The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1868.

Southland Times, Issue 1042, 21 October 1868, Page 2

The Southland Times. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1868.

Owing to the damage done to the Railway line during the late severa gales, the Government have determined to erect a temporary terminus, goods ■bed, &0., at a point of the line, near to ... . EingswelTi fellmongery establishment. During v - Tuesday and Wednesday the railway staff and a 'A number of other men were employed in moving the engines along the old road, and in carting materials for the proposed ereotious, and it is ex- *' pected that traffic will be resumed in a few days. We understand that it is the intention of the -. — Gerwaimenfcf-JMtead—ofrepairmg the old em- ■ ' ! . bankment, to construct a line running along a portion of the Bluff road, and joining the old line '' at the proposed station. This we think a wise decision. The Anniversary Banquet of the Shamrock Rose and Thistle. Lodge, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Manchester Unity, will be held at file Shamrock and Thistle Concert Hall, "Dee-street, on Friday evening next, the 23rd October. Alarge'number~of visiting brothers it v expected will be present. ' :. Th® special reporter of the 'Daily Times/ 14th hut writing from Athol says : — The weather has set in wet and story. Although yesterday was fine, it was preceded' by a snow storm, which con- j • ~ tinned almost ' without intermission during the two previous days. The lambing season was progressing favorably ; indeed it was. expected that the produce would not be less than 85 per -, ' cent, Thii, unfortunate change in the weather, ii • however, should it be of long continuance, 1 will "; pr^Te ditaiterous to the young stock. „...' ; ■;■-" Sir ; John Packington has ordered the conver- ; , :t «wn , 01^212 ,;65_cwt; , cast-iron guns into 64---pouader Palliserß, and the work is 'to' be proceeded with at once.

