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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4171, 3 August 1874, Page 2

The contract with Messrs. MoMeclcan, Blackwood, and Co., of Melbourne, for a mail service between Melbourne and New Zealand, in connection with the Suez mail, eSctends to the end of August, 1876. The cost of the double voyage is £384 12s. 4d. One preliminary step has been taken by the Provincial authorities to place the pilot service of the ports of the Province on a proper footing. In a Gazette of Priday last, the Superintendent proclaims that, by virtue of powers vested in him, certain rules set forth for the examination and appointment of pilots shall come into force from and after the first instant. The rules, briefly stated, are—that there shall be a Board of Examination composed of nautical officers, not less than two in number, and one of whom shall have a thorough knowledge of the port in respect of which candidates may have to be examined; that candidates for appointment as pilots shall be British subjects, not less than twenty-five years of age, and possess certificates of good conduct and sobriety, with a medical certificate that he is in good health ; that candidates at the port of Wellington must have served at least one year as master of a square-rigged sailing vessel of not less than two hundred tons register ; that candidates at Wanganui and Manawatu must have served at least one year as master or mate of sailing vessels trading to bar harbors ; and that each candidate will be examined on the following subjects ;—His knowledge of the harbor and quarantine regulations, commercial code, and the New Zealand local, harbor, and bar signals, rules of the road, lights, fog and distress signals, working ships in narrow water or amongst shipping ; also as to his first duty in going on board and before taking charge of a vessel; mooring and unmooring ; getting under weigh, bringing up in light and strong winds, or in a tide-way ; keeping a ship clear of her anchor in a roadstead or river, and marks of the lead line ; also as to his knowledge of the harbor, river, or roadstead, and their approaches (as the case may be), its depth of water, rise, fall, and set of the currents at various times of the tide ; the’ line of soundings ; banks, rocks, or other dangers, with directions for clearing the same ; the position of buoys and their description, also lights and beacons j the proper time of tide to get under way, and any other nautical matter the Board may think proper. The following gentlemen have been appointed as. a Board of Examination :—Commander J. Dudley, B. Hewitt, B.N. ; Captain B. Johnson, Marine Assessor ; Captain J. Holliday, Harbor Master. In the report of the debate in the Legislative Council on the Constitution Act Amendment Bill an omission occurred that rendered it unintelligible. After the Hon. Colonel Kenny’s amendment was lost, the Hon. Mr. Campbell moved another amendment—that the Bill be read a’ second time that day six months. It was the carrying of this latter amendment that disposed of the measure. In the report of Mr, Stafford’s speech in the House of Kepresentatives, on the State Forests Bill, it was said—“ the hon. member doubted the practicability of creating new forests.” The words “ for Clutha,” after “ hon. member” were accidentally omitted. And in the last line of the report £IOO,OOO appeared instead of £IO,OOO. Very satisfactory accounts continue to be received in Wellington, through private hands, from the reefing districts of the Inangahua and the Lyell. For several months past this has been the case, but latterly the accounts have been more favorable than hitherto, and they are fully, though cautiously, confirmed by the local newspaper's. From the Lyell it is stated that some very rich stone has again been obtained—this time in the Monte Christo claim, while from Keeftou there comes satisfactory reports from such claims as the Eldorado, Just-iu-Time, Golden Fleece, and No. 2 Larry’s. In one telegram which we have seen it is stated that some of the richest stone yet found in the district has been obtained in a claim which has not yet been of any note. Altogether, from the reports to hand by telegraph, letter, and newspaper, there seems to be a very fair future before the reefing districts of Nelson Province, and, in view of°the interest which is likely to be shortly taken in the reefs, we could suggest to the manager of the Press Telegraph Agency that the addition of a reliable correspondent to his staff in these districts would be a valuable accession to the good work which he already does for the Press and the public. A good practice at football was at last obtained at the Basin Beserve on Saturday afternoon, when a scratch match was played in the presence of a large number of spectators, including many of the fail - sex. The game was kept up with much spirit until late in the evening, when the rain caused an abrupt termination. As the ground was rather soft the numerous “spills” did not improve the appearance of competitors, especially those who donned the new uniforms. The Melbourne papers have the fallowing paragraph in their telegrams of English news from Adelaide in anticipation of the last mail: —“General Latour has brought a suit_ in Chancery against the Government, claiming 1,000,000 acres of land, in consideration of having, forty years ago, expended £30,000.in conveying emigrants to the Colony. The claim was rejected.”

