The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1877.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 112, 14 August 1877, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1877.

Owing to a press of matter we have to hold over our leader, educational lecture, Okain's Bay Road Board report, and other items of interest, until our next publication. The proposed football match between the French and English ends of the town reminds us of a children's rhyme we used to indulge in when playing a certain game, where each sido had hold of the end of a rope, the ooing to see which could pull the other over a certain boundary. We quote one or two of the verses, which scein to be so applicable in this instance, judging by the list of proposed players for each end that has been forwarded to us :—• •'These are the Frenchmen meagre and thin Hop, skip and jump, do you think they'll win ? These are the Englishmen sturdy and stout, Judging by weight they will win, no doubt. None run away like a coward or knave. Frenchmen and Englishmen both are brave." The following gentlemen are to be asked to take part in the match :—Frehchmen. — H. Citron, J. F. Roberts, W. Adams, J. Gundy, C. W. Bridge, G. W. Nalder G. J. Felgate, G. P. Ditely, Rev. W. Ayhner, HBridge, Dr. Watkins, T. B. Missen, J. Waeckerle, J. Waddle, 11. H. Fenton, Sergeant Ruffles. Englishmen.—G. Scarbrough, J. D. Garwood, S. Fyfe, J. Ayhner, H. G. Watkins, Moore Morgan, G. F. Wascoe, J. Daly. A. Westenra, E, Hooper, C-Barker, E. Boriaud, J. Sunckell, senr., Sergeant Major Ramsay, J. Beecher, Rev. W. Douglas. We fear there will be the same complaint as the little schoolboy made about the school dinner. "There was plenty to eat, but one side of the table got all the lean, and the other all the fat.'' We beg to draw the attention of our readers, to an advertisement in another column, relative to a petition re the office of R.M., which is now lying for signature at Mr. Meoch's. The Australia, with San Francisco mails, arrived at Auckland on Sunday, the 12th instant, the Hawea leaving Onehunga the same day, with tbe southern portion of the mails. We may look for the mail arriving here either on the 17th or 18th instant.

By a reference to our report of the meeting of the Akaroa and Wainui Road Board on Saturday hist, it will be seen that four tenders for Road Board work were informal, owing to a money deposit not accompanying the tender. We would especially draw the attention of tenderers to this rule, so that the error may not be repeated. Mr. Wagstaff's grounds were within an ace of becoming the scene of a sanguinary and exhaustive combat one day last week. Somebody's veracity was impugned, and invitations to the " lovely grass" were freely given and accepted.' It was, we hear, a fearful moment of suspense, as the taller combatant, striding firmly over the springy turf, took up his position beneath a spreading tree, and with folded arms, and angry mien, awaited his adversary's approach. Nor was the excitement lessened, when footsteps smote the ear, and the expectant principal, pulling off his coat, bared his arms, and assumed the approved position for self-defence. But it was only the adversary's second. The adversary himself, was not, we are told, "he wasn't on," which, we suppose, meant " was off." Tims ended what might have been the most terrible encounter it has ever fallen to our lot to have to record. A disgraceful act of larrikinism was committed at Miss Hooman's, Jollis-street, Akaroa, on the evening of the 10th inst. It seems that on the evening in question, Miss Hoonan gave a breaking-up party to her pupils, their parents and friends Whilst the hilarity and fun with the children, was at its height, some miscreant, of the genus larrikin, threw.. a stone through the window, smashing the glass, which fell among the little revellers, the stone also striking a boy, the son of Mr. S. Watkins. Naturally the children and ladies present were greatly frightened. This is , not the first time that Miss -Hoonan, and her guests, have been annoyed in a somewhat similar manner, only an evening or so previous an offender having been caught in the act. These outrages are dastardly mean, and cowardly cruel, and we trust that the publicity we now give to this the latest piece of blackguardism inflicted'upon a lady and her private rriends, may have the effect of stopping such scandalous proceedings. A report has reached us, from the Head of the Bay, that the trustees of T. W. Barker's estate, have sold the Somerset Hotel to a Mr Brooke. We hear that a Mr Anderson, from Napier, will be the Rev Mr Cooper's locum tenens during his twelve months of absence. The " New Zealand Church News'' for the month of August, 1877, in giving an account of a parish meeting at Taradale says : —" The annual parish meeting of the parish of Taradale, was held at All Saint's schoolroom, at 3 p.m., on Tuesday last* The Chairman, Rev P. C. Anderson, having opened the proceedings in the usual form, delivered a written address, in which he reviewed the work of the past year, &c, In commenting on the accounts, Mr Anderson pointed to the fact that the stipend account was the only one which was less in amount for the year past than it was in the previous year, and said: " I am quite prepared to admit that this evil may have been brought about by a course of action which I saw fit to adopt last September, and I do not hesitate to add that, if this conjecture of mine is correct, this evil has been increased by the woeful misrepresentations of my conduct, which appeared in print. I shall not go further into this—to me —very painful subject, except to say that the one and only reason why I submitted to as much as I did in the way of newspaper abuse, was, that I keep to a religious rule, neither to write nor to answer anonymous letters." "We offer no comments on the matter, but if this is the Mr. Anderson alluded to above, we would remind the Church of England officials in this place, of the old proverb " a stitch in time saves nini»." The degrading and debasing effect which the intemperate use of alcoholic liquors has upon a woman, was shown at Mr. Blacks drapery store, on Saturday evening, the 10th inst. On the evening named, a married woman, formerly hold ing a respectable position, went to Mr Black's store, in a state of intoxication" and after having some words with the as-' sistant, went outside, picKed up a stone i and smashed two. of the. large panes of glass in the shop doors. The police were sent for, and the misguided woman was locked up. As a recently married couple were leaving Akaroa on Saturday last, the fair and youthful bride fell from her horse, and was somewhat disarranged, but not seriously injured. A gentleman, well known for his court-\y address, was fortunately near the spot at the time of the accident, and assisted in restoring the blushing fair one to her previously faultless appearance, and to her horse. A race has been arranged to come off, over the usual course, at the Head of the Bay, on Thursday, August 16th instant" catchweights, distance about three-quarters of a mile, between Mr. B. Shadbolt's b.m. Ladybird, Mr. P. Callaghan's b.m. Munster Queen, and Mr. O'Connor's e.g. ■ Clare , Castle'; stakes, £5 each. A slight shock of earthquake was distinctly felt at Akaroa, on the morning of the 11th inst. As the clocks and watches of our informants seem singularly unanimous in agreeing to disagree relative to the 'Correct time when the shock was experienced, we are unable to state exactly when it occurred, nearer than from haltpast six to a quarter to seven.