TAURANGA.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1616, 2 October 1874, Page 378

TAURANGA.

(FROM OT7H COttItICSPODDENT.) [BY KLECTEIC TELEGRAPH. | Ist Ostobcr. The Pretty Jane has just arrived from Gisborne, ten days out; blowing heavily all the time. She was unable to make headway, owing to having a cargo of sheep, of which she lost 250. The passengers had for some days been living on mutton, beim? out of provisions. 1.30 p.m.—The gale is increasing, accompanied by squalls. The Pretty Jane is in a dilemma, wanting coals, The 8.8. Southern Cross reports the weather along the coast as fearful ; her sails were blown away. Owing to the fierceness of the gale, she was unable to enter Ohiwa. She bumped heavily on the bar, but fortunately swung round out of danger and returned to Tauranga. Both vessels remain in Port till the weather moderates. The ironwork of the Waikato bridge at Ngaruawahia will be landed from the City of Auckland, ship, shortly. It weighs 133 tons. Destructive fires have occurred at Kiama, New South Wales. A telegram dated 10th September, reports : —A day or two ago some farmers were clearing by burning off, and the great, gale which blew on Sunday last has caused the fires to spread with great rapidity over the Jamberoo and Saddle Back mountains, Kiama, covering a country of ten or. twelve miles, thereby destroying large quantities of timber and fencing. Five families escaped with their lives, but their residences and property have been destroyed. The Wanganui Chronicle, 23rd September, says :—The indications recently manifested by the Wanganui Maoris of a wish to break through the trammels of the Land League formed in this district have speedily ripened into action on their parr, and the result could scarcely have been anticipated by the public, although it may not be surprising to those versed in the real state of affairs on the West Coast. The Maoris now are as eager to sell their lands as a short time ago they were reluctant ; and the (iovernment, for whom Mr Booth is acting, have made preliminary arrangements with Kemp, on behalf of the native owners, for the purchase of more than a million acres, situated" in different localities, mostly in Wellington Province, but some portion, we believe, within the borders of Taianaki. We have not heard of any money having been paid on account, but the arrangements are so far advanced that the survey of the blocks will, we understand, be at once begun. How important an influence the acquisition of such a large tract of country will have upon the prosperity of Wanganui can be seen by any person conversant with the district. One day hist week, says the Ballarat correspondent of the "Pleasant Creek News," a young couple were united in the bunds of wedlock, at Ballarat. A few days before the wedding some friends spoke to the bride elect respecting the wedding presents. " Well," she replied, "you are very kind, and as you have mentioned the matter, I may state that I should prefer something useful to my husband and myself." Nothing more was said on either side, but when the happy couple went to their house after the church (for they were too wise to fool away money on their wedding trip), they found the following few useful articles had been sent them by some real friends —a 2001 b. bag of (lour, keg of potted butter, several yards of flannel and calico, a complete set of kitchen utensils, qunrter-ci-est mixed tea, Img of sugar, useful clock, side of bacon, plain but neat set of crockery-ware, knives, forks, spoons, and glassware, two good winter dresses (in the piece) complete set of bedding, and enough household groceries to last for at least six months; added to this, a receipt for a year's rent of the cottage was laid on a parlor table, and so also were two £lO notes, pinned on a piece of paper, on which was written—"To purchase something useful." Were not these nice presents? and how much better for young folks starting housekeeping than a lot of jewellery and trasli! Without lifting the veil from what is and ought to be sacred —a newly formed home--1 may state the delight of the good little wife, on viewing her treasures, was only equalled by that of the deserving young fellow who now possesses her,