' A meeting of the Education Board is appointed to be held to-day, at 11 a.m. The exports from England to New Zealand for the month of May were valued at £489,909. The Pera, which brought the last Suez mail to Melbourne, delivered the (Adelaide portion of the mails at Gleuelg in 38 J days from London. She made the passage from Galle in 171 days. The quantity of gold exported from New Zealand in the quarter ending on the 30th of June was 91,1750z5. The total quantity shipped from the Ist of April, 1857, to the 30th June last, was 7,423,7100z5., valued at £28,873,351. The following is a return of patients in the Provincial Hospital during and ending the month of July, 1871 :—Admitted —Males, 8 ; females, 1. Discharged—Males, 8 ; females, 2. Died—Nil. Left in Hospital—Males,, 25 ; females, 4. Total in Hospital, 29. Tlie home papers state that the sketches taken by Mr. N. Chevalier in New Zealand and Australia, in connection with the Duke of Edinburgh's visit, are to have the place of honor in the new mansion in course of erection for the Duke of Edinburgh. Travellers between Foxton and Palmerston, and in that district generally, will be pleased to learn that Mr. IV. H. Brightwell is about supplying a long-felt want, in the shape of a hotel at the Oroua Bridge. The hotel is to be a large building well fitted up, with ample accommodation for the public. The following telegram, received by MessrsRussell, Ritchie & Co., from their London agents, has been kindly placed at the disposal of the Otago Daily Times for publication : “ Brisk demand for wool between the sales, and next series likely to be very good. Bank of England rate of money remains at three per cent, and not likely to be raised.” “New regulations,” the Melbourne Argus remarks, will shortly be issued by the Forest Board “ for the control of State forests. The Board was established in March last, and Messrs. Brough Smyth and C. Hodgkinson were the original members. Upon the retirement of Mr. Hodgkinson from the public service, Mr, Archer, Secretary for Land, and Mr. Wallis, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, were appointed members.” It is pleasing to notice that New Zealand is uot unrepresented at the sales of thoroughbred horse stock in Melbourne. A fortnight ago at a sale of horses by Messrs. McCulloch, Campbell and Co., Gladiator, a son of the celebrated French horse Gladiateur, out of Nunoia, was bought for 500 guineas by Mr. Shields, and comes to this Colony. Gladiator is described as a very level bloodlike chesnut horse, and remarkably cheap at the price paid for him. ifgWe observe that the party of English observers who are coming to Australia to watch the transit of Venus, were to leave England in the first week of July. The party consists of Major Pahner, R.E., chief astronomer ; Lieut. Crawford, R.N., astronomer ; and Lieutenant Darwin, R.E., astronomer and photographer ; accompanied by Mr. Burton, astronomer and photographer of the Kerguelen party. In the course of the debate in the House on Friday night last on the New Zealand Forests Bill, Sir C. Wilson explained “ the mysterious law” which had been spoken about earlier in the evening, so far, at least, as it referred to the forests of the country. He said that much of the native trees were of a kind the roots of which did not penetrate deep into the soil, but stretched for a considerable distance close to the surface. When roads were formed and settlement proceeded draining followed, the roots lost their usual supply of water, and the trees began to decay. As to the protection of : the forests, he went even farther than the Ministry, and would like to see them bring ina Bill such as existed in Victoria, to punish severely the careless use of lire, through which so much injury had been done to the forests in New Zealand. - “Grif” was played for the sixth consecutive time at the Theatre Royal on Saturday evening, and its performance gave evident satisfaction to a large audience in the stalls and pit.. It is rarely that any play has had such a successful run on the Wellington stage; but the the rarity is not to be wondered at, the plot being colonial, the performers being competent, and the play itself an admirable conversion into drama of Mr. Farjeon’s attractive story. On Saturday evening, the company acted with much spirit; and the scene representing the diggers’ dancing-saloon, was improved materially by the presence of Mr. Eugene Beda, and. by the clever stepdancer of the company, appearing on the real stage, instead of on the smaller one which is introduced in the scene, after the fashion of Hamlet’s players. Mr. Beda both danced and sang, and he is evidently acquiring a skill in the “fantastic” use of his one foot with which it would be puzzling for many accomplished bipeds to compete. For the past few months, he has been travelling on the West Coast of the Middle Island as his own agent, manager, and