Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 30, 3 January 1884, Page 2

Local and General.

Painful Accident.—An accident of a most painful nature occurred to a son of Captain Porter yesterday, The lad was sliding upon some rimu planks, when a large splinter, seven inches in length, penetrated the thigh. Drs. Pollen and Leggatt were soon in attendance, and extracted the splinter, the little fellow enduring the operation in a most plucky manner. Karaka Back Meeting.—At this meeting, which was held on New Year’s Day, there was a good attendance, and the different event s were well contested, while the arrangements afforded much satisfaction. Mr. Taithan’s Roebuck won the Hurdle Race Handicap, Mr. Garrett’s Sailor the Hack Hurdle Race, Mr. Tait’s Venus the Maiden Plate, Mr. Puki’s Sonny the Maori Race and Hack Race, Mr. Carroll’s Port Jackson the Trotting Baee, and Mr. Buru’s Orphan the New Year Handicap.

Another Busier.—Yesterday, a strong breeze —somewhat of the double-reefed topsail kind—was expending its force in Gisborne, and the dust, consequently, flew about in clouds torough the main streets of the town. This was certainly not altogether pleasant, but the gold folk of this district should cherish the reflection that without an occasional buster they would not, probably, appreciate the delightful weather often experienced in Poverty Bay. There is no blessing without some little alloy. The Soothing Weed.—At the conclusion of the sitting of the Borough Council last night a discussion took place as to the propriety of smoking at the Council Board. It was decided that no smoking whatever should take place during business, but that, if members wish to indulge, an adjournment for a few minutes should be granted. A Lively Nightwatchman.—Bumor has it that a certain nightwatchman was reclining in the arms of Morpheus and operating most musically with his nasal organ, while being watched by his faithful dog, about two o’clock this morning. The couch chosen—a doorway—could not have been a very comfortable one, and it may be imagined that the snorer’s dream was not of the most pleasant nature. That man is certainly a very careful guardian of property. Evening Class.—No doubt many thought, ful youths in this district will be pleased to learn that an evening class “ for tuition in ail branches of commercial and classical education ” will be opened in Gisborne, on Monday evening next, by W. D. Lysnar. Trials or Sheep Dir.—The final result of the trials of the various sheep dips held in Hawke’s Bay has been to award first place to that of Thomas’s. The dip now holds a premier position for efficacy, condition of wools, and cheapness. Enamored or Electricity.—“ A gentleman who has been present at the Vienna Electrical Exhibition says that even the cabmen have become enamored of electricity. One of them, Leopold Frank, iights his vehicle with the electic light. The municipal authorities found no reference to anything but oil lamps and taliow candles in the cab rules, made some difficulties at first about authori‘sing this worthy enterprise, but noble persistence has overcome all difficulties.” Monster Eel-pond.—“ The greatest eelpond in America is on the farm of James N. Wells, in the town of Biverhead, Massachusetts. ■ It covers five acres, and is so full of eels that they can be raked out with a garden rake. Two years ago Mr. Wells put 2000 dozens of eels into the pond, intending to have them undisturbed for five years. These have increased to millions. They are fed regularly every third day on “ horses’ feet,” a peculiar shell-fish. One of these shell-fish, fastened to a strong eord and thrown into the water, may be drawn out in a few minutes with hundreds of eels fastened to it.”

The Washington Monument The Cleveland Leader, writing of the Washington monument, says it is already over 350 ft high. It rises from the banks of the Potomac a great white marble shaft, piercing the. clouds, and backed against the blue of the sky. It is already higher than the Third Pyramid, and within 100 ft of the size of the second. It is taller than St. Paul’s Cathedral, and when finished it will be 555 ft. high, the highest structure in the world, 43ft. Higher than the Cathedral at Cologne. It will be far different, however, from the needle-like shafts of the great European cathedral; each of its sides at the top will be 35ft. in width, and the width at the base is 55ft.”

A “ Saved ” Hindoo.—Sardan Herman Singh, who is heir to the princely estates of one of the richest provinces in Southern India, has recently been converted to Christianity through the labor of the Presbyterian missionaries. According to Hindoo custom he thereby forfeits his right of possession; but he gladly disregards this for Christ. He has married the daugmer of the Rev. GolakNath, a native Presbyterian missionary.

The March or Intellect I —“In Sandhurst there are at least a dozen old women who gain their livelihood by ‘telling fortunes.’ Those who patronise those so-called revealers of the future are as numerous as they are diverse in point of status. The majority who cross the hands of the old women with a coin are silly shop-girls, but a number of well-connected and well-educated young ladies have been known to visit these old hags with the object of ascertaining whether their future husbands will be dark or fair, cross or good-tempered, rich or poor.”

