THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2927, 3 July 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1878.

The Government have so far approved the choice of the Borough in the matter of a People's Park that the sum of £1200 has been placed to Captain Fraser's credit, out of which the purchase money; of 200 acres of Mr W. Murdock's property will be paid on completion of a deed/of conveyance to the Queen. The balance of the £1200 should be available for the immediate improvement of the land, and it is to be hoped that the local authorities will not lose sight of this. They have secured what is generally considered. a very good bargain, and for less money thaa the Premier granted. The latter

cannot, therefore, have any objection to tho balance being spent in improving tho property.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Thames County Council will bo held at the Council Chambers at the usual hour to morrow.

We have received a brochure entitled " A week's ramble : Coromandel to Katikati; by an Old Resident." The author {anon.) gives a readable account of a week's ramblings, between Coromandel and Katikati, along the East Coast, in which are some original impressions oP close contact with the noble savage at home. The pamphlet is produced for private circulation..

At the Native Lands Court the same were present to day as yesterday, and the greater part of the morning's business was conflned to the proouring of a list of the owners to the Te Aratiatia and Waikaraheke West blocks. After considerable delay, the names of Morio Hinemon, and 36 others were entered as owners of this valuable land.

The result of the all comers' match at Mr Barlow's gallery last night was—Sergeant Gordon, Rifle Eangers. 24 points ; Seaman Thomas, Naval Brigade, 24 points ; Private Mears, Rifle Rangers, 24 points. Higher scores than these are usually made, 26 and 27 points being usually scored on prize nights, but owing to fun and frolic the shooting was last night fast and careless. Ties are to be shot off this evening for possession of " Pat and his Pig."

An amusing little piece of wordy warfare occurred at Shortland to day when two well known native chiefs of this district—one of them being generally known as a friend of civilization and progress, and the other celebrated as a leader of the stern conservative section—had what is vulgarly known "a go" at each other. The casus belli-wß.s apparently a piece of land near Totara Point which the friend of civilization, whom, for the sake of distinction, we will call No. 1, asserted he had a valid claim to No. 2, in language more forcible than polite indignantly repudiated No. l's claim, at the same time stigmatising him as a " taurikarika," and accusing him of various little crookednesses in times gone past. No. 1 mildly asked No. 2 how it was that some 30 or 40 years ago, when he (No. 1) had planted potatoes in this ground, no one had disturbed them. No. 2's memory could not carry him so far back into the dim vista of the past, and broadly hinted that A'o. 1 was wilfully economising the truth. This " give and take " kind of-argument continued for some time until No. 2 delivered a crusber which caused No. 1 to take himself-off and solace his injured feelings in a glass of waipiro over the way. No. 2 said, "It was not until all the men died that- the old women were of any account." Exeunt omnes.

We (Herald) have received a copy of the Church Gazette for July. Amongst the parochial intelligence is a lengthy account of the opening of the new church at Dargaville. The leading article relates to the last days of the late Bishop Selwyn, and the following extract, giving some particulars of his last days on earth, will be received with interest by the many who knew him :—" On Saturday, April 6, having undergone an extremely painful operation on the previous Thursday, he said to a friend, * Since I saw you I have passed through the fire; but I pray that I may be perfected through sufferings like the Captain of our Salvation.' After this day he was never conscious for long at a time or able to hold any conversation with his friends. In his unconscious wanderings he said, ' I'm getting idle; I'm getting idle.' In the afternoon Bishops Abraham and Hobhouse administered the Holy Communion to him and all who were iv the room, including Sir William and Lady Martin. At the administration of the cup, he clung to the words, 'be thankful,' and kept on repeating them, and saying ' Thank God.' After the Lord's Prayer he became for a minute unconscious, but he soon recovered himself, and followed audibly in the Gloria in excehis, and himself pronounced the blessing quite clearly. For three-quarters of an hour the Bishop maintained his fixed attention to the service, and afterwards shook hands with each, and said to each some most appropriate words, and saw and blessed all the little ones. On Tuesday, the 9th, he said to a friend, •Perfect love casteth out fear.' Those who were with him were struck with his strong sense of thankfulness to God for the sufferings He had brought him through. He knew and blessed those who were about his bed. His thoughts roamed to the Maori Church, and he sent a mihi aroha, and dwelt on those who had separated themselves—and said with a beaming look, ' Otiia ka hoki tnairatou.' One of his oldest friends was sitting by him holding his hand, when he woke up with a start, and said ' JE mamma ana,' words which he had often heard from dying Maoris. On Thursday, April 11, he whispered, ' A light to lighten the Gentiles.' About noon he uttered a loud cry, and was dying. All the members of the household were quickly assembled, the Bishop Abraham said the Commendatory Prayer. After a deep sigh, just as the words, ' That his) soul may be presented pure and. without spot to Thee' were said, the great bishop breathed his last. The long-waited-for letters from Norfolk Island, giving an account of the death of Mrs John Selwyn, reached the Palace at Lichfield just after the return of Mrs Selwyn from the funeral."

" Old Seaman " writes :—" The Editor Thames Evening Star. —Sib, —Tour shipping reporter must have been three sheets in the wind when he imagined he saw the bark Oscar (drawing 13ft of water) at • Grahamstown Wharf,' when she was not able to get.past the end of the old • Tararu wreck,' and is now discharging from there into lighters. Surely this is an evidence of the necessity of having the useful old 'Tararu Wharf put in repair."—[We would merely remark that " Old Seaman " must have been more than three sheets in the wind when he " imagined'Vour reporter saw the bark Oscar at Grahamstown. If our reporter had any such imaginings he never said so. Our report of the King Oscar was that she was brought ito an anchorage, and her cargo would have to be lightered. At the same time we should be as glad as " Old Seaman " to see a good wharf at Tararu and the train again running to and fro. —Ed.]

Aden. —Perspiring Sub. (the regiment had just arrived ;at the garrison) to noncommissioned officer : " Well, Corporal Casey, what do you think of Aden?" Corporal: "Phew ! Shure I don't wonder Adam an' Aye was onasy in't, sorr! "— Punch.

I'ADIES, a onnMiiii'inco of your esteemed pal r<>na»e i- reapoctfuily solicited. Since I introiiuced yewinjT Maoliines on the Thames so'voM years a^o, I liavo had the pleasure of adding to the coinforl. of an immense number of homos, and shall still do my host to muinlaiu my reputation for selling the best Machines I can obtain at the Lowost Prices. A large supply just received.— J. GbiQQ-, Pollen street.— [/_dvt.]