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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2503, 13 January 1877, Page 2

Ws are requested to state that owing to the teachers' examination taking'place next week the schools in the Waiotahi district will not be opened until next Monday week.

There was not a single case for hearing in the jtfesideut Magistrate's Court this morning.

Owin» to pressure on our space "What Everybody Says " is crowded out.

Me E. Cask, of Auckland, will preach at the Good Templar Hall to-morrow at half-past six o'clock. He has chosen for his subject—" The union of Christians on Christian principles."

We notice that the pupils of S. George's Grammar School will re-assemble on Monday next. The staff of masters is the same, as last quarter.

Those who have a wish to see the " Bioomhall selections," M soda water springs " other attractions in the vicinity of the Te Aroha mountain, will have a chance of doing so. The Te Aroha leaves Grahamstown wharf at five o'clock this afternoon conveying excursionists to Paeroa, from whence the steamjaunches Fairy and La Buona Ventura will leave for the Te Aroha mountain on Sunday morning early, returning to Paeroa the same evening. The Te Aroha will leave Paeroa at nine o'clock on Monday morniug. JNo^ doubt the excursionists will greatly enjoy their trip, and the small fare places it within the reach of all.

The glass is falling rapidly, and there are indications that there will be a gale from either the north-west and northeast before to morrow morning. For the past few days the weather has been very sultry, and this moraine the thermometer shewed 76deg. in the shade. Though no observations were raaHe at noon to-day, it mu*t have been as high as 90deg. in the shade.

The Thames Engineer Cadets competed at the Government range yesterday for the medal presented to the company by Lieutenant Prearson before leaving the corps, and the powder-flask, shot-belt and pouch presented by Captain Hazard. This was the second competition for the medal, and the fourth for Captain Hazard's prize, the first having been previously won by Sergeant Greenville, and the second by eadet.Reid, and twice by Sergeant Witcocks. Themedal was carried ofl yesterday by Corporal Trevarthen, a proraising young shot, with the score of 38, and Serjeant Greenville secured Captain Hazard's prize with a score of 29. Several pretty good scores were made at the first range, especially by Sergeant V\ ilcocks. but they fell on at the longer •ranges.* Sergeant-Major Grant superintended the firing. '...'•

At Inglewood, Victoria, a terrible explosion occurred at 4 o'clock on the 23rd December, by which £10,000 worth of property was destroyed. The explosion shook the ground for miles round, and a great cloud of white aud black smoke ascended from the heart of the town. It was found that the premises of li. Donovan were a mass of flames, and that an explosion of gunpowder had blown out the shop Jront and set fire to the stock. The fire originated in the back premises. The effects of ihe explosion were most remarkable. Persons standing on the Inglewood embankment, two miles away, felt the earthwork sway to and fro. fchop windows were blow,n out, red-hot pick handles, and hoops and staves of powder casks were blown a distance of 60 yards. Crockery was smashed. There were oUlbs l of powder on the premises.

A curious snake adventure happened to a family at Yass a few days aeio (says the.Courier). As the family of Mr Wil'kinson, soliciior, were tranquilly seated around the table enjoying breakfast, a favorite cat made its appearance at the door encumbered by a snake which had coiled rouud its body.' Screams ari^d consternation followed. One lady jumped on the table, to the imminent danger of upsetting the paraphernalia thereon ; an-, other lady jumped through, a window with tn"re precipitation tnan prudence, as her limbs, if not her neck, were endangered. Others mounted chairs, and fche screams brought the domestics to the scene. Jihe maid-servant, with that pecu--1 liar instiucfc common to her sex, brought

a hoe, and at once realised the situation. She lost no time in dissevering puss from her companion, and then with a welldirected blow, laid the snake lifeless on the carpet. It measured four feet in length.

