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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5275, 20 February 1878, Page 2

The San Erancisoo mail, brought by the Hawea on Monday night, consisted of 2213 letters, 551 books, and 6706 newspapers. From the United Kingdom there were 2063 letters, 503 books, and 6275 newspapers ; and from America —150 letters, 48 books, and 431 newspapers. Mr. Powles, the Wellington secretary of the Indian Famine Belief Fund, has forwarded to us for publication a copy of a letter received by him yesterday from the Lord Mayor of London. It runs as follows:—“Mansion House, London, E.C., January 1, 1878.—Sir, —-I am directed by the Lord Mayor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 16th of Nocrmber last, and to inform you that the two sums of £I4OO and £3OO to which you allude have duly reached the fund. lam requested to convey, through you, to the subscribers in Wellington, the warmest thanks of the Lord Mayor and the Belief Committee at the Mansion House for their very generous aid, and for the kind and sympathetic feelings which have been shown by them for the unfortunate sufferers by the fearful famine, the worst of which is, happily, now over. It may interest you to know that to-day, with the advent of the New Year, the fund here leaches the magnificent total of half-a-million sterling. —Believe me, sir, yours faithfully, VV. J. Soulsby, Secretary.—To O. P. Powles, Esq., Wellington, N.Z.

The Soldene OperajCompany will give their opening performance this evening at the Theatre Eoyal in J-e Oooq’s opera “ GirofleQirofla.” This company ' numbers about 40 members, and their performances are most highly spoken of by the Press, and a great treat may confidently be looked for by all who witness their entertainment. The Otago Times, amongst other flattering notices of the troupe which have from time to time appeare i in its columns, thus, refers to them in a recent issue : —“ The Soldene Opera Company possesses all the elements essential to the production of comic opera in its best form—good voices, good acting, and superb dresses. During the last three nights the audiences have been large, and when the fact is taken into oonsidertion that there are strong counter attractions in the shape of a popular pantomine, and many other entertainments of a more or less public character going on contemporaneously, it speaks well for the merits of the Soldene Company that so many people should nightly assemble to witness its performances. In many respects comic opera takes precedence of the opera proper. The latter has certainly the finest music to recommend it, but very many people have not sufficient musical knowledge to understand or appreciate it, while probably not one in five hundred know a word of the language iti which it is sung. With the English comic opera the case is altogether different ; there is not only good music, simple enough to be appreciated by all, but the dialogue is as a rule sparkling and witty. So popular has opera bouffe become in America that the grand opera can never successfully compete with it, and this popularity is rapidly extending itself to this and surrounding colonies. Perhaps the most popular opera bouffe which has ever been written is Le Oocq's ‘ Gi-rofle-Girofla,’ as produced at the Princess Theatre by the Soldene Opera Company. In England, America, and Australia it has become popular to a degree. It abounds in beautiful music, rich, sparkling dialogue, and is brimful of life.” Knowing how ready and willing the theatre going portion of the population of Wellington are to patronise genuine talent, a crowded house may confidently be expected' to-night, and if the company realizes the expectations formed of it a moat successful season may be anticipated. Particulars as to the several performances and prices of admission will be found in our advertising columns, and we are requested to call attention to the fact that the price to the pit is two shillings, which brings the entertainment within the reach of almost everybody in the community. The lecture of Count Zaba at the Odd Follow’s Hall last night was one of the most interesting and pleasing over delivered to a Wellington audience. The subject was “ Poland.” The Count drew a graphic sketch of events affecting that country from the 13th century to the piesent time, especially dilating on the constitution framed there in 1791, and dwelt upon the intellectual and advanced state of civilisation in Poland in the 15th century. He cited the large number of persecuted Jews who made their way there when Poland was the only region in Europe which afforded them shelter at that time, and allowed persons of all religious denominations a free asylum. The Count recited some few lines of poetry by the. national Polish poet, John Noperoski, which wore applauded heartily. The lecturer also favored the audience with a few sentences in the Polish language. At the end of the lecture Mr. J. C. Crawford, who acted as chairman, made a few appropriate remarks, and asked the audience to thank Conut Zaba for his eloquent and instructive lecture. This they did by applauding the Count again. The proceeds of the lecture are to be devoted to the Benevolent Society. The Count stated that he would deliver another lecture on Tuesday next at the Provincial Hall. The subject will be “ A New Principle of Education,” and the admission will be free.

