LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 208, 2 January 1865, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

We call attention to the fact that Mr. Y. Janiseli’s great land sale, advertised for noon this day, has been postponed until to-morrow, Tuesday, tho 3rd, same time and place. Titr schooner Zillah, Sullivan master, left Auckland Doc. 20(h. She reports that she experienced light easterly winds to the Barrier, where she received SO tons firewood ; left again 25th December, and had light easterly winds to the East Cape, which was rounded at midnight of the 28lh December. Landed sevenjiatives at Awanni, two of whom had been prisoners on board the hulk Marion; had light sea breezes from thence to Portland Island, and north winds to Port, at which she arrived at 6 a.m. yesterday. She reports that 200 natives from the vicinity of the Cape had left for the seat of war, which was supposed to be Waikato or Tauranga.

A new. cutter, built by Nieol iu Auckland, and purchased by bis Honor the Superintendent, arrived here this morning. She left Auckland on the 23rd, and experienced light head winds all the passage.

By the arrival of the Storm Bird we have papers from Wellington to the 29th, and from Southland to the 21st December. We have several interesting extracts in type, but want of space com mils us to allow them to stand over until Wednesday. Wo note thar none of the Government staff had arrived at the Empire City up to the latest dates. —The pleasure-loving folk of Wellington had (after some difficulty at starting) a pleasure-trip per Ladybird to York Bay, tiie property of G. Hart, Esq., the large number of 1,500 assembling on that spot.—At the Hutt, on the same day, a match of cricket was played between 11 of the I. Zingari Club and 11 of the Hutt and district ; decided in favor of the I. Ziiigari, with 3 wickets to go down. We will endeavor to find room for extracts in our next.

Portrait op Mr. St. Hill. —By a letter re ceived yesterday we learn that the portrait of Mr. St. Hill, which was subscribed for some months since, is preceding very satisfactorily ; but as it could not be completed in time to be sent by the Wild Duck. Mr. Bannatyne has decided on bringing it out with him, leaving England iu some ship during the month of November. The artist Mr Pickersgill, M.A., is said to have caught the likeness very happily, so that wo anticipate much pleasure in seeing it when it shall arrive.— Wellington Spectator, Dec. 21.

William Thompson on the Place Question. —The Southern Cross says:—“The following translation of a letter received by his Excellency the Governor from Thompson was laid on the table of the House of Representatives recently. It will be perceived that Thompson proposes a General Assembly of the Waikato tribes some time between this and the end of February—he would prefer April, but presumes that would not be granted —when he will “ declare his word’’ to them and also to the Governor. The dimension is to be first about the land, secondly about the murders, and thirdly about the arms. Thompson evidently knows how to conceal his thoughts, and his Excellency will not be much the wiser by the communication : —To Sir George Grey, the Governor of Now Zealand. Salutations. Though our borders are separated by evil, love is not destroved, as says St. Paul. Hearken. The cause that no word was uttered to you by mo, has been the weight of your words. It is not for me alone to answer them. The commencement of my pondering was your proclamation just after the beginning of this war. That was the first, and now vour second, and about the land, which is contained in the proclamation of the *26th October. Father this was my settled word to you. When you were preparing to go to Tataraimaka, you came up to Tanpuri anil then vou said this word to me, ‘‘ William lam going to Tataraimaka.” 1 said then, “ Wait, rather let mo go first.” You replied, ‘’Docs my land belong to a stianger that it should bo lett to another to take me on my own land?” Then I said no more, for I knew you would not listen to me. Now I make a similar request to you at the present time. Leave to me the days after the 10th December up to the end of February —indeed, I would urge to the end of April, but I presume you would not grant that proposal, and, therefore, 1 go back to the end of February. This is the reason why I ask for those days. All Waikato is at Taranaki. I alone am here ; therefore, I desire to have this delay. Let the chiefs of Waikato come up and bo assembled in my presence, and then I will declare my word to them, and also to you. What 1 say now docs not interfere with that time of suspension of hostilities which commenced at Ngaruawahia, went on to the evacuation of Maungatautari, and down to the time of Reihana and Ilapimana. That remains as it was. I said to them then Waikato is for you (given up). I shall not fight them again, and now my word is the same. The discussion which I propose when Waikato shall be assembled, is about, the land ; secondly, about the murders; thirdly, about arms.

Kew Invention'. —The following paragraph from the Lyttelton Times will prove of interest to our readers. The inventor is an old Welling!on settler, and was at one time engaged on the staff of this journal. He is the brother of Mr J. F. E. Wright, Goathurst Farm; —“We have seen the ■working model of a very ingenious machine, invented by our Chief Postmaster for stamping letters, with the date of receipt, &c. The machine stamps letters of any thickness, from a single sheet of paper or empty envelope to a letter half an inch in thickness. The date stamps supply themselves with ink, the machine counts the number of letters as they pass through, and shows the number on a dial, and gives notice at everv hundred by ringing a small bell. Mr Wright states that on a first trial he stamped 120 letters with it in a minute, and bos no doubt but that a much larger number might be done with practice. The machine possesses the great desideratum in all machinery of simplicity, and we have little doubt but that it will eventually come into general use in large post offices.”

Toil-bars Aoatx. —“ ’Tis an ill wind that blows nobody any good,” and such is the idea of the gamins of Christchurch and its environs concerning the gold producing toll-bars. What induces a golden perspiration to exude from the pockets of travellers on several of the Canterbury roads is to them a source of emolument and gratification. We understand that for a araall honorarium of 2d these money-making youngsters undertake to show r>poole bye-paths by which they can escape the histly (?) levied taxes of the Government. If they Ire wrono- in defeating the ends of the legislature, they are at all events entitled to notice for their having opened up a new branch of industry in these hard times.—- Press.

