DUNEDIN,

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 314, 20 December 1873, Page 3

DUNEDIN,

(Pt-om our own Correspondent!) To-day (Thursday) being the half-yearly Presbyterian Fast Day, is being pretty generally observed as a holiday in the city. Owing to its semi-religious character, however, very little in*the shape of amusement is observable, a trip to Por-tobello by the Peninsula, being the only advertised recreation. The Christmas and Kew Year holidays give promise of being unuaually gay this year, and tho presence amongst us df his Excellency the (Governor and. Lad} r , and the hon. the Premier, is calculated to lend additional eclat to our festivities. The arch which is to span the Octagon in honor of his Excellency's visit, is now in situ so far as the framework is concerned, and will be a striking feature when completed. There seems to be every appearance of an intention to give his Excellency a hearty reception ; and he wUI, no doubt, when he leaves Otago, carry away with him a proper estimate of its importance and prosperity. Thank goodness, the usual infliction of long addr-osses from various public bodies are on the occasion of this reception to be dispensed with. Efforts to find the body of tap man BeamI iah, who was drowned in the bay -on Tuesday | last, have, up to the present, proved unavailing. Considerable damage to verandahs, i fences, &c, w.aa done by the high wind which prevailed on the day of the accident, and one or two large windows in Princes-street were blown in by the violent squalls. Boards were flying about like pieces of paper in .the vicinity of one of our timber yards, and the clouds of dust that drove through the streets were bunding. Up to the present, the summer has been characterised by unusually changeable weather, and the week now drawing to a close has been a mixture of all the seasons of the year, the alternatives from heat to cold, from ram to. sunshine, from calm to high w,inds, having been continuous. As a slight recognition by the people of Otago of the services rendered to the colony by the Hon. Julius Yogel, that gentleman is to be entertained at a banquet before he again leaves for the North. An influential committee has been organised to carry out the affaii, a&d judging from the heartiness and spirit exhibited by those appointed to conduct the preliminary arrangements, a banquet worthy of the city will be the result. In connection with the affair-> the city is also being canvassed for subscriptions for the purchase of a piece of pla,te for presentation to, Mr. Yogel, in recognition of the great ability and skill displaced by lum in the share which he has had. in- the management oi colonial affairs during hfe political career. DuneJin is at present w,elj- supplied with amusements, and holiday visitors fjbm the country will have themselves to blame if their evenings hang heavily during thei-r stay. In addition to the. theakwjcal company, playing at the Princess's, the Queen's is occupied; by the a Caragidinis, who however, 1 regret to. say , are not drawing'such good houses as their ex- I cellent concerts deserve; while at the Masonic | Hall there is being • exhibited a " colossal pantascope" of American scenes, ohiefty consisting of views along the route of tho transcontinental railway. Attached to the pantascope there is an ana,uetng lecturer, who certainly does not allow any of the scenes, presented to. the audience to suffer from want of description-. In addition to these, ire are promised the arrival in time for the- holidays of the Klennedjys, a family of Scottish vocalists and' musicians, whose performances are very highly sp^pken of..