The founder of tho Katikati settlement, near Tanranga, Mr. George Vesey Stewart, has written from Ireland to say that he has sold the 10,000 acres he had to dispose of at £2 per acre, and could have disposed of 30,000. Gentlemen who would have taken 2000 have been satisfied to take 000 to 750 acres. Mr. Stewart, at the time of writing, was making arrangements with about twenty families of good farming hands with small capital, say, from £3OO to £SOO, and letting them have about 200 acres of land each, so as to have labor along with capital. There is every prospect of this being a prosperous settlement, and in the neighborhood of Tauranga, now that tho native difficulties with regard to land are being removed, there are signs of increased vitality everywhere observable.

St. George's Hall was largely attended last evening. The panorama of the Russo-Turkish', war will finish here after Friday night. Mr. Cary, the energetic manager, will then proceed up the Wairarapa, to prepare for the show in that district, which ; should 'have a great success. Yesterday afternoon an alarm of fire was raised, and the fire brigades, with their customary vigilance and alacrity, proceeded to the scene of action. Happily their services were not required, the alarm being a false one. Some waste paper was being burned in a brick building at the rear of the New Zealand Times office, and a considerable amount of smoke issued from the chimney, but there was not the slightest danger of a conflagration. A correspondent sends us the following ; “ Miss Ada Ward left Wellington for the South by the Hawea yesterday. It is very singular that the simplest act ou this lady’s part gives rise to rumors respecting her motives and intentions, and her failure to go to Wanganui, as announced, caused instantly the most extraordinary reports to be circulated. The truth is that Miss Ward was advised by Dr. Harding, whom she consulted professionally, to take a long rest, which an injury she received on the stage rendered absolutely necessary, and she will await in Christchurch the departure of the boat taking the New Zealand portion of the San Francisco mail to Auckland.” When the Rev. Charles Clarke, the popular lecturer, was last in Wellington, he promised to give another short series of lectures in the Odd Fellows’ Hall, and it was also announced that he would visit Wanganui, Greytowu, Masterton, &c. We are informed, however, that after his fourteenth and last lecture in Dunedin on Saturday night, when the hall was crowded to suffocation, Mr. Clarke said that in consequence of Australian engagements he could not prolong his stay in this colony just now, but in about six months time, before returning to Europe, he would pay a flying visit to New Zealand, in the course of which he would lecture for one or two evenings in every important town in the colony. We have received, by courtesy of the composer, a copy of a mass recently published by Messrs. Novello, Bwen, and Co., of London, composed by Mr. Thomas Wingham for the Feast of Assumption, celebrated at Antwerp Cathedral in 1876. Mr. Wingham was a favorite pupil of the late Sir William Sterndale Bennett at the Royal Academy of Music, London, and is now a professor of that institution. His works are exciting some interest at Home, and the mass now under notice earned for him the reputation of a thorough master*. We can recommend this work to all lovers of choral music. It was reported to the police last evening that a Mrs. Elizabeth Wallace, about 22 years of age, left the house of Mr. Henry Windhurst, of Chester Cottage, Courtenayplace (where she has been residing for some time), ou Monday morning, and has not been seen since 1 p.m. yesterday, when she was at the residence of a fisherman named Lawrence, in Little Taranaki-street. She had with her, when last seen, a baby four months old. Her husband, Antonio Wallace, left her about a mouth ago, and has not since been heard of. It is feared that she has committed suicide, as she had threatened to do so, it is said, several times, in the presence of Windhurst. The police are making inquiries with a view to elicit further information. A meeting of the commissioned and noncommissioned officers of the city volunteer corps was held last evening at the Central Fire Brigade Hall. Captain Moorhouse, M.H.R., occupied the chair, iu the absence of Major Lockett, who was unavoidably prevented from attending by illness. The meeting was called to consider the question of obtaining a site and the building of a suitable drillshed for voluuleer purposes. It will be remembered that the sum of £SOO was passed by the Assembly for this purpose. The meeting appointed Captains Moorhouse, Crowe, and Best as a deputation to wait on the Government to ascertain how they intend to apply this sum, and gave them full powers to make the best arrangement possible, with a view to securing a site, and commencing operations as soon as possible. Mr. D. L. Monday, a passenger by the Hawea on her last trip from Napier, has kindly favored us with the following particulars in reference to the eclipse of the moon on Sunday last, as seen from the deck of the above vessel:—“ The eclipse of the moon as seen ou board the s.s. Hawea, off Cape Turnagain, Sunday night, February 17.—The night was very squally, with a heavy cross sea running. Most of the passengers were inclined to keep below, while others were enjoying themselves with a smoke and a read iu the comfortable saloon on deck, when suddenly one of the little windows opened from the outside, and Captain Wheeler (who is ever on the look-out), .shouts out: ‘Eclipse of the moon, gentlemen.’ On looking at the clock it was twenty-five minutes past S. Going on deck the sight was grand in the extreme. The moon was at the full, and the eclipse had just commenced. Gradually the dark shadow was seen stealing upward, and in a westward direction, across the bright face of the moon, which was of a dark semi-transparent chocolate tint, while dark masses of rolling clouds occasionally obscured the moon from sight, the effect of which against the clear blue sky, studded with stars, as looked at from the deck of the steamer, with a heavy rolling sea forming the foreground, was altogether a picture not easily forgotten. As the faint shadow stole up over the moon a bright scintillation appeared on the extreme left, which gradually drew away from the moon, and proved to be a brilliant star. Looking at the eclipse when nearly at its height (about 10.30 o’clock), through Captain Wheeler’s powerful telescope, the lights and shadows were distinctly visible, while in the centre was seen a bright spot more transparent than elsewhere, while down the edges of tire moon, when eclipsed, was observed a bright line or halo, which appeared most peculiar. Not being up in astronomy, we could not understand this. Possibly some of our great savans can explain it. The moon was never totally obscured, the upper part being visible throughout. It was at its height at 10.35 o’clock, when it gradually diminished, and at about midnight totally disappeared. Altogether it was a sight thoroughly enjoyed by all those who had the good fortune to witness it, among whom were not a few ladies.”

