His Honour the Superintendent haa re ceived the following telegram from Messrs M'Mcckan, Black wood, imd Co , Mel-, bourne : — 27th March : Arawata sailed with salmon ova. It has been carefully handled and properly stowed. We rendered every! assistance. The first social ball of the Dunedin Royal Quadrille Club took place in St. George's Hall on the 23rd, when, about 30 couples were present. Dancing was spiritedly kept up for several hours to music supplied by Mr Kelly's band. The ball was very tastefully decorated with flags and ever greens. A writer in the Wellington Mail, account ing for the scarcity of local frnit in that city, states that one reason consists in • the perbisfent raids of juvenile pilferers. Persons who tako the trouble to grow fruit, and who lind their trees stripped before th^ fruit is ripe, ate discouraged, and give up the pursuit. The Queen's Theatre was literally crammed last Sunday, when sermons were delivered by the Hoy. Mr Crawford, of Queensland, aud Professor Salmond. Numerous parties were unable to gain admission. Mr D.; Wright presided, and prayer \va3 offered by the Sev F. W. Lsilt, who also pronounced the benediction. A portion of a wooden building used as a stable, situate near the Peacock Hotel, was discovered to be un fire on Saturday after noon, but by t> c use of a few buckets of water was soon subdued. The damage done was trifling. The oiigin of the firo is attri buted to someone carelessly throwing a lighted match amongst some straw. We learn by a Press Agency talegram from Wellington that Messrs William Gisborne, William Seed, aud John Knowles have been appointed a Commission to visit tlie several Provinces, and to obtain information with a view to the consolidation of offices under the proposed new syotem. They proceeded South in the Phoebe yesterday afternoon. The Tuapeka Times says Mr Bastings is endeavouring to make arrangements to con vey passengers from Lawrence to Cromwell in one day. Passengers for the up-country districts will leave Dunediu by the after noon train, and remain in Lawrence oyer night, and will be forwarded to Cromwell by coach early the following morning, arriving at their destination by 6 p.m. The ship destined for the Bluff, which was to leave at the ond of January, is the Pomona. 