LETTERS FROM LITTLE BRITAIN.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 24, 26 July 1864, Page 3

LETTERS FROM LITTLE BRITAIN.

Having, /tiiiis oriefiy 'disposed/ of the^riricipa political 'events of^the'dast j eight c moritH_, it'ina; not be. uninteresting to r gla'nce at the social. copdi tion -of JBittle Britaup-diiririg ?the same -period The most sticking social -feature through!' the sum mer was the^cbirifbrtable^^ fceitaihty,' tbbviously fel by everyone, that he had- made -vlus fortune, anc was bey 6nd.thei. reach of^warit; yA\ Stifiriilated^lrj this conviction, the Little .-Briton'ssin- general; itric thefirihabitarits of themeti:Qpohs.mrpai'ticular,>de voted themselves almost entirely to jamusenient^which was to.be obtained in g|re"ate^ariety! in>ith< noblerdty-of rlnvermuddle- --Ofrthesei' thfr-balL decidedly stood first in thepist^andfas the snigh tickets wefe.only fifteen 5 guineas "each, were large!} attended-|-additiori-al-reUsh-bem'g"giveri'to*the*eu-jbyment by-.the i circumstance, tiiat,-forpeyery T ladj present, there 1 wWirsreitty-five gentlenieri* Vhose .xertipnstp- secure/partners; for the yarioua dances were extifemeiy laudable," and exti'emely entertaining, and;., moreover^ added -immensely to. .theXexr tiite>nent ,of^the/sceiie..i-,vTo -./preYent/Vany /disapjjoijltmente,iit- was, -iit--last. arranged that each lady should; idance, with: t^ro gpritlemen at , aV:tim.e, and the eff€»b:of; this: novel planiwas,- indeed, sublime. Then jthere ' /were-' the . picnics^-denghtful affah-- ; in which: some five 'htindred /travelled fi% .milesfor, the mtense gratification of eating al bad dinner. in a, swamp, instead,jpf agppdbne.at home. Then there were amateur .concerts, amateur ; thea-tricais,famateu^:-egislatibni-and no end ; of dehcious things.. ■■. It been'-decided. tliatfour davs: in eveiy i week shpuld be, liphdays, ; notice ,was publicly given to that.effept ; jfirst,?,by : the Government j -secondly, by;.the ; ffpur banks, viz. :— -The Omon c ßa^ of the;Bank of 3ptany, Bay, the.B.ank of the Ca^bal^isknds,; and ,ther . .Oafemealjbank, andifpiaily by ,alltlie 6 tradpspepple. ; j r t InY^rmiiddle was quite deserted.; on the ,day. of thejgreat^R«gatta, which everybody; went ..a hun-dreds,-miles toisee.;,' It was, indeed,, a noble sight I; It consisted of a glorious race, ; between two -.. small dingie.SjLpr lialf-a-crown; > closely contested, . and admirably. /Derfprmed.;. i.^d'./i,' , . ,•/ .. „ -. ;. Theh; there.. vrere.. the i ; ,C^aledpnian;; sports, ,by which is signified, the -promenading of the. streets by several, old; gentlemen /WrHighlancl costume, and, the "weather being providentially, warm, I .am; happy to say they escaped the acute rheumatic attacks m the lower extremities, which (as I mentioned irija previous letter) followed the-- "sports" last year. Nor were the recreatibris and improvement of the mind ■ forgotten.- f That mighty; ; genius;; ,, the great- Scratcher— the "inimitable" Scfatcber,'ar--piye^ — attended, as usual,-by_lus poet, punster, and-, composer, (all pf whom , are liberally Daid) ? and^ -at price coirinienced his lectui'es'and songs befpre/ '^^pverflowing audience. , How" stupendous ainari isj3[cratcher; ; Hbw nobly 'he spars above' the^br.dmary; 'leyel of |-^t !' How ind^erent te"i_ to '. the : ! fear ' of .'being / termed personal- or Bcurrilous ! 'With what " gentlemanly feeling arid irrieliumor lie ridicules the personal appearance and defects, of the public men, -arid shouts- that one is' a dfuhkard,-;aribthef/a smndler, another a •liar,— riieritionirig eaeh'by 'riamfe with. true bravery arid candor..' : How. properly he disregards' Dr, Johnson's sha^meful; abuse of puns,; arid how liberally Tie employs 'them ! ; ; Arid -are not these' wretched arid despicable beings; who declare that Bcratcher is a coarse and shallow iriipbstor;— are they not worthy of. death ?