A SINGULAR accident occurred on Tuesday (December 26) in the family of a gentleman at Ballarat, which might have had much more disastrous results. The inevitable plum-pudding was being served at the dinner table when, the burning brandy, appearing to be getting exhausted, the gentleman set to work, before the expiring flame flickered out to add to the fuel by thoughtlessly pouring some more brandy on the pudding from a bottle, when the whole exploded; Fortunately there was not enough spirit in the bottle to break it, and by the presence of mind of those at the table there was no harm done beyond the partial burning of the cloth, and the scalding of some of the hands;

A coeeespondent, writing from Konia, Queensland, to 'the Australasian, says : —" The subjoined readings of the thermometer will show you the sort of weather we have had here lately. I have not heard of its being hotter elsewhere in Queensland south of Eockbampton. I may also add that, owing to the continued drought, the prospects of the Maranoa district are taking rather a serious aspect, and if rain does not come soon the results will be disastrous to a good many. The country is as bare of grass as the palm of your hand, and it is quite sickening to ride through some parts of it, owing to the stench from dead cattle and sheep. You may fancy that things have arrived at a pretty pass when even the natural inhabitant of the soil and squatter's bane—viz., the kangaroo—is dying for want of his native herbage. Thermometer readings : —Dec. 9, 107deg ; Dec. 10, 109deg.; Dec. 11, lOodeg.; Dec. 13,107deg. (later on in the day, lOodeg.); Dec. 14, lOodeg. The thermometer was in a cool (?) place, and other readings showed 3deg. higher."

Mb Bently, the well-known English publisher, is about to issue a new edition of Judge Manning's racy and interesting book " Old New Zealand." ,It will be edited by the Earl of Pembroke. There is a curious story onnected with this. The Earl of Pembroke wrote to Judge Manning requesting his permission to publish at his (the Earl's) expense, a new edition of the work, which was out of print. Receiving no reply, he wrote a second let er, which was still treated with silence. The Earl then wrote informing Judge Manning, that he had interpreted the Judge's silence as implying consent and had instructed his publishers to proceed with the work of printing the book. This brought the Judge out of bis shell, and he wrote stating that he would instruct his solicitors to restrain the Earl from publication, and that if he persisted he would sue for damages. The Earl's reply was characteristic. He said he had consulted his solicitors, and had been advised that he had full pqwer to publish another edition of the book under the law of copyright; he had in the first instance intended to treat Judge Manning liberally, and to give him a share of any profits that might accrue, but since Mr Manning had chosen to take such a hostile course he might do as he pleased. We are not aware whether or not subsequent negotiations have led to any better understanding,—Auckland Star. .

The Melbourne correspondent of the Hamilton Spectator, referring to the death, at Menzies' Hotel, of Mr E. James, whose name has so long been connected with the firm of Cobb and Co., says : —" Mr James had long suffered from aneurism of the heart, and for many weeks had been confined to his room. He was unmarried—a warta-hearted, kind, and courteous son of Wales. He leaves some £20,000 of personal property, and I learn that by his will he leaves £1,000 far the charities of the city. Of that sum £300 is named for the Melbourne Hospital, and £200 for the Benevolent Asylum, the remaining £500 to be distributed among the other charities as the trustees may think proper."

In the Australasian of December 30th the following appeared:—The retirement from the New Zealand Government of Sir Donald McLean is an event that ought not to be allowed to pass without notice. Sir Donald McLean is not, indeed, as indispensable in the position of Native Minister as he was some years ago. But it is in a very large degree to his own valuable labors in the work of pacification and conciliation that the post which at one time he was the only man' who could fill, can now be occupied with comparative ease by any one. The great effect of Sir Donald McLean's exertions in effacing the dangers once associated with the natived fficulty is that he has at the same time effaced the importance of his position ' and lessened the value of< his future services. But it would be to entertain a very low opinion of the New Zealand community to suppose that the past services of Sir Donald McLean are likely to be readily forgotten. When the colony was struggling with thodifficulties and burdens and perils of a painful war, it was by him more fhan any other person that the evils of the war were mitigated and restricted, and that the way to peace and amit/ was smoothed and facilitated/ The impression of the policy of justice which Sir Donald-McLean strictly adhered to in the dealings of the Government with the natives has been a wholesome one to both races, and ha% enabled them to live peaceably side by side as they do today, with a full reliance on the appeal to law as adequate to the settlement of all their differences-. ' It is matter of regret that Sir Donald McLean's retirement fromta position in which he has so long and ably served his country is due to ill health." The highest tribute to his past labours is found-in the fact that he can now leave, without serious loss to the colony, a post which m a time of great emergency it was generally felt could not with safety be confided to anyone else.