THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOOK P.M. Resurrexi FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 1879.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3219, 13 June 1879, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOOK P.M. Resurrexi FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 1879.

1 .fcv'.M '■• "■ ; I > Majok.Keddell, Ecsident Magistrate 'and Registration Of&cer of Coromandel, > we learn ibas been transferred to aDother and more important district ,in the provincial district of Otago. Major Keddell is an old Government 'servant, and'an experienced Magistrate, well worthy the confidence of the Government.

The Kotomahana will resume her service >.between ' Auckland t and „the Thames to-morrow, tearing the Burke street wharf for Auckland at 2 p.m. , >

The negotiations 're the transfer of the County j interest in the Domestic ,Water Supply to the Borough are progressing.' The members of the Borough Council had a consultation this morning, and approved of the efforts made by the sub-committee appointed to treat with the County. <

The monthly inspection of'the Thames Naval' Brigade took place at the drill'shed last night. The men and officers proved themselves 'proficient,' and in the usual 'manner' were complimented' by' Major Murray, The presentation of the District Belt was, after the inspection, proceeded .with, but through some misunderstanding the lady visitors reached the hall"too early, and were ,kept waiting in the cabs until tho appointed time for the presentation, arrived. In fact over this part of the proceedings their seemed some misconception of (he several duties of the principal partakers/and little speeches, &c, got up tor the occasion had'to be unsaid, and others'were made not'arranged for on-the programme,.'* However the blue jackets acquitted themselves' well,' as they usually do, and compliments all round was the

order of the evening. ""It was rumoured'at the Corner to-day that' the' Big Pump will start again shortly. We are informed that a telegraph station'is now open at Huntidy; Waikato district. ' v.' r ■ ■

„' ; The Bay of Plonty Times says:—The 'Native > Minister has -instructed the Thames County authorities' to proceed with the work of continuing the Ohinemuri main road through Tukukino's settlement at Komata, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Act. This decisive action of Mr Shochan in the matter has given great satisfaction at the Thames.—[lt. is the old story again —go from home to hear news.—Ed.]

We would remind our readers of the Victoria Varieties' performance this eroniug at tho Theatre Boyal, under distinguished patronage.

At a meeting of tho Rifle Bangers last evening, Mr R. T. Dougias was elected Lieutenant and Dt R. P. Andrews Hon. Surgeon.. ' ' Tite Opotiki correspondent of the Bay of Plenty Times states that the exportation of cattle has now hecome one of the leading features of trade in the Opotiki district. Several "large" shipments have been sent oft in tho s. s. Stafl'a, ; while sundry mobs, small and great, KiUelbeen driven overland. The rapid increase of this particular branch of farming industry 'is principally due to the vast improvement which has been made in the breed of both I horses .and«cattle by the introduction of new) and in many cases pure-jbred stock. '"■'■'•

The Italian Government received an anonymous letter giving warning that an attempt would be made to assassinate Queen Victoria between the frontier,qnd Turin. ; "It was believed that the sole' object of the' write]* was to embarrass'*the Government, but: every precaution was taken to emure the Queen's safety.

?iThb Wellington; correspondent of 'the' Globe madeihe followinif remarks upon tHeneve' W sthe:Jlate contest , for the Mayoralty in Wellington :—" Should Mr Hutehinsdn' be returned as'Maydr;: it may be taken for certain that he will stand for the city at the next general election, and with every prospect ;of success.' Wellington, as far as its representation goes, will then have sunk as low as Auckland." Complimentary to our Auckland friends!