An Expensive Suit or Abmob.—-Sir Anthony Rothschild once bought a suit of armor which originally belonged to Francis 1., of France, for £lOO, and sold it to the late Lord Ashburnam for £lOOO, who sold it to a dealer in curiosities for £4OOO. Within 24 hours the dealer sold the suit for £17,000. It was deposited in the Belgrave Square Pantechnicon, and buried beneath the ruins of that building when it was destroyed by fire. The historical suit of armor was then sold for a few pounds as old iron. After undergoing a process of renovation, it was bought by Mr. Spitzer, of Paris, for £12,000, who now has it on sale for £20,000.

This Hog-Bouncer,—-The Scientific Amer I * can, a journal not given to joking, tells us that, pigs not being of an accommodating disposition, when it comes to getting a car. load to move along a narrow gangway, the first to start are apt to decline moving on and so block the way for the rest. The cattle, yard men at West Albany, New York, have overcome the difficulty by inventing the Hog. bouncer—made by bringing one end of the gangway-plank to a firm support, and placing under the other end two double carsprings, connected with a powerful lever, and a spring catch. Before the car-door is opened the platform is carried down so as to compress the springs by the lever, and the catch is hooked, The hogs are then allowed to pass, along the platform; and as soon as a block occurs, the catch is sprung; oue end of the platform flies three feet upward, and a shower of living porkers shoots over the heads and upon the bodies of the drove, They are seldom injured, but vastly astonished, and the blockade is at once at an end,

One for Our Boys,—Criticising the per. sonnel of the members of the recent Inter-colo-nial Conference the Melbourne Daily Telegraph writes, “ New Zealand, through Major Atkinson and Mr, Whitaker, exercised, we take it, more dominant influence than any other colony save Victoria. They are twin veterans in other than political affairs, Mr. Whitaker being the father of the Bar in his colony, while his colleague’s prowess in the fiercest of the Maori wars earned for him the admiring soubriquet of ‘the fighting major.’ To cultivated minds and sound judgment both gentlemen add the wisdom that comes from age and experience, while Mr. Whitaker has special personal knowledge of AustralioPolynesian relations during the last forty years, since indeed such relations were created by New Zealand. It may, therefore, be readily conceived how invaluable the counsel and cooperation have been, and how imperfect the Convention would have been without them. Their larger knowledge of the islands and further insight into the perils of leaving them waifs and strays to be claimed and occupied by the first power so inclined, no doubt accounts for the vigor with which they supported and supplemented the comparatively aggressive policy of Victoria. Not the least of the indirect benefits of the late gathering will be the closer union,of New Zealand with Australia, brought about by the mutual appreciation engendered between her able representatives and those of the other colonies.”

Pronunciation of Maori Names.—On the subject of the pronunciation of Maori names, Mr. J. C. Woon thus writes to the Greymouch Star:— “As regards the pronunciation of Maori names, it is quite diverting to hear the way most of our good folks pronounce them, I will give a few names, correctly spelt, and between brackets how they should be pronounced according to the English sounds of letters‘ Omapere ’ [O-mab-p-ere], Rotomahana ’ [Rotoe-wia/i-hah-nahJ, ‘ Tongariro ’ [Toe-ngah-re-row], ‘ Arawata ’ [4/i-rah-wah-tah],‘ Wairarapa ’ [PFy-rah-rah-pah], ‘ Wakatipu’ [JKa/i-kah-tip-oo], ‘Takapuna’ [Tah-kah-poo-nah]. ‘ Orawaiti ’ [O/i-rah-wy-tee], ‘ Mahinapua ’ [Mah-/u/i-ah-pooa], ‘Te Anau’ [Te-a/i-now]. Here, and in every other instance, e has the sound of a in our words lake, take, make, sake, and so on. Then as to the meaning of Maori names. They are all most appropriate where places are concerned, and in many instances highly saggestive—e.g., ‘ Rotomahana ’ means the warm lake; ‘ Rotorua,’ the two lakes; ■Te Anau,’ the cold (lake understood); ‘ Waiora. ’ (wrongly spelt by the Union Company ‘Waihora’), the living water; ‘ Wairarapa,’ rushing water. In all the above instances, the italicised syllables are those where the accent should fall.”

The Golden Apple.—A correspondent of the London, Telegraph asserts that the “ golden apple ” of the Old Testament is undoubtedly the apricot of Cyprus. The references in the Old Testament apply, in all respects, to this fruit-tree alone. It has been abundantly cultivated in Palestine from early times; its foliage forms a “ delightful shade,” and is bright and pale like “pictures of silver,” while it bears “ apples of gold ” of “ fragrant smell ” and “ sweet to the taste.”