acrobatic and terpsichorean company, and constant practice has given him an extraordinary degree of perfection in the arts which the accident from which he suffered has induced him to adopt. With the acting of Miss Rosa Towers, the audience could not help being delighted, her appropriate action, emphasis, and expression showing how perfect was her conception of the character. As Nicholas Nuttall, Mr. Towers made much amusement out of small material; and Mrs. Towers proved herself to be decidedly his “betterhalf.” This evening, Rosa is to appear as “The Little Devil,” and Miss Raymond as “ The Bonnie Fishwife and to-morrow evening, the entertainment is to be under the patronage of Hia Excellency Sir James Pergusson, when it is understood that “The Waif of the Streets ” will be reproduced. Unfortunately for the proprietor, the Inclemency of the weather on Saturday night prevented many from attending the Colossean Pantascope. This is to be regretted, as it is one of those few entertainments in which information is combined with amusement. The pictures are admirably painted, and, but for the canvas being moved, one could almost fancy he was looldng on reality. It might be suggested that while the mutation of scenes is taking place the curtain should be lowered, or other means adopted to shut out the change from view of the spectators. There is something repugnant to our sense of what is right to see a ship in full sail, with a fair wind, going fast astern; or a horse galloping over the prairie, making similar unsuccessful headway. Another rich goldfield is likely, in consequence of the Ashantee war, to be added to the long list of those already discovered. Captain Glover seems to have discovered exceedingly rich gold-bearing ground. After his return from Africa he was entertained at a banquet by the Mayor and Corporation of Liverpool, and in replying to the toast with which his name was identified, made a remarkable statement relating to the mineral resources of the Gold Coast district of Africa. He described the great gold wealth of the country twenty miles north of Accra, observing that it was a matter of surprise that this fact had not been more prominently brought before the public previously. Accra, he said, was only twenty-two days’ sail from Liverpool, and a man had only to walk from Accra a distance of twenty miles, when he would be in a district where lumps of gold could be dug up like potatoes. Should these results bo realised after the district ''has been visited by practical gold miners, there is no doubt but ’ the Ashantee war will have, been the commencement of a new era for Africa. “ Attious,” a writer who contributes a semicomic letter once a week to the Melbourne Leader, speaks as follows in the latest number of that journal to hand : —“ Some strange stories are told of the class of persons who find their way to New Zealand under the free immigration system. The workhouse girls from Cork were not the least undesirable importations. Several eligible colonists were crimped immediately after their discharge from Newgate, Holloway, and other London prisons, and the New Zealand villages are now cram full of itinerant nigger sereuaders, mock liturgy men.

"knife grinders, tramps, and other representatives of the lowest classes of the mother country.” “ Atticus” should confine himself within the limits of truth ; but if he will indulge a vagrant fancy, he should not do it at expense of another Colony. A few importations have been made, it appears, of objectionable persons of the classes alluded to, but the “ villages” are not “ cram full” of such characters, and their percentage to the population, or to the immigration, is very small. AUCKLAND. The death of two old settlers is announced in the local papers. The death of Mr. William Rattray is spoken of as a great public loss to Auckland. Prom his long residence in the city, and intimate connection with most of our local charities, the Auckland Savings Bank, and kindred institutions, in the advancement of his fellow-man, Mr. Rattray, says the Gross, set an example worthy of the utmost praise ; and a void will be created in the active encouragement of these institutions which it will be most difficult to fill. The other death is that of James Bradley, of Mahurangi, who died suddenly. He was 87 years of age, a native of Hull, in Yorkshire, and had been in New Zealand forty-three years. He served on board a ten-gun brig during the French war, after Napoleon’s return from "Elba. He had been residing in the northern part of the Province for many years, and was robbed of everything during Honi Heki’s war. TARANAKI. ' . The Herald notices that the Sarah and Mary has brought from Manawatu, a quantity of fencing posts, and remarks;—We should have imagined that, with such wooded districts as we possess, shipping fencing posts hither, was like sending “coals to Newcastle.” In announcing that more