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Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2117, 17 February 1870, Page 2

Supreme Court. —The Court was occupied during the whole of to-day with the case of Reid v. Fulton. The arguments had not concluded at four o’clock.

An Acknowledgement.—We have to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of the Journals and Appendix to the Journals of the Legislative Council. Theatrical. —At the date of our latest advices, Messrs Howard and Joyce’s Company was performing with success in Nelson.

Mayor’s Court. —The business transacted at this Court to-day was unusually light. Samuel Kenworthy and Kate Macdonnell were charged with using obscene language. The last-mentioned being an old offender was fined L 5, or in default 14 days imprisonment with hard labor ; Kenworthy was fined 10s, or 24 hours imprisonment. The presiding magistrates were T. Birch, Esq., R.M., and E. M'Glashan, Esq., J.P. Drawing Classes. —lt is notified in the Gazette that Mr Hutton, Provincial Drawing Master, will open classes in the now Post Office Hall as under: —For teachers and pupil te tellers belonging to public and private schools, on Saturday, sth March ; admission free. For girls, commencing on Monday, the 28th inst, and on succeeding Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. For pupils of the High School, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, commencing qp the 29th inst. To the last mentioned class, youths not attending Government schools will be admitted on payment of a fee of 10s per quarter.

The Miners’ Strike. —A private letter, under date, Hogburn, February 14, received in town, comments on the strike of the miners against the water race owners as follows:—“ Everything Jicre is very dull, the strike still being continued rigorously. It was anticipated that the men would have gone to work to-day. At present, however, i have heard nothing of their doing so. A letter was received on Saturday from the Superintendent on Saturday, granting the the miners on strike a month's protection for their claims. A more imbecile act, or one more likely to protract the present struggle, it would be impossible to conceive.” Acclimatisation Society. The weekly meeting of the Council of this Society was held this afternoon. There were present Messrs W. D. Murison (in the chair), Garrick, Oliver, and Thomson. The Manager reported that ho had forwarded two pheasants to Mr Telford, Puerua ; ho had liberated ten at Blueskin, and ten at Tokomairiro; he had turned out an additional ten, intended for the Clutha district, at Tokomairiro, on account of the bad weather, and the birds being too sickly to travel further. One of them died. There are ten hen and two cock pheasants remaining in the aviaries, which were ordered to be turned out in the grounds if the sub-committee appointed for the purpose could not make arrangements for turning them out elsewhere. Presentation.—Mr S. B. Biss, who has been for nine years connected with the Dunedin Post Office, leaves by tho Phcebe to morrow, to take office of Chief Postmaster at Auckland. During the time that he has been here he has acquired the respect of every member of the Department, and as an expression of their esteem, they have presented him with an address, and a very beautiful epergne, of chased silver. It was obtained at Mr Saloman’s, and represents two elegant tropical trees, their trunks supporting each other, while their fronds are so disposed as to form supports for the glass bowl resting upon them. At the foot of the trees is a lamb, and the pediment is suggestive of rich pasturage. Not only will tho Department regret Mr Biss’s leaving Dunedin, but the public, to whom he has invariably been courteous and obliging. The Late Engagement. —The following additional particulars are supplied by the Southern Cross: —“To Kooti was passing Eotoma, having asked permission from Gilbert Mair, who is stationed there with 60 men, to pass that way, alleging that they were Friendlies returning home. It was found out that it was Te Kooti’s party. A fight ensued, in which three of our men were dangerously wounded. The enemy lost 10 killed and 15 wounded. Kereopa himself was wounded, and another, a half-caste of notorious character, who has acted as To Kooti’s interpreter, was killed when talking to Mair. A Maori, coming up to him, said, ‘ Oh, wo have had enough of you,’ and shot tho miscreant dead. Te Kooti and the remainder of his party fled towards the Urewera country, and M‘Donnell and his forces are hard in pursuit. The fight between Lieutenant Mair’s forces and the Hau-haus took place near a pass situate between Ohinemutu and Paparata, in tho mountainous country a few miles north of Lake Rotorua. The pass, it appears, was held by a body of Arawas, to whom Kereopa’s followers represented themselves to be Friendly Natives. In order to aid this trick, a letter by Te Kooti, as though from Hauraki, and which, it seems, was dropped by design where it would he picked up by tho Arawas. Tho natives guarding the pass, however, seem to have hail some misgivings as to the party unrler Kereopa, and accordingly engaged them in parley while Lieutenant Mair, who was in the neighborhood, was being communicated with. Lieutenant Mair was in command of some sixty natives, and, susspecting the true state of affairs, he put himself at the head of his men, and sot off after the enemy, whom he defeated in the manner described. Hakaraia, it is known, is with the party, which includes the whole gang of Maori desperadoes who inhabited the country about Tapapa and the ranges behind Tauranga.