> , , .Surely, .yes. :-, Then I. must not forget Mr. Squeers' "Evening, lectures on the history, of ancient .Greece arid Rorile," delivered' in ../the 'Yestry;: Parllgmerit, arid to adriiitted at the. small charge^bf 'brie shiilitig;- childreri halfrprice. . The, very -senators -theriiselves susp'erided J their' tleb'ates'' to -listento the learned gentleman's eloquent '.disr, coiirseson a subject theywereso prefoundly ignorant . of, fand many great ,' ' patronage. ;" debates were de.laye^lfhivt -the .members ;. might listen to/Mr, Squeers' .accqiint.bf. what" '-" " .Old . Catp said,,, and the '.Spaitaris r ! A.fhjen^s, arid Car tliagmians,/^,. — how^ 'Lycmgusl passed sa^giiinary laws, and, punished' every fault with death • while Draco introduced a riiild and gentle code, aud abolished capital riumsliirierit." 1 ; AU- this,- arid much more',' did -the-Usher' of • the : Birch 'Rbcl - eloquently > nar-- - rate^/ ; " .^ r --?--- : --"-- "- li :r y if-j : -y r -'-■'-'■ : •'•-'-" ; "; y^' ' The c- neighboring' ; Province;^ of " Orriega ■": -Was equally willing tb ; be ; anius'ed^,' butthe'-visit i>PtheJ All=_ihi«^a_idJEleven'ebHjsed'4ferybffi ation.^.°Arniilhbnstefbiri'g r had-^^^^^ OmegaiYestay-ParHairierite'tomake^^ ations for the recepti6riibf-'";our-' ! 'dißtmguislied ; : guests ",;.and ,the, said^reparations^erp magniiir cent iri the exti-eirie:"' " A^thp way from the Port to the, town pf.^^.Dundreajryja distance, of tpn.niiles, the? cricketers.; walked VpUyi^key 'Jcar^^j^and. undei^ ; ari/awmng of 'richlj^/embrbldered silk^ arid, . on^tneir apprbach.being'si^ tude r present;feU.bri'their':lmees,-a^^ till the' iuustmbus visitbrs li^.passed: ; .p^^Ehe^ifirst mateK'was played' by ;^e,,^/ f ;^^larid, )^^en', againßt the Dundreary,^ f b^;f ojir, and lasted, three, days?" '' ' J'acksbri's ' : arid . 'Tarrant's, f.^ast' iT >ipwling proved very effectrre-^ariris arid /legs' being scattered over the>grburid'-iri' every '"direetioii . ; the " substituteilaws " (NovSl^nd^ 32)--vrb'rpfstretched totheutmost^beforeithe' close; of ithesfirst: innings,; about fifty substitutes' beangmeeded^ numerous ivicthris;; \ Tinley^s Blow^e^falik>CTeryi usefnljmany;bfJthe *Dundrearie;s heebjffitg: insane: from sheer ivexatiori ; . at- being uriabjeitb-'hit? thesei easy looking balls. .-'rTtonfor^fpur^liaS^g^only; scored five runs.ptn [their 4 fb:stJnrijngs,-the, r: Eleven went in, arid^wheri ?^time;"'w^^edrbri.the third day had made 1001' runs -."^^jfeir^firs'^ innings,. with^ve wickets to '•', go Vdtfjra,'.". '".', Mr ; "G/r^ taking, out his bat with thb re^cfehkV score of The other matches 'had.' a. 1 similar J.terrhiriafipn.. Before leavmg,tlie;AßE^ play ; eighty-eight ofV^tie Britain;- briti^my, cpiur trymen, wisely baring in mmd.;the^ g'reati m^iim that—-. """"V ..''.' '-'.. \..-'. ■:.,'.- jf.j.; ■■'■-■.- - : >■■-,■ ■■•'■^ 'i'--r.- --" " The^better part of ,'valpr, is discrefapri, r ; ;/ ... ,., pruderifl^declmed'.',"^^ ,Thefeiperises :p£ tripEleyeh; were paid Vy a Dundreary 'p : ubhcari;-^l_(x :/ 'N'eb^ liadnezzer 'Smitb^^whb/ "' has r .realized \ 'jai^^ririnierise. fortrinebythe' speculatibri. ' '" •"_' # *" ' / . I have now given, a brief, but simple and truth-; M'Hstory of -the' last' ,f eight mbriths-^frbiri- %ne time that the 'coring -losm^ Boscb, rushed^desp'efately-mtoHhe'b led tori^fer iTiin— to thW-jtiriie^wlieri thp/'couptry/ pliihgecl in -l-ie^de^eßtjwbb/liails/ as a^^sigri|or pre--, sent escape frbiri.' '^^-miseiy ,'^arid * f utrire' 'attarbjrierit . of- prosperity 'i arid -' greaiMesSj-'tHe : of— ■■■•vi >-i<rJc-- M,- ■■<•>'■*> . ' ;:! *i' ffiffi;:iii ": •'-- ';JW .:.-. ':':'.-; ; >;^;:l\t^^n.'; i vs; i^-^-",FOSeO/ : ;;