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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 1051, 24 June 1871, Page 2

A correspondent of the A]bury Banner, writing from Ten-mile Creek on the 4th instant, says : —Mr Ford, the postmaster, and several other persons, having missed our local doctor, Mr Cordon, top the past two or three days, thought that lie had gone to Mr M'Laurin's station, he being in the habit of going over there ; but finding he was not there or at any of the neighbors' places, Mr Ford, this morning at eleven o'clock, went to his (the doctors) hut, and upon opening the door, found the poor old man lying upon the floor dead, his nose and nearly all the flesh eaten off his face by native cats. He had been drinking heavily for a few days previously. The poor old doctor will be inissed by a good mtiny persons lesiding about here, for he was at all times ready to attend the sick and needy without making any charge, and of kindly and generous disposition. All American editor writes thus about a display of the Auroia Borealis : "Last evening, as, soon as Tithonus had retired for the night, and was enjoying his first snooze, his spouse, the rosy fingered Aurora, daughter of the naming, snatched the saffron colored coverlet from his bed, and wrapping U about her, danced a jig in the northern sky." The deer in the Brisbane Ranges are thriving well, and multiplying very fast. Their increase in numbers and immunity from harm appear to render them bold, as the settlers in the vicinity complain that they are becoming a nuisance, by breaking into cultivated lands and damaging crops. Potatoes and mangel wurzel appear to be especially acceptable to these animals.

Admiral Rous has sent a letter to the Times about the loss of the Captain and other naval matters, which discloses the curious fact that in 1834 a ship which he commanded was paid off, and the crew (Jisperseidl, because he refused to make a false report of the qualities of the ship. He made one report, and was advised in a friendly way to make another. He refused, and the result mentioned followed. With regard to the inquiry into the loss of the Captain, the admiral .says the finding should have been —" Lost by the officer of the watch not knowing how to shorten sail or keep his men on deck." He adds:—"The truth is, the boiler has emasculated seamanship. No man can serve two will hold to the tea kettle and despise the canvas. Yon can no more rear a seaman ou a steamer than on the Bridgewater canal, and in ten years time the British seaman will be a rare bird among the sailors in the Royal Navy." He tells us that his experience in naval matters "harks back" to 1808.

" Sir," said a fierce lawyer, " do yon, on your solemn oath, declare that this is not your hand writing V fi I reckon not," was the cool reply. 'Does it resemble your hand-writing 1 " " Yes. sir , I think it don't." "Do you swear that it dont'L resemble your handwriting?" "Well, I do, old head." " You take your solemn oath that this writing does not resemble yours a smgle letter ? " " Y-e-a-s, sir." " Now how do you know ?" " 'Cause I can't wripe." *'How heavy your walk ! " exclaimed Mrs M'Whack, upon hearing her husband stumbling up stairs the other night. —" Well, my dear, if you can get a barrel of whiskey up stairs with any less noise, I should like to see how it's done," exclaimed Made. A correspondent of the CanttTbuiy Press states that the common flax-stick, pared down to a flat smooth surface, answers well as an impromptu razor strop.