MISCELLANEOUS.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 40, 8 March 1884, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

Straying cattle in the Mount Eden Highway District have become such a nuisance to settleas in the neighbourhood that the Board are compelled to resort to stringent measures in order, if possible, to put a stop to the nocturnal depredators. Th© evidence disclosed the statement that in some instances owners of cattle in the district actually opened their neighbours' garden gates, and, in the forcible and pictorial language of one of the rangers' beds of cabbage and pumpkins disappeared before the break of day. Some of the animals, feeling the starry sweets of liberty, seemed to know the rangers, and with their natural weapons defied their opponents. This was the case especially with Mr Houlihan's cow with the crumpled horn, which rushed at Mr Stickley, who stood in the way of a bed of cabbage belonging to Mr Smith. Mr Stickley said that during the lastsix months ISOheadof cattle had been impounded. Two rangers had been appointed, but other assistance was necessary in transferring cattle from gardens to the pound. Mr Atkinson Crockett, in his examination, showed that a pound-keeper's life at Mount Eden was not a bed of roses. He was worried night and day in spite of the neuralgia ; in fact, among a world of straying cattle there was no peace for a poundkeeper. It was alleged that one of Mr Houlihan's cows, known as "Paddy," was a clever gate-lifter, and paid no respect to by-laws when a green patch of vegetation was in view. The owner expressed surprise that "Paddy" had not been captured before by the eager rangers of the district, who, he believed, encouraged his cows to break the commandments. The hearing of the cases caused much amusement, and some of the defences were Quixotic in character. It may not be generally known that a shark hunt forms a feature in the outdoor sports which find favour in the western suburb during the Saturday half-holiday. There are many elements of attraction which conspire to recommend it to the athletic and daring. It is exhilarating, spiced with the flavour of a little danger, and calls for the exercise of a quick eye, a steady nerve, and a strong arm. All these requisites Mr T. T. Masefield possesses in an eminent degree, and as a consequence he is perhaps the champion sharkhunter of Auckland. He has quite a passion for the sport, engages in it every Saturday, and never returns to shore without half-a-dozen or so bloody trophies. On Saturday afternoon he eclipsed all his previous exploits by the capture of a monster shark, which had been cruising about the harbour for weeks past. Mr Masefield had had several previous rencontres with it, but it invariably got away. He felt sure, however, that he would eventually get it, as a shark rarely leaves port when there is food to be had. On Saturday afternoon Mr Masefield was out with some five or six other persons, and at four o'clock had caught seven young sharks, which were temptingly displayed over the side, when the big fellow appeared in the ofling. The boat then being near Kauri Point, he swam cautiously round and round, and then made a dart for a young brother five feet long, which he had just got fairly into his throat when Mr Masefield harpooned him. The harpoon was attached by 30 fathoms of rope to a 10gallon cask, so that his sharkshlp had plenty of tether. He was a powerful brute, however, for he towed the boat and the cask up and down the harbour for fully three hours. At 7 o'clock he was again harpooned and made fast to a beacon off Kauri Point. At 8 o'clock on Sunday morning he was brought down to Home Bay with the tide, dying suddenly en route, but not before he had given an exhibition of his maxillary power by biting through a Europe rope as he would a sheet of paper. He was dragged up on tlo beach, and found to measure 13£ feet 1 .ig by 9 feet in girth. There was a constant stream of visitors all day to see the carcase. This morning it was disembowelled and amongst the contents of the stomach no less than 9G fish-heads were counted, as well as theleg and blade bones of an ox. It is intended to present the head of the animal to the Museum. A "burning" shame— Fires going on unchecked. New Zealand imports teeming from Victoria, Tasmania, Fiji, and London. Wellington Licensing Committees agree to close all houses at eleven p.m. Gordon Pasha proclaimed that the British troops would evacuate the Soudan when the siege of Tokar was raised. " Chan trey " Harris, of the Wellington "Times," is lecturing on Spiritualism. The trial of Joseph Mackay for embezzling Government Insurance moneys is now proceeding at Timaru. Geo. Duncan, steward of the American brig Sarah W. Hunt, has been fined £5 at Wellington for coming as a stowaway from Lyttelton on board the Wairarapa. Messrs M. Cook and Sons, Freeman's Bay Glassworks, have got a further order to supply 24 dozen railway carriage lamps for the Colonial Government, The harvest in Marlborough, which is expected to yield plentifully, will be all ingatheved this week. Wrinkle for our temperance zealots— The Wellington Licensing Committees intend to see that the Adulteration Act is strictly administered. Monsignor Capel, when in Baltimore, U.S., visited a family, the "young hopeful " of which (a boy of four years) was told to speak to the Archbishop. The precocious youth obeyed readily, and holding out his hand, said, " How do, Arch.?" Facilis descensus averni. The "genial and experienced " agent of Professor Payne has come out as a comic artist at New Plymouth. A local paper says :—": — " The comic singing of Mr Rawlings was very good, but the vocalist was evidently suffering from a cold." CM. Clay says Russians do not emigrate because they are so well pleased with " the humane spirit of the land." We might ask where this humane spirit resides— in the mines of Siberia, or in the Nihilistic dens of the great cities ? The steamer Staffa has been floated off the Opotiki bar. Auckland delegates to the Congregational Conference at Wellington are back in town. A Christian young man has been lecturing at Christchurch on "After Dark in London." Sad dog, eh? He drew a crowded house though. New rates of fares, etc., are gazetted for the Kawakawa section of the New Zealand railways. A Civil List pension of £100 has been conferred upon the llev. C. Cuthbert Southey, the only son of the poet, and the author of a life of his father, published in 1850. Several burglaries are reported in Christchurch. The first census of England was taken in 1801. Crowds turned away from that lecture at Christchurch on " London After Dark." The Tauranga "Telegraph" says that Dr. Sinclair, the dentist,drew £200 from six persons alone in that town, and he had crowds of patients besides. There are 35,823 parsons in England and Wales, of whom 24,000 belong to the Established Church.