THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1877.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2601, 9 May 1877, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1877.

,-,' The Eotomahana, which arrived here about 3 o'clock this afternoon, passed the Enterprise off the Sandspit at about halfpast one o'clock. The latter vessel had the English mail on board, and as the maiL steamer was to leave Auckland at 3 o'clock' this afternoon, with this strong wind in 1 her teeth there is but a small chance of the Enterprise catching her.. i,

The Geor.ia Minstrels tad a good house last night, the programme being the same as on the previous evening. The songs, dances and sketches were spiritedly sustained, and the audience appeared vastly amused. To-night an entirely new programme is to be given, and to-morrow nij;ht the brief season of the Georgias is to be brought to a close. It is stated that "The Vagabond," author 1 of a number of very clever sketches which have recently appeared in ' The Ar£us and Australasian newspapers, is to be prosecuted for conveying tobacco to'prisoners in Pentridge Stockade. Mb Richmond Thatchee, formerly j agent for Emmett, is in Melbourne engaging theatrical stars for Mr DeLias and others. Miss Ada Ward and the Mar-, jeronis are expected to come to terms for a visit io this Colony. So says the Auckland Star, but Mr DeLias informs us that such is not the case.

The- Borough Counril held a special meeiirur.last night, under the 133 rd section of the Municipal Coporations Act of lastsession, for the purpose ot considering the balance sheet and financial statement and for finally settling the same. This was done without alteration of the states ment. A further special meeting was held to consider the Town Clerk's budget or estimate of expenditure for the ensuingfinancial year. Some alterations were made in one or two items. A third special meeting was then held for transaction of business by the Council as the Local Board of Health. The proceedings occupied a long time, but the deliberations were of a conversational character. A brief report appears elsewhere.

The sun had illumined that part of the heavens where at one o'clock "it burns," and had already commenced its downward course to seek^that couch which Tennyson says is constructed of " daffodil," when we, the occupiers of the Star Office, were aroused fro.m that sweet dream of unreality, which so ofteti besets those, who have dined on undigested veal, by st'mns of music. Softly at first, then louderstill, and still more loud did the note's of brazen cornet and resoundant drum assail our ravished senses. ■; The fact was one not to b6;misunderstood. We were, yes, we were being serenaded in the day-time by the great GeorgiaMiDstrels, and our spirit r >se as we thought of the Auckland Star and their gush on the Tsubject, recalled the adventures of Messrs Emmett and DeLias, and for the time being considered ourselves the equals of Messrs Macdonald and Ehrenfricd. Forgot where proofs, revises, type and-copy, we had no ears for other sounds than those poured forth by the wondrous minstrels who, Via spite of a somewhat muddy road, maintained their stand and played away, as a small boy exclaimed, "like blazes." For one moment did the thought assail us, why should we be deemed worthy of so great honor P But the next moment brought the answer that these truly great men, undismayed by fears of catching " typhoid fever on the brain " had recognised the fact that we were THE BTAE, and had come in a spirit not understood by Messrs Shadrach, Mesach and Abednego to pay their humble tribute of adoration to our greatness. Already had the office been v ransacked for coppers ; already had a messenger been despatched to the hotel of a stalwart fiteman to treat for purchase of beer on a reduced scale, when to our surprise, the sable, but unstable minstrels betook themselves to the office of the Thames Advertiser, and played there. Words cannot speak more. We immediately saw that they had not come out to pay a deserved tribute to deserving genius, but meuly to show themselves. The boy was recalled, and the coppers carefully cecreted. [This was not written by any member of the Auckland Evening Star.—Ed. E.B.]

