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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume XII, Issue 536, 23 December 1867, Page 1

Colonial Prizes foe Rifle Shootixo. —A New Zealand Gazette, published on the 7th inst., contains a list of the prizes that will be offered, and the regulations under which they are to be competed for at the, next annual meeting, which is to take place at Wellington, during the vi-dt of his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, if possible, on a day to be named by the Government. The colonial prizes will be—(l) the Champion Prize, consisting of a gold medal, a purse of 75 sovereigns, and the champion belt; (2), the silver medal of the National Rifle Association, and £SO; (3), a modal and £3O; (3), a medal and £2O; three £ls and two £lO prizes: a Green’s patent breech or muzzle loading cavalry carbine The cadets are offered a £lO prize with a medal, and a £5 prize. There will also be district prizes. The regulations are considerably different from those of last year. The colonial prizes are divided into five “ sets,” and each set will be competed for in a different manner. The champion j prize will be fired for at ranges of -100, 500, and 600, yards ; three shots at each range.) One set of prizes will bo fired for by the competitors while running; and another eet with breach loading carbines. j Coeonee’s Inquest.—An inquiry was held before the City Coroner, yesterday,! at the Hunter River Inn, Sussex-street, respecting the death of a man named John Barrie. Deceased was a native of Scotland, and a seaman on board the mail steam ship Rakaia, now lying in Johnstone’s Bay. Henry Lambert, third officer on board the Rakaia, stated that, on Saturday last, he instructed the deceased to do certain work at the main yard of the vessel ; a few minutes afterwards, while standing behind a screen, he heard a noise like that of a body falling ; he went to see what it was, when he found the deceased lying on the main deck, immediately under the mainyard, on the port side ; deceased’s head was bent under his body ; with the assistance of a man named Johnson, he lifted him up ; they undid his shirt, when they discovered a hole in deceased’s breast; an iron marline-spike was lying a short distance from deceased, and there was also an indentation in the deck, as if caused by the thick end of a marline-spike, immediately underneath where the body was found ; the lanyard was broken, and a piece of it was lying on the deck; there was a bruise across deceased’s forehead; deceased groaned a little and died in a fe w minutes ; deceased was perfectly sober when he gave him bis instructions a few minutes previous to the accident; the distance from the deck to the mainyard was about forty-five feet. i»r Wright ststsd th“t hs had Giumined the body; he found a wound over the sternum, slightly extended to the left side, immediately over the heart; he did not discover any fracture of the ribs or skull; such a fall as had been described in evidence would be sufficient to produce injuries which would cause immediate death. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that deceased died from injuries accidentally received by falling from the mainyard of the steam shin Rakaia. [Deceased had been connected with the vessel ever since she was launched ; he was a very sober man, and by his uniform good conduct had gradually been promoted from A.B. to boatswain’s mate. His funeral took place yesterday afternoon, and it was attended by the captain, the officers, and several of the crew*] —S, M. Herald.