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Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2579, 24 May 1871, Page 2

Social. — Mr. C. E. Hanghton, the Goldfields Secretary, entertained the members of tb. Mining Commission at dinner on last Friday evening, at the Shamrock Hotel, Mayor’s Court. —At this Court today, Henry Markham, John Reid, and Mary Upjohn were each fined ss, and John Messman 10s for being drunk. Henry Markham was remanded until to-morrow on a charge of stealing glasses from the York Hotel. Eire. —lntelligence reached town last evening that Campbell’s hotel and store at Kakanui had been totally destroyed by fire on Monday evening. The premises and stock were uninsured, and Mr, Campbell’s loss is estimated at LIOOO. There is reason to believe that the fire was the work of an incendiary, aud the police are investigating the matter. To-day’s Amusements. —The Harbor Company’s steamers made special trips, conveying excursionists to (he Fort at reduced

fares. The Artillery fired for company’s prizes at 9 a in. at the North Dunedin r nge ; and No. I Company at the Upper Kaikorai range at 10. The principal attraction of the day was the races at Porbury Park, under the auspices of the Tradesmen’s Committee. A good programme was issued. This evening a special bill will be produced at the Princess's ; Mr and Mrs Steele open their entertainment at the Masonic Hall ; the Loyal Dunedin Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F., give their annual ball at the Oddfellows’ Hall; and the First Church Young Men’s Christian Association their annual soiree, in the class room of the Church.

Gaol Life in the North.—The conduct of the notorious Plummer and others of the prisoner class confined in the Mount Eden (Auckland) Stockade, has been so bad of late that it has been found necessary to increase the force of guards by throe men. The prisoners who escaped from the hard labor gang at Napier some months ago have been sentenced to two years’ additional hard labor.

Meat Preserving. Referring to the prospects of the moat preserving industry, a Southland contemporary says Wo have the authority of one of our leading Invercargill merchants for stating that invoices have been received of the sale in one line, in the London market, for the Continent of Europe, of 1000 tons of Australian preserved meats, at B.J per lb, thus realising a profit of nearly L 20,000 on the one transaction, over and above what has bec i considered a fair marketable price. Wonderful Escape.—About one of the most wonderful escapes from a horri'de death on record, is said to have happened a week ago in the Grey district. One of the viaducts of the Stafford tramway over Piper’s flat gave way, precipating a carriage and its occupants into the gully, where its downward course was luckily arrested by a stick that prevented it rolling to the bottom, which is more than a hundred feet. As it happened there was only one passenger, Dr. Smith, of Greymouth, and the driver, and strange to say neither of them had any bones broken, or sustained any injury more than some severe bruises. Tho horse fortuuancly became detached; otherwise it. must have fallen on the driver, and almost certainly have killed him.

The Caledonian Claim.—A correspondent of the Hawke's Ha;/ Herald writes : —Between the oth of February and the 2nd of the present mouth, the now famous Caledonian claim paid in dividends L2(18,78fi. For the fortnight ending the 3'Hli of April, 13,570 ounces were crushed, equal to L 40,000, r.nd the mine is said to be looking as well as ever. A well known Auckland sha’ eholdi r is said to be receiving di videmls amounting to nearly LIOO.OOO per year. Another gentleman wished, a few months back, to dispose of his Caledonians at any price, prior to his leaving for England, but could not get a purchaser and, 1 am told, he quite unexpectedly found several thousands of pounds awaiting him on his return to the colony. There are several residents here receiving princely inc mes from this wonderful gold mine. Other claims, which join the Caledonian, naturally may be expected to strike these enormously pr- ductive reefs sooner or later, and the result, so far, is a considerable rise in their scrip. There can be no doubt that some discreditable, and not very ingenuous, dodges have been tried, in order to affect prices ; and for fearhssly exposing those doilges, our local newspapeis have been lately threatened by interested parties with divers pains and penalties.

Hints to Volunteers.—The following hints are from scientific gossip in a Melbourne contemporary With respect to shooting matches, there are some scientific niceties which should be observed in securing accuracy of aim, which I do not remember to have seen alluded to. The position of the moon must have some effect on the course of a ball. The same power which lifts the tides will affect the curve described by the hall shot Iron a rifle, rapid and transitory though its flight may be. The density of the air as measured by the barometer, and hygrometers, is also worthy of attention. This density must aflect the range. The ball will go further before reaching the earth when the glass is low than it will when the glass is high. There is yet another nice consideration which should not be overlooked. In shooting east or west there is little tendency to deviation ; in shooting from north to south in this hemisphere, the ball has a tendency to fall to the east of the target, and in shooting from south to north the tendency is to the west. Short as the distance may be, the convexity of the earth has an appreciable value, and it is obvious that if the target is in the south, and the marksman in the north, the marksman partaking of tho earth’s motion on its axis from vve.-t to east, at a point where the circumference of the earth is greater than it is where the target is situated, the ball will start with an initial momentum to the eastward greater than the motion of the target in the same direction, the ball will hit (or miss) to the eastward of the point at which it was aimed. I must contess that I am nob well posted up in the literature of volunteering, and these points may have been discussed before, but as I have not met with auy volunteer who was cognisant of them, I presume that they will be news to the majority. Ido not suppose that in the rough and tumble work of actual warfare the soldier will concern himself much about the moon, the barometer, or the points of the compass ; but the marksman avho would seek to attain excellence cannot afford to overlook the slightest consideration that may affect his aim.