THE WEEK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 160, 6 July 1872, Page 2

THE WEEK.

Among sportsmen and pheasants the past week has been a busy one, lively for the one and fatal to the other, but to those who have been engaged in their ordinary avocations i think I may safely cay that the last seven days have proved insufferably dull and uniutere&tiug, not a single event of any public importance having occurred during that period. The domestic arrangements of the birds above mentioned have been Badly interfered with since the commencement of the present month, and many a widowed hen is now lamenting the loss of her lord and master, and many a handsome male bird been driven to seek another mate. The sport generally appears to have been good, and several capacious bap have been well filled, but pheasant shooting in these parts is no child's play, and no one need attempt it unless prepared to go in for a real hard day's work. It is somewhat questionable whether the indiscriminate shooting of birds of both sexes a3 at present allowed will not have to be put a stop to in future years, if we desire to have the country well stocked with this description of game, for tho slaughter that tukes place within the thirty-one days allowed by law is very considerable, and the birds have not yet obtained such a footing as to allow of its being carried on without reducing their numbers to such an extent as to render it doubtful whether the next breeding season will compensate for the losses inflicted during the open month. Even in Auckland, where the pheasan.ts used to be as numerous as are the skylarks here, they are now becoming very scarce, and it is said that it is in contemplation there to cause a clause to be introduced into the Act providing that male birds only shall be allowed to be shot. Such a provision, extending over, at all events, a couple of years would, I imagine, be acceptable to real sportsmen in this province. The Californian quail, which were turned out some Jew years since, are reported by the pheasant shooters to be very numerous in all parts of the country, and whereone or two of them have accidentally happened to cross the line of fire directed at a bird which it was lawful to shoot, they have invariably proved to be in excellent condition. No further news has yet b^en received from the Perseverance mine beyond the fact that " the plates are looking very well," but I hope that next week 1 may have to remark upon the highly satisfactory

result of the crushing, aa the wasbing-up is expected to take place "before the next return of the Lady Barkly from Collingwood. From the Anatori there is good news, and I have been informed by one who has recently visited that district that some few men aro actually contriving to make a living by knocking to pieces the quartz boulders to be found there, and extracting the \>n\d therefrom. A great deal has been done in a little way in obtaining minerals of ono sort or another in the district )yin£ to the northward of Takaka; who &IkiU say that n few years hence a largo miuing population will not be settled there ? The arrival of a coal ship during the week has causer] no little satisfaction to ihoso whose daily occupation brings them into contact with the cooking stove, and as another vessel is shortly expected, it is probable that tire supply of the black diamonds will not ojniin run short this winter. However, we have of late received a good practical lesson on the advantages of self-reliance, and the public are at last driven to enquire wby we should be dependent upon New South Wales to supply us with an article that exists in abundance within our own f-ounduries. With the numerous mines that we possess, tho arrival of a coal vessel in our harbor should bo looked upon aa a calamity to be deplored rather than an event upon which to congratulate ourselves. A new native industry has been brought under my notice within the last few days. Unfortunately, our export trade is not likely to be increased by the. manufacture of the article, as, so far as I am aware, there is no demand for it in foreign countries, but I merely mention the subject here as an instance of tho ingenuity of New Zealand colonists. A friend of mine, who is a runholder in the neighboring province of Mavlhoroujjh, is sorely troubled, both in mind ami porker, by the swarms of wild pigs with which. Id's run is infested, and, like many others in a similar predicament, he thought to pet, rid of the plague by offeriug n reward of, I forgot the exact sum, but, say, sixpence or a shilling a piece for tho tails of the lamb-eating, grass-devouring beasts. Ths success that attended the experiment was remarkable, so far at least as concerned the importation of tails to the station and the export of coins from his pocket, but still the auimals did not decrease in number ■ to the extent he had reasonably anticipated, indeed, he began to be impressed with the idea that it was one of the peculiarities of the Marlborough breed of pigs that they were born with tails in duplicate, but at last the mystery w»3 solved in a totally unexpected manner. In counting the pile of tails brought in by one of the Nimrods in his service, it occurred to my friend that ihcre was something peculiar in the feel of one of them, which induced him to examine if, whereupon ho discovered that it consisted of n piece of the skin neatly rolled up in such a way as to constitute a very faithful imitation of the caudal appendage of his enemies. I have not heaid what followed, but I can easily imagine that the scene which ensued was such as in newspaper phraseology would " beggar description." It is clear, however, that we have yefc at our command undeveloped resources such as we have never yet dreamed of, and so I conclude this letter with the oft repeated sentiment, "Advance New Zealand." F.