NIGHT ATTACK ON DUNEDIN. (FROM THE DAILY TIMES, JULY 12.)

Evening Post, Issue 139, 19 July 1865, Page 2

NIGHT ATTACK ON DUNEDIN. (FROM THE DAILY TIMES, JULY 12.)

The Volunteer Corps had a special bit of exercise last ni^ht; one portim representing assailants and the others defenders of the city. The matter had been arranged for a few daj's, so far as that the attack was probably to be made last night or tonight; but " a surprise" was carried out as nearly as such a thing was possible, in a sham fight. The idea worked out was that an enemy's armed vessel had steamed from the Heads to Port Chalmers, unmolested and unobserved ; and that the Volunteer forces of the city, having a few men on duty at a Guard House (the Fire Brigade room) and some sentries on duty, had no notice of the danger until the enemy had come to an anchor, and despatched all her boats, with others seized and armed for the purpose, to attack and plunder the city. Signals were then given of danger at hand ; and there was a rapid muster of Artillery and Rifles, who were stationed at different points in Rattray street, Frinces Street, Bond street, Jetty street, &c, the whole being under command of Captain and Adjutant Graham. The disposition of the force was made under the assumption that the enemy would have information of the locale of the Treasury and the Banks ; and that the strength of the attack would be directed towards obtaining possession of those premises. The enemy were represented by the different contingents of the Naval Brigade, under the command of Captain Paterson. The attacking force, which came up the river in a steamer, commenced shelling the town, and firing guns, to cover the landing of the troops. The sentries retired under cover of the buildings, and the Artillery, with the Armstrong gun, moved forward to oppose the landing, which was, however, effected at the Old Jetty, about half-past two o'clock a.m. The principal point of attack was near the Bank of New Zealand, where the enemy were smartly received by the different bodies of trjops, who were successively .brought into action as their assistance was needed. The Armstrong gun having been moved into Bond street, continued at intervals to reply to the fire of the steamer, as she slowly steamed round the bay, showing blue lights at intervals, as signals of her whereabouts. After a short conflict the enemy w«re driven by the troops concentrating on that point, on to Rattray street Jetty, when the conflict finally terminated by the surrender of the attacking party ; the steamer having been previously taken by a detachment of No. 2 Company, so that when the Port Chalmers contingent arrived, to take refuge on board, they had also to surrender. The affair concluded about four a.m. The night was beautifully fine and many people assembled to witness the proceedings, which, we believe, were conducted without any other accident than the breaking of a good many panes of glass through the firing of the Armstrong gun.

Novel Economy. — A person in Paris noticed a poor man with a wooden leg walking past his hotel, and gave him a franc. The next day he saw the supposed beggar, but he had changed the wooden leg from the right to the left leg. Enraged at the deception, he went up to the man, and exclaimed, " You rascal, you had the wooden leg on the other leg yesterday 1 You are not lame at all 1 "—"" — " Monsieur, " was the response with, dignity, " I never said I was. I wear the wooden leg for economy, so as not to wear out my trousers, and I change the leg to prevent one leg of the trousers wearing out before the other." A man, to speak his mind, must have one to speak. **At a circus, women jimp clean through hoops. In society they jump into them and stick there,^ The new moon reminds one of a giddy girl, because she don't show much reflection.