A " Lover of Science " in Canterbury suggests in the Lyttelton Times that the Government having declined Professor Hutton's offer to pro ceed to the scene of the eruptions in the North, Otago and Canterbury should join together and raise the necessary fuuds, which would probably amount to" £100. :

The following is the full text of the letter received by Lord Oarington from Mr Layard, acting British consul at Noumea, regarding the reported annexation of the New Hebrides by France; and the substance of which was communicated to Earl Granville:—" Noumea^ May 31.—My Lord,—l have the honour to' inform you that the French man-of-war Dives left this harbour yesterday fop New Hebrides, it is said< with the intention of hoistings the French flag. She has taken a'body of Frencli' troops on board, who, it is reported, are toibe stationed on the Islauds Sandwich and Mallicolo The Government have made large purchases of timber, corrugated iron, and artillery. The workshops have been working day and night to make it up into barracks for the soldiers. It is to be conveyed.to the islands by the steam transport Magellan, which was on the point of leaving for France, but has now been detained indefinitely. The Government received a cable message from. France, and the Dives was put into fighting trim before leaving, as the German gunboat Albatross is in the New Hebrides. As long as the Messageries steamer Sydney was in the harbour, the secret was well kept, but from the moment of her departure no vessel was allowed to leave the harbour by general order of the Acting Governor, Colonel .Olthus'. .It is openly announced this was specially to prevent me from getting to the islands first and hoisting the English flag. The two entrances to the harbour were watched by armed boats all night with the same intent; and I have o-.ular reasons for believing that my house was watched by spies for at .least two nights. A small French vessel when three miles outside the harbour was brought back by a steam; launch. I have also reported the matter to Admiral Tryon, and I shall give ..my des patches into the.hands of Captain Calder, of the A.S.N. steamer Roctou, just arrived, with orders to deliver them. I have lived here for ten years, and know the post-office too well to entrust it with anything important. 