Mi , G. S. Cl.'.rk, manager of tlic New Moanatairi mine, sent the following telegram to the legal ni:i".ager in Auckland yesterday afttrnooii—"2dlbs of picked stone from the No. 4 lead, 150 ft level." Our Wellington correspondent wires that Mr Hickey is improving in the Hospital, Major" Wilson, cf the Argylc Highlanders, has been appointed commandant in Western Austral:?. In Melbourne', , , woman gets 2VI for making a shirt, while a Chinaman gets od for wasir.ig it. The OiTicers of the Italian squadron on returning from Kiel were entertained at Portsmouth. A female child, about three weeks old was found abandoned on a Sydney footpatlijthe other night. Mr Carr will sell by Ruction to-morrow rt 11 o'clock at Mr McGregors mart, the Pride lof Knrakn, Licensed Hokl'ug, changing house, tools, &c., in one lot. The Napier News states that a fonily, consisting of father, moilicr, and two chil dren tramped through Waipukiuui recently from the bush districts in the direction of Napier, with swags, etc., looking for work. The following players will represent the Thames 11. on Saturday:—Trainor, Meehan, Power, McGregor, Mullins, McEntesr, Berry, Connelly, Rois, iMuir, Kennerlcy, McGinty, Ciitvan, MoMahon (2), Gordon; emcr., Davoy a'id Sawyer. We learn by cable that Miss Agnes Murphy, of Melbourne, a comparatively new Colonial author, has sold her latest novel, in which t'.ic scone is I-ild in Austra lia, to Mess.'S Rouiledgc, t'.ie well known London publishers, for a considerable sum, A cr.ble from Adelaide state;] that a strong syndieiiic has been formed to test the alleged discovery of petroleum o:i the Victorian boundary. The report states tii-./o the samples of bitumen proved h'gbly satis factory. The patented "Aoik" Hoksb Covers' the only oie which fas perfectly, and \f.\\ not chafe. Ask your smld'or for one and see that you get it.-[ADvr.] A sample of quartz containing gold found at the head of the Iluamiihuiijja river by a party out c.ttle shooting lias been forwarded to Wellington for analysis. The reef from which the quartz was obtained is of a good thickness. The monthly meeting of the Drainege Board was held on Wednesday in Auckland, Messrs Comer, Radford and Kilgour being present from the Thames. The report stated that everything had loon working smoothly in spite of the heavy r. flow of w'.',tcr. The small boilers had been. scon netted fijs<l r-nshipped and are being r< wired. 