The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 460, 17 December 1880, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17.

Tub necessary space required for our reports of the exhibition and regatta shut out our leading article and other items.

Mr H. J. Chattaway, pianoforte tuner, arrived in Akaroa yesterday, and may be heard of at the office of this paper.

Turc s.s. Wanaka had a fine though rather rough passage from Lyttelton. Several old stagers among the passengers had to succumb and pay tribute to Neptune. She left on her return trip at 5 p.m.. taking several passengers from this place and fifteen bales of wool besides the returning excursionists.

By advertisement elsewhere it will be seen the Industrial Exhibition will be open to-day from 3 until 9 p m. The prizes will be distributed at 7 o'clock by Mr Montgomery, who has kindly consented to remain for the purpose.

A spkcial meeting of the Pigeon Bay School Committee was held on the evening of the 13th inst., to consider whether the Committee should take the management of the usual annual sports for children on New Year's Da)'. On a show of hands being taken, it was decided in the negative ; but it was proposed by Mr Innes, seconded by Mr Smith, and carried— "That there should be a tea-meeting for them in the main school at the close of the examination, on Jan. 7, 1880, to which all the children attending the side-school should be invited." This leaves the matter of the annual sports open to other-!. The prizes procured for award in both schools were inspected and assorted by the Committee at the meeting.

We cannot allow this issue of the Maii, to come out without expressing our cordia' thanks to Mr S. Watkins, Mr Jolly, and in fact, every one connected with the exhibition for the manner in which they afforded every possible information, and assistance they were constantly willing to render us in obtaining particulars as to the various exhibits. We are pleased to learn that the affair has been so far a very fair pecuniary success, over ,£IG having been taken at tho doors yesterday.

Professor and Madame Hasehnayer who are being " run " for a New Zealand tour by Mr R. W. Cary are now in Dunedin, and intend, we believe, paying Akaroa a visit. The critic of the Saturday Adoertiser thus describes the entertainment now given by tbe Professor:— The large audiences that have assembled nightly in the Princess Theatre during the past week, and the applause that the mystifications of Professor Hasehnayer have called forth, show the popularity in Dunedin of conjuring entertainments. Nor is this popularity undeserved, for the tricks are performed with consummate skill, and those who delight in being puzzled can derive no little amusement from the exhibition. Being naturally of a trustful and confiding nature, I never trouble myself with the question as to how it's done, much less attempt to solve the problem. Life is too short to spend time in such abstruse enquiries, and 1 am consequently satisfied to sit in wonder and look with reverence at the man who is able to produce live ducks and such like things from impossible places as a being of a superior order to myself. Among the novelties of the conjuring art exhibited by Professor Haselmayer is the "mysterious cabinet." This is a large case, three sides of which are formed of glass. After thi3 has been examined by two gentlemen chosen from the audience and declared to be above suspicion, Madame Hasehnayer takes up a position in the interior of the cabinet, and is seemingly securely handcuffed, and looked'in. A screen then covers the box, and in less than half-a-minute the lady reappears on the stage, none the worse for her imprisonment. But the most interestng feature of tbe entertainment is undoubtedly " Psycho." This is the invention of Messrs Maskelyne and J. A Clarke, and was first exhibited in 1875 It is a small figure dressed in Oriental costume, and a full inspection of the machinery is permitted. {Standing upon a cylinder with no attachments of any kind the figure takes part in a game of whist and a very good gamo it plays too, This

invention created a great sensation in London when it came out ; and many attempts at discovering the modus operandi were made, but the secret has remained undisclosed to this day. Professor Haselmayer deserves great credit for introducing " Psycho " to this part of the world, and in ever)- way this most wonderful automaton is the most interesting feature of the entertainment, and is alone well worthy of a visit to the Princess Theatre.

It is anticipated that fully £100 will be given away in prizes at the annual regatta at Timaru this year.