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Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 2022, 28 October 1869, Page 2

Eakly Fruit. —We have been shown by Mr l.loyd a specimen of very fine strawberries, grown by Mr Wilson, of Anderson’s Bay. They were perfectly ripe. Mr Warden Fyke’s Report.—We have been requested to correct an error which ap"eared in the report of Mr Warden l-’yke, published in our issue of Thursday last. In it Mr Pyke was made to state that 9310zs of gold were obtained from a paddock near Alexandra. r I he figures should have been 139 ounces.

Princess Theatre. —The drama of “A bird iu the hand is worth two in the bush,” was played last evening to a moderately attended house. The burlesque of the “Enchanted Isle,” which is as successful as before, concluded the performances. Both pieces will be repeated this evening. Acclimatisation. There was a meeting of the Council of the Society this afternoon, but the business was of an unimportant character, Mr Clifford, the manager, informs us that the ova are getting on well. The prevailing warm weather has retarded the hatching out, as there is but little water running in the creek, and the temperature is a great deal too high. The Glass Blowers.—This instructive entertainment continues to draw good houses. 'There was a large attendance last evening, when some elegant and costly presents were distributed. This evening Mr Peachman, the indefatigable agent, takes a complimentary benefit, and we trust be will have a good house. A very splendid collection of ornaments —the most valuable yet presented will be given away among the audience at the conclusion of the entertainment.

The Gazette. —Two orders in Conn oil appear in the Provincial Government Gazette, one withdrawing certain Lands at Naseby from the provisions of the Goldfields Act, and the other declaring them open for sale. The depasturing lease of Messrs Calcutt and Menlovc’s run, No. 326, is cancelled under authority of the Goldfields Amendment Aot, 1887. The resignation of Mr St John Branigan is accepted and in his stead Mr T. K. Wei lon is gazetted Commissioner of Police and Inspector of the Industrial School. It is announced that the purchase-money of certain sections of land in the Dimback, Moeraki, and Otepopo districts, must he paid on or before Wednesday, 10th November, or the deposit will be forfeited. Block 6, North Tuakitoto district, will be offered for sale at the Court-House, Tokomairiro, on Thursday November 18th.

Saxby.—The Westport Times, of the 14tli inst., says :—“ Those who jeer at Saxby should have seen the surf on the Buller beach yesterday, and in their imagination, have added that to the high tide of last week They would then, in their imagination, have had to subtract from Creation a considerable part of Westport. As it is, the surf has already subtracted a portion of the protective works lately put down, and the property which they protected is now in as imminent danger as ever. ” Macraes.—ln this district quartzmining has, we are informed, received a fresh impetus. The Edinburgh reef, for some time abandoned, has again been taken up with gratifying prospects of success. The reef has been traced for upwards of 800 yards ; a company has been formed, and new machinery is being placed on the ground, and is in course of erection. The machinery is very powerful, and when completed is calculated to employ thirty men. The engine is thirty horse-power, and will commence with a battery of twelve head. From prospects obtained it is anticipated that the reef will average a yield of IJ ounces to the ton. Should the expectations of this company be realised, Macraes may yet look forward to a prosperous future,--Waikouaiti Herald.

Captain Cook. — Mr W. Colenso has contributed a lengthy and exceedingly interesting paper in the Hawke's Buy Herald, giving an account of Cook’s first arrival off the New Zealand coast, and his visits to Poverty Bay, and Hawke’s Bay. The particulars are stated to be taken in part from an original edition of Cook’s voyages to which the public have no means of reference. The following is one of the concluding paragraphs :— To write a just panegyric, however wMI-merited, on such a commander of such an exhibition sent on a long, unknown, and dangerous service, and in such times, would require a far abler pen than that of the writer of this paper. No formal monument has yet been erected in this country to his memory ; and it may be justly said, ‘ Si monmmentiun requiris ciroumspice /” But posterity will give it. Upwards of thirty years ago, the writer was often struck wiih astonishment in travelling over then little known beaches, to find the coast so very accurately laid down by Cook, from only once seeing it, and that from his ship in passing ! Well might the early French navigator, M. Crozet, say, —I compared with care the chart which I had drawn of the portion which I had drawn of the portion which we ran along of the coast of New Zealand, with that taken by Captain Cook. I found it to possess an exactness and minuteness which astonished me beyond all expression. I doubt whether our own coasts of France have been delineated with more precision. ’ ” Voyage de M. Marion, p. .38. Mr. Wilson Gray as Superintendent. —The Tuapeka Press concludes an article on this matter with the following proposal, which is evidently one worthy of consideration ;—“ Mr Gray is now in a position which he has long and honourably held. He is not a young man, and it is the duty of the public to consider whether they have a right to ask him to give up an appointment, the duties of which he is accustomed to perform, and which do not overtax his physical energies, for the til: moil and battle of political life. This is a fair question to ask, and wo think that it should be very largely taken into account. We do not wish for one moment to damp the ardour of those who

