Untitled

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 115, 17 May 1877, Page 2

The Dunedin Star says that in the case of war with Russia the Duke of Edinburgh will find himself in a dilemma, as he cannot resign his command of H.M. Sultan in the face of the enemy, nor can he, with any decency, knock his father-in-law's forts about hia ears or smash up his ships, but we suppose he will have to do it or resign his commission. The scene of the late mining rush at West Taieri, Otago, has been completely deserted. Gold was got from most of the holes that were put down, but not enough to pay, there being very little washdirt. One shaft on the hill was sunk to a depth of 49ft. The prospect claim ws driven up hill 10ft, but with the rise of the bed rock the gravel ran nearly out leaving the bare color of gold. Something ought to be done (says the Argus) to exterminate the rats. Just now the City of Wellington is overrun with them, not only do they enter our houses and destroy all they can eat, &c, but they even attack persons in bed. Several instances hava lately come under onr notice. Only last week Mr T. Crosbie was startled in his sleep by feeling something at his ear, which proved to be a large rat. Springing out of bed he managed to kill it before it reached its hole,;thus preventing any further mischief from such a dangerous man-eater. A short time ago an extract from the Field, a Home sporting journal, went the round of the New Zealand Press. The paragraph stated that the Oaks Stakes of the Lancashire Coursing Club was won by a slut named Tuapehi Times, owned by Mr Thompson, who had named it after a newspaper belonging to a friendof his in New Zealand. The L. V. Gazette says:— We had been puzzling our brains to guess who this friend could be when a few days ago Mr Wm. Evans informed us that it was Mr James Thompson, formerly of the Blue Spur, who lost his sight by a powder blast while at work in his claim. As good fortune would have it, Mr Thompson was a large shareholder in the Perseverance Company's claim, and btained a good round sum for his shares, which were purchased by Mr Margetts, so that he did not require to be dependent upon his friends in his sad calamity. It seems that he has taken to coursing as a pastime, and yet it is very singular how a blind man can find amusement in sport of such an animating description. Mr Evans informs us that this now celebrated Tutpeka Times courser won £30 on the event. The G. S. Argui of Monday says:— Since Saturday evening the weather has been frightful — continuous rain and wind storms. On Saturday, shortly after midnight, and continuing with .but short intervals during the whole of the night, there was one of the heaviest gales we ever remember to have experienced. It commenced from the S.W., and then veered round to the opposite point of the compass, the gusts of wind coming down more like blows than anything else, shaking every house to its foundation, in several instances doing considerable damage. Trees were blown down or shattered in many places, whilst [roofs were damaged and windows broken in several streets. The rain fell heaTily all day yesterday and the river rapidly rose, but as no doubt the rainfall would assume the form of snow up the valley, there is no reason to anticipate any serious flood.

The Otago Daily Timet, in an artioie drawing attention to the defenceless state of the colonial ports, thus refers to Dunedin in particular:—" The rich booty, moreover, that lies at the mercy of any privateering vessel in these seas would tempt any power to come and seize it. Here iv Dunedin there is money, as the phrase is, * sticking out ' for the first vessel that ranges itself outside the Ocean Beach and threatens the city with bombardment unless its requisition meets with a prompt response. What defence have we under such circumstances? Absolutely none. Let our volunteers be as valorous as they are held to be by their warmest admirers, they cannot all swim, and if they could, they could not capture the cruiser by deft natation. We bave a Naval Brigade which is full of daring no doubt, but which would look very small indeed in the face of a decent cruiser with half a dozen guns. We have a few somewhat old, though, no doubt excellent guns, which are admirably adapted for firing a salute, but which would be of little use for defensive purposes." The Melbourne Argus states states that the rewards paid by the Victorian Government for the capture of sharks in the waters of the bay now amount in the aggregate to the sum of £62 Us 6d. The number of sharks brought to the various police stations since the offer of a reward was published amounts to 846. Of these 735 were caught at Sandridge, 5 at Footscray, 16 at Williamstown, 20 at Mornington, and 70 at Brighton. The latter place may also be credited with six more which have not been officially returned. One of the sharks was a monster, measuring about 16ft in length, and weighing about a ton; but the majority were over 2ft and under sft in length. The sum expended in the destruction of such a large number of these dangerous visitants to our shores has been well spent, and it is to be hoped that tbose engaged in the pursuit of shark fishing will find it sufficiently lucrative to encourage them to persevere,

Mr Walker, the spirit ahd trance medium; has been lecturing on "Genesis and Geology." The Press generally speaM of him as a rank impostor, but it appears^he has aliiost made a convert of the Rev Mr Edgar, who occupied the chair at the lecture helH in,. Auckland. That gentleman, at the closebf tfie discourse^ declared he was puzzled, but asserted that if Mr Walker were an impostor he could wish that there were many more such impostors in Auckland. The Star says:— "The tendency of the lecture, amid a wild mass of words of extraordinary length, as far as we could understand it, .was to Undermine, if not to banish altogether, the principles of Christianity; to establish a belief in cold materialism; to sow the seeed of scepticism in the minds of yonth; and to rob the world of their hope of a blessed immortality through the Saviour." It is an old but true saying that "One fool makes many," and Mr Walker appears to be gulling a very large number of people in Auckland.

Referring to a statement which has found currency to the effect that Hobart Pasha at one time served as a midshipman ou board the Calliope, a correspondent, "S. E. W.," :has sent us (Post) the following interesting letter:— "ln your issue of the sth instant, under the head of telegramsfrom Auckland, I find tbat Hobart Pasha is mentioned as having been a midshipman iv tbe Calliope, when cruising on this coast in 1847-8. I must beg;to correct this error, as the Hon. A. C. Hobart was serving in the samis ship (H.M.S.S. Rattler) with me as second-lieut. in 1845-6, when he was esteemed as a rising officer and true gentleman in every sense of the word, sanspeur etsansrepioche. There was a daring young officer, then a mate, named H. F. M'Kellop, who was in the Calliope in the years mentioned, and who did good work while detached on service in a gunboat in these waters. 1 served two years with this officer when he commanded H.M. gunboat Snake, employed in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov during the Crimean war, and he gained the admiration of the whole fleet for his intrepid and gallant conduct. His vessel was -constantly engaged against the enemy's forts and shipping, but her greatest achievement was that when she engaged the whole of the forts and shipping at Yenakite for a long time, single-handed, succeeded in cutting off many of the enemy's vessels and sinking a gunboat. This was when the entrance to the Sea of Azov -was forced, and proved one of the last blows that brought the war to an issue. It would fill too much space to mention all this officer's deeds during that war, and I have mentioned this much knowing that there are still many here who remember the wild young officer of the Calliope. Both officers are now Post Captains in H.M. navy. I trust you can find space in your valuable journal to bring the above facts relating to two gallant officers into notice, and to correct an error."