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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 935, 4 February 1871, Page 3

The South Australian Register has a long article discussing the San Francisco sleam route —its prospects, advantages, and drawbacks —in which, strange to say, neither Mr Vogel nor Zealand are once mentioned; in fact, they are not even remotely alluded to.

Mr Callaghan, teacher, Turakina Valley, has a cat which kittened in his absence from home during the Christmas holidays. On bis return he fouad a hen nursing four of the kittens, and wild at any attempt to deprive her of her singular tcjiarge.

We (Evening Post) have been informed that a gentleman who arrived by the last mail from San Francisco, while in that city had an interview with Messrs Holliday and Breuham. The gentlemen assured him that the large steamers intended to run to New Zealand would on no account run the additional risk of coasting ; they would only run to one port in New Zealand, and the port considered most suitable was Wellington. Going into Port Chalmers was asserted to be a risk they had no intention of incurring. If this statement is to be relied on, Mr Vo.-el and Mr Neilson must between them have deceived the people of the Colony, or else Mr Vogel has been deceived himself. But whether the attempt to run Webb's steamers on the coast is made or not, it is certain to prove an abortive one; once over the Otago bar with an easterly sea on, will, we imagine, be quite enough for the Nebraska. An Otago contemporary says that the Chinese are rapidly increasing in the neighborhood of Macetown. Already, it is said, the race-owners experience considerable difficulty in obtaining ground, and in a few years it is anticipated that the European miners will be fairly ousted by the Chinese.

The Ross (Westland) Guardian says that one of the neatest electioneering dodges that ever came under its notice was that a man had his pocket picked of his miner's right on an election day, and had it returned to him after the poll closed.

The following report of the Alhambra's visit to Milford Sound appears in the Otago Daily Times, 12th January :—Remained outside all night, and entered the Sound at 4 a.m. on the Bth, and steamed up towards Fresli Water Basin, which was not entered; the vessel was brought up with a 2\ inch rope 50 yards below it. Captain Underwood here supplies us with the following information; —"We then landed, and went in for general enj fishing, shooting, bathing, climbing the heights, catching wood-hens and young geese, collecting birds' eggs and objects of natural history, &c. I found on survey, Fresh Water Basin is safe to enter, and has room for much larger ships than the Alhambra. The Sound is full of wild fowl and fish, consisting of blue cod, eels, cray-fish, butterfish, &c.; mountain ducks,- geese, teal, and the black duck." He goes on to say, " I cannot describe the magnificence and solemn grandeur of the of the scenery in Milford Sound. When we entered we saw the first sunlight tinting the snowy caps and craggy peaks of the stupendous mountains that rose like a wall all round us to a height of 6,000 feet. On reaching the head of the Sound I felt struck with a feeling of awe when I beheld the huge metallic mountains that overhung their bases, and seemed to threaten us with instant destruction. We had a charming day, and the whole scene, coupled. with our little exploits, will be ever remembered." A " Close Prisoner." —The one who refuses to tell the enemy who has taken him anything abuut the doings of his own side.

A farmer in Hampshire recently forwarded a letter to a neighboring town, requesting the postmaster to deliver it "to any respectable attorney." After ten days it was returned with the significant endorsement, " None here."