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Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 209, 19 July 1878, Page 3

A cat belonging to a family on South Hill has reached the ripe age of eleven years and has lost all power of expressing its emotions by audible sounds. And it is just heart-breaking to see that voiceless cat go out in the moonlight and climb on to the shed roof, and try, by violent and emotional pantomime, to express a yowl that would break a pane of window glass 800 yards away. Scotch rows, says the Pall Mall Gazette, differ from English and Irish rows in so far that in nine cases out of ten some principle is involved which lends a certain amount of solemnity to the disturbance. An illustration of this is afforded by a case heard at the Dundee police-court this week. A commercial traveller was accused of using abusive language to and assaulting a factory overseer who with his family occupied a flat in the same house as the accused. On Sunday evening the factory overseer and his family were very much disturbed by the commercial traveller " roaring and singing " and playing on a piano. With the view of lessening the noise and promoting peace on the Sabbath, the factory overseer entered the room of the commercial traveller and knocked him down. On recovering from the effect of this remonstrance the commercial traveller proceeded to the room of the factory overseer, " cursed and swore at him, and seized him by the throat. The singing," remarked the witness, "was not becoming for the Sabbath day, otherwise he would not have raised any objection to it." The magistrate also evidently disapproved of this desecration of the Sabbath, for he imposed a fine on the accused of thirty shillings, with the alternative of twenty days in prison. This seems to English eyes hard on the commercial traveller, who was harmlessly amusing himself with his piano when he was knocked down by the factory overseer and his privacy intruded on. Perhaps if instead of "roaring and singing" he had only " roared," he would have been spared the assault and fine. There is no law, so far as we are aware, against roaring on the Sabbath ; indeed, some preachers, even in Scotland, are said to indulge in the practice in their pulpits.

There appears to be every reason for believing that a very valuable series of hot springs exists at a short distance from Christchurch, and near Lake Ellesmere, upon land which was formerly a part of the Ahuriri estate. This estate, which passed from Mr Rhodes Isq Mr Fleming was sold in lots to various purchasers, and some of the present owners have found most unmistakable evidence of hot springs of considerable extent. So far as can at present be gathered, these springs were first noticed as possessing unusual qualities by some Road Board men who were working in the locality, and who, after using some of the water, experienced somewhat disagreeable effects. They continued to use it, however, became partial to its peculiarities, and then found that they were " never so well in their lives." One of the land owners, Mr R. M. Morten, is, we understand, having some of the water analysed, in order to ascertain its true medicinal vajue, and Dr Doyle, another owner, has roughly estimated the surface temperature of an unusually large spring, which exists upon his land, at 80 degrees. Dr Doyle states that this spring discharges an immense volume of water, which flows into the lake, and that at present it is impossible to get within some twenty yards of it on account of the boggy nature of the ground. He is, however, having a deep dram cut which will render a closer examination possible, and it is thus probable that in a short time some more definite information respecting the Ahuriri hot springs will be forthcoming. Should they—as is anticipated—prove of real value, they will scarcely be permitted to share in the neglect which has befallen the hot springs known to exist in the Amuri district. Their proximity to Christchurch, and the possibility that they may originate a sanatorium for the city, should give a zest to the investigation. — Lyttelton Times.

A farmer wrote as follows to a distinguished scientific agriculturalist to whom he felt under obligations for introducing a variety of swine. ' Respected Sir, I went yesterday to the cattle show. 1 found several pigs of your species. There was a great variety of hogs, and I was astonished at not seeing you there.

Father—"Why don't yer say your grace, Charley?" Charley— " Why 'cos I don't like the look o' them taters."

A dancing master recently, in renewing his solicitations for patronage, wished to express his obligations for past favors, when the printer made him say " Most respectfully offers his shanks," instead of thanks.