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Evening Star, Issue 3471, 8 April 1874, Page 2

Professor Anderson, the Wizard of the North, is dead. He died on February 3. He was 60 years of age. The tender of Mr A. J. Smyth for laying the permanent way of tjxe Clutha railway between South Tokomairiro and the Clutha river, 10| miles, for L 7,279 6a 6d, has been ac cepted. The work is to be completed within ten months, but a bonus of LIOO a-week feu; every week it is finished within that time, wi'l! have the effect of making the contractor push i it on with the utmost vigor. j The Kev. J. F. Dickie, on a visit from Yic toria, delivered a lecture on the “English Language” in the hall of the First Church, last evening; Mr Gillies in the chair. The attendance was very poor, but those present mani fested great ~interest in the subject, and the way in which the lector handled it. The : receipts were hi df the Sabbath School Library Fund, ,

_ The Octoroon” was repeated at the Queen’s theatre last evening, and went off successfully owing to the excellent acting of the Misses Stephenson and Raymond, and Messrs Burford and Glover. This evening Miss Stephenson takes a benefit, when we trust'she will be rewarded with a full house. A good programme, including a drama never before played m Dunedin, “The Throne, the Tomb, and the Scaffold,” will be put forward. Fair progress was made’’ with the criminal business to-day. Before the customary ndjournvnent for lunch, two cases were disposed of and two piisoners pleaded guilty and were remanded for sentence. The trial of Patrick Long for murder was, at Sir Barton’s request, fixed for Monday, but it is very unlikely that it will come on before Wednesday at the earliest, and it will last several days. His Honor intimated that he would sit for half a day on Saturday. James Gibson, who was injured so severely on the railway works near Oamaru about three weeks ago, died in the Hospital there on Friday. A post mortem examination made by the sur-geon-superintendent showed that five or six ribs were broken on one side and two or three on the other—the latter being broken off close to the vertebral column. The spine was also dislocated, and it is indeed marvellous that the patient should have survived his injuries so long.

The Rose of Castile,” was repeated last evening to a moderate attendance. To-night, Satanella” will be played for the last time for Miss May’s benefit. We are glad to know that there is every likelihood of there being a full house, and hear that some of the prima donna’s admirers intend to take advantage of the occasion by presenting her with a slight token of their esteem. On Friday night Mr Rainford takes his benefit, when -the “ Bohemian Girl ” will be reproduced. At the meeting of the Otago Institute last evening about a dozen members were present. Dr Bakew o’l and Mr Mouatt were admitted as new members of the club, and the Rev. Mr Wohlers, of Ruapuke, Was elected an honorary member. The President of the Institute, Mr Thompson, occupied the chair, and delivered an inaugural address, in which he reviewed what had been done by the Society since its existence, and spoke of the advancement of scientific attainments generally. It was stated that letters had been sent to the Astronomer of the United States and to the Royal Astronomer of England, informing those gentlemen that the best place to witness the transit of Yenus in this part of the world was in the Manuera Valley. A paper, by Mr M. Thompson, on the “ Naturalisation of Plants,” was read and commented upon.

The scholarships examination was continued at the University Hall to-day. The subjects in which the competitors were examined this morning were geometry (first hour) and essay, and in the afternoon in history and geography. The essay selected was “The defeat of the Armada,” and although this subject may seem to many to be too difficult for the competitors, it was selected by the examiners as the one with which they would probably be most conversant, having occurred during the history period in which they were examined. The history paper embraced the Tudor period (1485-1603), and the reign of Queen Victoria. Several complaints have been made with regard to the difficult questions submitted, as anyone who gains a scholarship mud; have attained at least 70 per cent of the total number of marks ohtainablej but the examiners held a totally different opinion, arguing that when the scholarships wef blast competed for, two years ago, the maximum age was fixed at fourteen, and notwithstanding that the age was'thus two years lower than that fixed at the present time, the standard was 75 per cent. The High and Grammar School. Scholarships for boys lies between the High' School lads, no representatives haying been sent from the Grammar Schools ; while for the gilds’ scholarships for these schools only one girl has been sent down, and she comes from Lawrence. To-morrow will probably be the last day. The recitations and readings will take place on the afternoon, but the public will not bo admitted.

The European Mail’ has supplied us with the following summary of the probable future of bouth Africa The inaugural section of the African section of the Society of Arts was held on January 30, when an address was delivered by Sir Bartle Frere. The company.included Lord Monteagle, Sir Samuel and Lady Baker, and a large number of merchants and others interested in the trade of South Africa. Sir Bartle, at the outset, remarked upon the exceptional position of Africa as a whole, and attributed this mainly to a defect of political cohesion. He did not doubt, however, that many of the causes were ethnological and religious. Speaking of South Africa, he said the Cape Colony might any day rival Australia as one of the most important professions of the Empire. The “re-discovery” of the ancient goldfields and the diamond fields would, he doubled not, attract ip Africa, as elsewhere,

enough and more that enough attention from persons in all parts of the world. The “rich coal discoveries, however, would be the most important source of national wealth, and one more likely to affect the destinies of Africa than anything yet discovered.” The address of Sir Bartle Frere was listened to throughout with much attention, and at its close Sir Samuel Baker made a few remarks upon his travels in Central Africa. The Rev. Horace waller, who was once an associate of Dr Livipgtone, strongly impressed upon the Society the .advisability of bringing over to England Livingstone’s faithful body servant Tumah, whose service dated frpip Ijis boyhood, when Livingstone sent him to school at Bombay, and who would be able to furnish many valuable and interesting'particulars of his master’s life and travels. The monthly meeting of the Star of Otago, L.0.L., wi}} be held in the Oddfellows’ Hall, on Thursday evening. The regular monthly meeting of the Otago Kilwinning Lodge, will be held in the Masonic Hall, to-morrow evening, at 8 o’clock.