty minutes after commencement of storm the entire crop m dozens of paddocks was entirely ruined ; straw was cut down as neatly as if the strinper had been at work, and grain was actually bat.tevred into the ground. Hailstones falling dug notches m sides of big gum trees and sliced off wedges of bark as though the axe had been at work. Iron roofs were penetrated as if brown paper ; shingle roofs were unable to withstand the force with which blocks of ice descended. Fowls of the air were fain to seek shelter m human habitations. Flocks of parrots took up their quarters during the storm m houses of selectors. Dead birds strewed the ground m all directions, some literally flattened out under lumps of ice. Rain followed, and gullies dry for years became foaming rivere, sweeping away cattle and doing great damage. Many frrmers are completely beggarred. The New Zealand Loan & Mercantile Agency Company report from London (date not given) : Wool market unchanged. To date, forty thousand bales arrived. There has been little private inquiry. Tallow m good demand ; twenty-four thousand casks of all sorts m stock. Mutton is quoted at 40s 6d; beef, 395. Wheat market quiet. Estimated that stock on 2nd inst. was one million one hundred and seventy thousand quarters : Adelaide, 60s ; New Zealand, 50s. Leather market quiet j best sides, lOJd. Last evening, engine-house of patent slip was nearly demolished by a singular accident. The Stella, which had been on slip for repairs, was being lowered into the water ; when half-way down, a tremendous crash was heard, and large pieces of the galvanised roof, followed by clouds of steam and smoke, seen 'high m air. The engineer's account is that he was standing between the two engines about shutting off the steam, when, without any warning, the immense flywheel, seventeen feet m diameter and five tons m weight, which was revolving with great rapidity, burst into fragments. Some of the pieces, half a ton m weight, were driven between £wo and three hundred feet from the building, going through roof and smashing brick, wall. Nothing left of wheel but centre and stumps of arms. All the inside of engine house completely wrecked. Escape of engineer considered miraculous ; beyond being knocked down and sustaining a few outs and bruises, he is uninjured.