propoee to bring pressure to bear upon Mr Gray in order to obtain his consent. No one would rejoice more tnan ourselves to see the Piovincial helm in his Honor’s hands we should feel a sense of relief and security directly our eyes beheld that sight. But we must confess that before any such pressure is brought to bear, the exact state of Mr Gray s own feelings on the subject should lie quietly and unobtrusively ascertained. If, without ostentation (if we know Mr Gray aright, he hates ostentation and palaver), he can be shown that his presence at the head of affairs is essentially necessary for the public good, and that good will result by his consenting to accept the office, we are ef opinion that Mr Gray will consent without any false delicacy, provided always that he considers himself physically equal to the task. We are not afraid of any selfish motive standing in the way—that is impossible, because his Honor is thoroughly devoid of such feelings ; they are, in fact, utterly at variance with his nature and instincts. If the matter is to be prosecuted, let a deputa'ion composed of a few of the leading men of Otago wait on Mr Gray, put the matter in its right light, and abide the issue. This should, wo think, be done at .once; because, in the event of his declining, it would be the duty of the public immediately to cast about for some one else. Selection must not he left to the last moment.”

Penal Establishments. —The Age does not think well of Judge Richmonds proposal that our convicts should be forwarded to Pen fridge. Our contemporary observes that Mr Claud Farie may appreciate the delicate compliment paid to the superiority of his management by Mr Justice Richmond ; but the inhabitant sof Melbourne will perhaps think that they have enough convicts of their own without being converted into a species of moral cesspool for the benefit of their neighbors, more especially as a wealthy and settled country like Victoria affords so great a temptation for the liberated convict to relapse into his old habits. Still, continues our contemporary, something ought to be done to establish proper penal establishments. In the interest, therefore, of the tax-paying public, and as an act of mercy to the convicts themselves, do we advocate the formation by the colonial Governments of a joint penal settlement. It o locale might be easily determined upon. Arrangements might be entered into with Western Australia, should that Colony desire to utilise the large establishments already existing there; but if the inhabitants think that the continued presence of prison era would be disadvantageous, there are the Auckland Isles in the Southern Ocean, several islands on the Australian coast, such as Kangaroo (near South Australia), King’s and Flinders between Victoria and Tasmania, and a large number of uninhabited or very sparsely inhabited isles between Queensland and Melanesia. A recent Act of the Imperial Parliament authoj?ise§ the removal of convicts from one Colony to another, for the purposes of punishment, and although the specifie object was to meet the ease of some of the smaller West Indian Islands, the principle is capable of much larger extension. Earl Granville has taken great pains to show that it is not the intention of the Imperial Government to take advantage of this act iu order to make Western Australia a depot for colonial convictism, and winds up his despatch by the following statement :—“ The colonists may be assured that her Majesty will not be advised to sanction, under this Act, a mode of proceeding in respect to colonial convicts, which, at the wish of the Australian colonies, has been abandoned in respect to British convicts. If the settlers of Swan River be willing, there can b - no harm in their province being the de. pot for all the felonry of Australia. If they object to the arrangement some other outlet must be found; but any system is better than the present, and we should be most unwise to abstain from a practicable reform because our procedure may provoke some hostile comment from people at a distance, who will not take the trouble to make themselves thoroughly acquainted with the various aspects of the question.

We observe that a rehearsal of the music of the “ Grand Duchess ” is called for' to-night at Begg’s music saloon, at 7-30, A full attendance is particularly requested. A special meeting of the members of the Otago Institute will be held in the old library, Provincial Council Chambers, on Saturday, at noon.

It will be seen by the advertisement that on Saturday the sale of booths at the forthcoming Foresters’ Fete will take place by Messrs M ‘Landress, Hepburn, and Co. :at their rooms at noon.