LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 16, 10 May 1876, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

While the public is, no doubt, very much obliged to Captain Sewell for the arrangements he has made by which the whereabouts of the .Samson is known along the coast when coming from Dunedin, we think the system is still open to improvement. We would suggest that when the Moeraki flag is hoisted it should be kopt flying till tho steamer is off Kakauui, and the same with the iiag between Kakanui and Awaiuoa. As it is present, not one person in a hundred happens to see the flag during the five minutes it is hoisted) and, as a consequence, it is impossible to tell where the boat is ; whereas, if the signal was exhibited till the other one was shown, one would know at any rate that the steamer was between either Moeraki and Kakanui, or the latter place and Awamoa. Pcrliajjs Captain Sewcll will give this suggestion his attention.

.Subterranean ijournoys are not pleasant, but perhaps the most disagreeable was recently taken by a youngster at Hokitika. The "Star" says that a three-year-old child of Sergeant Xellys fell into the culvert near the Marquis of Lome Hotel. The mother followed the child down the culvert some yards, but the current was so strong it was impossible to overtake it. A rush was then made for the lower end of the tunnel, when several men jumped in, and caught the child in their arms. On being taken out of the water it was apparently lifeless, but after proper means had been adopted, animation was at length restored. Mr. H. Ooodman, owner of Olcngarry, winner of the Taieri Handicap at the Mosgiel I'aces, on Thursday last, authorises the "Star" to contradict the statement in a contemporary that his horse earned 31bs. overweight in that race. Xo such declaration was made, and Giongarry carried about threequarters of a pound only overweight; in fact, ; if he had carried 31bs. in excess of the handi- ! cap, the owner of the second horse could have ! claimed the stakes. In view of the approaching Tralesmen's Races, it is a; well that there should l>e no misapprehension as to the terms on which Clengairy and Haphazard met at Mosgiel. The following should act as a caution to policemen—A man at the Ore}', who had been arrested by a police-constable on a charge of stealing a pipe, and who was afterwards charged with vagrancy, has recovered C.'Jo damages, and £2O liis. Gd. costs from the policeman for false imprisonment. Advices l»y the last mail state that Dr. Hector would leave London for Philadelphia on the i>th of April. He will ant as Xew Zealand Commissioner at the International Inhibition, and may be expected back in the Olony abot July next. The " Post " says he has succeeded in obtaining from the British Museum, byway of exchange, some very valuable coleetions for the Colonial Museum. IVoin Professor Maskelyn lie has received large collections of minerals, fossils, and ca-»ts. Others have contributed in various ways, ami Mr. James l'rogden has been a liberal donor. Dr. Hector, during his stay in London, has occupied one of the crypts at the British Museum, where lias had every facility afforded him for arranging and classifying his Xew Zealand collections, and for working out our fossils, with the assistance of Ktusrirlgu and other eminent men. A catalogue of Xew Zealand Crustacea has been compiler! by Miers, and Dr. Hector has arranged to have it printed in Loudon uniform with the catalogues issued from the Colonial Museum. This catalogue embraces twenty new species, all of which arc named and described. Dr. Hector has, unfortunately, been unable to cany out his projected monograph on the whales and dolphins of Xew Zealand. An oiler to lend £3OO without the usual "consideration" is not an everyday occurrence. Such an offer was, however, made by Mr. Scrasc to the Avoca Shire Council on the 13th inst., for the 2'itrpose of facilitating some main-road improvements. The "Talbot Leader " states that the offer was accepted, though not without some opposition by certain of the councillors, who looked upon such acceptance as infra dig. on the part of a local governing body. A singular instance of ferocity' in a bush mare has been reported to the "Wagga Express" (X.S.W.) The animal in question belonged to Mr. John Dacey, of Wallenbeen. 11 is represented that she met a boy on horseljack on the road, whom she attacked, upsetting the horse and rider. Afterwards she met a woman on the road, whom she knocked down, trampled upon, and severely bit both her breasts, nearly tearing one entirely away. In addition to this, she attacked the woman's leg, and completely tore the flesh off. The

mare had a young foal with, her, and it i 3 presumed that'.this instigated her to the ex : hibition of ferocity, as no indication .of vice had been noticed in the beast before. We should like to know the man who paid that hurdy-gurdy" fellow five shillings to grind out sweet music before our door for two hours yesterday afternoon. We asked the Italian to stoj), but lie told us, in broken English, that he was on by contract, and would not leave. He gave us : " That's where you make the mistake/' for an. horn-, and then filled-.up the balance of his time witli "The Rogues' March," and "The Drunkard's Return." He had better keep clear of this block for the future, or there will be trouble.

A meeting of Sons of Temperance interested in the formation of a Sons of Temperance Society will be held at the Mechanics' Institute at 8 oe'lock this evening. The conversazione at the Volunteer Hall will be held this evening. 'Die Lordship the Bishop of the Diocese will preside.

The "Wairarapa Standard " in ibs notice of the sale of lands in the wooded townships of Fitzherbert and Woodthorpe, remarks that the allotments realised what are called good prices, the purchasers being chiefly absentees, who have no idea of occupying and clearing the land they have purchased. It would pay them well, and the Colony better, if they offered a free grant of half their purchases on the condition that the land was given only to bona fide settlers. The secret of colonising bush country is not yet" known to the Government, General or Provincial.

The queerest arrangement of an old boiler is to be seen in Auckland. The immense boiler taken out of the s.s. Wellington when her new one was made, and successfully shipped by the Messrs. Yeoman, of Albertstreet, has been placed in the yard and fitted up as offices. During the past five years forty-two women have been murdered by men in Xew York city. Xot one of the murderers has been hanged, and only six were sentenced to imprisonment for life; twelve were given sentences of seven years and under in the State Prison : two were sent to the Penitentiary for ten and thirteen years respectively, and two received sentence, one for nine and one for thirteen months. Seven of the wifemurderorscommitted suicide; the rest escaped punishment.