NOTES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1426, 7 December 1886, Page 2

NOTES.

So the great alligator of the Waikato, the “ Monster Saurian,” who tamed up so opportunely at our New Zealand “ silly season,” proves to be neither alligator nor crocodile nor anything of the sort, but just a big seal and nothing more. Well, never mind, it served a useful purpose for a time, and the newspapers ought to be duly grateful But what about all that yarn about the ciger-hke footprints, and the creature “as big as a yearling steer that was seen crunching the bead of a cow," and what about the carcase of mutton that was taken from somebody’s slaughterhouse? Well, as to the first, we suspect that some big dog that has run wild in the bush will account for everything, and as to the second that the same explanation may also suffice, and if not, then, that neither reptile nor quadruped was guilty of the theft, but simply a light-fingered biped

Poor old Louis Kossuth! Verily, it reminds us that we are not so young as we were, to pen bis name, and brings up recollections of when we saw him accompanied by some of his expatriated compatriots, in the ancient city of Bristol, we hesitate to say how many years ago. Like many others who have served their country well, he has lived to be neglected and well-nigh forgotten in his old age. The almanac reminds us that this illustrious exile, who now lives somewhere in Italy to cogitate on the vicissitudes of fortune, attained his 84th year on the 16th of September last, and it points the moral of the mutability of human affairs to learn that the man who was once virtually Dictator of Hungary is now reduced to the status of a teacher of languages, an alien from the father-land whose independence and autonomy he once so nobly struggled to obtain.

That Auckland ammunition promises, it would seem, to be a very deadly article —to those using it. According to the Christchurch Press, Captain Martin, of the E Battery of Artillery, went out for rifle practice the other day, using a Snider rifle and Auckland-made ammunition, with the not very satisfactory result, that one of the cartridges blew the breech-block open, ruined the barrel, cracked the stock, and blew the hammer thirty feet away. Captain Martin himself escaped with a scorched face, and may be thankful, but if the cartridge used w-as a fair sample of the kind that is turned out in Auckland, it will be just as well for the Defence Department to make a little further enquiry before finally adopting this species ol ammunition for the Volunteer force of the colony. For, as our Tiraaru morning contemporary remarks, in writing on the same subject, if this sort of experience is to become common as the result of patronising local industry, the result will assuredly be a list of “ killed and wounded without a declaration of war."

Talking of Tirraru that was, it appears, a most dastardly case of cruelty to a horse which resulted in a fine in the local Resident Magistrate’s. Court the other day. The Herald says that the offender, a shearer, named Kavanagb, hired a horse at Makikihi for the purpose of riding to Albury. He called at Timaru and got some drink, and on his way thence to Pleasant Point illused the poor beast in a most shameful manner. He beat it about the head with a stirrup-iron, cutting one of its eyes nearly out of the socket, and repeatedly stabbed it deeply in the shoulders, it is supposed with a pair of shears which he was carrying, besides inflicting other injuries of a serious nature. When arrested Kavanagh’s boots and clothes were covered with blood. Convicted before the local justices of this disgusting piece of brutality, he was let off with a fjne of jQio, a decision which the Herald very properly characterises as lamentably weak, VVe entirely agnjg in that view, and regard the case ag one in which the power of imprisons ment, without option offing conferred by the Act, should most certainly have been exercised. A brute like Kavanagb should have been sent up for bard labor for three months at the very least.

It is pleasant to think that there is already a rift in the cloud of depression which has so long overshadowed the colony, and that we may look forward to the return, ere long, of the sunshine of prosperity. Amongst the signs of a coming revival in trade the New Zealand Herald points to “ the steady remittance of credits to the woolgrowers in this colony, through the rise in price of this staple in the London market,” anent which our conteiflr porary says :—“ Instead of having the drawbacks of last year, some very sub* stantial sums have come forward by the last two or threemails from England, and have greatly eased sheep farmers. One company received by the last mail no less than of credits, and another £20,000. Should favorable prices continue to be maintained at the sales that are to be opened neat week, we may reasonably look for increased confidence, which really means that an improvement will soon be telt in every branch of trade. There are rumours that the financial institutions are very full of money, and, that some ot the banks are refusing to accept large sums upon deposit at the present high rate of 6 per cent There is, therefore, some hope that the rate will be lowered before long. But the first movement in this direction will probably come from Australia. There, of course, the rise in the price of wool has already had a beneficial effect, and with the prospect of a good season and improved prices all tound for produce, the general look-oat appears to us much brighter than it did a few months ago.” ! ‘' :