THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 279, 26 November 1870, Page 2

THE WEEK.

0 A newspaper paragraph on "the weather and the crops" always gives rise to a suspicion in my mind that the writer was at a loss for a theme for a " local," aud in sheer despair had determined to enlarge upon a subject with regard to which every one of his readers must necessarily be as well informed as himself. Now, I am going to lay myself open to just such an imputation, but for this reason, that I do not think a reference to the events of the week would be complete without alluding to the glorious showers that have falleu since I last wrote, and which have had such a beneficial effect ou the agricultural aud horticultural interests. After the long drought from which we have been suffering, it is useless to expect such yields of corn as might have been looked for had the weather proved more favorable; still, a vast amount of good has been done by Tuesday and Wednesday's rain, aud the farmers look forward to the harvest with brighter hoped than they dared to indulge in a week ago. The word "harvest" reminds me that the Supreme Court has been sitting during the week, nnd that the lawyers have been hard at work gathering in their harvest, and, apparently, they have every reason to be satisfied with the stores that have found their way into their garners. The members of the legal profession have a great advantage over the farmers in one respect, for — on this circuit at least, I don't know whether it is the same elsewhere — they have three harvests in the year, while they very profitably employ the intervals in gleaning; iv addition to this, they need not trouble themselves about sowing; they can very well leave that to others, and all that is neessary for them to do is simply to wait until the corn is ripe, when they have merely to put iv their sickles — leaping machines I think some of them must use for they do occasionally harvest an enormous quautity in a day — and the golden grain falls before them iv showers. To drop metaphor and come down "to facts — dou't some of the late suitors wish they could reverse this order of things and lose sight of tacts? — this going to law is an exceedingly expensive amusement, aud we have had one instance this week in which I ihe dropping off a document of a two- | shilling stamp has involved ono side at j lcuxt in an expense that, is not very easy ; lor the uninitiated to calculate. The criminal business did not occupy ! long ; the unhappy mau Harris, late subj treasurer on the Coast, having pleaded i guilty, thus saving an immense deal of

time aud trouble. One miserable little cuse that no jury should ever have been asked to waste their time over, was sent up. from Marlborough, and called forth a cutting piece of sarcasm from the Judge that will, doubtless, rankle in the breast of the committing magistrate for some time to come. The prisoner, whoso offence consisted of a common assault, appears to have declared himself to be a Fenian, and . this, said his Honor, seems to have had the same effect upon the magistrate as the sight of a red rag upon a bull; with a i holy horror of such unrighteous principles as were professed to ba held by the prisoner he was filled with alarm, aud deemed it necessary to set iv motion the whole paraphernalia of tlie Supreme Court to deal with so dangerous a character. The Judge marked his sense of the gravity of the crime by sentencing the prisoner lo a whole week's imprisonment. I have omitted to mention the meeting of shareholders of the Perseverance Company, at which the matters before the meeting were discussed with an earnestuess aud moderation which showed that there was a real desire ou the pure of those present to smooth away, if possible, the difficulties that now stand in the way of workinji the mine; and it is to ba hoped that at the uext meeting, to he held on Monday, some means may he devised of overcoming all the obstacles that have cropped np. I hear some taik of an attempt to wind up the coinpatny under certain circumstances, hut I do trust that the good sense of all concerned will prevent the first undertaking of tiio kind in Nelson being brought to aa untimely end in such a manner. I see that among your various correspondents you can number one of au astronomical turn of mind. I read his letter on Jupiter's satellites with considerable interest, and determined upon testiug the discovery he had made' that these satelites could be discerned by reflecting them in a common mirror. Unfortunately, untiL last night the weather was not favorable , to making observations of this kind, but thea, taking advantase of the clear sky, I sallied forth looking-glass in hand aud posted myself ou au eminence just out of town waiting for the rising of the planet. Immediately on its appearing over the hills I turned my back on it and with the glass in front of me I soon obtained a view of it in all its brilliancy, and there, to my intense delight, were to be seeu two satellites, of a size which made them look For remainder of News see Fourth page.

"as if they would he suns." In son -to astonishment I jjazed at the strange -sight, and visions appeared before my •saiiid's eye of two whole columns of a "•news-paper being devoted to a paper read hy ''F" before the Scientific Association too ** A simple aud inexpensive method of firying into the secrets of the starry host." however, I bad dropped my •B-irror, « liicli was of an oblong form, aud, o« my first observation, had been held by <siw? in a longitudinal positiou. Picking ■it tup, 1 uiicoiiß<-iously held it. in a different .atfMiuoer on taking my second view of the i'-rilli-mf planet, and then to my nstonish'3m*tit and t-urpiise I found that the ■■satellites whirl- when first I saw them •were above and below the star, were vow •od t^thi r side <f it. Wondt rs on wonders •aotuiti plied ! Here was I, a poor mortal, villi the trifling aid of a bit of glass smear> d with quicksilver, able to alter at •wiH the positiou of stars thousands of taaik'-s uway. A tht ill of delight passed through mi-* as I gloated over my «ewly discovered power, and on looking ■mtrn^e more* I lound that I had so shifted tie pi-S'tion of my mirror that now Sirius, ■amir! not Jupiter, was reflected by it. Now, 1 _tad iiever heard of Sirius beiDg attended hy satellites, and yet there they. were ! _tfj little bit. of glass was not it erely the <_ii-«ioser, not only hail it the power of -moving, but i' was a mi nufacturtr of, satel-WtU-el 'Hie thought flushed across mt" either aStat, I was the victim of an optical delusio«, or that I had made a discovery which -s-ould liiise ir.e to the level of a Newton ■w s» Galileo. I detei miued on one final •©_*-•s.. Dew-ending ftom the contemplation <©t bodies celestial, I fixed rr-y gaze on an -«iject terrestrial. A lamp was burning at >-tix3 corner of a street with all the brilliancy *4li«t. kero.-iue and cotton wick could impart. I placed my plass in position ; I •***•«•_ Id see the steady flame reflected on its >rjK'!i«4K.d euiface, and, strange to relate, I also discern accomp-jnying satellites, -wt-k-i shifted iheir relative position tc <lie bright luminary in accordance witli •'■Jhe -iikh Hiii-r ts ot my minor. For the isiflme I "-bail read " Star Gazer's" commutes i-fa-lions with some little degree of suspi-•«i©-a, ant! — wish reference to the scientific paper I spoke of — I have made up toy •st-iod to defer its preparation for a short -Seme. A cricket epidemic has lately made its --appearance amongst us, and is now raging -with great virulence. In the early part of •ihe week a match was played between the "Takaka and Riwaka clubs, terminating ia _S_v©r of the former ; yesterday, the Artisans met the Collegians, when tbe latter jptroved victorious; and to-day the Nelson «ljacnpions do battle with their brethren of Motueka and Riwaka. It is a pity that -tftte efforts to revive cricketing amongst «s are so spasmodic, and that the fine •*oW game is not carried out in a systematic •Manner. As matters stand at present, a --cricket field iv Nelson displays a slovenliness and a want of discipline that would 'ftcrrify an English schoolboy. A good ** -coach" is sadly wanted. We have been eagerly looking for the --arrival of the Omeo on the coast with the '3-ea-ult of the Melbourne races, but up to 't&e time of my writing she has not put in •*j_u appearance. Were it not for the tele'^rapb wires, we should have been cut off '._Wrn all communication with tbe other rjmrts of New Zealand for the last six •^-ays, not a boat of auy description having -cufcered our port since Sunday last. The ■$msy times for which we ate all so anxious -are etill iv the womb of the ful ore. F.