THE CHURCH HILL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 293, 13 December 1870, Page 2

THE CHURCH HILL.

To the Editor of the Nelson Evening- Mail. Sir — In last night's Mail I see a letter, the writer of which comments with sorrow, and just a little bit of anger, on the demolition of the gum trees on the Church Hill. I fully agree with your correspondent " Blue Gum" that the hill which has been so tastefully planted by those whojn old

days took an interest in the appearance of the town should be preserved as an ornamental park, but for this very reason I am delighted to see that which appears to have given so much pain to the writer in question ; I refer to the rooting up of the gum trees, the most destructive species of vegetation that can possibly be introduced into au ornamental plantation. There may be two opinions as to the beauty or otherwise of the blue gum — I confess Ido not admire it — but there can be no question with regard to the mischievous iefluence it exercises upon other trees ond shrubs ip its immediate neighborhood. So greedy is it, and so determined in its efforts to extract every particle of nutriment from the soil, that it sends out its roots on a foraging expedition over a radius that in many instances exceeds 20 yards, and nothing else ha** a chance of growing within that distauce from it. The stunted and unshapely appearance of many of the English trees on the Church Hill is to be entirely attributed to the pernicious influence of the numerous gnms with which it is studded, and, to my mind, the great cause of complaint is, not that they are now being cut down, but that they were not removed three years ago. One of them in particular, near the foot of the steps, which has been stripped of its branches, is about as unsightly an object as it is possible to conceive, aad when we remember that in order to nourish its hideous frame, other trees of a far more valuable character are being deprived of the sustenance they require, we can but wonder that it has beeu suffered to offend the eyes of the frequenters of Trafalgarstreet for so long a time. One or two of these trees might be left in order that the more graceful foliage of the others might be set off by the contrast, but as for the majority of them, I would destroy them root aud branch. Yours, &c, Acacia.

of the mystic tie were to be seen wondering over the strange chance which had thrown them together. I don't profess to be able to explain the particular influence brought into play, or the kind of solace which Freemasons find in each other's company, but it is certain that the wounded men are supremely satisOed at the resuit, and that their story has given them quite a celebrity amoug their fellowsufferers. Fkench Generalship. — A medical officer of the English army who had recently paid a visit to the encampment in the Champ de Mars, writes thus to the Lancet : — At the auberge there came iu at night a French officer of the 2ud CuiFor remainder of News see Fourth page.

Tassiers — a man of great stature and of I fine appearance, of some 42 or 45 years of age — only a senior captaiu of his regictieDt. He had a hall in his arm, another in his leg — his horse bad fallen dead under him, and as he was down he was trampled on aud severely hurt in the back, and his shoulder was dislocated ; but he talked away as well and as sensibly as any •mau could do, aud much better than many of that much underrated class of officers styled "plungers" by the ignorant multitude. It was with him as with all other French officers of intelligence whom I have heard — the same admission of inferiority to their enemy in everything but the courage of the soldier. "We are •simply shot down just as if we were ducks iu a decoy, und when we did move it was to try what was impossible, aud to complete the butchery. They would not let us try to cut through till it was too late." Imagine 14 regiments of cavalry to be thus hemmed in and massacred without a chance. Everyone is " down on " M. de Failly, who is neither killed nor wounded, but who is a prisoner, and to whom his own countrymen would be worse than any Prussians. There is gieat unanimity on some points. The men abuse the officers, the officers abuse the ■Generals, the Generals say that neither officers nor men would listen to the appeals whieh were made to ihem. As to (be In tends- nee, which we have adopted as nearly as we can in the Control System (I hope "bettering the instruction"), there cannot be a doubt, according to all testimony, of its complete aud disastrous ■failure in aU except tbe enriching cf a few men. But outside aud beyond all these accusations, men and officers, and officers and meu agree in attributing their crushing defeats to what they call a new system cf tactics on the part of the Prussians. The " new system " is simply the employment of an enormously preponderating artillery (o bring a converging fire to bear on the enemy, the concealment of •their own infant! y in woods and hollows, =and the keeping their battalions out of sight till the fire of the distant guns shall have demoralised the force opposed to them, which is no longer able to meet the battalions of the infantry when they are let loose at them. This is certainly incorrect in one respect. If there is any fault to be found with the Prussian Generals, it is •that they have pushed their infantry into action too soon, and even on tbe Ist of September, though the fault was generally ■avoided, the Bavarians in tbe centre and some battalions ou tho left might have been kept under cover till the artillery had done its work. A Woman's Regatta. — The New York Times give the following account of a regatta in which a prize was offered for feminine competition :— " The ninth annual regatta of the Empire City Rowing Club was witnessed on tbe East River, opposite Harlem, on the afternoon of the 6th of September, and was chiefly noticeable in consequence of the appearence of five young oarswomen, who contested iu a single- scull boat-race ou the occasion. A very large crowd was attracted to the scene. The start of the Competitors was made about five o'clock, amidst the most lively excitement. Miss Amelia Sheehan, the daughter of a gentleman at Ward's Island, was tbe first oue of the contending party to arrive at the starting-point. She was dressed in a loose white flannel shirt, -cut Marie Antoinette style in front, with a short red petticoat and pantalettes. Her head was covered with a jaunty tight skull-cap, made of white muslin and trimmed with blue riband, her hair falling down in two long braids at the back. Tbe costume was a splendid one, and displayed tbe large and splendid physique -of the wearer to fine advantage. She was pronounced to be the heaviest and most -muscular of the five competitors. Her weight was given at 1401b5., her age being nineteen years. Her comely lace, and the magnificent position which she -maintained in her boat, won her many admirers. She seemed accustomed to handling the oars, aud used them in a very expert manner. Miss Oliva Roberts, aged •seventeen, the daughter of Mr. Stephen Roberts, the boat-builder, was one of the rivals. The latter was a blond, and wore , a light dress, her head beiDg uncovered. She weighed HOlbs. M'ss Mary Kyle, of Harlem, aged nineteen years, daughter of Kyle, the boat-builder, and another oarswoman, was also attired in a light dress, over which she wore a red Zouave jacket. A small blue turban completed iter dress. Her weight was about 1151bs.

The other two contestants included Miss M. Walton, of North Brother Island, Eust River, and Miss Annie Williams, of Staten Island. Both of the latter were dressed in ordinary street dresses. The race was rowed in 17 feet boats, the course being three miles in length. It was won by Miss Sheehan in twenty-three minutes. Miss Walton was second.