NEWS OF THE DAY.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 919, 5 June 1877, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

The Suez Mail. —The letters and newspapers brought by the Suez mail steamer to Melbourne, and by the s.s. Ringarooma to Port Chalmers, were received in Christchurch last evening by overland conveyance, and were at once sorted into the boxes at the Postoffice.

Gaiety Theatre. —Clifford’s Mirror of the World was exhibited last evening to a rather thin attendance. The various pictures were exceedingly good, and the audience showed their appreciation of them by applause. To-night a fresh series will be exhibited, comprising some really excellent views. Painful Accident. Mr M'Gill, the second engineer of the Wanaka, met with an unfortunate accident on the trip of that vessel between Gisborne and Napier. The tips of two of the fingers of his left hand were caught in the cogwheels of some part of the machinery and smashed. On arriving at Napier medical aid was procured, and the two upper joints were amputated. Mr M'Gill remained in Wellington for surgical attendance.

Citizens’ Ball. —A meeting of the managing committee was held yesterday afternoon at the Council Chambers, when final arrangements were decided upon. A telegram had been received from the Government giving permission for the use of the Provincial Council Chamber for Monday next, and his Excellency had signified his intention of being present that evening. Scandinavian Service. According to previous announcement the Rev. J. S. Smalley, Wesleyan minister of this city, on Sunday afternoon conducted religious service in the Scandinavian language at the Harper street Church. There were about sixty present, embracing Swedes, Norwegians, and Danes, besides several visitors attracted by the novelty of the proceedings. The order of service consisted of singing, prayers, Biblereading, and the sermon, which was listen*! to with the deepest interest, some being affected to tears. The entire service was conducted by Mr Smalley, who himself led the singing, with Mrs Smalley at the American organ. The melodies were evidently familiar to the hearers, many joining in the service of praise in a very hearty manner. All seemed Highly pleased, and several Danes of education and standing in the city expressed their pleasure in attending, and their great satisfaction with the correctness of the preacher’s Danish. We may state that Mr Smalley has acquired this language expressly for the purpose of ministering among these strangers from the land of Odin, and claims the honor of holding the first public service in the language since Bishop Monad visited the colony many years ago. A few weeks after Mr Smalley commenced these services at Napier, a minister from Norway, named Edward Nielsen, landed in Auckland and proceeded to Palmerston (North) where he still resides, Itinerating among his countrymen in the southern part of the North Island. He is also under the direction of the Wesleyan Conference in New Zealand. It says something for the zeal and enterprise of the Wesleyans, that the only two men at present ministering to the many hundreds of Scandinavians in the colony, belong to that church. We understand that there are about 150 families in this district, whose acquaintance Mr Smalley would be glad to make. Service will be held next Sunday in the Durham street Church, at three in the afternoon.

Waimangaroa Coal. —The coal brought to Wellington by the s.s. Kennedy, on her last trip, from the Wellington Coal Company’s mine at Waimangaroa, is stated by the Post to have been tested by several Wellington firms not interested in the success of the undertaking, and to have won golden opinions on all sides. The coal burns splendidly, giving out great heat, and yielding plenty of gas, and making excellent coke.

Exhibits of Minerals. —A very fine collection of minerals has been received at Auckland from Mr Hodgkinson, of the Victoria School of Mines. It comprises nickel with smelted bars of metal, crystalised galena, asbestos found in serpentine rock, grey oxide of antimony, brown oxide of the same, and valentinite graphite, Mr Hodgkinson passed through Auckland recently, visited the Museum and Institute, and expressed himself greatly interested in its contents.

Hawks at Hawke’s Bay. —The fferald learns that ninety-eight pairs of hawks’ feet were brought in lately to Major Scully, and that on receiving the £4 18s —the amount of the reward at Is per pair of feet —the person who killed the hawks, Mr Harrison, stated that it was the last money he would receive on that account, as there were no more hawks to kill. If this be the fact it will be good news for the Hawke’s Bay Acclimatisation Society.

The Ingenuity of Bats. —Much interest and curiosity have been excited by the exhibition at Canham’s fruit store, in Auckland, of a cocoanut containing the nest and young of a rat. The animal had eaten through the husk with much judgment, for it laid bare that part covering what is known as the eyes of the nut. One of these holes it had considerably enlarged so as to admit of free ingress and egress. When the fruit was discovered, the adult rat was not inside of it, but the young rodents in all their hairless ugliness were there.

Railway Management. —The Grey River Argus thus complains of alleged shortcomings on the part of the Railway Department:—“ The way how not to do it, in which the Public Works Department is so proficient, is illustrated by the fact that whilst a very considerable coal trade has sprung up here, and is daily increasing, it is impossible to load vessels with proper speed owing to the want of waggons. AC Westport, where not an ounce of coal is being shipped, there are about 150 waggons, whilst here there are not 50. Why not send some of the superabundance at Westport to this port.”

Notice to Paper Stealers. —Under this heading, E. Ball, proprietor of the South Canterbury Times, publishes the following:— “It havirg come to our knowledge that copies of our journal (after being delivered on the premises of our subscribers by our runners) have been stolen therefrom, this is to give notice that any person wishing to obtain a copy of our issue, and cannot afford to pay for it, may, on application at this office, get a copy given to them, rather than they should appropriate to their own use those belonging to their neighbours.” Nocturnal Telegrams. —On the subject of this latest and too readily accepted cause of tribulation to people connected with the production of newspapers, the Grey River Argus says: “ This additional strain upon newspaper employees should be compensated by, at least, important news, but the worst of it is that perhaps only once or twice a week there may be any message at all, but regular attendance at the telegraph office is necessary all the same. We pity ourselves and do not envy the telegraph operator.”

Interesting to Bachelors. —The following advertisement, which appeared in a recent issue of the Nelson Daily Times, offers a good opportunity to bachelors : Rita and Muriel are two friends, who desire to correspond (with the object of marriage) with two gentlemanly looking, dark young men, possessing moderate incomes. Muriel is nineteen, dark, and considered handsome; fond of home. Rita is eighteen, warmhearted, and very affectionate ; is of middle height, with blue eyes, and fair hair. Will exchange carfes-de-visite. Address; Box No. 56, Post-Office, Nelson.”

Subtereanean Forest —Another evidence of the existence of a subterranean forest near New Plymouth has been obtained during the past week. A well on Mr Walter Bishop’s farm, near to the Egmont road, having become suddenly dry, it was determined to sink it deeper. At the depth of nearly 90ft. two logs in sound condition were cut through, and beneath them was found the bed of an ancient stream. Indications of salt were also found. The water flowing suddenly and copiously prevented any further exploration. The timber found is said to be rimu and pukatea.

Playing at Soldiers. The Thames Advertiser records the following incident of the sham fight there on the Queen’s Birthday; —“During the advance of No. 3 Company at the sham fight yesterday, a coincidence occurred which for a few minutes occasioned some anxiety among the immediate observers. A volunteer took deliberate aim at a mounted officer in red uniform with an asseveration more positive than polite that he would bring down the gaudy target. Bang went the rifle and down fell the target —both man and horse. For a moment it was thought the marksman must have used ball instead of blank ammunition, but the fears raised were dispelled when the red coat and his steed gathered themselves together, and the horse galloped off none the worse for the ugly looking coincidence.”