Says a correspondent to a southern contemporary' writing on , the derivation of thei word " 'Fenian.'.';' A Fenian, then; was an Irish Militia nian, or Volunteer, and before a recruit could pass for service in that army he should be able to perform or accomplish the following drill:^ Firstly, he should stand in a cornfield and ward off the arrows, of nine men of any other nation with a black thorn stick, two feetlong; secondly; he should jump 62 hurdles the height of his chin; and lastly; he should run the-same distance stooping as low as his knees, and pick a thorn out of "i'hii / htefel without loosing timei i'the whole' regiment of Militia being after him and if he were caught by any one Fenian he would!not pass as a, recruit. You tee, Mr Editor, it took a imart fellow to be a Fenian Volunteer in, those days, anyhow —and-np discredit to him. -,'.'.' ,V ,i. .... A mseitleb.. writing to the 'Waikato Times says would it.not be much better for the Waikato'people'to'invite the Governor-to pay the'district a visit, 1 than, endeavouring to, get the. ..consent,of the .Government to give free j passes to ,the Waikato Cavalry '^oiunte.ers . to, go to Auckland by train?/, It; Appears' %o me that an opportunity is ; -;being>lost of getting His Excellency, to see .this, great and grand district, that will not perhaps occur again for months. It would not be necessary for His Excellency to make a lengthily .stay among us." A flying visit to Hamilton, Alexandra, Te Awamutu, Kihikihi, and Cambridge," would not take up , ':inuc'h: -time > ;':knd' li,''feel';'Bure' J-- >mttdn''gbodi Jwould !r-'result'*fron| it; and as. .regards jdistrictt'^puld^ Jotit;' fto' jcheer Sir; j jtercuies..' Hence, let rile'Waf|&fi> people; bestir themselves like'men, and; set tpi 'wpjk> < at ( onc.e;.to;;h^ carried out to the beat possible advantage. < Mbj should not our worthy, Mayo- cftll a public imeeting forthwith, and >ace what can be done: rSirHureuleißobinson did -wonders for New South; Wales; andwill dp a 8 much for the Colony, i. Then why; ldt a^olden opportunity pasV away?' ' J' ..^E^Epiopeatt''Mail 'says- '-.^'''Mi^.] Chevalier has a charming picture this year; foci the ; Koyai, Academy.^ Like. ;a >true: colonist, he has chosen a colonial subject,' and for the first time in thehistory of the Academy there will appear upon its. walls the form and.semblance of a Maori' girl,! as she lies-basking in the sun in the bot,tom of her canoe. ' The girl, who is named: ' 'HinemoaV 5 is of; the higher typei 'of ■ ihej Maoriracia'.' Thesdeneisla'idih the bend of ,ai ,MVer» r and.. ; tpJthe right,is seen a Maori'village, where probably Hihemoa's kindred dwell. Along the banks of the river are, to be seen the black birch and the supplejack; with here and there a fern tree and festoons of creeping plants. A: more .lovely') scene could hardly be imagined." . )

The D.unedin Herald is responsible for the, following rr-TwcC -Irishmeni in Hope| street on Thursday evening, had a discussion relative to the proper pronunciation, of the word corps. One said the letter' fp '* in corps should be pronounced, and the other Irishman < said it should not.) They got heated in the discussion, and! after appealing to the dictionary of " figticuffs," and fighting for fully a quarter of an hour, they decided the vexata 1 qucestio to their apparent satisfaction, and joining arm-in-arm they happily walked along the street as if no debate had taken place.

The Nelson Colonist publishes the following—VTo prove the wonderful occult power which the ' empress of the night' possesses over the vegetable creation, proceed as,folio.vvs :—' Take any given quantity of common peas, keeping them separate. Then on any spot of ground fit forTegetation,,when the season approaches for sowing them, sow tke contents of the first parcel oa the second ,day of the new moon ; the second parcel sow near the same spot on the first or second day of; the second quarter ; the third parcel sow on the second or third day before the full moon ; and lastly sow the fourth parcel on the second or third day before tho moon is out. Now the first parcel sown under the new moon, will grow very fast, blossom most beautifully, but will not bear fruit. The second will blossom and bear very little. Tho third parcel will not only blossom beautifully, but will bear fruit in abundance, and the fourth and last parcel will scarcely rise from the ground. Likewise all fruit trees-set at the new moon blossom, ibut never bear fruit; while all others set three days before the full boar abundantly. And in pruning the trees tho same effect takes'place, for a tree pruned at the new moon will aiioofc forth branches, but unbearable, and if pruned at the full they will be prolific." : y :'

The army regulation revolver cartridge contains JL4 grains of powder and a bullet weighing 225 grains, and the maximum of recoil consistent with comfort was, after numerous Experiments, extending over a considerable period of time, decided on; Indeed, ( complaints of the; recoil are not uncommon.'' This cartridge, fired from a Government regulation revolver^ will;kill a mau at a distance of 500-yards; at 6Q yards the bullet will penetrate four in; elm boards placed lin. apart; and at 30 it will penetrate the steel cuirass of a

cavalry soldier. In describing some experiments with^tho service revolver, the Engineer of August sth, 1870, says :■— " These little solid bullets have terrible battering power, as we saw in the case of the large bone in a dead horse's leg, which was broken into splinters by a single shot. As for accuracy, at 60 yards an ordinary skilful shot "could hit a man. with a service revolver nine times out of ten ; at 30 yards targets of 24 consecutive shots have been made at Woolwich over and over again which could be covered by a man's hand ; and the same number of shots can be fired with.fair accuracy in one 'minute'3o seconds! . ; ;