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Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 258, 7 January 1879, Page 2

We have to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of the il Pr.ess Shilling Almanac and Diary for 1879." The volume contains the usual matter appertaining to almanacs, together with farm and garden calendar, and information as to customs and stamp duties, postal and telegraphic matters'&-., and forms altogether a very good value for the price.

An unfortunate accident occurred last evening to Mr Benjamin de Malmanche. While at work at Major Hornbrook's mill, at Duvauchelle's Bay, his hand came into contact with the saw, which severely wounded three of the fingers of his right hand. Mr de Malmanche was immediately brought into Akaroa, and conveyed to tlie Hospital. Dr Guthrie, on examining the injuries inflicted, found it necessary to amputate the three fingers, which was accordinglj- done, the patient having first been placed under the influence of chloroform. The operation was thoroughly successful.

A correspondent from Little River sends ua the following account of some sports which took place in that locality, on New Year's Day. With reference to the mean-re attendance of the public which is lamented by our correspondent, we cannot help thinking that this was due to the absence of the usual publicity being given to the intention of holding such a gathering :—" The first sports that have been held in the Little River district, on New Year's Day, came off last Wednesday, on Mr Birdling- "velvet bed," and were a decided success, though they might have been more liberally patronised by the neighboring settlers, as well as by the Little River people. Notwithstanding the evident coolness shown towards the sports by them, tbe liberality by which they were supported by H. B. Johnston, Esq., the Messrs Birdling, and others of the more spirited of the settlers, in conjunction with the energy displayed by Mr Wascoe, of the Beach Arms Hotel, in the arrangement of the preliminaries was most laudable. The people that were there appeared to be bent upon amusing themselves and succeeded in doing so most thorougnly, so much so in fact, that they might make those, who were not present,, regret that they had looked for amusement in the distance, while it was offered to them in such abundance in their own neighborhood. It is only to be hoped that this decided success, which attended _ur first meeting, may induce the neighbors to repeat the sportnext year, and to make it an annual recurring event."

The election of three members to serve on the Okain's Road Board took place on Saturday last. There were six candidates in the field, and a greater amount of interest was manifested in the proceedings than has ever been the case on any former occasion. Messrs H. Barnett, Bennett, and Callaghan were the-successful candidates. The official declaration of the poll appears elsewhere. On the same day the annual meeting of ratepayers was held, at which the accounts for the year were submitted. A report of the meeting together with the accounts will appear in our next issue.

We have received the New Zealand Press News for January. The paper is well got up and contains a variety of matter especially interesting to the trade.

We observe that our contemporary, the Press of Christchurch, has reduced its price to one penny. This is the second morning daily in the colony which has come out at this low price. The Lyttelton Times, not to be outdone in bidding for popular favor, although it retains the old price, yet announces that for the future it will appear as an eight-page paper, or double its present size.

The annual meeting of the ratepayers for the purpose of electing three persons to serve on the Pigeon Bay Road Board, in the room of Messrs Gillespie, Pitcaithly and James Hay, who had retired by rotation, was held in the Schoolroom, Pigeon Bay, on Saturday last. Five persons were nominated, viz., Messrs M'lntosh, Pitcaithly, Innes, James Hay, and Gillespie. Messrs M'lntosh and Innes, however, withdrew from the contest, and the Returning Officer therefore declared Messrs Gillespie, Pitcaithly, and James Hay to be duly elected. A meeting- of the ratepayers was held immediately after the election, to decide whether or no a Public Pound should be erected in the district. It was decided by the votes of the majority that the Pound should not be erected for the present. The Road Board then held a meeting, at which Mr Gillespie was unanimously re-elected chairman.

It will be remembered that a few weeks ago we published a telegram from the Minister of Public Works, stating that Mr Blair, the Government Engineer, was to visit the Akaroa line of railway in a few days. The following telegram, received by Mr Montgomery, explains how it is that Mr Blair did not arrive at the time appointed, and informs us that he may now be expected at once:—" W. Montgomery, Esq., M.H.R., Akaroa. I would have been in Christchurch last week, but for a very important matter that prevented it. I expect to be there about the 6th January. W. N. Blair." The following is the Registrar's return of Births, Deaths, and Marriages for the quarter ending Dec 31, 1878, and also for the twelve months ending at the same date : — Quarter : Births. 31 ; deaths, 7 ; marriages, 4. Year : Births, 121; deaths, 28; Marriages, 29.