CANTERBURY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 50, 6 January 1872, Page 4

CANTERBURY.

The “ Oamaru Times” of December 26 says:—Since our last very high northwesterly winds have prevailed. On Friday night foot-passengers ran a risk of being blown away in the streets; shutters were blown down, and the trees stripped of their leaves. The temperature has also been excessively warm, indeed the heat has been almost painfully oppressive—at 10.30 on Saturday the thermometer marked 95 in the shade and 120 in the sun. A farmer at Orari believed, it appeared, so thoroughly in the honesty of his fellow-men, that he left his front door unlocked whilst absent with his family during a portion of Christmas Day. Upon his return, they found to their dismay, that all the good Christmas dainties provided had utterly disappeared, and not a vestige of them was anywhere to be found. From signs in the room, it was evident that the rascally thieves were biped. The kettle had been boiled, tea made, and the intruders evidently had enjoyed themselves « muchly.” Not only did they eat to their hearts content, but what was too bulky to consume there and then, they must have —putting all manners aside—“pocketed.” There was a fearful gale in Burke’s Pass on Friday, the 22nd. A heavy nor’wester commenced about 5 p.m., but soon settled into a heavy gale. About 10 p.m. it blew the roof off Messrs Wareiug and Smith’s back part of their store, parts of which were carried a distance of about 300 yards. In fact, i f the entire roof of the store had not been securely lashed with ropes, it must have gone. The same night the roof of Messrs Strachey and Hawdon’s woolshed, recently erected, was entirely blown away, and damage done to the extent of about £l5O. Some of the sheets of iron were blown to a distance of about half-a-mile on to the plain. The gale did not extend to a great distance in the Mackenzie Country, for at Grey’s Hill Station, a distance of twentyfour miles from Burke’s Pass, there was scarcely any wind at all. The Christchurch “ Press” of the 19th intant says :—A somewhat serious attempt at murder occurred last evening,

at Craddock’s hoarding-house, St Asaph street. So far as we can learn, it appears that Craddock has been for some time on unfriendly terms with his stepson, who is a.cripple, and that last evening he struck at him with a knife, inflicting a serious wound in the cheek. Immediately afterwards Craddock made off, and up to midnight had not been arrested by the police. A fatal accident occurred on Saturday last atßangiora (Canterbury) to a youth, a son of Mr A. Barnard, through being thrown from a butcher's cart belonging to Mr G. Cone, the horse of w'hich had bolted, and one of the wheels passing over his neck. Another in the vehicle with him had a narrow escape.