WAY SIDE NOTES.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 137, 9 November 1877, Page 2

WAY SIDE NOTES.

[by an occasional contributor.]

The two large pieces of ordnance with which Messrs. Wood Bros, and Co. were wont to scare levanting creditors, and which have been of the utmost utility to equestrians as tethering posts for their gallant steeds, have been removed, and are now on the jetty ready for shipment to Wellington in the colonial man-of-war the s. s. Stella. The history of these guns is somewhat remarkable. They were brought out to New Zealand by Captain Cook, and bartered to the natives in exchange for greenstone, wild pig, and other curiosities, under the> understanding that the natives were not to attempt to fire them off until Captain Cook and his vessel were out of sight. This was a wise precaution, and one that did credit to the tender heart of the gallant captain, for the guns were perfectly useless, in fact they had been in that condition for some hundred years previous to Cook's receiving them gratis from the English Government, on the condition that he took them away from that country. When the vessel had sailed, the natives sent a small boy down each of the guns, to see what was at the bottom of them ; but, strange to say, these little boys never 'came out again. The cannon were then, of course, tabooed, and remained in this sanctified state, justly proud of the only favour they ever possessed, until Honi Heki's war, in 18_7, or thereabouts, when, being driven to the last, and any expedient, the Maoris considered themselves justified in violating the laws of " tapu," and endeavoured to use them against their enemies, but with such fearful and disastrous effect to themselves, that, in a fit of commendable generosity, they allowed their capture by the English, who, after a careful examination, decided that the only thing formidable about them was their appearance, and accordingly ordered them to be fitted with new carriages, and placed in position on Fort 1-rittouiart, Auckland, where they were chiefly remarkable for the number of stones that got stowed away in their inmost recesses. There they remained, until our local warriors, having formed themselves into an artillery corps, naturally enough, requested the Government to provide them with suitable weapons and material for the instruction and exercise of their duties. Here then was the opportunity the Defence Department had long been waiting for. There were the great lumbering pieces of iron, by courtesy called "guns," weighing three tons and ahalf, and here was a young -volunteer corps, anxious, and zealous, who wanted the implements of their newlyacquired profession ! What was it to them, that the cannon were useless, and that their removal entailed considerable expense on the colony ? Nothing. Should they allow it to be said that a volunteer corps had asked for weapons and been refused. Never! So, accordingly, the guns were sent down here. The whole Peninsula turned out, all the available rope in the district was fastened to the cannon, and after severe labour, they were moved a distance of fifty yards at the farthest, Where they have Temained till now, anything but " things of beauty," although "mere toys" for ever! It was the only occasion on which I witnessed perfect unanimity of opinion on all sides. Everyone at once exclaimed, and have never since seen cause to alter the sentiment— " What a farce!"

I met a way-side last week that was fearfully and wonderfully made. My horse " Nor-wester," whom I've previously told you about, utterly refused to face the awe-inspiring monstrosity, and it cannot be wondered at, for I suppose it is not a usual thing to meet a travelling quarantine station. On first catching sight of it, I blamed my liver, but that much-abused organ was not in fault this time, for, as the " Yellow Jack " went by me, I saw that its colour was real, and no creation of a bilious eye. There were a lot of milch kine along the road, who mistook it for a human insult, in the shape of a huge pat of butter, and were proportionately indignant thereat. Seriously speaking, lam of opinion that a yellow-fever van should not be allowed to perambulate our public thoroughfares, and beg respectfully to draw the attention of the Sanitary Committee to the matter.

Metalling roads is an excellent invention I It was a man named McAdam who found it out, and I hope there is a bust of him somewhere. I am given to understand that the sisse of metal is determined thuswise :—Take a piece of stone and pass it through a ring 2$ inches in diameter, I want someone to tell ma whether the ring used is made of indiarubber. In Church-street, a liberal Borough Council have lavishly spread any quantity of metal, butunless that 2\ inch ring stretches considerably, only abdit one-sixteenth of it could pass through when it wosk first

done. I had occasion to cross this street after dark, and came to the conclusion I had missed my way, and got into the bed of a creek. One of the boulders from this locality has been sent to Dr Haast as a specimen of " road metal" on the Peninsula. He says it is the largest he has evei seen, and I believe him.