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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 101, 29 April 1881, Page 2

The Taranaki Budget of Saturday says:— A large shark fifteen feet long encountered the whaleboat Faugh-a-Ballagh while out iv the roadstead on Sunday morning. The monster attacked the boat and seized hold of the Bteer oar, capsiziDg the coxswain, and taking a piece out of the oar of fully eight inches. Making a second appearance alongside the boat the shark was rewarded with two severe thumps on the head from the stroke-oar of the boat, and then disappeared. The greatest prizeß of English clerical life, from a pecuniary point of view, are the headrnasterßhips of the great public schools. Those of Eton and Harrow are worlh from £5000 to £7000 a year, and those of Westminster, Winchester, Rugby, Charter House, and Merchant Tailorß are worth from £2400 to £4000 a year, including the spacious abodes attached to them. The heads of colleges at Oxford and Cambridge do not, for the most part, reoeiye nearly so raircb,

In order not to desecrate the Sunday, steamers are not allowed to " whistle" when leaving Wellington on that day. Some people have lost their passage in consequence. Mr A. Brogden, M.P., and Mr Lawson, late Commissioner of Railways, who paid New Plymouth a visit during the period of turf carnival, wcro obliged to go to Waitara for sleeping accommodation, as oven a shake-down was uot to be had at a premium in town.

On Palm Sunday in Dunedin sprigs of a native shrub similar to the palm tree were distributed to the faithful in the Komau Catholic churches.

Apples 14 inches round are the latest " uuconsidered trifles " i>roduced by Olago nurserymen. We learu that out of the total sum to be collected in the Auckland Provincial District for laud tax, only abcut £400 remain unpaid. That., out of between £30,000 and MOfiOO of a tax only so small a sum should still be due, is absolutely wonderi'ul. A Highlandmau waited upon the Rangitikei Highway Board with a grievance, but, in his fervour, dispensed with the dialect of the once bated Southron, and went at the members of lhe Board in Gaelic. The ActingCbairiuan (Mr Simpaou) replied to him in the language of his fathers, which so delighted him tint he waived his grievance and went away delighted. The " gift of tongues " is sometimes a blessing it would appear. A Galveston man met a gentleman from Northern Texas, and asked how a certaiD mutual friend waa coming on. "He is doing very well," was the reply. " What business is he at ?" "He has got the softest thing in tha world of it. He bought a lot of Mexican donkeys at San Antonio ior 3dols apiece, and having taken them up to hi^ riincbo, he clears 27d01s a- head on them."' "Do they bring such high prices ?" "No ; but he lets the railroad trains run over them, and the company has to pay him 30dols apiece for tium, Mrs Youngwoinan wants to know "what is the best way to mark table linen?" Leave the baby and a blackberry pie alone at the table for three minutes.

The Bulletin states that certain of the Sydney Civil servants have received an of h'uial notice that, should it bs discovered they borrow from money-lenders on the security of their salaries, they will rendei themselves liable to dismissal. There is » rumor that duplicate orders to draw the sauie salary gave rise to the above.