A table lias been prepared in which the estimated number of sheep in the world is given, talcing the last returns. In the United Kingdom in 1876 there were 32,252,579 sheep; in Russia, in 1870, there were 48,130,000 ; in 1873, there were 24,909,406 ; in Austria, in 1871, there were 20,103,395 ; in France, in 1872, there were 24,589,647 ; and in Spain, in 1865, there were 22,054,907 —showing a total in Europe of about 190,000,000. In Australasia, in 1875, there were 62,000,000 ; Cape, 16.000. ; River Plate, 66,000,000 ; North America, 50,000,000 ; remainder of America, 6.000. ; and total, 385,000,000 ; Turkey, North Africa, &0., say 65,000,000 ; India and China, say 35,000,000 ; grand total, 484.000. The Working Women's Hotel at New York, founded by the late Alexander T. Stewart, is almost completed, and will soon be opened. It lias coat about 2,000,000 dollars to build and furnish it, and that amount is given absolutely to the enterprise; but thus started, it is to be self-supporting. There are upwards of 500 private rooms in the hotel, some double rooms of 30ft. by 16ft., which two women may take, and other single rooms of half that size. A number of reception rooms are provided, in wliich the residents may entertain their friends. The library is to be fully supplied with newspapers and periodical publications, and there are already 2500 books upon the shelves. The main dining-room will seat 600 persons at a time. The house is intended to give to women who earn their own livelihood the best room, best furniture, best attendance, and best living at a charge for the whole not exceeding five dollars per week. A large room is to be used for supplying meals, or selected articles of food at the lowest possible price to women who cannot be accommodated with lodging in the house. Mr. Stewart estimated that the hotel ought to make 1000 working women independent, and 3000 or 4000 more nearly so. In

the kitchen there is a griddle 7ft. by 13£t., for baking “griddle cakes.” The kitchen will be under the superintendence of the great French cook, Edwards. Edwards has been the cook for the Grand Union Hotel at Saratoga for some time. His services have been permanently and exclusively eugagedforthe Women's Hotel. The great kitchen, under Professor Edwards’s charge, has a capacity for cooking food in a thorough, scientific, and French style for 5000 people. It is stated that Mr. Stewart was a great believer in the deserts of women, and those who ask for proof of it may look upon this vast hotel. Mr. Butt’s new scheme of agitation on the Irish University question, says the World, is going to be tried. His suggestion of a committee of Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Presbyterians, to conduct a public movement, with the object of giving the Roman Catholic hierarchy some share in the management of University education in Ireland, is being adopted, and the committee is in course of formation in Dublin.