NEW YEAR'S DAY.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 444, 2 January 1869, Page 2

NEW YEAR'S DAY.

New Tear's Eve happened to be favored with bright, clea"r, moon-light, and the majority of people in Westport seemed to prefer to mingle in the throng of the streets, than to bring in the New Year at their " domestic hearths," which are, of course, at this season of the year, a poetical fiction at the best. Midnight hourwas promptly, and, certainly loudly enough, recorded by the three steamers in the port, the Charles Edward, Kennedy, and Murray, simultaneously ringing their bells, —a hallowed observance on such occasions, and which on this occasion served the other and common purpose of announcing their intended departure. An army of waiters whose pleasure it usually is to disturb as much as possible the nerves and appetites of boarders by a rude jingling of bells, immediately at the signal rushed frantically into "the street, bells in hand, and seemed to enjoy exceedingly the amount of nervous excitement and reduction of appetite which, by their united efforts, they were very likely to achieve. Another army of small boys who had evidently for some time nursed in quiet hiding-places superannuated kerosene tins, broke forth as a second pestilence, the character of which was chiefly appreciated by hotel-keepers. Owners of old guns seemed to derive a large amount of moral and social satisfaction by discharging some well rammed cartridges from front doors or bed-room windows. The exclamations of the crowd seemed to imply that they also derived some sensations from the same, but their silent admiration of a really fair show of fire-works seemed to be somewhat more suggestive ef sensations of satisfaction, and less of sensations of alarm. Tke show of fire-works was contributed by the steamers and by the brigantine Mary, which showed blue-lights as well as they could be shown against a bright mooD, and fired rockets which, under the same disadvantage, did their best to realise the pyrotechnist's conception of the beautiful. There were inferior contributors of the same attractions in the streets, although the manipulators had not apparently acquired the art of putting a rocket up by the right end, and did not always exhibit the same Boman courage in the explosion of Roman candles as they might do in the lighting of common "dips." By crackers, a large noise was made at small expense, except when they were limited m their influence by being placed in some innocent person's pocket. It was a Fortunate thing for one exhibitor of a rocket that he did

achieve a greater sensation than he intended, the rocket having taken a horizontal, rather than a perpendicular, course among the admiring crowd. There was much heartiness of feeling, of course, exhibited in the public bars by hosts towards their visitors, or by visitors towards each other ■ and there were some who. continued " first-footing " their friends until an | advanced hour in the morning, but, I notwithstanding the numbers in town, there was great order, and what, undea the worst circumstances, could only be spoken of as drunken decorum. During the day, there was a general observance of the holiday by the closing of places of business, and although there were no more sports to attract, the streets had almost a deserted appearance by the departure of many family parties on picnic excursions to the neighborhood, and by the visit of a very large number of people to the Victoria Gardens, pleasantly situated on the island at the south side of the river. These, in fact, promise to become on such occasions a very usual and pleasant place of resort. In the evening the entertainment of the Gourlay Family, at the Masonic Hall, was—we were going to say, well attended, that it should be well attended being one of our " articles of faith," but it was not attended as it might have been. Let it be remembered that Mouday evening is their last. Besides the regular balls, there were season balls at several of the hotels, where the attendance depended on the national proclivities of the landlords, or the national characteristics of the use of heel and toe. Altogether the day was probably a pleasant one to many, although their enjoyment was less public and demonstrative than during the days of the Christmas Sports. Of the miners a considerable number returned to their homes, and, at the Caledonian, they announced their presence by lighting a bonfire, conspicuous by its size and its elevated situation.