Local News.

Colonist, Issue 20, 29 December 1857, Page 2

Local News.

PLEASURE TRIP IN THE NELSON

BAY.

Saturday last being a general holiday, with the 'buoyant lovers of nature and healthy recreation, a very comfortable party of our citizens, . including a goodly number of the ,lQvely, embarked in the beautiful " TasmanianjjMaid.' 1 Enjoyment bloomed to every; hope, and it shone in every face. Safe, easy, and perfectly assured, on the bosom of the fairest nymph of our waters, all felt pleased arid were emulous of pleasing. ; The graceful."Maid" sported with the calm deep, and bore along with her proud movements the " entrancing voice" of "the brisk awak'nirig viol." While the zephyrs seemed to languish around'her, as if enamoured, —like a playful coquette} she seemed to exult in her fascinating ppwers^.and attractive playfulness, with merrily dancing, paddles scattering showers of pearls in her glad progress. Well might her skilful commander, Capt. Cross, our justly celebrated pilot, smile from time to time, as the imbodyment of all good fellowships•; his really captivating charge,, and everything about her, won the admiration of all.. Alli>yas so trim and nice, you might fancy that some endi,an)tment prevailed. But the " Maid," lilce mariy,.^ther sweet creatures, either Tasmaniari or Nels6nian, carried the charm, of her own spells, W iri%ahylike style she frolicked about and- about hii/the calm expanse where heaven, and earths S^tt*^ joined arid blest in happy matrimony. ■ Tm^m&. ♦ing, no fi-ettirig v rio ja.rs, rib- scolding werjpH^; ' g all was so pleasant bnpieibliiihing^;tide,;^it'm&y^e ?Bagely>^oubfedwhetß.eiiaiiy sinister fish-lurked beneath,;oiv whether aify " SiVeri in! the coral caves unseen,' sung below of anything but concord. ;Jlow agreeable our dear feilow-riiortals can ; be wheri they heartily purpose to be so! Wbiftd it not be a holiday through life's voyage if all the maids and matrons, youth and sires habitually resolved, to be cheerful and to cheer? -, What if mankind ever strove, as did tfre hlythe passengers of the " Tasmanian Maid?" Some divert their attention by watching the flight of bir'ds-^the quiver of the wave as the vessel rnshes into'its. embrace—the abodes on the ; retiring shores—the happy homes on the heights-^-the boulder-formed line extending like a stately walk, as it may be ere long—the amphitheatre of hills rising by the haven; —others, mesmerised by their neighbour's reveries, look at the scenes they briefly leave; arid they people them with patriots, poets, philosophers, heroes, and wise historians; they: see glorious spires, magnificent towers, mighty, arsenals--e-6f "peace, resplendent palaces of science and of art■■: and, perhaps, some dream of subrnarlne union with beloved Old England! But the gay vessel runs more speedily, and the music is more lively; for see! there are Ithe Waimea isles on the left, with the forest and uplands of that flourishing dfelta of our settlement; and there is the " Western entrance" with its lovely lake at high water; there, the fair sandy beach— the shrubby bluffs—the curious peaks ;—there, with its line of forest, lies in its tranquility, Mbtueka, audits goodly local sister, Moutere, on the one hand, and Riwaka, on the other, can tell of far better things than you see from the deck; and there is Kai-teri-terf, with its charming shores and pleasant sands. Here our " Maid" calls, and -win's the hearts of the good people on land. Down to her they hasten, gaily,'curiously, and yith many, a joke of rustic lovers. The sprightly swains and pretty girls who come/iboard soon form their mazy rounds in the country dances of" Auld Lang Syne " Foot drums to foot, and heart trips to heart; —all goes " merry as a marriage bell." But we must not forget Astrolabe, although the village sounds of the accordion from Kai-teri-teri; had a zest about them enough to render many other matters oblivious. . Grotesque • rocks, cavernous hollows, swelling ridges one above another, vales of delight, alternating with many a cliffjand mound woo attention and stir the encores of the -soul. See, there, the isles that guard tiie bay; iut adorn it with diversified loveliness; Thisseems'kd/eam.j, i^Joit is one of. delight peculiar to this1' h^vepty; climate and its matchless shores—shores grand with ! predictions of future powei and glory. r :: ■► ] <j : Our party have had their- pic-nic'.'