I*ntqj^^(@jgmi* f^!pi'^on Troupe oi JapaTiese^tfntin^rJo )&r&yr::tS!3X#si-i houses at tke inclemency of the -3fektheri.f t)n "Monday evening the house w iwell filteipKin every part, and the continued j|)audits:%flir :th^ company evidenced that each .succeeding entertainment adds fco the popularity It is unnecessary to say more 'than tHat the high estimate of their extraordinary ability expressed in aNprevioua notice was jntensifie&b^liat on this-occasion.. Tbe chief chuii^e;fe the^perfprmance consisted in a new feat - called Ehida^or large Panrieled Screen, in whichSagrero and Cheo Xitehie certainly displayed, to the fullestjextent, their wonderful j powers of balancing- and suspension — powers surpassing anything we have ever previously witnessed. The great event of the evening was however, the performanca of the Japanese lady, Cuts-Who-Gero, on the slack rope. This may truly be styled marvellous. With the greatest ease she treads the rope with a confidence and _ artistic precision that devests the spectators of j any fear for her safety. Without any balance, however, save an umbrella, she dances on the rope, retreats and advances, and assumes every position with a grace and facility that must be witnessed to be believed. The feats of Blondin sinks into contemptuous indifference when the achievements of the Japanese lady are witnessed. The same performance was repeated to a good house laßt evening. We understand that the stay of the troupe is limited to this week. All those who have not -yeirpa^-a^rUitJa-iJia-Jiaieatre shoujdjcertainly avail themselves of the opportunity oi witnessingan extraordinary and interesting exhibition. The ' Lyttelton Times' thinks that* the people of the Middle Island will be forced to look into the question of Separation before long by a sense of preservation. They will have to decide Booner or later whether it is possible for them to fight their own battle of life, and at the same time pay for protecting the settlers of the North while pursuing their occupations, Our contemporary then aays j — "Judging from the experience of other colonies, we hold that this will prove to be an impossible task. We are sure that neither of the comparatively flourishing and populous colonies of Australia could undertake the task of settling the North Island by force of arms without being ruin«d by the attempt. And we are sure that if the attempt is persevered in here, it will before long involve this island in irretreivable ruin. We do not believe that the people will sit down contentedly to meet their ruin. The instinct of self-preservation must sooner or later overcome their apathy. Owing chiefly to the fact that the expenses of former wars ha^e been met by loans and indirect taxation, the public have not felt the shoe pinch them in a tender part. We devoutly hope and believe that the time has arrived when the colony will be unable to borrow another farthing for war purposes, and when it will be equally impossible to raise any more money by indirect means." A charge of cowardice having been made against the Militia at Wanganui bj the ' Times^' the ' Chronicle ' replies in their defence as follows : — The people will volunteer when they find a man in whom they have confidence. There is no denying that the Militia officers are not very well fitted for the duties devolving upon them ; their appointment was an absurdity, and most likely they feel it to be so ; they are not cowards, and ib is horrible to have such a charge flung at a respectable body of young men. A resolution has been carried in the Assembly to the following effect :— " That in the opinion of this House, it is desirable that the Government should cause to be inserted in certain European and American journals, quarterly returns of the trade and commerce of New Zealand." The ' Taranaki Herald,' of Oct. 3, says : — We have received further intelligence from the rebel district. One of the women of Tito Kowaru's ! hapu visited the wife of a settler nearWarea, and has given an- account of the doings of this cannibal tribe. A correspondent writing to us says : — "The horrible cruelties perpetrated by the cannibals of New Zealand in former times on their wounded prisoners, have again been indulged in to satiate their inveterate hatred and revenge towards the pakeha. The wounded who were left behind in the retieat from Euaruru, were dragged into the pah, subjected to insult and torture, and eventually burnt to death, their bodies afterwards cut in pieces and divided amongst the cannibals, and eagerly devoured, even by the women and children — any ol the men who were not fortunate enough in obtaining a piece of human flesh were hooted by their wives and abused as cowards. A white man who has been among the rebels since the time of General Chute's overland expedition, made his appearance at the friendly Natives' pah, Taihua, on Monday last. He stated that he had been astray in the bush for two days, having lost his way going to an inland station belonging to the Wairos j he left the Taihua's on Wednesday last, September 30, to return to the rebels. Natives report that overland communication between Patea and Wanganui is stopped ; Waitotara and on to ten miles N.W. of Wanganui being occupied by the rebels. Also, that the Maori loss at Euaruru was four chiefs and a great number of others, among them some of the Ngatimanapoto "tribe, who came to assist Titokowaru. The Patukai (Taranakis) are ready to join when Tito asks them." The c Fijian Weekly News * has the following : — " By the cutter Lapwing we are informed that on the 15th August a tidal wave twelve feet high swept inshore at Apia, washing away two bridges over the creeks in the town, with Beveral trees, and doing other damage. The day was perfectly fine. The tide at high water rose a little higher than usual, but at low water, without any earthquake shock or previous warning, tlie tide suddenly rose in one immense wave, overwhelming the town and entering the houses, while for six hours after the sea continued advancing and receding in leßSer waves. It was reported that at Tangaloa the house of Mr Macfarlane was washed away, and that further to the eastward much greater damage was caused. It is worthy of no te that the night or early morning tide Veiva, Kji, rose to an unosu&l height at the same time. Wo | have not heard of it having been observed elsewherj. The 'New York Tribune' begs Miss Eye to send out a few hundred thousand servant girls to the United States. The abolition of slavery has, it says, raised the price of all labor, and especially of domestic service.

" Some little time sines," says the ' Gealong A.dyertiser t ' "we noticed what would appear to oe the. dia.cov.ery of a salt mine in the contiguity •fthe Western salt lakes. Professor M'Coy now informs us that he has communicated to Mr Pierce, the discoverer, that the salt resembles that crystallised from the salt lakes, having three per cent, of siilphata magnesia as the biily important impurity (this tends to harden meat salted with it), there b^ing about four per cent, of it in the saltof thejiajbg3,.a.nd r j;.hls.may__be. got rid of by careful evaporation." A meeting of the subscribers to the Southland Hospital was held at the Council Hall on Tuesday evening. The object for which the meeting had been called wa3 the of a Treasurer intheplace of J. M'Pherson Esq., resigned. Asttficient number of subscribers not being present within an hoar of the time named for the meeting, it was adjourned until Tuesday, the 3rd jSovember. The '• 3". Z. Herald' of the 2nd October says that the Government have received information i that Te Koti, the frantic chief of the escapees, now entrenohod at Puketupu, Poverty Baj has admitted to some neighboring tribes having suffered a loss of five killed and 18 wounded in the encounter with Col. Whitmore when Capt. Carr, and Mr D. Canning were killed. Te Koti himself was wounded in the fight.