ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. London, September 28.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 315, 10 November 1888, Page 3

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. London, September 28.

NEW ZEALAND AUTHORS. '•Kaifaba, or Experiences of a Settler in North New Zealand," is the title of a work by Mr P. J. Barlow, which Samp&on and Low will publish in the course of a few weeks. Curiously enough, life in this part oi New Zealand was very fully dealt with a few years back by Mr DelHle Hay, in an amusing work entitled " Blighter Biitain." The same firm have also in hand j\lrs (Jhas. Hetley's " Native Flower? of New Zealand, ' and a work dealing 'with the recent depression in the colony, by" ,Mr, John Bvadshyw. late Chairman ot the Canterbury Farmers' Uo - operative' .Association, and entitled *• New Zealand of To-day— lBB4 to 1887." Why the London correspondent ot the " Arprus" should; imagine that his impressions of London are ol special value to the public, I don't know. Apparently he does so, for " The Australian in London, by J. T. Hogan," is announced tor immediate publication by Ward and Downey. The ?amo finn have in hand old friend Farjeon's new shocker, "Devlin, tho Barber.''

CASTAWAYS ON AN .(ALLEGED) PACIFIC ISLAND. A most extraordinary stoiy comes from an oict gentleman named Murtagh, who resides ab Brooklyn. Ib is to the effect that he has had a letter from a certain Captain Green, a friend of his, who tailed for Australia in a vessel called the Confederation as long ago as 1858. The Confederation was supposed to have founder ed and all the passengers to have been lost. Captain Green now averp that the vessel ( did indeed founder,' but he doclares the'' passengers and crew took to the boats. They were forty, days (.this beats Clark Russell) in these boats, and then made the coral reef s of the Island of Ojee. Here the castaways found abundance of game, fish, fruits, and water. No vessel, however, came near them till ono stormy evening ixv 1862. A boat containing eight pi the ten men at once put oIF to intercept her, but never returned, and Captain Green fears it was swamped by the heavy seasthen running. He further spates that the women became wives of the two remaining male castaways, and that (several deaths notwithstanding) there are still a dozen persons residing happily and contentedly on the island. All, he added, they wanted was clothing. During 30 years they had only seen three vessels. If this story can possibly be true, surely some of the Auckland traders to the Pacific Islands ought to be able very soon to confirm it. The island is describod rather loosely as Ojee, one of the uninhabited islands of the South , Sea Group. The story sounds to me very much ' like the distempered, dream of an imaginative rpmancist who has supped over-hcavily on Clark Russell, James Payn, "Daniel Defoe and Co. Of course, it may be fact, even to the forty d.-iys in open boats under a tropical sun "and in 'tropical stoiras. The yarn is, however, one overybody would like sifted.

. THE. BISHOPOF DUjSfEDJN. , . - Bishop Neville, who was rpctor of Shelton befoi-e.he became =a spiritual - lord in 'New Zealand, has been paying a visit to his old home and .parish. wThe Sheltoniahs were delighted to sqo r him, and held a conversazione and other' suitable entertainments ,hv his honour. , Needless to say, he preached in the pulpit , that once knew him so well, apd stayed for, a long time ab the rectory. I hear His Lordship also preached at the Naniyvich. Choral'Assocjation Festival,, and last- Sunday week he was to occupy, what was onco Selwyns pulpit in LichKeld Cathedral. A fine por-' trait of Bishop Neville appeared in the' u Church Portrait Journal " for September.

'BANQUET TO THE AUSTRALIAN, CRICKETERS. The banquet to the Australian cricketers on Wednesday week* at Bailey's Hotel, was .quite p,n informal aud particularly fesbivo affair, especially towards the closo. About 212 persons sat down altogether, most of, them well-known .-"sports," with a' sprinkling of Anglo -Colonial magnates (Sir James (iarrick for one). Tho. colonial element , r was, however, much smaller than migli6 hayo beon anticipated under t|ie circirmst'ances. The toasts proved niostly of^a '•' scratch my back and tpi'll scratch yours ',»)j character, ."Tho Eng- 1 ,li6jh, , ,a*id/ the "Colonial Cricketers" being. 1 " pi-Qpoeecl 'alternately, coupled with different, names.', The great idea seemed to bo W'^eft'cTvory .hot/ability on his legs, "miToth^i'.'j tfje poor- follbw liked it or, not.** jAdmiral.T-ryon responded ' for tho nayy and Gejip.raTEVeemnntle ior the ai'iny, tho lafct6r C^ldhg .propel' care to refer to otio never- 10-be-Fbrjwbtfce'n valour -showij by Ausbialia''iif tho" Soudan. Loid ;Hstn#s> made a spoecli, and Mr Dangar la/f.l duo sbiess'on- the loss the team had sustained through Jones's illness. Altogether tho evening was a pleasant one; and enabled "the" eleven bo wind up their tour with a certain amour; tot' eclat. Nevertheless Australian cricketers will do well to give tihe old country a vest for awhile.