Earthquake. —Two slight shocks were felt early on Sunday (yesterday) morning, the first between 1 and 2 o’clock, and the second about 8. From the motion imparted to bodies freely suspended, wo infer the direction of the force was from the S.E.

The Supposed Aerolite. —The , Chrordcle of the 14th iust. says ; —‘‘Several persons went to Turakina on Saturday to be present at the digging up of the supposed meteoric stone, when it turned out that the hole had been caused by the rotting out of an old cabbage-tree stump. Mr Freelh seems to have been as much surprised and vexed as any at what appeared like a hoax, and there can be no doubt that ho was himself deceived in the matter through the hole being visible for the first time on the morning after the meteor appeared, it is probable that some of the horses or cattle in rushing to the house when terrified by the meteor may have trodden on a crust of clay which covered the hole, and thus led to its appearance.”

The Tender-hearted Governor.—l beg to report that the hulk lay about 1,300 yards from Government House, and that I declined to visit it because i believed that some of the prisoners were innocent men, and ought to be released, and that Olliers of them, such as Te Orion, deserved lo be released upon parole, and that notwithstanding my most earnest solicitations on behalf of tnese latter men, my Ministers had refused to acquiesce iu my request to be allow to perform this uec of mercy. >V hilst. therefore, possessing m fact the power to do what 1 thought right towards these captives, whom their captor. Sir D. (Jauu-rou, in sending them in hud requested me should be ‘‘ treated generously, for every one must adm.ro the gailuut manner in vvmeii they defended their position to the last,’’ some of whom wore also great chiefs, from whom many Europeans had received numerous acts of kindness for years past, 1 could not bring myself to go on board, to look upon their misery and then leave them without doing that which 1 believed in justice and fairness J ought to have been allowed to do.— Governor Grey to A. Cardwell, i'arl. pa., 18(14.

The Wide-awake Govekxou. — l would next stale that i urn of opinion that the publication in the colony of our despatch, -No. Id, of jJtith April, has produced a very happy ell'ect upon the native population here. To it i attribute in no small degree, and in spite of adverse causes, the surrender of rebel natives at Tauranga ; and i believe its contents and the publication of them will go far to bring the war to a close m several districts of the colony. In all this I may be wrong, but I hove carefully observed and considered recent events, and us the result I have arrived at the conclusion I have above stated. Governor Grey to Jo. Cardioell.

Steam Plough. —“ Mr. Redwood’s steam plough,” says the Marlborough Times , ‘‘ presents a novel appearance on the \\ airau plains. Witii her steam up whilst moving at a rapid pace and turning over the virgin soil to a depth which no ordinary plough could encounter, she appears to a spectator at a distance like a small steamer which mistook her native element. We are told that her weekly task is about fifty acres, which she performs without ‘turning a hair,” or exhibiting the slightest appearance of fatigue ! Truly the iron horse has eli'ccled a wonderful revolution by sea and land. 13y the indomitable enterprise of Mr. Redwood the Wairau is likely to become an exporting district, or at least to wipe oil' the disgrace of Marlborough, with all her splendid agricultural land, being dependent upon otiier colonies for food to supply her scant population.”

AccctM.vriz.vTiON. —We take the following from the Lyttelton Times of the 13th instant: — “The Wild Wave, which arrived at Lyttelton, from Sydney, on Sunday last, brought a miscellaneous cargo. Amongst other items, there were on board forty black swans, which have arrived in first-rate condition : eighty were originally shipped, but forty died during the passage. There is also a young emu, perfectly tame, and answers, as advertisements say, to the name of Jack. The swans are partly imported on behalf of the City Council, and will be placed in the river. Besides some fine Southdown sheep imported to order from La Hogue, there are nearly one hundred fancy pigeons intended for sale. A gentleman on board has also brought a number of silk-worms. He considers the climate of Canterbury well adapted for them, but the chief difficulty will be to find the proper foliage for them to feed upon. He believes that if they can be successfully reared a large quantity of silk would be obtained. Dr Donald lias taken charge of a few of them for the present. We believe that if the secretary of the Acclimatization Society would like to try the experiment of introducing them into the province lie may obtain some on application.”

During some sports at the Tauranga Camp a few dys ago, a bear, kept as a regimental pet, slipped liis neck collar and gave chase to a Maori woman. The commissariat clerk passing at the time the woman seized hold of him for protection, but tile former finding that Mr. Bruin intended a good hug, and not being inclined for such an embrace, disengaged himself, and attracted the brute’s attention till such time as she made her escape, which opportunity she availed herself of by climbing to the top of a thatched stable, but as soon as Bruin espied her, he mounted the stable,* when she slid off, and terror-struck found shelter iu a neighboring whare. Brum having lost his enchanting object wandered from whare to whare evading those endeavoring to capture him. He subsequently reached the top of a fowl-house, into which he fell, and finding some eggs, indulged in that to him a luxury. The modus operardi now appeared clear, a noosed rope being let into the house; but Bruin had not quite completed his share in the sport, he set out then on a voyage of discovery on the tops of whares, and through trees and shrubs, turning over the strongest, that endeavored to hold him, bis paw- acting at the same time as the “ sailor’s friend.” The dogs and fowls had their turn, he making all in fright and terror fly. At last his game was over, he being recaptured and led to his old quarters.