CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS.

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

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS.

Our Otago Christmas, although invariably held in good old home-country style, is not general ly ah enjoyable season. The weather, most frequently, is wet and glooiny’, and all the reminiscences of the hard frosts and snow-clad fields, the blazing fires and welllit rooms, the family re-unions and merry gatherings, but faintly reflected. Still the old customs have not been neglected. Christmas amusements, in the shape of musical entertainments, picnic parties, water excursions, and the traditional pantomime are regularly produced. This year the number of sports and pleasure-taking arrangements has been unusually great, and the -weather has been beautiful in the extreme, and contributed greatly to tbe gaiety and festivity of the season. CHRISTMAS DAY. The morning dawned with a cloudless sky and certain’indications of tho day being one of unusual brilliancy. At al> early hour, tho streets presented a lively scene, In every direction were to be seen knots of pleasure seekers. Vehicles of every imaginary description, from the elegant brougham to the humble dray were called into requisition, while the steamboat jetty was crowded with excursionists, on a water trip to the Maori kaik, and the Heads, Portohello, Macandrew’s Bay, or Port Chalmers. The Harbor Company’s stejiiqers left the jetty for their respective destinations at eleven o'clock. The passengers were duly landed at filie various places agreed upon, where various sports were entered into with spirit by those who preferred that mode of passing the time to that of visiting the beautiful nooks which abound in all the localities mentioned. Both vessels returned to town about eight o'clock in the evening, the excursionists expressing their satisfaction at the result of the day's pleasure, not a single accident having happened, or anything having arisen, to mar the harmony of the gatherings. During the day Dunedin was almost deserted, but towards night it was all life and excitement. In the evening a sacred concert was given in the Post Office Hall by M. Fleury, his pupils, Miss Anna Forde, and several amateurs, in aid of the Benevolent Asylum. The attendance w,as good, and the performance highly creditable' to all who took part in it. The music consisted of Gounod’s Mass, Weber’s Oratorio, Hummel’s Alma, and Cherubini’s Salutatis. The soprano solos were -well rendered by Miss Anna Forde, the instrumental music was unexceptional, and the choruses well sustained. The entertainment was highly creditable to the performers, and thoroughly appreciated by the audience. Port Chalmers was all life and activity. Shooting and sailing matches and other entertainments had been provided for, and there was no lack of visitors to participate in them. The shooting matches were numerous and well patronised. The firing took place aj; Mussel Raj", and the prizes taken were almost; equally divided by Port Chalmers and Dunedin Volunteers; put the civilian element was wed represented, The event of the day was unquestionably the sailing match between the boats of ships in port and those of the Naval Brigade. It

was nearly one o’clock before a start was made. Four boats were entered, viz. Young Nicol Fleming and Young Asterope, ships’ boats sailed by the mates of the vessels to which they belonged, the pinnace belonging to the Naval Brigade, commanded by Yol. Grant, and the Harbor boat, commanded by J. B. Robertson. The race was one of the most exciting witnessed this season. After much close sailing, the race was won by the Harbor launch coming in first, the Fleming second; the Asterope, and a boat belonging to Messrs Clark and Co., which although not entered, ran the whole race, came in third and fourth, the latter taking the third place. The Brigade boat met with an accident, and was distanced.

THIS DAY.

This being held as Boxing Day, was observed as a close holiday. The chief event of the day was the Oddfellows’ fete, at Vauxhall. About 12 o’clock the procession of office-bearers and members of the different lodges of the 1.0.0. F., and the Foresters, formed in procession at the Oddfellows’ Hall, George street, and preceded by a band, passed through the town to the jetty. The procession itself was scarcely as large as we have seen on previous occasions, but the number of visitors to the grounds must have been very large. The steamer employed to ply between the jetty and the gardens was well filled throughout the day. A match between two elevens qf the Citizens Cricket Club was played on their ground, and numerous pic nic parties made up. At the time for gqing to press we had pot received our rppqrt of the day’s proceedings, A s the weather has been beautiful to a degree, we doubt not the pleasure seekers have found it one of the moat enjoyable ever experienced in Otago.