Maerewhenua Reef. —Mr John Robinson, the discoverer of the quartz reef at Maerewhenua, writes to the Oarmru Times as follows :—“ I wish to inform you that the reef has been found in No. 1 north, which makes our claim look much better, as our prospect shaft is within 100 feet of our south boundary. The reef is now proved to be on the surface, throughout the whole length of the claim.” Sale of American Merino Rams at Meadowbank. —The attendance of buyers at this sale held at Meadowbank, Shag Valley, by Messrs Driver, Maclean and Co., on the 9th inst., was small, and the bidding anything but spirited. The majority the sheep sold were bought in for the Shag Talley Station. Mr H. Robson, of Popotunoa, and Mr D. Stronach, of Ida Valley, wore the only other purchasers. The average price given was about 30s. — Waikouaiti Herald.

Horse-Bolting. —The correspondent of a Northern paper suggests the following method to prevent horses from “bolting,/ which may be found useful at the present time :—“As there appear to be causes for a horse running away, more especially in summer, such as flies, irritation of the skin, &c., in any case causing irritation in temper, and a disposition to bolt, one of the golden rules of horsemanship should be kept in view'— take it for granted that your horse may at any time bolt, the more so when left standing in the sun. I respectfully suggest the following precaution to stop his gallop. Through a loop, such as the hind part of a dash-board: or any similar opening in the fore part of any cart, let the reins be passed, and with a strap or cord bo fastened to the top of the wheel. It is evident that if the horse moves forward the revolution of the wheel will pull him up short, and that more effectually than by any boy left in charge of him. The only thing requisite is that the opening for the reins should be of such a nature as to assist the strain, and of such a shape as not to allow the reins to jam—that is, V shape.” The Harvest. —From Tokomairiro we learn that, during the past week, we have not had a single day favorable to the harvest operations, and, iu consequence, they have been almost entirely suspended, The rain commenced to fall heavily on Wednesday last, when a great quantity of grain throughout the plain was cut down, but much of it unbound and still more unstooked. This of course was the result of the scarcity of men this season. The almost incessant rain prevented anything being done with it till Monday, when we again had some indications of more favorable weather. Then another danger threatened—the wind, which was then pretty strong, and which we believe caused a considerable shake of the ripe grain throughout the plain. During yesterday, however, the wind increased to a stiff gale, accompanied by frequent heavy showers of rain, and we question if some of the overripe crops are now worth cutting, except perhaps for hay. Fanners are proverbial for their complaints as to the weather, but we only regret that at present they have too good cause to be dissatisfied with the present most unfavorable harvest season. According to the Herald, at Waikouaiti, during the past week, the weather has been very wet, altogether putting a stop to the gathering in of the grain in this district. We are afraid from rumors we hear that much damage will be sustained from the rust, but we trust that it will be found not to be so bad in the district as some anticipated.

Tokomairiro. —Yolunteeringappears to be popular in Milton, to judge from the following which we find in the Bruce Standard:— “There have been many inducements held out for our local volunteers to perfect themselves in rifle shooting. The prizes that have been offered in. the past, were as nothing in comparison with what the ladies here propose to givetho champion shot. With a graceful and handsome liberality, a sum of L3O has been raised very quietly and invested in the purchase of a massive silver salver, and for its possession there will, no doubt, be a friendly and keen competition at the butts for some time to come. At the parade last night Captain Jones read the letter offering the prize, which was of course accepted, and hearty cheers were given to the fair donors for their gift.—lt is well known that the native flax has often been converted by the Maoris into articles useful, and also articles very pretty and highly ornamental. Mr M'Kegg, at his hotel, East Taieri, has in his possession a very handsome piece of matting, about the size of an ordinary bed-cover made of this material by the natives in his neighborhood. It is of a pure white and silky appearance, with red border, and is well worth inspection. He has also several fancy bags of the same material, and by the same makers, and which for taste and workmanship excel many of the manufactures of more pretentious artists. —Milton still progresses in building improvements. The Athzeneum is now in course of erection, and the Council Chambers completed. The Bank of Otago buildings are now completed and form a prominent feature in the street architecture of Milton. The main building consists cf the Bank of Otago offices and manager’s residence. The side buildings consist of shops of superior style. The front of the whole block is in the Doric style, and finely proportioned. The centre of the main building stands prominently forward as an enclosed portico, and is surmounted by a beautifully cfecorated pediment. The wings are flanked by arched gateways, connecting the main front with the shops. The building was erected by Messrs Hunter and Goodfellow, under rhe supervision of Mr T. Forrester, from designs which reflect great credit on the architect, Mr R. A. Lawson, of Dunedin. ”

