DUNEDIN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 240, 5 September 1872, Page 8

DUNEDIN.

(From our own Correspondent.) (Held over last i week.)

The budding of the shrubs and trees in- our gardens, and the few genial days we have lately experienced, are significant of the* advance' of spring; and not before people have got heartily sick of the severe weather which . has characterised the past winter. Spring amusementsare being resuscitated after their dormancy for the past few months, and not among the least of them, are aquatic excursions and rowing matches. Thosaonly. who practise the latter, can appreciate the exhilarating effect of a steady four-oared pull down, to Burkes on a Saturday afternoon, and the subsequent pleasure of a refreshing draught of " Burkes beat," dispensed with an unsparing han,d from the cool well-stooked cellar of ' the. liberal prpprietors of this pleasantly situated brewery. The return ;journey is entered upon with more stamina after a shprt spell : with sleeves rolled up, 1 ynth hand.s well forward, the oars dip f into. the water simultaneously, aid Weh'eerv^yam"

from the,epxs?wra#i#n tbe^Pjihefpur or .five miles of i water! are speedily 1 traversed; and'l)uuediii irf reapbdd by tea-time, -the oarsmen 'all tKebett'er for their ten-mile pull, and in a healthy glow from' their exertions, ' Yes, of all the amusements which Dunedin boasts, this is the one J prefer,, and which is, worthy of preference, too, by reason of its healthy tendencies. The Corpor-' ation are advertising for tenders from persons willing to take charge of thfe Pelichet Bay swimming baths during the ensuing season. This is a favourite place of resort, and presents quite an animated scene during the summer months.

Mr. J. C. Eichmond has declined to contest the Caversham election, and very properly too. Considering the bad taste displayed by his friends in the manner in which they conducted his nomination, without even getting his consent before doing so, I do not see how they could have expected anything else on the part of Mr. Richmond, but a refusal to stand. Even had he been on the spot to address the electors, his chance of election would not have been very great ; but nominated in the manner he was, and almost a stranger to the Caversham electors, defeat was certain.

Some spiritual communication which appeared in the " Echo " on Saturday last, being letters from a young lady, who died some months ago, to her husband, a well-known and prominent spiritualist in Dunedin, are exciting a little attention. Names are certainly withheld,' but it is no secret who the recipient of these spirit communications is. The letters breathe forth a spirit of pure, devoted love for her husband and family, which even among unbelievers in spiritist theory entitles them to a certain amount of respect ; but the charm which is 'attached to theai is considerably diminished by learning from a foot note, that the gentleman to whom they 1 are addressed wrote them . himself, although as he affirms, and evidently consciously believes, entirely under the spirit influence of his dead wife, and not himself knowing one word that was to follow another.

The Japanese are doing good business at the Princess Theatre, and their feats are really wonderful. As a means of advertising, they are not chary of devoting a little time to wandering about the city, and their bizarre figures attract general attention, dressed as they are in their outre and fantastic costume. On Saturday afternoons, they give mid-day performances for the especial convenience of the juvenile portion of the community. Crammed as it is on these occasions with a vast crowd of youngsters of all ages, the theatre 'presents such a scene of animation as is not often witnessed ; and the general effect was heightened oh Saturday last by the attendance of the Industrial School children, who were evidently immensely pleased with the performance. We are promised a visit shortly from Mr. Hoskins and Miss Colville, whose dramatic performances on the occasion of their last visit to Dunedin were a genuine treat. Mr. Hoskins' rendering of the character of Cardinal Richelieu I hold to be one of the master pieces of histrionic ability. It is a performance which' you leave with a feeling of intense gratification and delight, at having'witnessed a genuine, sterling piece of acting, which it is impossible not to appreciate. They ought to take well, but it is a lamentable fact that in Dunedin genuine talent often remains unappreciated and unsupported, while the inane performances of a few individuals, with their faces blackened, or the tricks of a parcel of mountebanks, draw forth the vociferous applause of crowded houses.