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Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 2072, 27 December 1869, Page 2

Colonial Prizes Firing.—The Volunteer firing for the Colonial prizes for 1870, we learn, will take place at Dnneuin in April next. The New Zealand Institute.— Dr. Knight has been appointed a governor of the New Zealand Institute, in the room of Theodore Minet Hanltain, Esq., who has resigned. Fire at Christchurch. A live broke out in Castle street, Christchurch, yesterday morning, when the premises occupied by Messrs Beath, Kirby, and Co.; Pratt, draper; La.uo, butcher; Sutherland, grocer; and Duncan, seedsman ; were destroyed, and other establishments more or less damaged. The amount of loss is not yet known. Tokomairiro Cricket Match. —The match between eleven of the Tokomairiro and eleven of the Albion (Dunedin) Cricket Clubs, was played at Tokomairiro on Saturday last, and won by the Albion team. The scores were: —Albion, first innings, o5 ; second innings, 75 ; total, 130. Lokomairiro, li; st innings, 34 ; second innings, 02; total, 96. Gaol Return. —The following is the state of Her Majesty’s gaol, Dunedin, for the week ending Dec. 25 A waiting trial, 3 men, 0 women; under remand, 0 men, 0 women ; penal servitude, 98 men, 0 women ; hard labor, 36 men, 10 women ; imprisonment, 2 men, 0 women ; in default of bail, 0 men, 0 women ; debtors, 3 men, 0 women ; total, 142 men, 10 women. Received during the week, 6 men, 5 woman ; discharged, 7 men, 6 women. Death by Drowning.—Wo regret to have to record another instance of death by drowning. It appears that on Saturday night last two seamen belonging to the barque Eleanor, lying at Port Chalmers, left the vessel in a boat belonging to a lighter lying alongside. Shortly after leaving the ship the boat capsized, and both men disappeared below the water. A waterman named Mackler, seeing the accident, went to their assistance and succeeded in rescuing the men, and bringing them ashore. They were both exhausted, and apparently lifeless. One of the unfortunate men speedily recovered, but the other one, Andrew Ilislop, never revived.

The Weather. —The extraordinary fine weather we have experienced in Dunedin during the last month, has with few exceptions been but partially enjoyed by other communities. A correspondent writing from the Clyde, under date 22nd Dec., says : “The weather is still dreadfully warm, although we have had a few downright good thunderstorms. The one on Tuesday last was a real stinger,—it rained torrents for about four hours, causing the creeks and rivers to rise mountains high, doing a deal of damage especially to the farmers,” From the Northern nows we learn that heavy rain has been the rule rather than the exception. The Hawke’s Bay Herald says:—“We have still continued wet. Indeed so moist and changeable a summer is scarcely within the memory of the ‘oldest inhabitant.’ Sheepfanners and agriculturists have been alike sufferers by this unusual rainfall, sheepshearing having been much delayed, and haymaking most injuriously interfered with."

Postal Changes.—A communication from the General Post Office, London, to Earl Granville, is published in the last New Zealand Gazette, announcing “ that the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury have had under their consideration the question of retaining the privilege granted some years ago to officers serving on board Her Majesty’s ships abroad, of sending and receiving their letters at a reduced rate of postage, in those cases where the British rate exceeds sixpence per single letter, and which privilege was subsequently extended to the letters of officers in the army serving abroad, and in the Colonies ; and adverting to the difficulties which have attended the arrangement, in the attempt to confine it to those persons for whom alone it was intended, their Lordships have come to the decision that it is not expedient to continue such privileges after the termination of the present year, A Treasury warrant, dated the 17th hist., has accordingly been issued, withdrawing the privileges in question after the .’list December next, from which date the officers of both services will be placed, as regards tbe postage of their letters, upon the same footing as the general public.” Hawke’s Bay.—We take the following it' ins from Hawke's Bay journals of the 17th instant: —Mr Sturm has received a quartz specimen from the Kaimauavva, said to Ire very rich. It was broken off a hand or leader, two feet in thickness, discovered by the prospecting party en aged by the Hawke’s Bay Gold Mining Company.—lt has been decided to carry the telegraph line direct from “ Napier to Auckland, via Taupo. The late Government did not eonteiixplate the possibility of this being accomplished, and consequently had the line surveyed via Tauraaga. To carry this out, however, would greatly increase the expense and loss of time involved ; aiul it is believed that the detour will not be necessary.” Count Othems. —The following story is about the celebrated Count Othems. Durhis imprisonment at Sourabaya lately this well-known swindler, by sickness, real or feigned, got placed in the hospital, and thence succeeded in making his escape, and after a fruitless attempt to get away by tbe Molucca steamer, be got himself rowed over to Madura, where by dint of self-possession and ‘bounce,’ he got the native headman to forward him across the island, under the prefence that he was Captain Stowe, of the U.S.S. Hartford, making soundings and surveys between the islands for telegraphic purposes. Meanwhile the news of his escape was telegraphed about, and the Eesident quietly, without informing him that he knew his secret, forwarded him back to Sourabaya again, where ho remains a prisoner. Discovery op Maori Implements. —An interesting discovery of the implements used by the natives in olden times, before the introduction of steel instruments by the Europeans, way made yesterday morning, at

the corner of Bourke street, Grabamstown. Some persons were engaged in sinking post holes, on the premises of Messrs Crossley and Wilkinson, engineers and iron founders, who are erecting a foundry establishment at the above place ; and when one of the holes was down about two feet six inches, a number of stone implements wore come upon. There wore live pieces of stone found, which, from the form, were evidently intended for the purpose of adzes, or tools for cutting out the native canoes. The largest piece is a foot in length, and over 3 inches thick. At one end of "the piece it has been ground to a sharp edge, much in the form of a chisel, and the back of the stone has been so formed that it can be fastened to a crooked piece of wood as a handle, to use it in the cutting or hollowing out of a block of wood. The second largest piece seemed of a different and harder description of stone, but is sharpened in much the same way as the larger piece. The chisel face of this piece is nearly two inches wide, and is very sharp. The other three pieces of stone are smaller, about three inches long, by two inches wide, but all are sharpened in the same way as the larger pieces. The amount of labor, time, and patience required in the manufacture of these instruments must have been great.— JVest Coast Times.

Fiji.— We take the following interesting item from papers to hand to the 16th October Our little town, Levuka, a place proverbial for its quietness, was thrown into a great state of excitement on Saturday, the 25th September, by an intended duel, and during the preparation of the weapons a lamentable accident occurred by which one of our most respectable settlers, Mr F. H. Hoyle, was shot through the leg. Anxious to prevent the duel, he ran from the billiardroom of the Criterion to the room where Mr Minton was examining a p ; stol. He fired it to the open door just as Mr Hoyle entered, and the ball went right through the leg, between the tibia and the fibula, grazing one of the bones, hut fortunately breaking neither. Steps were immediately taken by the local authorities to put a stop to the intended duel. Captain Morgan, who sent the challenge to Mr Minton, was placed under arrest, and on Monday the case was brought before the authorities. Ratn Mdli, the Native Chief Judge, sitting with Mr J. B. Thurston, H.B.M.’s Consul, during the enquiry. Mr Minton was severely reprimanded for the careless use of firearms, and for having ac cepted the challenge with the intention of fighting a duel. Captain Morgan was sent in irons to Sydney, and a copy of the depositions forwarded to the Chief of Police. He was so excited and violent as to threaten the lives of several persons, and had to be kept in irons and strictly guarded till safely placed on board the Young Australia. He came to Fiji in the Springbok intending to take charge of the Volunteers who were to he enrolled for the conquest of the mountaineer tribes of Viti Levu.