Last year New Zealand imported £15,000 worth of toys. A good story has been going the. round of the Empire City. A member of the Lower Chamber received an invitation to dine at Government House, and on a certain evening presented himself, in full evening costume, to the astonishment of his Excellency's household. There was nothing for it hut to show the hon. member for Some-place into the dining-room, \ where were only seated the members of his Excellency's family. Ultimately, the truth flashed across the hon. gentleman's mind that there must be a mistake, and a glance at his card showed him that he came the wrong evening. His feelings may be imagined ; and there are some people spiteful enough to say that he was never before known to have so completely lost his appetite. ; Of all the novel industries yet heard of in Victoria, the following is perhaps the newest: "We have received from the manager of the Colac Meat-preserving Works (says the Hamiltou Spectator) a sample tin of plum pudding, requiring only twenty minutes' immersion in boiling water to render it fit for the table. Such little luxuries will no doubt be appreciated in the bush, where people would rather go puddingless than commit themselves to the serious undertaking of preparing the time-honored dainty. If meat becomes 100 dear for the process of tinning, there should still be a vast field open to the colonial preserving factory. Rabbits and kangaroos should be plentiful enough, and hares will he numerous by-and-by. The jams, pickles, sauces, bottled fruits, and most of the other articles forming the stock-in-trade of a grocery store, should all be manufactured in the colony; and there is no occasion to send to the other side of the globe for them. But readymade puddings are even a step beyond these; and we must do the manager the justice to say that the only fault found by our household with his sample package was, that there was not enough of it." Some people (says the Thames Star) are very unreasonable in the matter of their communications to a newspaper, and the most unreasonable are those persons whose contributions are worthless. Yesterday a man called at the publishing office and left the following, written on a small piece of pap*r,' with the request that it might be inserted as a "ioeal:"— Cheer up darling why arf thou looking cold pure love is warmer than retarted Gold No notice was taken of the matter further than to receive the precious missive courteously. Immediately after the Star was published the individual who had left the very small contribution called again, and demanded in indignant terms to know why his "local" had not been inserted, and threatening dire vengeauce on all concerned. In fear and trembling for our personal safety we publish the local, but implore the writer to spare us for the future, We would further suggest in the most polite terms that the man's friends look after him. His personal liberty is jeopardized—or will be if we hear from him again. A man named Frederick Gill, a carrier, met with his death by an accident on the Karori road, Wellington, on the 15th inst., At half-past 6 p.m., he was seen alive and quite sober; an hour later he was found by a carpenter named Clark, lying under his cart, one of the shafts pressing heavily on his face and chest. Clark had just previously heard thenoiseof the cart capsizing. Gill was partly under the horse, which was lying quite quietly between the shafts. Clark tried to extricate the poor m.'in, who was then quite insensible, but without success: he next procured assis* tance, and the horse was taken off the deceased, who was placed in the cart and taken towards Wellington. Dr Grace, who had been sent for, met them and examined Gill, whom he found quite dead. In Dr Grace's opinion, based upon a careful examination, death was caused by strangling There was no evidenc to show in what manner the accident occurred ; and whether the man fell asleep in the cart, and the horse wandered off the proper track, or whether the animal became restive or shied, so upsetting the vehicle where the road is very narrow and sided by a steep bank, can only be surmised. The jury returned a verdict of '• Accidental death." An amusing illustration asto how border duties can be evaded, and how the pawnbroker is somtimes taken in, came to light nt the Melbourno City Court lately. A man named James Nesbiit, says the Age, who resided for some time on toe other side of the Murray, wishing to migrate to Victoria, sold all his household goods, with the exception of a teapot and cruet-staud, two family relics, which he supposed to be silver. Knowing that these were dutiable goods, Nesbitt—so he stated in court-put them in the melting pot, crossed the Murray triumphantly, de* feated the Custom House officers, and arrived with the metal all safe in the metropolis. On the 30th. ult. he went to the pawnbroker's shop of one Asher Philips, and placed the remains of the teapot and cruet on the table for inspection. The pawnbroker submitted the metal to a private test, and appeared so well satisfied with its genuineness that he gave Nesbett £5 9s 6d. for the lot, Philips, being new at the trade, submitted the metal to others older in business, and finally to an assayer, One said it was tin, another zinc, a third lead, hut none of them pronouneed the metal to be silver. Philips then hurried away and procured a warrant for Nesbitt for ohtainiug money under false pretences. He was brought up before the City Benin on the charge, but on his promising to reimburse Philips was discharged,