TEE AKAROA CANNON BALLS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2175, 17 July 1889, Page 2

TEE AKAROA CANNON BALLS.

Some time ago a small landslip ooourred at Akaroa by whioh a aumber of oannon ball* were exposed to view, and It wu ft matter, of oonjaoture aa to how they came there. ' One of these balls wai sent to Oft Kinsey la Ohristohuroh. Whilst Me Joubert ; the General Manager of the Dauedln Exhibition, was Id this olty reoeotly he easily unravelled the myat«ry. Ue stated that on September 14, 1840, the French corvette, the Aabe, was then stationed at Akaron, and an order o»me from the Minister for Marine that the sailors, instead of being employed m cultivating the Government farm, be drilled foj service. Captain Lavand caused a target to be plaoed on the aids or the olff oppoelte the man-of-war. The oaronnades were loaded, and as soon as breakfast was over the crew was. piped to quarters. la order to pay a compliment to bia guest Captain Lavand a«ked Sir Joubert to fire the first ahot whlob, from so Inexperienced a hand, went ft long way off the mark. Aftet wards a broadside w»s fired; Subsequently Me Robinson, then British Magistrate at Akaroa, intimated to o>ptala Ltvaad thai suoh gan praotioe In the harbor might prove dangerous, and should not again be done except st sea. The shot sent to Mr Klnsey, having bean Lund some distance from the others, may, perhaps, be the identloal one fired by Mr Joubert. It is, therefore, a strange ooinoldenoe, that be should, after a lapae of half a oentury, return to Canterbury to nuet and identify an oldfrlecd.— ••Lytteltm Times."