immigrants are to be sent to the Province, the Herald says:— Those who arrived last week have found employment; and, as the public works are almost at a stand-still for want of hands, the Government has determined to send for a further supply. The Deputy-Superintendent has telegraphed to Wellington, requesting that 100 immigrants, exclusive of wives and children, be forwarded. Of this number, Messrs. Brogden and Son undertake to employ thirty-five; and the Government has work for over fifty. Application has also been made for fifteen servant girls, NELSON. The Mail notices that in Mr. Burrell's window are to be seen some fine oranges grown in the open air near Brook Street Valley. The tree from which they were plucked is of some years’ growth, and has now on it several dozen oranges. WESTLAND. ’ The fact of Mr. Scott’s house, in Hokitika, having been struck by lightning during a thunderstorm, was lately reported. Mr. Scott, it seems, was lying down, when he heard a fearful clap of thunder, and directly after that saw an unusual bright light in one comer of the room. Following almost immediately on this luminous appearance, flame burst out of the part where the light had appeared, the paper and scrim of the room in that part being afire. Mr. Scott at once jumped up and threw a basin or two of water on the blaze before it had obtained any great hold, and extinguished it without much trouble. Had he been absent, however, if only for a few minutes, the house would have been reduced to ashes. On examination of the outside of the building he found some of the boards displaced, the nails having apparently been melted, the comer or post was' split through, and the lining was burnt. The house was that of Mr. James Scott, master of the Hokitika Academy, and not that of Mr. A. Scott, of Gibson’s Quay. Although the Westland Council is not sitting, some of its members care not to let their eloquence sleep, and so Mr. Cuming, of Boss, has taken to newspaper writing. The following is a specimen, given in the Guardian of the 16th inst; —“Sir, —I notice a mean, contemptible creature, writing under the non de plume of 'Action, not Talk,’ in your issue of this day. I hereby challenge him—be he man or monkey —to come out from behind his anonymous hiding place, and throw off the assassin’s mask, and let me know which of the members of the small plotting clique that want to rule Boss was the author of this low, lying production Then, and not until then, shall I condescend to reply to to this anonymous scribbler.—l remain, yours, &c., H. Cuming.” CANTERBURY. The Maoris residing at Eaupaki, Lyttelton harbor, caught a large seal on Tuesday. The animal measured over 15ft. in length. The Timaru Herald, of July 29, says : Mr. T. Teschemaker has disposed of the entire horse Khottingly to Mr. W. C. Webb, of Christchurch. Five informations against publicans have been laid by the Christchurch police, under the clause of the Licensing Act which makes it penal to have more than one public bar in a licensed house. Mrs. Blyth, wife of Mr. Blyth, manager of “The Shades,” Christchurch, died very suddenly last week. The Press says : —She prepared breakfast in the morning, and appeared at that time to be in her usual good health, but shortly afterwards complained of a pain in her heart, and of her breath catching. The pain seemed to increase, and she died at halfpast two o’clock. Prior to her death, Mrs. Blyth was visited by Drs. Frankish and Powell. The Timaru Herald, from a reliable source, learns that over 450 immigrants arrived at Timaru during the quarter ending June 30th last. Since March Ist last, up to the present time, 1,000 immigrants have beenlanded at Timaru for South Canterbury, and this does not show the total number that has arrived in the district during that time, as several have been. forwarded from the North by land. OTAGO. The Provincial Government are inviting competitive designs for a building to be used for the Otago Provincial Museum. The newly established Normal School at Pelichet Bay, Dunedin—a structure of atone and brick—is now nearly completed. A brother of the Rev, Mr. Morrison, of Switzer’s, at the Upper Waikaia, has been missing for ten days. The snow is from Bft. to sft. deep where he is said to have been lost. The Southland Times learns from a passenger by the overland coach that, between Popotunoa and Otaria, the snow lay about two feet deep nearly the Whole of the way last week. Mr. Deans, the acclimatisation Society’s manager, has brought from Palmerston to Dunedin about 14,000 trout eggs, which were obtained by him at Mr, W. A. Young’s ponds. Five splendid rams, of the breed, from the flocks of Mr. J. B. Kirkham, Caistor, have been brought out by the Sam Mendel, consigned to Messrs. J. and A. Maclean. The Committee of the Dunedin Athenseura, after a long discussion, have resolved to abolish the free table, on which are religious papers and