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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1450, 9 October 1872, Page 2

A pamphlet published, descriptive of a tour through the Waikato and Lake districts, severely deprecates the practice indulged in by visitot s of scrawling upon these beautiful natural terraces. The writer says : —" 0' er the fiat Levraces the water flows in a thin unbroken sheet ; and it is a curious fact that il has the power of rendering indelible, after a short time, any marks made with a lead pencil on the marble-like surface of the rock. This circumstance has beeu turned to account by a great many mischievous persons who have visited the spot; the consequence being that a whole terrace, instead of retaining its pristine beauty, is covered with scrawls. Some influential folks, who should have known belter, have here left their autographs for the study of those of posterity who may be interested in such subjects. Others, less influential and less well-kuown, have left records of their pedestrian feats; and future generations will know that John Smith, of Holborn, London, visited this place on the Ist ot April, after walking with his friend, Adolphus Robinson, 40 miles in as many hours. Some have left a sort of business card, so that visitors for all time may know that a railway contractor from Wales, or a chemist, or a printer from Short-land, or an umbrella merchant or a land agent from Giahanistown, once honored the spot with his presence." The London Echo, in alluding to the narrow escape of the Prince of Wales at Paris, says :—The marvellously narrow escape of the Prince of Wales from a violent death in the streets of Paris should confirm the opinion so freely expressed a few months since, thai "he is reserved for great destinies." Thanks to tie energy of the correspondents of some contemporaries, full details of how his Royal Highness* s horses took fright and dashed down the street, smashing the carriage to pieces, have been supplied. Rye-witnesses wrote thrilling accounts of that wild gallop along the Place Vend6tne, and the final crash into the laundress's cart, and described vividly the feeling of thankfulness when they saw that the carriage was empty. The Prince was indeed saved—saved by absence of body, that great safeguard against all severe accidents ! The Prince and Princess were indoors, and the carriage ~vas not one which they would have occupied had they been out of doors, for it is described a i < one of the carriages hired for the suite of the Princess. This is, indeed, ap escape to

be thankful for ! Two horses ran away with a carriage* in which he had for a moment an indirect interest, and yet he managed to escape death. Truly it is a thrilling tale of danger.