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Motueka Star, Volume II, Issue 52, 11 February 1902, Page 5

Guerilla warfare, it should he remembered, said the Hon. C. C. Bowen, in a speeoh at Ohristchursh last week, was exceedingly hard for any army to put down. In Spain, Napoleon, with all his forces, had never been able to put an end to it at all. Spain was a. ntry in comparison to South ■HHi, where it was a question of tremeudous marches and long distances, awl\yhere,''iri fact, wagin g wai was like. Qarrying on a campaign from Paris to the borders of Russia, with Switzerland its mountains thrown in. The Boers themselves were a doggedly resolute, people, \yh|> knew every inch of the country, ahtjb -.wlio when hard pressed buried their-rifles and appealed to, be honest burghers, taking their Uip, againrifterVyards: It was hard -o> put, dpy?n such a people, but, he r beRyyyd.y as, njany • Hiape. di l.

that the campaign would be sooner brought to a conclusion if ignorant persons generally, and the ignorant Boers themselves, understood that England absolutely determined .to put an end to the trouble for ever. But while there were ineri acting upon their selfconceit at the expense of their country, and talking what would in most countries be called treason, the ignorant would always think we were not in earnest.

Rapid progress is being made with the erection of the office and staff quarters in connection with the Pacific cable station at, Doubtless Bay, North of Auckland. The buildings, four in number, are being erected in wood, it is expected that the two largest (the office and the single men’s quarters) will be completed next month. The two other buildings are to be occupied by married men and their families. The total cost of the four buddings, with fencing, etc , will be about ,£SOOO. There is a probability of a teacher's appeal case being shortly heard in Taranaki district. Mr R. W. Hill, late earlier of the Stanley-road school, is dissatisfied with his dismissal from that school, and has been endeavouring to arrange for an appeal under the Act pa-sod t > give teachers such a right. It is unde stood that the Education Board has no objection to the appeal, and that a Court is likely to be set up to hear Mr Hill’s case.

Mr J. J Craig's barque Palis of Garry, Captain Thomas Mahon, has been keeping up her reputation for fast sading, having broken the record on her voyage from Newcastle, N-.5.W.. to Manila, the time occupied on the voyage being 45 days, two days of that time being -between Coi regidor entrance to Manila harbour, and the anchorage. In coming up the bay with a head wind, it was one c mtinuous bout-ship. The captain reports having made 40 tacks in 12 hours. Fortunately the barque is supplied with a donkey engine, which can be utilised in handling the heavv yards. By this means, instead of ail hands being called to tail on to the topsail braces, two,or three times during a watch, the handy little engine is put into play, and much time and trouble is saved.

That there is a deal of ignorance in otherwise well-informed circles about Australia could be illustrated by many amusing things that have happened at one time or another But the latest only may be given as a prime example of what is known about Australasia, even in places which should be the repository of all information. A Tittle while ago a man wrote to the editor, of a Liverpool (England) paper, and asked him the nest way to get to New Zealand. The reply was : “A.P. and O. steamer will take you to Sydney. From there ferry boats run across ;eveiy:few minutes.”