FROM OUR EXCHANGES.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 146, 17 May 1879, Page 2

FROM OUR EXCHANGES.

' The ' Lyttelton Times,' in commenting upon a recent article in the ' Timaru Herald,' remarks : " We cannot protest too strongly against the practice, -which is becoming only too common among poltical writers in these colonies, of! disregarding all feeling of true patriotism so long as an injury can be inflicted on the party to whom they are opposed. It lias been no unfrequent occurrence in this colony for political writers to do their best to stir up disaffection in the Native mind, and to otherwise hinder the best efforts of the Government in the cause of peace, in order to score a point against his adversaries. Just now a section of the Press of this colony is busily employed in doing its utmost to damage the credit of the Government. At a time when every industry is suffering from a severe financial strain, caused by circumstances for the most part entirely beyond the control of the sufferers, it would seem but reasonable that those who accept the responsible position of acting as public guides and informants should do their best to mitigate the evils of the hour by wise counsel and encouragement." With these remarks we entirely agree, and have had occasion recently to write in the same strain, but we think the absurd statements of the ' Timaru Herald' not worth the serious attention that the ' Lyttelton Times ' gives to them. Because commercial affairs are in an uncomfortable condition at Timaru, the presiding editorial genius of the place must find something to say to account for it, and so pitches into the Government, and trumps up an absurd story about properly-signed Government cheques being dishonored. The charge is malicious enough, but its ridiculous character, and the source from whence it came, stamps it as not deserving of serious notice. The 'Timaru Herald ' has since explained that it did not mean anything. The Dublin correspondent of the ' Pall Mall Gazette,' Avriting on February 14th, says : —" To-day the 'Nation ' newspaper, together with the * Irishman,' ' Weekly News,' and 'Flag,' rejoice over the Zulu disaster in alternately gleeful and ferocious terms, describing the slain troops as the host of a marauding Sennacherib, and calling for three cheers from all parts of Ireland for Cetewayo. The ' Irishman ' is not so extravagant as the ' Nation,' which says : ' It is a most brilliant affair, cleverly planned, and most thoroughly executed. Since the destruction of a British army in the Khyber Pass in 1842, nothing like it has occurred jn any part of the world. It is only

English armies that are so utterly squelched. The soldiers of other nations, by a combination of bravery and skill, are able to bring themselves honorably out of almost any predicament ; but when one reads of gross stupidity and incompetency in military operations, of the folly that takes an army into an absolute trap and knows not how to get it out again, of the lack of dash and energy that allows it to be cooped up and then easily cut to pieces, there is no mistaking the nationality of the force. Everyone will say, It can be no other than English." The result of the meeting at Te Kopua may be thus summarised :—Rewi has been permanently detached from the King. The Kingites say that his apostacy has been so great that he cannot come back. He intends surveying and cutting up his lands for leasing. The disorganisation of the King party is complete. Rewi carries with him the bulk of the Ngatirukawa. I may state that he has authorised his subordinates to lease and pass their lands through the Native Lands Court. The Ministry are said to plume themselves on the failure of the Kingites' acceptance of the late Sir Donald McLean's terms, ratified at Hikurangi, and confirmed at this meeting at Te Kopua. They consider the colony will be the gainer, by such a course of action, of a large sum of money. A daring feat was, • according to the 'Toronto Globe,' performed on the afternoon of January 24 by a Mr Andrew Wallace, who crossed Niagai'a on horseback. He first rode his horse across the icebridge—a perilous performance in itself ; but not satisfied with this, he ascended to the summit of the ice mountain at the base of the American fall. The sight of the cliffs on the Canada side, which were covered with spectators, was, it is stated, absolutely " thrilling." Slowly the horse toiled up the steep slippery side of the great ice cone, winding round the footpath until the summit was reached. Here, enveloped in a cloud of mist which concealed the white cone itself, the horse and rider looked like a "weired apparition suspended in mid-air." For some time the horse went careering about over the crest of the cone, where one false step might have hurled both him and his rider into the fathomless foaming gulf full seventy feet below. Presently the daring horseman rode slowly down the path and, crossing the ice bridge, regained the Canadian side. Both he and his horse were drenched with spray, but otherwise none the worse for the venture. The intelligent and surefooted animal that played such a prominent part in this feet is "a moderate-sized brown horse with four white feet and a snip nose." That the horse was sure-footed is beyond question ; but its " intelligence " is a more doubtful point. Had it possessed the brains of an ordinary horse it would probably have declined to lend itself to the exhibition. In the meantime, Mr Wallace's good nature in risking his own neck for the amusement of the beholders would have fairly entitled him to praise but for the fact that he risked his horse's neck also, and this was hardly fair. In Monday's issue (says the ' Southland Times') we reported the fact that a man named Hudson had been missing -since Saturday night at Campbelltown, the supposition being that he had been swept out to sea, small hopes of his return being entertained. Yesterday afternoon, however, he turned up again, and, according to his own story, seems to have had quite a voyage. It appears that when he arrived alongside his cutter on Saturday night he went to sleep in his boat without making it fast, and only awoke next morning to find himself somewhere near the Toitois. On ascertaining his whereabouts he endeavored to make his way back, but after making considerable progress the tide proved too strong for him, and his boat was carried away in the wrong direction again, and on Monday morning, after passing another night in the boat, he found himself off Ruapuke. During Monday he strove to improve his position, and on Monday evening was close under Tewa's Point, when a thick fog closed in and put a stop to his progress for the night. Next morning, when day broke, lie was so close to Dog Island that he was enabled to run his boat ashore, but was so much exhausted that the keepers of the lighthouse had to lift him out of the boat. Here he was enabled to recruit himself after his perilous trip, and having rested, took advantage of a favoring tide, and made for the harbour, arriving safe y alongside the wharf about 4 p.m., apparently not much the worse for his long exrjosure. The weather was remarkably fine throughout, and to this circumstance he is indebted for his safety. How such a small boat could have escaped the rip and the heavy roll on the spit is a mystery, but there seems to be no reason for doubting the truth of the man's story. An ace'dent occurred at Brightwater (Nelson) the other night by which two girls narrowly escaped death. On account of the bridge for ordinary traffic across the Wairoa not yet been replaced, two daughters of Mr Smith, of Hope, aged respectively 17 and 19 years, were crossing the river by the railway bridge with planking on the side rails, and the night being oxceedingly dark the younger girl fell through into the river, twenty feet below, and which is deep at the spot. The elder girl most pluckily jumped after her sister, to rescue her, and the scx-eams of the girls soon brought Messrs Newman, Hill, Nelson, Craydon, and Haughlin, to the rescue. The elder girl was at once rescued, but the younger was found lying at the bottom Of the river, and being taken out was conveyed to the Bridge Hotel, where Mrs Hill and others unceasingly endeavored to restore animation for three-quarters of an hour before they were successful.