Government journals. It-was afterwards agreed to reinstate the Gazettes, and the matter was adjourned for further consideration. ' Tile immigrants by the Peter Denny have had to be accommodated in the old immigration barracks, which were hastily put in a fit ' state for their accommodation. In consequence of the number of recent arrivals, .Mr. Allan, of the Immigration Office, has recommended the temporary employment of as many as possible on some public works. Not very favorable accounts Were given of the female passengers who arrived lately by the ship Caroline, but, since their landing, they have denied the imputations, and contend that, in the readiness to report evil of them, they have been more sinned against than sinning. This was the Guardians shipping reporter's account: —They were all shipped at Queenstown, and the single women wore selected by Mrs. Howard. Out of the 120,40 came out of Cork Workhouse, and were reported by the captain to be amongst the best-behaved of the lot. Where the others came from was not known. The utmost difficulty had been experienced in keeping them from the men, and the difficulty was intensified by their compartment extending so far forwards as the afterbatch, which of coprse opened on the main deck. The hatch was barred across with iron, and every precaution necessary to keep the

women under proper restraint had evidently been taken, and we should imagine with reasonable success. At the same time, excessive vigilance, night and day, had to be exercised, the women being worse than the men. On being admonished for her forward conduct, one of these pets of Mrs. Howard’s pertly remarked, “ Sure, we are sent out to people the country. “ Yes,” was the curt rejoiner, “but you must not begin until after you arrive there.” That Captain Clyma had been put to more than extra trouble and annoyance, was evident from his application to Captain Thomson for police protection whilst the ship was in harbor with the immigrants on board. His chief care was to prevent any liquor being smuggled on board. “ They are such an excitable lot,” he remarked, “ that if they obtain liquor, X fear quarrelling and bloodshed must follow.” The commercial travellers of Dunedin have presented Mr. James Goldsmith, with a handsome gold chronometer, on his leaving for Europe. The inscription was ; —“Presented to James Goldsmith, Esq., Commodore of the Flying Squadron, by the commercial travellers of Dunedin, on his retiring from the road, as a mark of then- esteem." At the public banquet given to Mr. Davie, of Dunedin, prior to his departure for England, the guest of the evening concluded his acknowledgments in the following words:— “ J think on an occasion like the present, one s thoughts are necessarily carried back again to the past, and when we -contrast the Dunedin of ’6l with the Dunedin of ’74, whether in looking to the city, its streets, its public buildings, its warehouses, its gas, and its water ; or whether we look to the immense development of its commercial resources; or whether we look to those various associations which tend to mark the materia], social, and intellectual of the city, I say we are forced to the conclusion that Dunedin is a perfect marvel in the Southern Hemisphere, considering the few years in which it has had an existence. I think it is something to feel that one is identified "with the rise and progress of such a city as Dunedin, and I think it is no boast on my part to say I am connected in a small degree with the rise of Dunedin. I shall do my best for the city when I go to England, and tell my friends how cities are fostered into existence, and tell them, further, how in the course of a few years a city may obtain the importance of this city of Dunedin, which I now regard in the light of my adopted home.” The arrival of two more Home ships —the Peter Denny and the Mairi Bhan—both ■with immigrants, has put the authorities in a rather unexpected dilemma as to how to accommodate their passengers, seeing that the barracks ax*e already comfortably filled. The Mairi Bhan, which left Glasgow on May 7, brings 463 souls; and the Peter Denny, from London (May 2), 363 souls —making close on 2000 immigrants landed at Port Chalmers in eight days. It being found to be very expensive to accommodate them on board ship, and as the barracks will not conveniently hold any more, the majority of those from these two vessels will be temporarily quartered in town—the drill-shed, amongst other places, being brought into use ; while a number will be sent to Riverton, Oamaru, Tokomairiro, and any other place where accommodation can be found. On the Mairi Bhan there are are 463 souls, of which number 250 are males, and 213 females. There are 70 single women, and 87 single men. They are classed as follows : —English, 11 males, 13 females; Scotch, 206 males, 180 females ; Irish, 33 males, 34 females. There axe about 100 children on board.