The usual weekly session of the Pride of the North Lodge, No. 13, of 1.0. G.T., was held on Tuesday evening, May Ist, in the Lodge room, Masonic Hall, Queen street. It being quarter night , the various officers brought up their reports. That of the secretary showed an increase of members for the quarter, and that of the treasurer a respectable balance in hand.- After a recess the following officers, elected for the new ter,n, were installed by L.D. Di'o. W. H. Nicholls, assisted by Bros. Douglas and McLaugh- ; lan :—W.C'.T.,Bro. H. Hyman; W.V.T., Bro. T. Arnold ; W.T., Bro. J. McNeice; 'W.A.T., Sisier Walker; W.F.J\ Sister McNeice; W.S., Bro. Heravil; W.G., Sister Stephens ; W.M., Bro. W. Green.; W.D.M., Bro. Stephens; W.1.G., Bro, W. K. Purcsll; W.0.G., Bro. K. Schofield ; 8.H.5., Bro. S. Schofield ; L.H.S., Sister Martin; P.W.0.T., Ro. R. Jenkins. The Lodge met again*last evening, and added three other-candidates to its roll of membership.

The Georgia Minstrels' brass band turned out to-day and played a number of airs as they marched through the slreetsi attracting considerable attention. During the " rests " the side drum player keeps up a quiet tattoo marking the time, by which the members of the band are able to keep better "in step." This "wrinkle " might be copied by our local bands.

Yesterday's Herald says :—The Hon. F. Wbitaker left Auckland yesterday, and proceeded South by the steamer Stella. Prior to his departure, during the few remaining hours at his disposal, he attended at his office, in the Supreme Court buildings, where he was waited upon by several parlies, but no business of public importance was transacted. The Hon. Mr Whilaker expects to be back in Auckland in the course of a fortnight, intending to return immediately on the termination of the Cabinet Council meeting.

We hear a great deal of the harm done by pheasants. to farmers and others, and in the shooting season sportsmen, socalled, shoot indiscriminately cocks and hens, their excuse being that they are too numerous, and do harm. In their defence it may be said that at the close of the English shooting season .this' year a pheasant was shot near Taunton, which had in its crop "TS^'wire worms, one acorn, one snail ,j*fth shell, nine hollyberries, and three" grains of wheat." The epithet applied to .it,, "The Farmer's Friend," wns not undeserving." •' ':

Mr. A. Beoidie, chairman of the Thames County Council, ia on a visit to Auckland. His principal object was, we learn, to consult with the Hon. F. Whitaker, AttorneyGeneral", relative to the- Thames waterrace. Mr Carruthers, Engineer-in-Chief, has visited the Thames with a view to inspect the water-race, and hand it over, as intended, to the Thames County. The chairman of the County Council, however, represented to Mr Whitaker that it was advisable for the Government to extend the benefits of the race by laying pipes to the various batteries or mills which might require the water for motive power or other purposes. The Hon. the AttorneyGeneral coincided with these views, and Mr Carruthers was instructed to prepare estimates of cost, and the work has been authorised.-—Herald. ,

The following appears in an advertisement in a Calcutta paper: —" Wanted, by a blackguard, employment of any kind, temporary or otherwise. The advertiser having hitherto conducted himself as a gentleman, aud signally failed, of which his hopeless state of impecuniosity is the best proo", is induced to adopt the other course, in the hope that he may meet with better success. JNo. objection to upcountry. Terms moderata. Apyly by letter to ' Perdita/ijsare of the Printer."

By the latest Loudon papers we note that the fastest amateur time for a three mile race has been made at Cambridge by Mr JrGibb, of the L.A.C., who ran

that distance in 14 minutes and 46 ! seconds. This is only 10 seconds slower than the famous time made by J. White, of Gateshead, a man about 5 feet 2 inches in height, and who ran the fastest seven miles on record, and in conjunction with" Lang of Middlcsborougli overlapped Deerfoo.t; in a ten mile race before they had gone three miles. It must bo remeanbered, however, that Fenner's run-; ning path at Cambridge is probably the fastest running ground, in England, it not in the world, especially for a quarter of a mile, and here it was that E. A. Pitman beat level time in 1867. Dobs the N.Z. Herald intend to devote its leading .columns to the diffusion of such knowledge as is commonly found in the lower classes of our Sunday Schools ? Such would seem to be the case when in an article on the war between Turkey and Russia the important information is vouchsafed-to us that Mount Ararat is a mountain *' on which the ark-rested when the waters subsided after the flood."