* How, picturesque,were the.chatting circles arid clustering faces,—uttering confidences and hopes! Sports there were, and laughable pranks anu mischievous hilarity. Time was concentrated, in a thousand moments fixed, in some rhinds, as a staiTy group of memories, undying perhaps as the love or affection of the true! " Now fades the glimmering landscape on the • sight." -■■ ■ ; The tui chimes her vespers; and the ring of a thousand tiny bells comes from as many feathered songsters in the isle of magical tones—■ . Tui! Tui! with bdl-note : Ringing from your tufted throat,—; • . Surely better parson-bird .-... ■'~ ; In white bands was never heard! „ What symphonious chiming ! It seems as if all great Nature's heart were set to music, and repeating cadences from the spirits that throngs the " harriionious air." '-:■■' Home! Home! is now the attraction; and our faithful "Maid" bears us thither in safety, after a refreshing holiday of some twelve hours. No regrets, no complaints would we allow after such a day of relaxation and gratification. The trip across the bay and along its woody, clifted coasts, and past some of its promontories too, was favoured by a day clear, healing, and reviving,—a day pecu^ liar to Tasman's Bay,—will not soon he forgotten by those who went forth with expectation in the "Tasmanian Maid,'' and returned abundantly gratified, under,the gallant care of her worthy Captain of the day. ' '■ , THE THEATRE. Christmas Eve was ushered in by Tobins' cele>brated play The Honeymoon—^ remarkable production from the fact of its being the only surviving play of the author, .and from his fruitless attempt to'procure its reception on the stage by any manager during his lifetime. The man died^ hut the play lived: and so great is its posthumous reputation that to this day it is a deserved favourite^ although a century and a half old. , ; On Thursday, this fine piece suffered considerably by curtailment, both in interest attd-'iimiy 5.1 The first scene introduced us to the intended wed^ ding, and the very next scene "the honeymoon" had commenced. : A marriage' solemnized,—the ,gues|g all gorie,—-and.. the r bndeand bridegroom quarrelling ma minute! :.. 3 : >: It is <;,chari.table to presume that this representation was produced too hastily, otherwise we cannot account fpr an absence of spirit so frequently manjjj fest during the evening except in those "scenes wherein Duke Aranza (Mr. R. H. Cox) and Juliana (Miss Clara Seymour) appeared, arid in which they received hearty plaudits. v ';: Balthazar (Mr. Bertram) was unusually tame^ particularly. when he receives the bride's letter acquainting him that she is shamefully deceived, and that her husband is no Duke, when instead oi exhibiting much outi'aged feeling, his rage was simply unnatural and mechanical—unlike his usually correct impersonation of such characters; , Fofante (Mrs. R. H. Cox) was just as flippant and volatile as could be desired; and-her lover, Count Montalban, (an Amateur) who is alwavs Very correct in his text, was not quite so ardent as we could wishin his affection. The Mock Duh (an Amateur) looked as unctuous as Falstaff, and behaved like a butler when his master is out. Insufficient time for study prevented him rendering it with his usual spirit. t Miss Clara Seymour followed with a favourite air; but the burst of the evening was reserved foi a well-known amateur, "whose first appearance this season" delighted as heretofore his hearers with the crowing, cackling, quacking, barking, bellowing, and braying imitations ot a farm-yard, with an encore of tom-cats, all delivered, with gusto and without fatigue. "'.'■] The farce of Betsy-Baker concluded tliis evening's amusement y and when we remember this piece as performed by the amateurs, we must say ," Mousers is scarce," for the amateur Mouser was .the very type of an uxorious husband, and his sleeping partner Crummy ytto not equalled by thic Company/ •

