The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 567, 20 December 1881, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20.

Road Boahds.—Notice-i from several Eon , ! Boatda appear in this issue.

Bank Holiday.—Tuesday next is advertised a Bank Holiday, Christinns Day ■ alii ijjf on Smuby.

Moat Rack—A boat race took place ou Lake Forsyth on Anniversary Day. Three boats competed ; one was pulled by settlers and two by Maoris. The prize of i>s waa wen by a boat pulled by Maoris, said to belong to Mr J. Robinson.

Thk Regatta.—A committee meeting is advertised for 3 p.m. on Thursday. The distribution of prizes will take place an hour later. Gentlemen who have not yet paid in their subscriptions are requested to do so at once. >

Littlk Rivhr Railway: —An express tiaiu arrived, at the prurient terminus of the LiiiU Rivor r ilway o i Sa'urdny last? with a private party for Akaroa which was iiitit.hy one of Mr well appointed coaches tooled by Bob Main This and the thorough success of the ex cursion train on Anniversary day ong'it to open the eyes of the Government to the urgent necessity of at once pro'-eeding with the line as far as Little River.

The Sale ov Srafortii. —Messrs 11. Matson and Co., offered the estale of Senforth belonging to Mr Coop of Little River, on Saturday, The following lots were sold :—Lot 1, containing 1 rood 23 perches, £45; Lots 40, 41 and 42, about 4. acre each, £11 each ; Lots 38 and 39, about 34 parches each, £15 each ; Lot 45 1 rood 14 pereho-', £14 ; Lot 28, containing 36 perches, £13 ; Lots 10 and 11, each 1 rood 4 perches, £10 each : 65 and G6 } β-ich 1 rood 9 perches, j£lo each ; Lots 12 and 16, containing 40 perches, each £f0 ; Lot 47, containing 39 perches, £IC; Lot 28, containing 3G perches, £10,

Akaroa High School....The first meeting of the Board <>E Governors was held yesterday, at tho Borough Council Chambers. All the members were present, and Mr VV. 13. Tosswill was elected chairman for the ensuing year. Mr Montgomery was present, and gave some useful information to the members. It was resolved to adjourn for three weeks, in ordar that the chairman might make enquiries as to the actual financial position of the Board, and that some idea might be gathered as to the probable attendance, and other matters connected with the sjhool's being established.

The Accident on board tiik Penguin — When the sad news reached the shore on Friday that a seaman or' the Penguin was drowned it was not known that the unfortunate man who had lost his life was named William Gunn. The news only arrived on Saturday. He was 28 ot age and had joined tho Penguin as A.8.0n the 28th September last at Dunedin. A search party under the superintendence of Sergeant Willis dragged for the the body on Friday until dark, but without any success, and it was thought there was little hope of lecovery the sea lice being so numerous. On Saturday afternoon two boats were tak?n d>.t ami dragging was recommenced.; The drag consisted of a line a'pout 130

feet long with 210 large hook's on it. Each boat ha:l an end of the drag and nftt'r two hours work the body was drawn up by the sleeve of the coat. The flesh of the face was completely eaten away by sea lice, the mouth was full of crabs and sea lice, and blood was gushing out. The head was so horribly disfigured that it was necessiry to cover it with a cloth to keep it from view. The sight was frightfully sickening, the arms were bent and the fingers contracted, as if grasping at something, and the legs were drawn up at the knees, The clothes were intact, and had protecte 1 the flesh 06 the body and legs, The corpse was brought as : iore and taken to the morgue at the Hospital, the inquest will be held at 9 a.m. to-day, on tho arrival of the s.s. Waitaki, as the second mate of tho Penguin will come down by her, and will be required for the purpose of identifying the body and giving evidence as to how the accident occurred. No person in Akaroa can give any particulars of the accident. Mr Bnike who was at the Penguin soon after the accident, took the bearings of where he found the life buoy which was thrown overboard by the captain when the man fell overboard. The search party was enabled through hie information to find the body and did so in just the same place where tho poor fellow went down.