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Southland Times, Issue 589, 9 November 1866, Page 2

Tho Amateur Dramatic Club wUI give a performance, this evening, at the Theatre Royal, for the benefit of the Widows and Orphans of the men who were sometime since frozen to death at the Dome Pass. The object for which the entertainment has been got up is a worthy one, and is we understand that great pains have been taken by ths members of the Club to render it the most perfect of aU their performances, a full house may be expected.

To-day being the anniversary of the Birfchthday of the' Prince of Wales it will be observed as a general holiday, the Government offices**, tbe Bonks and chief places of business will be closed. Fhe Railway Excursion to the Green Hills wUI no doubt prove most pleasureable, the soheme of the promoters has been weU arranged, and wUI no doubt be weU worked out. It combines the two great elements of success, vi* : — placing the fares at a figure within the reach of all classes, and providing ample provisions of every description for the comfort of those who desire to partake of them at a reasonable cost. The promoters of the trip, Messrs Smyth, Hoyt, <_ Co., have taken every precaution to prevent it, in any way, assuming tbe charactar of a class picnic. We learn that the foUowing arrangements have been made—the train wUI leave the InvereargUl station at 11 a.m. sharp, and the Green HUls at 4 p.m. Should the weather prove favorable it is proposed to have dancing on the green, for which purpose an efficient band has been secured, cricketing, and other manly games. A large table richly laden with eatables and drinkables of the best description will be supphed by Mr Joner*, of the Southland Club Hotel, for the accommodation of those who obtain luncheon tickets, while those who desire to take their own provisions, will have every facility afforded to make their famUy party as enjoyable as possible. Should the day prove fine a great treat may be anticipated. To however prevent even a wet day causing the project to faU it is proposed to run the train down and back ; then spread the luncheon table in one of tho large rooms at the Invercargill station, and there have dancing and other amuse ment on the commodious platform and in the extensive buildings as yet unoccupied. Thus under any circumstances a good days pleasure may be expected. The thanks of the community is due to His Honor the Superintendent for the permission given to Messrs Smytb, Hoyt & Co. , to use the Railway carriages, and to that firm for the spirited efforts to make it a popular gathering. We recommend intending excurliorists to secure tickets a. early as possible as the carriages will only hold a limited number, and much confusion and disappointment might arise should a rush for tickets be made just as the train was about to leave. The foUowing paragraph appeared in our contemporary, in his yesternay's issue : — " By the courtesy of Mr W. H. Brayton we are enabled to publish the following telegram, from Hokitika :— -Melbourne Cup: Ist, Warwick; 2nd, — Deception ; 3rd, — Barb ; twsnty-two started." This was one of those practical jokes that are often played by foolish men, and sometimes have a serious evil effect. In th'l3 instance no harm has been done, and we are assured by Mr Brayton, that he was the party misled, and gave the telegram for publication in aU good faith. No information as to tbe result of the Melbourne Races have as yet been received. It will be seen by the subjoined letter from the Provincial Engineer tbat our Christchurch neighbors are threatened by the vagaries of the Waimakariri with the necessity of incurring considerable outlay : — " Provincial Engineer's Office, Christchurch, Oct. 12, 1866. Sir— l have the bonor to report that during the recent fresh in the Waimakariri an opening has been formed in the bank of shingle immediately below the timber breakwater, seventeen miles from Christchurch, which has hitherto acted as a natural dam between the main spring and the old channel leading to Templer's dry river bed ; and that the force of the flood having bretahed the lower of the two embankments lately erected to divert the overflow of the river into the main stream, there is every probability that considerable flooding will take place both in the Fenlalltown rive.* and in the Avon itself during the freshes which may be expected during the months of November and December. An inspection of the map attached to Mr Doyne's second report will show that the course above referred to is in tbe straight run of the river, and it wiU be at once understood that even if it is possible to divert the water either northwards or southwards this must be a work of great coat aud magnitude. I do not apprehend any immediate danger of tbe main body of the stream coming down the Fendalltown River, but j as the Waimakariri is now setting strongly against the south bank, it is propable that in a few year 3, by the scouring of the shingle, a very considerable portion of the river wUI return to its old channel and flow through Christchurch. Should tbis be the case, great injury would result to the various mill properties upon the Avon and its tributaries and it is desirable that their owners should be prepared for this result. I do not think it possible to take any effective protective measures during the continuance of the Spring freshes, but I w. ;i l continue to watch the river banks, and will report from time to time any changes they may take place. — Your obedient servant, E. Dobson, Provincial Engineer. — To the Secretary of Public Works." The Nelson Fxaminer says : — " E_ery person who lakes an interest in racing in New Zealand, wUI regret to hear of the death of Miss Rowe, one of the best mares of this hemisphere. On i the turf, Miss Rowe, although passing for rather a ( small mare, distinguished herself in Nelson, as weU as in Sydney and at Melbourne, as one of the best weight-carriers that ever came upon a course As a brood mare her stock are full of promise, and Juno her first foal, by St. Aubyn, was remarkably fast ; but, owing to an accident she met with in Canterbury, she never started _s a three-year-old, and last year, at Auckland, she appeared to bo amiss. Miss Rowe's second foal, Master Rowe, was 600 guineas, and won the Leger at Canterbury last year, in excellent time ; and her third foal, Ake-Ake, has just been entered by Mr Redwood for the next Canterbury Cup. Tbe mare died of congestion of the lungs, on Saturday last, and was heavy in foal to St, Aubyn. The Southern Cross relates that "on the Srd instant, a soldier of the|l4th Regiment was tried by court martial, at the camp, Otahuhu, for hav-

