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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1420, 18 February 1873, Page 2

Lively personal recollections of the charms and vocal abilities of the Carandini family, and their extensive popular reputation contributed to the assemblage last evening, at the Volunteer Hall, of a numerous, expectant, and, as it proved, thoroughly gratified audience. There were necessarily many present who had heard them play and sing in various other parts of the Colonies, and there were others— probably the minority — who heard them for the first time. Those who heard them for the hundredth time, and ' those who for the first time had that gratification, were equally warm in their applause,

and in subsequent expression of their sense of the superiority of the entertainment compared with any musical entertainment that i has been given in Greymouth since the Carandini's last visit. This general approbation was thoroughly justified. Madame Carandinis' songs were sung with a clearness and freshness of note sufficient; to suggest that in the Colonies the human voice and the forest are equally evergreen, and Mis 3 Rosina and Fanny, in their songs and in their pianoforte performances, displayed all their early ability and acquirements, and with these increased, instead of being in any degree subdued. Mr Sherwin is still Sherwin, and to say so is to rdpeat the compliments with which he has in his time been literally covered by critics. Both he and the ladies of the company come this time to the Colony advantaged by having associated with them a vocalist whose presence vastly improves their entertainment by enabling them to give superior part songs, and who is as successful in contributing variety to the programme by his basso solos. For a gentleman of his physique, Mr Gordon has a voice the possession of which is scarcely explainable except as a freak of nature, and his use of it is evidently the result of good musical education. In noticing any of the Carandini entertainments, it ought by this time to be quite unnecessary to individualise items of the programme. It is sufficient to say that each was equally applauded, and encores were complied with with a willingness which could scarcely be expected after the fatigaes of a journey. The company appear again this evening, with "an entire' change of programme. " As previously announced, the first Eoyal Arch Chapter on the West Coast, under the Scotch Constitution, will be opened this evening, at Gilmer's Hall, by Companion William Caldwell, M.E.Z., of the Kilwinning Otago Eoyal Arch Chapter, 116. A scheme of water supply for Greymouth is now proposed, and is about to be started, should ifc meet with sufficient public support. A party of miuers, known as Sinnott and party, are the possessors of a dam near the head of Sawyer's Creek, from wJiich they believe they can furnish the town with a constant supply of water both for domestic purposes and with a sufficient pressure in all weathers to send the water over the highest building in town without the aid of a fireengine. They are prepared to bring the water in themselves, whenever the matter is taken in hand by the citizens, and some encouragement held out to them that they will receive the support their enterprise deserves; The Borough Council ought to make some inquiry into the matter at its next meeting, and dapute the Town Surveyor to prove the practicability of the scheme. Yesterday forenoon Bishop Moran visited the St. Patrick's School. The visit had evidently been expected, for the following address was presented on behalf of the scholars by Miss O'Brien :— " To the Eight Eev. Dr Moran, Bishop of Dunedin, and Admin? istrator of the Diocese of Wellington. May it please your Lordship, — We, the pupils of St. Patrick's School, most humbly beg leave to approach your sacred person to welcome your Lordship to Grej mouth. At the same time we beg leave to offer your Lordship our youthful homage, due to you as the distinguished head of our Diocese, as a dignitary of our Holy Church and as the zealous and eloquent advocate of Christian education J We beg to assure your Lordship that this, your first visit to Greymouth, will be very piously treasured up in our minds as a most precious remembrance of our youth. In conclusion we beg your Lordship's blessing and pray the giver of all good gifts may long preserve you in your episcopate, to which you are such a high ornament" The Bishop addressed the children at some length, expressing his satisfaction at the manner in which the school was conducted. Early in the afternoon a large nilmber of the members of St Patrick's congregation and others assembled to witness the departure of the Bishop for Maori Gully. He was driven in a buggy, and was escorted by about 40 gentlemen on horseback— principally townspeople. The deputation from the chuich at Maori Gully were to meet the procession at the Coal Pits. We believe that Bishop Moran proceeds from Maori Gully to No Town, thence to Nelson Creek, Ahaura, and Eeefton. Information was brought into Hokitika late on Friday night of the death by drowning of Mr Henry Friend, a very well-known resident in Hokitika. The deceased went up, last evening, with two lads to get some pigeons from Mr Glossop. When they reached the old Islay Hotel, he wanted to go into the river for a bathe, but he was persuaded to go on to his original destination. When he reached the cricket-ground lie found that Glossop had removed, and then he undressed and went into the river. The lads did not see him sink, but a man that was passing by distinctly heard a gurgle as the poor fellow went down. Mr Friend was well known in musical circles in Hokitika, and has been teaching a class at the Kanieri for some time. He also worked as a lithographer, and very recently brought out a richly embellished almanac for the present year. His untimely death will be regretted by a large number of friends who knew him in life. The Times of Monday says the body had not been recovered. The Nebraska brought more than SOOO letters by the last mail. A popular amusement association is in full work in Christchurch. The formation of a blanket and flannel manufactory in the Southland district is being agitated in Invercargill. _ A lady has brought an action against the city authorities of San Francisco for having defective footpaths, whereby she fell and sustained serious injuries. Damages are laid at L2OOO. The Greymouth Corporation should take warning. , Eobert Stewart, jun., a carpenter, on board the Murray, accidentally toppled over the side of the vessel at Nelson, and fell upon the roudi shingle beneath, receiving injuries that will lay him up for some considerable time. A swimmiDg bath was recently constructed in Gabriel's Gully by subscription, subsidised by the Town Council, and all citizens— whether subscribers or not, are welcome to take a plunge whenever they see fit to do so. It has been very distinctly laid down in a Melbourne police court recently, that a member of a benefit society has no right to claim the services of the medical officer of the society for gratuitous attendance upon his wife. Messrs Lecomte and Heurteau, two French gentlemen, are at present at the Thames in prosecution of a scientific journey of observation over the gold workings of New Zealand and Australia, preparatory to examining and reporting upon the gold fields of New Caledonia, the immense resources of which colony the French Government are anxious to develope. A Southern paper says that Mr Macassey, the well-known barrister, intends shortly to proceed to England, for the purpose of being called to the English bar. A writer in a Victorian paper thus speaks of the growing excitement in mining specur lations : — "To the most casual observer it is patent that the excitement in mining affairs which characterised the closing months, of 1871 will be repeated, and perhaps exceeded, in 1873. The Bymptoras are so decided that diagnosis is not difficult. > • • Just now

