The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 1876.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 131, 12 July 1876, Page 2

The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 1876.

"Mr Skcct, surveyor, recently started •■on an-adventurous trip, especially when ' the season of tho year is taken into consideration, having undertaken to make his •way with a party from Hawera to Waikato. On this subject our Hawera corros >ondent ■ yesterday afternoon, sent ns the following telegram Skoet continues to penetrate the hush towards Waikato. Four of his party returned to Hawera yesterday, having ‘-lost themselves,'” Wo presume that means -that they lost their leader, hut wore able to make their way hack to their starting point. Wc hope soon to hear of the enterprising explorer’s arrival at the goal -he is bound for. •Further- economy is being manifested by the Government, in the disposal of the Armed Constabulary Force, which is • to he reduced forthwith by over a hundred, -of all ranks. It has been notified to officers •commanding districts, that a reduction will ho made, of four sub-inspectors, eight socgeanta, and ninety seven men, in all one hundred and nine. We presume that, in effecting the reduction, length of scrvic e will W considered, and that the ranks will bo thinned of those of junior standing. ■What proportion will be taken from, this district we do not know, but some will go . certainly. Parents and others interested will sec by -advertisement-in another column, that Dr Walker has-fixed this day week, the 19th instant, as the day for attending at Wairoa .’to vaccinate. He has recently received an sample supply .pf fresh lyiuph, and no ■doubt many will take advantage of the •occasion to havd the highly necessary operation of vaccination performed.

A new steamer, or at least one new to the Patca river, the Clyde, will-Very-shortly be trading here. She has been purchased by Dntbie and Watt of Wanganui, and will be commanded by -an old friemh Captain Gibbons, who every one will welcome back again. He has gone south to fetch the boat up, and may ho expected here shortly. The schooner Agnes has sailed from Lyttelton for this port. She is chartered hy, and consigned to, Mr S. Taplin. She lias on board a full cargo of produce for that gentleman, consisting of Hour, seed, wheat, oats, &c., and may bo expected daily. The Want of a largo hall, or room, for public purposes, has long been felt in Hawera, and we arc glad to see that steps are being taken to procure this needed accommodation. A public .meeting of those interested is convened for Saturday afternoon next, to consider the matter and should be well attended. A Town Hall, fora multitude of purposes, is both necessary and. useful, and if such were in existence the people of Hawora would soon discover its bauelit. Small theatrical companies would stay a night or two, public meetings could be bold in it, and on Sundays ministers would gladly use it. If the public are wise they will lose no time in its erection. ■ •

A Maori thought (it, on Monday last to put his arm through one of the large panes of glass in Mr Gibson’s shop window, but did not think fit to. pay for it, and wc understand that some of Major Turner’s persuasion, anent damage done, will have to bo exercised. The offender cut the arteries of his arm in doing the mischief, ami lost a very large quantity of blood, before Dr Walker's assistance was called in.

The omission on the part of the Town Board at tiieir last meeting to deal with the pound question has Brought matters to a deadlock, and as there is at present neither pound to contain, nor poundkeeper to take charge of, straying stock of any kind, persons so disposed can give their animals a free run anywhere. Many have complained, hut without avail, though the whole matter might be settled in a icw minutes. Mr Davis, late poundkeeper, and present owner of the yards, is quite willing to sell or lease them to the Town Board at a very moderate rate, and possibly the Chairman might act in the matter at once, since, in the ordinary course, there will not he a meeting of the Board till next Monday three weeks, August, 7th.

The South Canterbury Times (Timarn) is now published as a full-sized daily evening paper A settlement for the Op.ako block has, as was anticipated, boon effected by Major Brown, and the Maoris now are busily engaged in getting rid of the coin thus placed in their possession. The chief difficulty was in the apportionment of the lump sum to the different heads, and that surmounted, all went smoothly. There will be a sitting of the R.M. Court at Hawera to-day. We would specially draw the attention of our farming friends to the important auction sale of Mr Chubhin’s stock tomorrow, at Waihi. This includes cattle and horses-'of all kinds, agricultural implements, and valuable furniture, including a splendid pianoforte by Broadwood. Mr. F. R. Jackson, of Wanganui, will conduct the sale, which will commence at noon sharp. The value of property in Carlyle has been steadily on the increase for some time past, and sections fronting the main thoroughfares are readily taken up. An opportunity will offer on Saturday next, to investors, whom Mr Coworn will sell, positively without reserve, Mr Lyttelton’s house and land on the Taranaki road, also suburban section 24 well fenced and grassed. At the same Time an excellent dog-cart, spring-cart, and some other sections in Carlyle, will be disposed of. An attempt is about to ho made to establish a Small Farm Association in the district, on Good Templar -principles, so far as to form a company to take up laud, with an agreement that no alcoholic or intoxicating liquors shall he sold on the block. The subject will, we hear, be brought forward at the Lodge meeting here to-morrow evening. It is thought that, if proper application be made; sufficient land for the purpose’may be procured from the confiscated areas, and that the Government will accept deferred payments for it. Full particulars of the proposal will bo stated as above, and, in our next issue, we shall be able to afford our readers fuller information on the subject. As will bo seen by advertisement in another column, the lands at Waitara, previously announced for sale on the, Bch have been held over till Saturday next the loth inst, when they will absolutely he offeredIt is rumoured that the local Immigration Officer intends resigning his appointment at the end of this month, there being no funds forthcoming for wearing that honor. Whether this be correct or not we cannot say, but, as immigration hitherwards at present, is not required, such a step is not improbable. In tiie meantime something should be done with the present unused buildings, for there are manifold pm poses to which they may be advantageously devoted.

