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Evening Star, Issue 3109, 5 February 1873, Page 2

The Masonic Hall continues the centre of attraction ; and there Madame Cora nightly amuses her large audiences by her cleyir conjuring, to say nothing of the satisfaction that is felt by those who are fortunate enough to secure urizes in the distribution. 'I here was anothor afternoon performance to-day.

At the Princess Theatre, last evening, “ Snare” was produced for the second time, to a fair house. '1 he principal paits were well sustained. Mr Douglas’s acting was a decided improvement on the first representation ; and Mrs Walter Hill, as Clara Melville, was heartily applauded. Each act closed with a tableau, aud at the termination of the first three acts, the curtain was raised, in response to the plaudits of the audience. “Snare” will be repeated to-night. We are glad to learn that the Opera Company inten I giving a farewell preformance on Saturday evening, when it is intended to produce “ Norma ” and “11 Barhiere di Seviglia. ” We do not think a better selection could have been made. Although “ Norma” has already been played, the only effect of hearing it is to create desire to hear it again, and the merry, tricksey Barber is always welcome. It is not likely that an opportunity will occur for some time of hear ing these masterpieces so well rendered, and in the two the whole strength of the company will be engaged. It will be a treat not to be missed.

A fatal accident occurred yesterday to a laborer named Peter M‘Shane. It appears that the deceased, along with one M ‘Curdy and his sou, -were engaged in felling some timber in Mr Sommerville’s bush, Anderson's Bay, which M'Curdy has leased; and about 11 a.m., when cutting down a tree, one of the limbs struck decensed on the bead, smashing in the skull; death of course being instantaneous. The body was removed to M ‘Curdy’s house, on the Portobello road, where it now lies. Deceased was unmarried, 33 years of age, and a native oi Ireland. He had been 11 years in the Colony, for nine years living with M‘Curdy, ana during the greater portion of the time working with him. He was known as a hard working man, but was much addicted to drink.

We hope the persons who undertook the risk of providing an extra night’s opera were successful in their venture (as they deserved to be), for they were the means of affording a rich musical treat to the large number present last evening. Notwithstanding that .Signora Coy was suffering from a slight cold, which, however, was only noticeable in the first act ;, that there was some unnecessary cutting the excision of the challenge scene between Edgardo and Arturo, with its tine music, being particularly noticeable and that Signor Benso did not sing with his usual care and correctness, the opera of Lucia di l ammermoor seemed uever to have gone better. Signora Coy in the second and third acts sang delightfully, and Signori Coy, Ooliva. and Dondi appeared to vie with each other in contributing to the general success. The sestette in the second act, as fine a piece of concerted music as has been heard in Dunedin, fairly brought down the house, and had to be repeated, while at the conclusion of the aria “11 dolce suoni,” in the third act.it fairly rained applause and bouquets on the signora. During the evening Mr Beaumont, the stage manager, referred to the announcement of the previous evening, that L’Ebreo would be repeated on pertain conditions ; but tije enthusiasm Had cooled down, and sufficient inducement for the repetition of that opera not offering, the curtain on descending that night would fall for the last time on Italian opera in Dunedin, this season. He had been requested, on behalf of the company, to tender the members’ acknowledgement of the courtesy with which they had been received here, and to assure the opera-going community of Dunedin that that kindness would not be forgotten. M. Cagli had placed the theatre at the disposal of the orchestra and chorus for Thursday evening ; and assisted by the principals, who had volunteered their services, a concert would be given that night. We agree with Mr Beaumont that the orchestra and chorus have played no unimportant part in the production of the various operas performed during the past season; and we should like to see the opinion endorsed by a crowde I house. We have little fear that there will be anything else, as a very attractive pi ogramme has been put forward.

Last evening the Rev. J. Nish of Sandhurst, gave a lecture in the First Church on the “ Antiquity of Man.” He introduced his remarks by saying he did not profess to fix the date of man’s creation : even the most able and reliable authorities differed by 2,000 years, and ethnologists and philologists affirmed that there was proof of man’s existence on earth, not merely for six or eight thousand years, but for thousands of centuries. fjtifl object was to test the foundation of the view, and especially to review Sir Charles Leyell’s treatise on the “ Antiquity of Man. ” _ A thorough review would necessitate a Series of lectures, ,but he would confine jbirqiejf to those parte of the work

immediately bearing upon that subject. Buried beneath the peat bogs and mosses of Denmark, tranks of trees of a species not indegenous to that country, within historic times, were found, with instruments evidently the handy-work of men. It was therefore inferred that man was contemporaneous with those species of trees. It was said that the succession of growths of different species followed in distinct order, and to each was assigned a distinct period. By this process an endeavor was made to estimate the age of those remains. Estimating the peat growth at about a foot in a thousand years, ISir 1 harles Leycll estimated that .‘IO,OOO years would be necessary to cover them to the depth at which they were found : 30 feet. His opinion was that the arguments were fallacious, for all the trees were growing at different altitudes on the Earl of Arran’s estate, in Scotland; and Roman roads in Great Britain, formed A.D. 200, were covered with moss to a depth of eight feet. So far, therefore, as the argument from the growth of peat was concerned it was fallacious. Nor was the antiquarian more fortunate in the classification of eras according to the material of which cutting tools were formed, as, although it seemed to be taken for granted only stone, or bronze, or iron were used at given periods, the army of Xerxes included troops who w ere variously armed with them all. Neither was it true that man was continually improving. How on such a theory was it that the Egyptians of to-day were what th y are? It was known that the ancient Egyptians knew the use of steam and the electro magnetic wire. They had a greater knowledge of architecture th in any nation since their time, and mmy instances could be shown tending to prove there was no such thing as continual progression. If men were created so many thousands of years before the Mosaic record*, how was it they had not left any marks behind them ? As believers in God, men ought to be content to accept the truth as contained in the Scriptures, and not to set up our wisdom against His.

The annual meeting of the Masonic Hall Company will be held in the Hall, Moray place on Friday, the 14th inst. at 4 p.m. A general meeting of shareholders iu the Energetic Quartz Mining Company will be held at the office, at Messrs Burton Bros , on Friday next, at 5 p. m. We have to thank Messrs Burton Bros, for a most excellent photograph of the Bev. Mr Peebles. It is a most admirable likeness, iu a medallion. Every attention has been given to those minutiae of light, shadow and tint, which render Messrs Burtons’ sun pictures so pleasing.

We notice that Signor Cagli having given the Theatre gratuitously on Thursday evening a concert will he performed for the benefit of the band aud chorus. The leading artistes of the company have volunteered their services, and no doubt the result will he a full house, as many people would like to hear these talented vocalists in selected music. A report has been circulated, which might probably mislead many people, to the effect that the benefit is not a bona Jide affair. We are authorised to contradict this statement, and to assure the public that the pi oceeds will bo solely devoted to the purpose announced.