there is plenty of movement. Valuable discoveries are being made everywhere, and the public, lately so disheartened, are now full of courage and enterprise. Nor without some reason. To one Melbourne holder in the Johnston's reef mine the rise in value of his stock during the last three or four months is quite L 20.000." We learn from the Nelson Mail that repeated complaints having been lodged against John M'Glashan for crossing and jostling in the late hack races, a meeting of the stewards was held, when lie was disqualified from ever riding again on the W-ake-lield course. It is understood that the Nelson races shall come off on the last Wednesday and Thursday in March. A programme has been prepared, and L3OO will bo given in prizes. A prosperous merchant, a well-informed contemporary says, has for his motto": — 11 Early to bed and early to rise ; never get tight, and advertise." Mr Henry Driver, of the firm of Driver, Stewart, and Co., Dunedin, has been appointed American Consul for New Zealand by the Government of the United States, in place of Mr J. G. White, of the Bay of Islands, who has hitherto held that post. A Mr Gyde has brought to the Taranaki Herald office some sand, which, by some process (he has invented is, rendered perfectly solid and hard as a brick. He states that by his process the sand need only to be sun dried, and would be then ready for smelting. According to a despatch forwarded to his Excellency the Governor by Lord Kimberley, Messrs Fox, Yogel, M'Lean, and Gisborne are to retain the title of honorable in this j Colony for life. The despatch also conveyed in the highest terms the appreciation of Mr Fox's past services as a Colonial statesman entertained by the Imperial Government, At the meeting of liis constituents at Carlyle (says the Wanganui Herald) Major Atkinson was asked if he could give any information about the Whenuakura block and bridges. He replied absently, " I believe the bridges are in a rather bad state." "But," said his interrogator, "there are no bridges." "Oh ! ah !" answered the Major, I have not spoken to Mr M'Lean about the bridges." A capital snake story comes from New South Wales. The French always maintain that their troops at Waterloo were beaten because their sensitive eara could not endure the sound of the bagpipes. A snake has developed a similar disgust for the music of the Gael. All attempts to dislodge him from a house having proved ineffectual, a piper was produced. Scarcely had he got through half a dozen bars than the poor reptile crept out of his hole, and at once gave up the ghost.