Show NEWS FROM NEW ZEALAND lit Rtcent TerrIble Stoims There Loss ol Life and Properly Rork of the speciesA Lathe e LI 4er F II It let ads born UI Don In the nhnIAu Raises AUCKLAND N Z Feb nth 1897 Elder F D Richards My Dear rather It has been sometime some-time since I have bad the pleasure of reading a letter from you but no doubt you are rushed chill business continually continu-ally of a more important and profitable nature thin corresponding with me too often I also find a little to occupy my time out hOle and I would have crowded crowd-ed this loiter off one more mail If I I had been our you would have seen my It ter to First Presidency I tiiut these few 1 ns will find you In the enjoyment of health and strength and able to carry on your multiplied duties Elder Gardner undoubtedly save you an Idea of the work in this land an account of our travels through the mission together and how we found it generally and I am happy 10 say the work has been progressing nicely ever I since At high as filly additions hate teen taper tau in a month and our report re-port for the jcar ending December Jut lb < 60 showed a net increase of 161 ovate Between thirty and forty Europeans have been added In Australia and 1 as mol since Elder Gardners return a number ol ham have emigrated to Zion I have been on the go almost continually con-tinually having visited all parts ot the mission except the Wairau district at least once and some two and three times over There seems 10 he s general demand for niderir We have sxtyooe now booked fie more are supposed to have lust arrived In Australia and we could use a good many mOle II wa bad them The semiannual conference of the mission has Just been held in Waikato It had been postponed on account ol scarcity ol food Twenty three Elders were in attendance aDo perhaps two hundred and filly to three hundred balms and friends We were blessed with good weather though it looked very Ibralenlll Tn meetings were held in three days besides the Ciders meeting which tailed six hours and a hall The conference was particularly noted for the peace end quietude which prevailed throughout Toe Lord layered lay-ered uiviith Ills Spirit in rich abuuj mice Much volcanic Instruction was given and we had a time ot general re Juicingand one i long to be remembered A Maori band was in attendance whim Coed us wilt a number of selections betty wen meetings Elders C 11 Embley and Moroni Ltzenby were released to return home by the March boat they Hill nave been away three and a hall and two and a hall years resccliiLly The general health ol the Elders remaining i re-maining is hrstrate so far as I am posted post-ed and they are earnestly endeavoring 10 do they can to acquit themselves hooolby and acceptably before the Lord I From the sSth to the 3151 ult a terrible ter-rible rain and wind storm prevailed in and around New Zealand causing much de I 1 1 slruciion of property and some loss cf life Trees were thrown down and up I rooted chimneys fences etc thrown dowo and many yachts and other boats at ashore A captain wa killed near Napier The hlSl mal got his leg broken and four ol the crew were badly irjured J Another captain was killed in Auckland harbor arla happened to bs near Te Arohd Haurahi at the time and fortunately in gaud quarters The river h blotter than for years COPS ale badly damaged 011 the lower lands io some instances being washed out and In other cases buried up Falling mfeis changed the course ot freshet and the water in some houses was from Iwo to CJur lot deeplunning out of the win dons The best of furniture was all 1 afloat and one man is reckoned 10 have been damaged to the amount of Canto Eels were washed down out 01 the mountain streams in bral Abundance and people around the streets gathered them up for food Another three days rain is retailing now The fore part ol r the season was very diy and people began to fear their cIIIIs would be a failure from dloulb ana Ihey me very light I expect to start south next meek Dud to attend conferences in Poverty Day Walapu Militia and llaultts nay din Icicle and leah allarepa 10 hOld our general annual 00IeleLe 01 Ue attn don on April 4th SIb and 6h My health Is good at present and I lave been greatly blessed ol the Lord thus far for toe multiplied and complex duties whielll have bad 10 perform fur which 1 feel truly grateful uTflim it has been Indeed a great tome to-me the manner He has opened up 1 the way btfjre me and has blessed and magnified me as circumstances and my labors and rcsponsibi Itics have required re-quired Some one was thoughtful enough to end me a good many papers of different differ-ent kinds this mail sonic of which I sent c ta the Auckland Reading rooms for twhlch the manager seeme quite crate ul I E F RICHARDS |