Untitled

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 937, 7 February 1871, Page 2

The leading journals in England con* deinn the suggestion that the colonies be neutral in time of war. The veteran Kent, the winner of three Provincial champion prizes, and J. Tomlinson, both of Waimea Rifles, will represent Nelson at the ensuing prize firing at Auckland.

The firing of the Auckland battalion for the choice of a representative to compete at the Colonial Government prizefiring in March took place at the butts, Point Chevalier, on the 27th January. The local papers report that there was a great improvement iu the fifing throughout. The highest score was made by Private Mcintosh, 42 points; the next highest was Private Stewart with a score of 40 points. These were the only two who made the requisite number to allow them to compete at the annual contest. The Auckland Annual Regatta, as announced some days ago in a telegram, came off on the 30th January, and was a complete success. As being of some interest here, where several of the competing vessels are known, we append, from the Daily Southern Cross, an account of the race between trading vessels over 25 tons. The first prize was a silver cup presented by Shaw, Saville & Co., valued at 25 guineas, and .£lO added; second prize, MO; and third prize, ,£3. The Cross says:—This race, which is always looked upon as the great event of our annual regattas, caused, as usual, a large amount of excitement. At' 9.30 sharp the signal was given, and the vessels got well away together. On rounding the Heads the Saucy Lass, Mary Eliza, and Sovereign of the Seas were all well together, with the Nautilus closely at their heels. This order was main-? tained till reaching the passage between Tiri and Whangaparoa, when, owing to wind hauling more to the southward, the Saucy Lass was enabled to goosewing and get away from the beach round Tiri three minutes before the Sovereign of the Seas and four minutes before the Mary Eliza, After rounding, the Mary Eliza gradually hauled on her opponent, and it seemed that the race was entirely in her own hands, when she suddenly carried away her weather rigging. The vessel was immediately put about and the damage repaired, but by this time the three other vessels were about a mile to windward of her. The Sovereign of the Seas was the first to round the North Head, closely followed by the Nautilus, the Mary Eliza and Saucy Lass following up about half a mile astern. After putting about off Kohimarama, the Nautilus took the lead, which she maintained till passing the flagship, the Sovereign of the Seas a good second, the Mary Eliza third, and the Saucy Lass fourth. The run was niad.e.. iu 9 hours D 5 minute;?..

The Oainaru Herald has ceased to exist as a separate paper, it having been purchased hy the Times, with which it will in future be incorporated. The Southern Cross, Jan. 30, says : A little boy about eight years of age, whose name we have been unable to ascertain, was yesterday morning rescued from a watery grave by one of the stewards of the p.s. Lioyal Alfred, named Alfred Stuart. It appears that the little fellow was fishing on the sponson of the p.s. Enterprise No. 2, when by some means he fell into the water. The accident was luckily observed by Stuart, and, without waiting to tako off any of his clothes, he jumped oil the Royal Alfred, and swam after the boy, and succeeded in landing him safely on the steamer. Too much praise cannot be given to Stuart for the plucky manner in which he went to the boy's assistance. [The Alfred Stuart referred to is the second sou of Mr G. H. Stuart, of this port.]

The Southern Cross, Jan. SO, says:— On Saturday morning a large number of the placards offering a reward of ,£SOO for such information as would lead to the conviction of the persons who set fire to the kerosine store, in Mechanics' Bay, and the Music Hall, in Symonds street, were stuck up in various parts of the town. At first several people were somewhat inclined to believe that the burning of the Music Hall was the result of accident, caused by some carlessness on the part of those in charge of the refreshment rooms on the night of the soiree; but a fact that came to our knowledge on Saturday afternoon should put those surmises to rest. On the morning of the fire, when two gentlemen went to the firebell at the top of Wakefield street, to give the alarm, they found the tongue of the bell muffled, and made fast inside. This was the firebell nearest to the burning building, and had thus been carefully tongue-tied before applying the fire torch. What lingering doubt there might have been about the burning being the work of an incendiary, must now be removed. During the continuance of the burning of the Music Hail large flakes of burning matter fell in the Barrack-square, and on one occasion one of the wooden buildings caught fire, but was extinguished by the exertions of the Armed Constabulary.— With reference to the above, the same journal of Jan. 31, by request, published the f Mowing : —" Sir,—Your informant as to the condition of the firebell in Symonds street, on the morning of the fire at the Music Hall, has certainly misinformed you; and to prevent any unnecessary alarm I may state that on arriving at the bell, and endeavoring to ring it, I found while the bell swung it did not touch the clapper; a second person came up, who also tried in vain, and said the clapper was gone; but another, arriving and reaching the bell, after some little difficulty loosened the clapper sufliciently to be enabled to strike the bell. 1 do not think there was anything wrong beyond probably the clapper having become rusted in its socket: certainly the man who reached the bell never said it was tied or muffled to—The First at the Bell."

The affecting anecdote given below is the one on which was founded the beautiful verses, "Before Sedan," which we quoted from Macmillaii's Magazine a short time since :•—The following h the translation of a letter found crisped in the hands of a French captain who died on the field of battle at Woerth:—" My dear papa,—Since thou hast left I do not cease to think of tiiee. I am so sad, not to be able to see thee and kiss thee every morning ; but I hope much that God will preserve thy health, and that thou wilt return soon to kiss thy daughter. lam very good, in order to make up a little to mamma for thy absence. Adieu, best beloved papa ; I embrace thee very tenderly.—Thy daughter, who loves thee, Marguerite."