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Evening Star, Issue 2922, 1 July 1872, Page 2

Taranaki Iron Sand. —The San F) atici-tco jVfwa LMc.r says:—“ The Tara uaki sand, N.Z., is supposed to be identical with the famed beach sand of California. It is now used in the manufacture of the finest quality of steel, and emery paper for burnishing metals. ” Princess Theatre. —The drama of Edcndalc was played on Saturday evening to a good house, the lower portions being well filled. The afterpiece was the “ Man about town,” and Mr Hydes, as Theodosius, created roars of laughter by his irresistably comic acting. Both pieces are announced for repetition this evening. Dunedin Rifle Club. — At a committee meeting, held on Friday evening last, it was decided to hold the next match on Saturday, the 20th inst. The ranges will be 200 and GOO yards, the conditions the same as in the las ■ match, viz,, sevon shots at each range, standing at the 200 yds, any position thcfiOO yds. Wimbledon targets and scoring. For the information of members we have been requested to publish the following rule which was passed at a previous meeting : “That any member not entering for two consecutive matches shall, on joining again, ha required to shoot from scratch.” The Scandinavians. —Referring to the Scandinavian emigrants, the W<nrarrrpa Mnrnyij says:—“Wc can recommend no trip more enjoyable than one to the now settlement above Masterton, where the im- | migrants arc working. Englishmen may see many a worse example for them to follow in the way of road making, and Englishwomen will learn many useful lessons in the way of keeping their homes tidy, with every disadvantage to encounter, and many * wrinkles’ in the calinory art. We notice that almost every householder there lias a spinning wheel in her possession and wc expect that we shall shortly see some home-spun stockings, &c., produced by them.” An Old Acquaintance.—Writing about Schaefer, the German traveller, the Bendigo Adrniisev says Adversity, misfortune, and circumstances the occurrence of which he had never anticipated, utterly exploded Schaefer’s brilliant prospects of travelling all over the face of the civilised world, at least for the time being. The little man has been pulled up in his pilgrimage, and has been compelled by sheer necessity to adopt the ordinary vocations of life to win the bread that perisheth. From associating with the illustrious personages of the world, and being extolled as one of the wonders of the age, poor Schaefer has been reduced to the necessity of getting his living by selling second-hand jewellery in the city and suburbs of Sandhurst.

The First Steamer on the Thames. —lt is worthy of remembrance that the Ist July is the anniversary of the introduction of steam navigation on the Thames. Prior experiments in Scotland had established its utility, hut it had not before been so completely demonstrated. The London newspapers give the following announcement of the trial, which we copy from Chambers’s Book of Days “An experiment took place on the River Thames, for the purpose of working a barge or any'’ other craft against tide by means of a steam engine on a very simple construction. The moment the engine was set to work, the barge was brought about, answe ing quickly; and she made way against a strong current at the rate of tw'o miles and a half an hour.”

Sudden Death. —A sudden death occurred on the 23rd inst., at Cox’s Port Phillip Hotel, Clyde, of a miner from the Nevis named Patrick O'Neil, of serious appnplexy, It appears the deceased up to the time of his death, was in the enjoy ment of perfect health. At about 8 o’clock in the evening whilst conversing with a friend, he suddenly dropped his head on the table, On b ing interrogated as to the cause, he wrote “cold” on the table, with a knife, v Inch he had in his hand, and pointed to his head, and in about an hour he breathed his last without a struggle. The deceased was well kown, and for his quiet steady habits and uprightness of character, was generally esteemed. An inquest was held the next day before Mr B. H. Carew, R.M., the coroner, when a verdict was returned in accordance in with the medical testimony.

Tauranga District. —Mr David Graham, an old resident at Tauranga, on the occasion of his leaving the district, is reported to have given the local prospecting association the following opinion upon the mineral wealth of the locality —“ Tauranga w r as the outlet to the interior. The Natives told him twenty years ago that it was the • kopu’ (belly) of New Zealand. There were rumors of gold being found at Tauranga. He had himself seen nuggets of three and four pounds weight. He had seen a nugget that, size which was full of mundic. He believed there was there the greatest silver mineral field in the world. From information of which he was then possessed from the Natives, of the quantity, aud from the nature of specimens shown him, which they declared could be found, ho had no hesitation in saying that it was one of the richest mineral fields in the wiiole world, not excepting South Australia and California,

Statistical. —The Gazette of 17th May, containing returns of the value of imports and exports for the quarter ending 3lst Marcli, 1872, is worthy of analysis, as showing the progress the Colony is making generally, and the position Otago holds in relation thereto. The imports for the Colony were, in the quarter for 1872, L 1,219,497, and for the same quarter of 1871, Li,023,277, leaving a balance in favor of the year 1872 of L 196/220. The exports of the Colony for same quarteis amounted in the year 1572 to L 2,411,787, and in 1871 to L 1,758,791, leaving a balance in favor of 1872 of LC52,99G—a very gratifying state of affairs. In mas ing up the returns for this Province, it will be seen that the progress of trade has been more expansive than any of the other Provinces of New Zealand. The returns show that the various ports in Otago imported L 522.580, whiletlie same quarter of 1871 showed a value 0fL304,927, leaving a balance in favor of 1872 of L 217.053. The exports show the large leturn of L 1,008,319, the same quarter in IS7I, b; ing LG38,C09, leaving the large balance of L 429.713 in excess of last year. It will thus be seen that the balance in favor of exports from the whole Colony for the

quarter of 1872 was the sum of L 652,996, in excess of 1871 ; and the portion contributed by Otago amounted to no less a sum than L 429,710, or more than two-thirds of the whole.

A meeting of the Standard Property Investment Society, for the purpose of receiving subscriptions, &c., will be held at the offices of the society on Wednesday evening, July 3rd, from 6 to 8 o’clock. The quarterly summoned meeting of the Court Pride of Dunedin, No. 3,780, A.O.F. will be held at Wain’s Hotel, Manse street, to-morrow (Tuesday) evening, at S o’clock.

The twenty-eighth monthly meeting of the Third New Zealand Building Society, will bo held at the office of the society to-morrow (Tuesday) evening, at 7 o’cleck.