THE MAN ABOUT TOWN. No. XXXIX.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 538, 30 September 1871, Page 2

THE MAN ABOUT TOWN. No. XXXIX.

A good joke is related of a couple o\ .. _ •> j. „.,, ,„„,. .»- -—<.p* the Thames, for the first tune. On the steamer they gave themselves great airx— played the piano, played cards, drank brindy-and-soda, and talked very " high" generally, giving the people to unders"hnd that they were some of the English aristocracy, come out here under an incoffniti, for the sake of privacy. Just, before landing, one of the new-chums called out to the steward, " Steward, which is the fashionable hotel at tho Thames?" To which steward replied, " The Pacific." Ho the swells landed at the Grahanutown wharf, within a few feet of the hotel referred to, but without knowing it. One of them hailed a cab. " High cabby, drive iw to the Pacific." "Jump in gemmep." .replies the Jehu, partly shoviiifr <jnem into his coach, for fdr they s j iou u'learn where the Pacific reaiiy WJr i ; and the Swells being put into tli*> .roach, were driven all over Grahamstown and Shortland for about three quarters oi an hour, at the end of -which timo they rt-ere set down at the very same spot where they had been taken up. " What's to pay, Cabby ?" " Ten-and six," replied that individual on the broad grin. The money was at once paid, and the gents went into the hotel. Cabby wa3 so delighted at what he had done that he followed them, and told the whole story, when, as may be imagined, they frit somewhat small ; but they soon laughed it off, said it was a good joke, and finished up with making the Cabby sere**" 5/They themselves afterwards re Uteci tne story with great glee. The Government is proper.y very particular on th* "aDJ eC. fc °f Cutter, 3 ,aod vessels of* 11 kin<*s burnln £ Proper lights, wnet 2,er under sail or at anchor ; and yet, i am told that the Government policecutter, lying off Grahamstown, every night shows regularly a " red light" instead of a." bright" one. If this be so, the police authorities in that locality ought to receive a rap over the knuckles. I was much arausad, while at the Supreme Cpurt the other day, with the name of Brown. We ftll know'that this patronymic is by no means rare - y but I was hardly prepared to find that no less than twelve Browns—the full number for one jury—were called; The confusion that ensued on the names bein^ called was ludicrous in the extreme. Why were all these Browns summoned for that particular occasion? Had the Registrar been wearing brown spectacles whenhetickedoff their names, or had he suddenly conceived a desire to .summon-all the Browns in Auckland at once, and so put an erd *° any farther complications in the jiatter. I, kndw, for my own part, 6i> hearing " Brown, Brown, Brown," &cv called to the number of a dozen, I felt very grateful to my parents that I had not been christened. John Brown, for I should, in that case, undoubtedly, hare given myself up to the mercy of the Cpurt on the first Brown being called. I believe, that after the jury of Browns had been sworn each one was branded with a distinct «>Hrk so that one might be distinguished from bko other —especially the foreman.

Who is thafc dashing looking officer who rode through the town on Wednesday last as though at the head of a foraging party. Some people told me that it was the Captain of the Light Horse ; others that he was Captain of the Horse Marines, and others that he belonged to the Mounted Fire Brigade. The last, or $econd is the more, probable, but, at all events, I am sure he must have .fell very proud of his own personal appearance until when" riding in front of his party in Qixeen-street, one of the buttons burst off hia coat and left him in somewhat of a

dilemma. ILoweyer, he -.speedily. ;disitioirated, entered a tailor's,-;tnd had ihc damage repaired, and then again rode through tha town atrtjie heMj>f his party, •who, :ifc mufffc* be ebnfessdd^, presented« somewhat of a motley app<'ara»/?'*" c*e . cially about the tr6u°^lCties-- aud the several jjqlt-perhaps, I had better say Awning about these unfortunate creatures, for some of them looked as uncomfortable as their riders. Nathaniel Bees-wing.