Beautiful Girls. —When I was younger than I am now I was particular about my waistcoats, and carried a sense of my whiskers about me like a solemn responsibility. I was accustomed, when called upon at evening parties and other high festivals, to sing, in a sentimental and foolish tenor, a song called “The Maids of Merry England, how Beautiful are They !” I remember I used to sing both at the beginning of the verse and at the end of the verse; and I sang it with becoming gravity, as if it had been a patriotic toast or a sentiment about the wing of friendship. I have now in my mind’s eye a vision of myself singing that song; and the vision is suggestive of something, on the whole, idiotic. Every hair on my head is in its proper place, glistening with macassar ; my whiskers are carefully brushed out, to make the most of them ; my waistcoat is spotless; my white handkerchief is redolent of the latest perfume ; and there I stand at the piano with a chest like a pouter pigeon, my head in the air, and my eyes on the ceiling, singing “ The Maids of Merry England, how Beau-

tiful are they !” with all the gravity proper to the execution of a sacred song from an oratorio. I remember that the maids of merry England, who were privileged to listen to mo, sat round with their hands folded, and looked grave and solemn, as if it had been a sad truth that I was reminding them of. I don’t think there was any moral to the effect that beauty was only skin-deep, ami was doomed to fade, and that flesh, though fair, was only grass ; but it was in that admonitory sense wo took the sentiment, and it checked our levity, and made us all very seriously and solemnly happy. Ah me ! those days of sentiment and flowered waistcoats are gone—gone, I fear, never to return. I now sing what are called comic songs at evening parties, and, instead of being sentimental about the unadorned beauty of the maids of merry England, am lyrically facetious about their crinolines and their back hair.—Anon.

A Veteran.— A correspondent of the Melbourne Herald furnishes the following information :—“ It may not be generally known that we have an old hero of Waterloo in our midst. Corporal Knight, who was one of the raw recruits as a lad of eighteen at the great battle, now lodges humbly at a little shop behind the Melbourne Club, and no doubt many of my readers have come across him in their walks. I made his acquaintance the other day, and passed one of tne most notable hours 1 ever did in hearing of the battle so far as it came within his observation. The old corporal wrote a pamphlet, or rather obtained some one to write it for him, a couple of years ago, and he has since subsisted upon its sale and the sixpence a day which he receives from the bounty of the Imperial Government. He wears the Waterloo medal on his breast, carefully preserved, and but little frayed, although he has carried it for 54 years. The corporal wanders somewhat in his talk, and when you start him off he begins with a categorical account of his adventures in a pithy style, by which he gallops along a little too quick in his story for a hearer who likes amplification. And who wouldn’t on such subjects ? When you put a question he pulls up suddenly with a deferential attention, and will then give you just what you please, and his descriptions have a freshness which it is impossible to find in any book. When asked what would have been the result of the battle had the Prussians not come up, ho paused for a moment, and then seesawed in a peculiar manner with his hand, saying, “ Well, it was just this way. Just on a balance. I was stationed close by the wood in square, and when the Prussians hove in sight I turned round and said to my mate, ‘ There’s Grouchy ; it’s all up with us.' We thought it was the French. But then I saw Blucher ride over to Lord Wellington, and when the order was given to charge, wc knew it was the Prussians. It was this way, sir. Supposing, with all respect, you and me were to have a fight, and fight till we couldn’t stand, why a boy might come in and thrash the “pair of us.” Corporal Knight’s recollections are full of bits of description which one cannot reproduce, but they are quite absorbing in their interest as he narrates them. Couldn’t something be done for the old fellow ? Although always welcome at barracks, his independence makes him unwilling to accept the assistance of the soldiers, and I am afraid that ho has a trouble to make both ends meet.