COUNTRY NEWS.

Evening Star, Issue 2880, 13 May 1872, Page 3

COUNTRY NEWS.

Snow fell in large quantities at Naseby on Monday last. The Maerewhenua correspondent of the Chronkle writes in encouraging terms of the prospects of that goldfield. A young man named Charles M'Dermot, a carrier, slipped of his waggon when entering Naseby last week and broke his leg. The Thanksgiving day was celebrated at Naseby by “b nfires, firing of guns., shooting off of \ binese crackers, and the other ordinary methods of doing honor to the great.” Oiie John Alley (wh > is a native of Bengal) owed a grudge to Mr Smythies, senior, on account of some alleged sharp professional practice, and determined to have satisfaction in sonic shape or other, before that gentleman took his departure from Naseby for Dunedin. Accordingly, meeting Mr Smytides in the street, he began by striking him, and it would have fared worse with that gentlemen had not the coart bailiff put in an appcarauc - and secured Alley, who was then attempting to strike Mr Smythies with a shovel handle. Alley, the next day, was fined 40s or 14 days imprisonment. Petitions will shortly he circulated throughout the Oamaru district praying the General Assembly to take steps for the better observance of the Sabbath throughout the Colony by the suppression of Sunday traffic and trading. Mr Brogden, accompanied by Messrs Henderson, Blair, and Hardy, G.E.’s, and Mr Steward, M.H.R., proceeded to Totara on Wednesday, and thence to Waireka, to

view the country, and to inspect the pro* posed route of the main line and the Waireka branch. Mr Bell, of Mr Brogdcn’s staff, is still engaged in the resurvoy of the main line. A curious reptile has been found at Oamarn, and will be forwarded to the N'ew Zealand Museum. It was found, on splitting a block of stone, in a small cavity, to which no entrance could be found from without. The reptile is about twelve inches long and about three-eights of an inch in thickness, and bears a close resemblance to a gigantic centipede, though, being evidently of marine habits, what would correspond to the feet of a centipede are arranged on each side of the body and aet as so many short oars or propellers. The tradesmen of Oamaru have determined to cease work at noon on Saturdays.