ing, in the presence of his oficert, uttered 4 violent invective against her Majesty the Quee_. He was sentenced to be drummed out of hit regiment and imprisoned for five yean. Th«« rope having been placed round the offender '• neck, 'The Rogue's March' was placed, to the tune of which he danced round the camp." The special correspondent of the Southern Cross by the new Panama service, thus writes of the voyage from AspinwaU to New York :— "Proceeding on board the Henry Chauncey, vr« found all in readiness for a start, the steamer only awaiting the arrival of the train with the Californian baggage and specie. This soon arrived, and the steamer left the wharf at midnight. Wo shaU not gi*ve a daUy account of the run to ' New York, but only mention that she arrived there on the morning of August Ist, thus making the voyage in seven days six hours. StUl this was not running at fuU speed. It is quite immaterial at what hour these steamers Isave the port of departure, as the speed can always be increased so as to ensure their arrival early on the eighth-day. As an example of the steaming powers of the Henry Chauncey, her first trip from New York to AspinwaU was made in six days and a half, beine at the rate of 13_- knots per hour throughout. She and the other vessels of the same company's fleet are truly fine steamers. They are purely American, with wide side wheels of immense diameter, single beam-engines. —*or]rin_r„ vi «»"h above the deck, tier upon tier of deck-houses, and very small masts and spars. In speaking of one of this fleet, BidweU, in his work on Panama,' says, *On a recent (July 25, 1864) and not extraordinary occasion, the Pacific Mail Company's steamer Golden City left Panama with 2200 tons of cargo from N6W York, 700 tons of coal, besides carrying nearly 700 passengers, and leaving room for as many more.' This is aUuding to the Une from Panama to San Francisco ; and the same author dUates lengthUy and vehemently on the miseries of the voyage from Colon to New Yrok. But, at the time he wrote, the VanderbUt line had the monoply of that route. Since then it had entirely passed into the hands of the Pacific MaU Company, and the class of steamers and their management is now quite equal to those of the Californian line The cabins on *the Henry Chauncey were most comfortable, the lighting and ventilation perfect, and each is heated (when necessary) by steam. The utmost attention to cleanUness in aU parts of the ship was observed ; indeed, in the course of a long experience of steamers, we never saw a more cleanly ship, or one in which more attention was paid to the health and safety of the passengers. Many things on board doubtless appeared strange to those accustomed only to English steamers ; thus, in the eating department, there was not nearly that variety one sees on other vessels, but what there was weU cooked and wholesome."