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Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2610, 21 May 1877, Page 2

The usual weekly drill of the Thames Naval Brigade will be held this evening instead of Thursday evening. Thursday, the 24th, will be Her Majesty's Birthday, when the whole of the companies are under orders for a feu de joie and sham fight at Tararu, and in addition to

tin's military display in celebration of Her Majesty's Birthday tho Naval Brigade will hold an evening party in theiivdrill hall. For three years past it has been wet here on Queen's Birthday, which has interfered with the usual _mili tary display, so that we hope ifc will be real Queen's weather this year. ;

We learn that no less than 88 Miners'*! Eights were issued to-day—-a numberunprecedentedin the Thames in one day, foe years past. This was the number issued?' up to three o'clock, and probably there. would be some more after that hour. The j notification of the Inspector of Miners' Eights has had a good effect, and The men now making themselves good on the books will perhaps save themselves trouble and expense, for both would be .entailed by prosecution, and this will be the sequel in cases where miners may be found without rights.

We would remind our readers that th,e opening entertainment of the Hibernica Company will take place at the Acadeovy of Music tiis evening. The entertainment consists of a very fine collection of views of Ireland, the interest in which as they are shown is heightened by the accompanying comedy, in which several artists of acknowledged ability appear. We hare had entertainments here before under the name "Hibernica," but the one presently here is said to be the original, while the others were merely imitations.. The weather is the only thing which need be feared to interfere with the attendance to-night.

Os E of those harmless " swindles "-*• transactions in which the means are justified by the end—which are sometimes perpetrated.in every community is now going on at the Nil Desperandum Hotel. A largo " raised" pie, which was exhibited in the window of Mr Blott's new shop some days last week, is to be disposed of by art union ia shares at a shilling each. JEarly to-day 48 chances had been taken and the list was not full. Tue institution proposed lo be benefited by this distribution of pie is the Thames Hospital, ai?d the amount subscribed promises to reach those contributed to the " monster orange "and " pointer puppy " art unions of a few mojithsback. I

The bookmakers, says "Atlas " in the World, must have be en considerably annoyed with tbe decision of " honest John Phelps." There was more betting, I fancy, over the Boat-race this year than there has ever?been before; and, 10, it has been all vanity and vexation of spirit. Only one bet has been lost and. won on the race out of tVe many thousands made, and that was in this wise: As the boats shot Hammersmith Bridge, say? "Charlie" Bush, who finds boat-racing even more lucrative perhaps than horse-racing, " I will take ICO to ; 1 about a dead heat." Says Tom King, who has won his; laurels in a very different.!ing from tbat in which he now disports himself, "I will Jay it! " Lay it he did, and a dead heat it was. ■

A correspondent says:—" I wis'j you would allude, in your witty, and severe paper, to the singing quadrille that .-.I sa'vjr danced in Dublin Castle the other day. Picture forty people all more or less voiceless—grand ladies blazing in jewels, som.3 portly figures between, thirty and fortycrossing handsi and galloping as hard : s they could go to ' Bide a cock-horse,' and A.D.C.'s and officers murmuring, • Goosey, goosey gander.'—one .especially ludicrous major in the Ei^e looking like a melancholy muter in iis sombre uniform, and only occasionally 'saying, ' Ba, ba, black sheep,' in the saddest way. If danced at all, why not have young people who can sing*, and then it might not be so ludicrous ? But every other person did not even attempt to open the lips, and the effect was quite beyond description."— Atlas. . .

, With respect to" the refusal of Sir Arthur Kennedy, Governor of Qaeensland, to allow the ladies, of his party to undergo the usual medical examination before the steamer Kate was admitted to pratique, the Queenslander writes :— " The inspection would hare included an examination of 'the: chest for ; auy possible eruptions of the skin. Dr Chailinor, the Brisbane health officer, acted under written instructions which he regarded as strict, and when Sir Arthur positively refused to allow an examination of the ladies to be made* Dr Chailinor would not recommend the release of the vessel. Afterwards, the medical /commissioners who had consulted with Dr Chailinor about the case of the. Brisbane when she first arrived in port visited the Kate, and when Sir, Arthur Kennedy had repeated his objection Dr O'Doherty said it would be unwise in the present case to create a bad precedent, but he thought the rule might with perfect safety be a little relaxed in this instance, as the ladies in question were blooming with health, and if they would expose their wrists he thought .that would be sufficient; The colleagues of tlm gentleman agreed witli him, and pratique was eventually granted. Notwithstanding the blooming health of the ladies, upon which, we congratulate them, we is till think it was. the duty of Sir Arthur Kennedy to be eager to obey the law, rather than to act so that a farcij cal relaxation of it was necessary. Women of a lower, social than Governors' wives or daughters have quite as much delicacy of feeling. But if in the next infected ship that comes into Moreton Bay, a woman of the people should object to the usual examination, with what justices can the Queensland authorities insist upon it ?" - '■ ■■-■■ ■/■■■■■'■ - ]

■ The. Australasian's Adelaide corres* pondent furnishes the following statistics of the wheat crop iv South Australia, the falling off in. which may in some measure account for the recent rise iv wheat and flour:—Our wheat statistics have at last been published, the delay beingv'occa-: sioned by the difficulty experienced in gathering information in the remote districts of the colony. The actual number of acres sown for wheat was 1,082,9:19, being 184,129 acres an excess of the previous season—a rate of progression that has ncv.er. been equalled. But owing to the limited rainfall, which produced a' drought in several localities, the : total area reaped was only 871,057 acres, of 27,763 acres less than in 1875^-6,. The difference was not all lost, for 149,424 acres were cut for hay, but the.jodd 62,000 acres would no doubt re r present land on which the crop was actually lost, or not worth the trouble of cutting. The average yield was 5 bushels 25lbs on the area sown, or 6 bushels 431bs on the acres actually reaped, the gross produce being 5,857,569 bushels. ■• After making ample, allowance for seed pur, poses and homo consumption,; there .yrill be left for export an available surplus of fully 80,000 tons. Of this nearly 35.C30 have already been shipped, so that the quantity on hand is about 45,000 tons. This is a small result as compared with

tlie 210,000 tons we had for sale to foreign customers last year; bat there is still room for congratulation when we remember that at one time it appeared as if there would be a total failure of the harvest. !

Extensive preparations are making at Hurlin'gham for a medieval tournament, hi which four Saracens and four Christian lurights will participate. The Prince of Wales will be present in the field as the Soldan Suleiman, and will have command of the Saracen warriors. The designs for the Prince's costume are supplied from the South Kensington Museum, and when completed will represent days of antiquarian research. Princess Louise has laboriously overhauled the British Museum for a design for the needlework embroidery on the Prince of Wales' tunic. The spectacle will be one of the most splendid seen in London for years. The delicate question will come, however, when a choice is to be made for the Queen of Love and Beauty. It has already been decided to settle this point by ballot, but it is currently reported that the choice has as good as fallen upon an Irish belle.