On Saturday, the highly farcical comedy oi :The Lottery Ticket, or Love and Avarice, was performed with considerable tact. Cdpias, (Mr. Ejertram) a» avaricious lawyer, falls in love very suddenly with the possessor of the Lottery ; Prize, Mrs. Corset (Miss Clara Seymour,) and by the machinations of his humpbacked clerk PJtprm- '■■ wood, (Mr. R. H Cox,) who delights in seeing • and making: every one miserable, he is made a ,' willing tool, of Cupid and cupidity. On finding .. that his servant Betsy (Mrs. It. H; Cox) has "drawn the lucky prize, he forgives her breaking,a teapot, (the only saved portion of whiph the spout: is 1 pathetically presented to him by the bjjFending . Betsy,) and to her astonishment arid delight makes ! her an offer of marriage, who, be It known, hjtd . previously, and unknown to Capias, soldherticket to Mrs. Corset. Wormwood, with a cruel relish; ' contrives to make Mrs. Corset a .witness of the false-heartedness of her quondam lovei 1, and in;.a scrimmage which ensues he is delighted to see.the two fair ones and the propitious lover tooth,land nail in a laughable and fearful coriibat, in which Capias has a band-box broken to pieces over His head, and loses his temper and his wig.'1 ' This plot is' carried out with labyrinthine; perplexity-by Wormwood., in which he manages to embroil thefn all, till Charles, (an amateur) truly rin ioye;>vith t Betsy, falls under suspicion of being attached,to s.^Mrs. Corset; hut the' Gorflian knot is at length , .pit,.and the curtain falls with Charles the fortunate possessor of the £5000 prize, and he and' Betsy, ' "and Capias and Mrs. .Corset about to be martfed. 1 -The mischief-maker Wormwood, who,has;.beenv •' taking his pleasure^|l.thfej&ye.nit)g, isnow bujfett e ed i about from one to aribtlifer^iFuHyjexposqp^flf r ; punished.; We ;riiust say. playeiir^th ' "uncommon yiva<^y ; ;andliunip«:S', and, ; \ve hbpeitOi --see it-once more. ■" \ '.. .. "'\ r , v/ . ■,-'>■s■:.* ■■■:■: -? rc ■ >~ Miss Clara - Seymour sarig" Shells of Ocean'', very charmingly. We are persuaded that tl\is .young lady has only to overcome a feeling of '■ nervousness to be a great acquisition to the Company. . ;■"; - ■''-'• Mr. R. H; Cox sang " Yillikinsandhis Dinah" ' dn the most lachrymose, serio-comic, air," imagina- '> ble, the whole audience melting with helpless laughter. The irreparable grief, in which, he wrung out a spotless handkerchief bedewed with tears, was the signal-to brmg out the perit-up feelings of the audience, who encored hitn ifemendously. : ■•;c>l---A Day after the Fair concluded the performance, of which we cannot speak so favourably. We must remind our readers that the per-, formance to night is for the benefit of The Nelson Amateur Dramatic Society, when we trust there will be a strong muster; and we hope to record tremendous cheering and great success. ; Theatrical^. — Our play-goirig friends will perceive by advertisements in this day's issue, that this evening and to-morrow evening is the last' opportunity they >vill have of patronising the company of performers. They will proceed immediately to Wellington. 1 . Boxing Day.—On Saturday last, Mr. Akersten, at the Marine Hotel, got up a few old English, sports, such as jumping in sacks, catching a pig with a greasy tail, and several other amnseirierits. The place selected (the public street) was riot an : appropriate one, as the. two unfortunate fellows ;, who were tied in the bags met with a.very severe fall, coriiirig with full force on their faces to the ■ ground, doing considerable damage to their respective frontispieces. The next (a pig'race) was a very amusing one—he went "the whole hog" into a linen draper's shop, nor could he be induced to leave until some time had elapsed.. Mr. Akersten's hotel was tastefully decorated with ,flags throughout the day. Some evil disposed person or persons'during the previous evening wilfully cut down and carried away the tackling of Mr. : - .Akersten's tent. It-is to be hoped the parties will not.escape punishment. , Pomce Court, Monday. — John Nelson, amiserabte lodkirig object, with "a shocking bad hat," was charged with drunkenness by one of^the constables.; whb* adeposed 'that-prisoner was drimk: and disorderly'in the'vicinity of the-Mariiie HBtel. Fined \£\— in,..default.^f payment,; 48.j1i;diirs'; hard labour;' ' y' . i._ . r VI {-n^^JS^rr/' ?'-