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Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2944, 23 July 1878, Page 2

At the R.M. Court this morning the only business was one case of drunkenness, which was disposed of in ibe usual manner. Oaptai i Fraser, E.M., was on the Bench. The annual meeting of the ratepayers of the Parawai Highway district wi)l be held at the Parawai bchool-house this evening for the purpose of receiving the annual report and balance-sheet,.end the election of District Board, Auditors and Fence Viewers for the insving year. At the nomination for Waipa yesterday Mr F. A. Whitaker and Mr B. G. McMinn were proposed. The show of hands was in favor of the former, and a poll was demanded on behalf of Mr McMinn. The following table—extracted from the .Registrar General's Keport on the vital statistics of the Boroughs of Auckland, Thames, Wellington, Nelson, Christ church, Dunedin and Hokitika for the month of June—gives the population, number of births and deaths, and proportion of deaths to the 1000 of population of each, borough :— .

Amongst the items of Suez mail news which the Prss Agent at Bluff thought fit to send through by telegram last nigLt, just as we were going to press, was one to the effect that some lunatic by the name of Jamea Duff Henderson hp.s started to walk a distance equal to the earth's circumference, proposing to cover a distance of 40 miles each " secular " day for two years, confining his walking to Africa, GrtSat Britain and the Continent. As regards the interest attaching to the item of news we can say it possesses none. Files of papers already received have enlightened us as to the proposed tramp, and nobody cares much whethe' Mr Henderson accomplishes lis task or not. He is evidently of that chss that prefers walking to working, and it seems a. pity that the good people of Canada cannot find a worthier object on which to spend 10,000 dollars than the encouragement of such a useless expenditure of muscle. Mr Henderson proposes to do the distance in two years, walking 4.0 miles each secular day. The circumference of the earth is said to be 25,000 miles. Taking 626 as the number of "secular" days in two year 3 (irrespective of next year's being Leap Year), he will have all his work cut out without making any allowance for transit between Africa and the Continent. Apart from this consideration, however, these feats seem utterly ridiculous. > There may be some sense in trials of endurance in mak- , ing a long forced march, when no other means of 'ransit offer, but Mr Henderson's is one of those idiotic performances j which should be decried rather than encouraged. If he wants to go round the world, let him 'ake the sea for it—in a Eob Roy canoe if he wants to obtain fame or be lost in obscurity.

JEGrLES in the Australasian tells the following story:—A lady in an inland town directed her new servant—a late arrival from the coast of Ireland—-to scour the bellows. Bridget at once immersed Lbs implement in a tub of soap suds, and having. well washed the exterior, endeavoured in vain to make use of it m the uscal way. A'armed at what she had done, she rushed to-her mistress and asked her to'come to the kitchei. Upon her entrance cried Bridget, " Oh ma'am, what shall I do at all? Sure the wind has gone out'of the bellows—but I'll try them again," and suiting the action to the word, she made a vigorous effort and succeeded in discharging a pint of soapy water into the face of her astounded employer. '

In the Australasian Sketcher for July appears a capital likeness of Mr J. L. Hall; also -portraits of Mr Thomas Pearce and Miss Eva Carmichasl, survivors of the Loch Ard disaster, views of the scene of the wreck of that vessel, and the presentations to the hero, Mr T. Pearce. The present number is a very attractive one, and contains besides the features mentioned above several portraits of Australian statemen, nnd some excellent views.

The grand concert in aid of the Grabamstown W'esleyan Choir will take place in tho Theatre IJoyal t!. L evening. The' first pa, fc of Iho programme will consist of Van Breo's cantata " St Cecilia's Day;" the second of a miscellaneous selection of vocal and instrumental music ; solos, duets, &c.; the executants being members of the Wcsleyan Choirs and and their friends. From the attractiveness of the programme and the nature of the object, there should be a good house.

Pbojfjsssob Pcott, King of Pain, will give bis second entertainment in. the Theatre Royal to-mou*ow night, when he will introduce a laughable aud original musical story of the " Arkansaw Traveler," as we 1! as other Lumorous s( ries, jokes, and new comic and sentimental songs; with, by particular desire, the celeorated war song.

As the Wellington and Nelson footballers were leaving the ground of the latter on Saturday afternoon, a carriage containing a number of them knocked down and ran over a little boy, the son of Mr Elvery, a painter, the wheels passing over the boy's stomach. He died at 9 p.m.

TifE Twenty-third oi' Juu- claim was sold by auction to-day by Mr James Craig, under distress warrant at the suit of Mr M. Casey, for the sum of £90. Mr John White was the purchaser.

We learn from tbe Fiji Times that Sir Arthur Gordon, Governor of Fiji, speaking on June 25 at a levee held prior to his departure on leave of absence, made the following remarks as to his future movements :—" And row I bid you farewell. In doing so I will reply to a question which has more than once been, directly or indirectly, put to me—as to the p; bability of my return. I will answer that question plainly. The chances of Jife forbid us to reckon on the future, but it is undoubtedly my intention not io abandon the work I have beguu. It is no secret tlat before I came hero- posts of hig! er emolument, sod in a soe;a'sense more desirable, wereat my disposal. It was by my own deliberate will and choice that I undertook the tosk of organising this new colony. I did so knowing full well that, as a distinguished man has lately written to me, the work was one in itsolf great, but' absolutely certain to be almost unknown, and altogether underestimated and misunderstood, and thoreforo well worth doirg.' Having undo taken it in this spirit it is not to be supposed that I should be otherwise than reluctant Io leave it uncompleted. The responsibilities which I have assumed have not been lightly or carelessly undertaken. They will not be lightly or carelessly reinquisbed." During the absence of Sir Arthur Gordon the government will be administered by Mr Dcs Vcecx, and his Honour Chief Justice Gome will act as High Commissioner of the Western Pacific.