The N. Z. Times says —On Saturclaj’, the Ist July, a number of Masons of Wellington entertained Messrs Newland ami Whitcombe at a dinner at the Panama Hotel. It will be remembered that those gentlemen wore accredited by the Taranaki Masonic Lodges to represent them at the installation of Sir .Donald McLean; but owing to the detention of the ‘ Hawea’ by stormy weather, they'arrived too late to be present, which was much regrettedfrom the circumstance that Mr Newland occupies the distinguished position, of being the oldest Master Mason in the Colony. Sir Donald McLean was present at the dinner on Saturday evening, and everything went off ' voiy pleasantly, Mr Lighthaving prepared an excellent-dinner. “ Many,-stories arc told of the boldness of the eaglehawk,” the Gipps Land Mercury remarks, “ but few wo think, will beat the following ; —A few days ago a boy nine years old was sent by his father to Glenmaggic for letters. \ little dog followed him, and when within half a mile of the post-office a large eagle swooped down and carried oil’ the dog to a tree some 2CO yards off the road, the dog biting and struggling for freedom all the way. As soon as the eagle perched it had to let go its hold of the dog, which quickly jumped from the tree. The boy followed the pair, and when within a hundred yards of the tree ho met the astonished canine, who ran behind him for protection. The eagle, in no way daunted, followed up ami attacked the hoy, who had fortunately armed himself with a stick He was struck twice by the eagle, but stuck manfully to the tight, and at last succeeded in bringing the dog home in his arms in safety. The hoy was severely bruised by the blows received, and was ill for two or three days after his exciting adventure.” It is reported in town (says the Budget') that the ‘Janet Grey,’ the vessel which was lately driven ashore in Opunake Bay, lias been purchased by Mr Bartlett, and that that gentleman is about to have the vessel repaired ami got ready for sen. During the late gale the vessel was driven high and diy, the tide having risen higher than ever before observed.

The Post says that in preaching the annual sermons in aid of the Maori Mission in Wellington Province on the 25th Juno, the Right Rev. Bishop Hadfield denied that the past efforts of the Mission had been wholly without result. Let them look for instance at the Otaki District. At the church in that place on last Easter Day, there were no fewer than ninety communicants, whom he might observe, never attended the holy rile carelessly, but always observed the ancient custom of reporting themselves to their clergyman the day before the celebration. Again, it should not be lost sight of that Hauhanism had almost died out of .this Province, and several of the Hau-haus, who still remained, recently had sought readmittance to the Church. At the present time there were no fewer than 23 dulyordained Maori clergymen in this Province.

A man who. professes to earn his living by performing sleight-of-hand tricks was brought up at the Young Police Court (says the Burrangong Chronicle ) on a charge of having borrowed a watch from one of the audience, who was at his cn. tertaininent in Wombat, professing to swallow it, and .afterwards .refusing to return it, on the grounds that it was in his stomach and could not be got out. The travelling conjuror, it appears, has been doing the same thing at other places, but has escaped the law. In this instance, however, senior-constable Watson was too many for him, as after being'arrested, the watch was forthcoming. The offender on the road to the lock-up, having bent his head forward, to all appearance vomited the watch, which was found to be going, and in the same condition as when taken. The case is certainly, a novel one,, and resulted in defendant being committed to take his trial at the forthcoming sessions. Private advices by the San Francisco mail announce the death of Julia Matthews from inflammatory rheumatism. A: curious case occupied the Police Court in Dunedin recently : —A young spark named Thomas M’Leary got forty-eight hours’ imprisonment for a nocturnal visit to his fair one, a servant at the Eagle Hotel, and sister of the landlady. He had gained access by a ladder at the hack window, but in leaving was pounced on by a policeman. A subscriber to a South western newspaper died recently, leaving four years’ subscription unpaid. The editor appeared at the grave and deposited in the coffin a palm leaf fan, a linen coat, and a thermometer. Moral-—well, that’s obvious, “ iEglos ” .says in the Australasian : — “Some one has ill-naturedly said that tho clergyman is of neither sox,’ hut occupies an intermediate' place between the two. With this I don’t agree, for some of the manliest men I have ever met wore cassock and bands—men quite fearless of consequences when sure that their cause was rigid. It is, however, curious to note that upon an Adelaide list of “ women of the Church of England,” who have associated themselves for a commendable object, there are the names of two clergymen!” .