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Evening Star, Issue 2912, 19 June 1872, Page 2

The Gazette. —To-rlay’s Provincial Gazette contains a proclamation by his 1 ! onor the Superintendent, reserving 100,000 acres of land as an endowment to the 1 dago University. Mayor’ Court. —There were only two cases of drunkenness brought before the Mayor this morning, and the offenders, Arch. M‘Galium and Finlay M‘Donald, alias M ‘Rea, were each fined ss. Circus. To-night’s entertainment is announced as being positively the last in Dunedin, and will be for the benefit of Mr M. Murray. The programme is excellent, and is fuller and more varied than on previous nights, and promises great fun to the spectators. There will be, inter alia, a lecture to the ladies by Mr Prank Towers, as clown, on “Flirtation”; “Billy Button’s Ride to Brentford,” &c. Such a programme can hardly fail to attract a large audience We notice that the company will give performances at Green Island on Friday, and at Mob ,iel on Saturday next.

The Weather. —The severe frosts of last week seriously impeded mining operations in tha Arrow district. One evening the snow in the township was nearly a foot deep. The fall of snow has been the heaviest this season. We are informed that at Waikouaiti the snow has lain heavier and longer on the lowland than it has done tor the last twenty years. Although the fall was heavy last year, we are informed by Mr Devine, that between Figroot and the Waihemo, there is already a greater fall than in August of last year. The intensity of the frost may be learned from the fact that the coach leaving Clyde on Monday last, although heavily laden, was borne safely on the ice in several places, in the vicinity of Eden Creek and the Hogburu. The Fine Arts. — Recent improvements in printing in oil have been applied to the multiplication of conies of some of the finest paintings by old masters. They are reproduced faithfully both in outline and colouring, and are so cheap as to bring them within the reach of every one who can appreciate the beauties of the originals. Messrs Eeith and Wilkie have several specimens, amongst which are copies of two celebrated Madonnas by Raffaelle. “The Night Watch,” by an unknown painter, is an°admirable picture representing a scene apparently in tbe time of Cromwell; and, after a modern painter, there is a line painting of “The parting,” suggestive of a story of the Middle Ages. As these beautiful works of art are strengthened _ by being firmly attached to canvas backings, they possess elements of durability beyond mere drawings or engravings on paper, and are therefore well suited to take their places as ornaments to our drawing-rooms and galleries.

The Coach Accident near Cromwell. *— Our correspondent, writing from Clyde, under date the 14th inst., says : what might have resulted in a very serious loss of life occurred on Thursday evening last, as I advised you by telegram the following day. The Queenstown coach net arriving at the appointed time yesterday, the delay was necessarily put down to the fearful and scandalous state of the road between Cromwell and Clyde. When, however, 9 p.m., passed and no sign of the coach, the common expression in every person’s mouth was “ Henry has broken down,” and so the delay in the delivery of the mail and the Wakatip paper was accounted for, and people were wondering on what part of the road the disaster had taken place. A little after jraidnight a gentleman came into the office of the Dunelan Times, and informed the editor that the coach and horses carrying the Queenstown mail were in the River Molyneux. He stated that after passing the Half-way House Hotel, about half-past 7 p.m., one of the horses shied, and dragged the other horse and coach over the bank into the river. The account of the disaster, written at midnight, is thus given in the Dunstctn Times :— ■ ‘ There was one passenger in the vehicle. The driver and proprietor, Mr Henry, managed to get on shore, but what has become of the passenger, horses, or coach, has not as yet been ascertained. An active search is going on. Four of the mail bags have been recovered.” Rumor proved herself, however, as lying a jade in this instance as she generally does. Bad as the accident was, fortunately no loss of life occurred. Mr Henry, passenger, coach and horses were precipitated over the river bank down an almost perpendicular precipice from 70 to 80 feet into the river beneath, the passenger, Mr Robert Barlowe, only managing to escape a similar fate by clutching at tussock after tussock to break his fall. The river cuts here into a rocky bend, and a deep and powerful eddy is the natural consequence where the vehicle, one horse, and a part of the mails are supposed to remain. How Mr Henry managed to get out of the river seems one of those hairbreadth escapes one only hears of at intervals. Mr Barlowe was bruised and scratched a great deal about the face, and Mr Henry about the body. The whole of the road between Cromwell and Clyde is in a fearful and wonderful state. Naturally dangerous at the best of times, it is now so cut up with traffic that ruts fully 3 feet deep are found at intervals throughout the whole distance ; while the ground being frozen hard, the journey in a buggy from one town to the other is something fearful to contemplate. At this particular spot a wall a few feet high, forming a protection, would have prevented this mishap. The L3OO voted for the repairs of this road is something like giving a man a shilling wherewith to buy him a suit of clothes. One horse managed to break loose and swam the river.

A Lecture will be delivered byMr John S. Johnston on “ Scottish Poetry,” in the Lower Hall of the Athenroum on Friday evening at 8 o’clock. The Battery of the Dunedin Volunteer Artillery will muster at the Gunshed for parade to-morrow (Thursday) evening at 8 o’clock. Undress, with rifles. A general meeting of the twentytwo of the Dunedin Cricket Club will be held at the Shamrock Hotel, ou Friday, the 21st nut., at 8 p.m.

A Meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of New Zealand, S.O. will take place in the Masonic Hall this (Wednesday) evening at 8 o’clock. Business ; Nomination of officers.

Members of the A.1.0.0.F. are invited to attend the Alexandra Lodge this evening, when Bro. R. Stout will deliver an introductory address in connection with the Mutual Improvement Society of the Order.