EAST COAST NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3876, 3 August 1891, Page 2

EAST COAST NOTES.

(From Oar Own Correspondent.) The weather for the past two months has been of a variable character. Revere frosts and much rain, consequently our roads at present are almost impassable, especially the Tinui-Manawa road. Notwithstanding that repeated applications have been made to the Wairarapa North County Council to have this road metalled, or at least to have the water tables cleared and broken culverts repaired, the applicants, I am sorry to say, received the proverbial reply, "No funds," or, as a substitute, " referred to the Engineer." Now I simply ask this body, where are the rates that are paid annually out of this extensive district gone to ? I am informed they amount to something like £3OO a year, and still not onefifth of this sum is expended on this much neglected road. What may be termed a very serious accident was narrowly averted some short time since. A gentleman was returning home, some time after dark, when the horse he was riding got into a broken culvert. If the horse had been cantering or even trotting at the time it probably would have one or two broken legs and its rider perhaps killed. As it is, rumour has it that he is going to sue the Council for damages, bis horse being much hurt. Any individual that doubts these remarks' concerning tha road, let them examine it at this season of the year, and not wait till the summer time to do so, and I think they will have more to say about it than what is said above. Poisoning is finished on all the stations with few exceptions, and I think poor bunny will have a rough time of it considering the quantity of poison laid.

The Marine Hotel at Whakataki has changed hands, Mr Mackintosh, the former proprietor, having sold bis interest to Mr Smith. Mr Mackintosh's many friends will be sorry to lose the valuable services of their genial host. At the same time they are to be congratulated on getting such a man as Mr Smith. In such a country as New Zealand I where the climate is so liable to such sudden changes, the following lines should be committed to memory ; Dr Jenner, the famous discoverer of vacoination, was invited to join an excursion into the country. Seeing various signs of bad weather he excused himself in the following lines sent to the friend who had invited him : The hollow winds begin to blow,

The clouds look black, theglassis low ■ The soot falls down.tbe spaniels sleep i And spiders from their cobwebs creep; Last night the sun went pale to bed, The moon in halos hid her head, The boding shepherd heaves a sigh For see, a rainbow spans the sky; The walls are damp, the ditches smell, Closed is the piuk-eyed pimpernel; Hark! how the chairs and tables crack, Old Betty's joints are on the rack; Loud quack the ducks, the peacocks cry, The distant hills are looking nigh; How restless are the snorting swine, The busy flies disturb the kine; Low, o'er the grass the swallow wings, The cricket too how sharp he sings ; Puss on the hearth with velvet paws, Sits wiping o'er her wiskered jaws ; Through the clear stream the fishes rise And nimbly catch the iucautious flies, The glow worms numerous and bright Illumed the dewy dell last night; At dusk the squalid toad was seen Hopping and crawling o'er the green; The whirling wind tLe dust obeys And in the rapid eddy plays • rho frog has changed his yellow vest And in a russet coat is dressed, Though June the air is oold and chill, The mellow blaokbirds voice is shrill; My dog so altered in bis taste, Quits mutton bones on grass to feast, A»vlseeyon rooks how odd their flight, They imitate the gliding kite, And headlong downward seem to fall As if they felt the piercing ball; 'Twill surely rain, \ see with sorrow, Our jaunt must be put off to-nlo):row.