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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 588, 2 December 1869, Page 2

The annual meeting of the members of the Masonic Lodge took place at the Masonic Hall on Tuesday evening, with the special object of installing the newly elected officers. Brother G. C. Bowman, R.W.M. of the Charleston Kilwinning Lodge, officiated as Installing Brother, and Bro. Salamon presided at the harmonium. The following officers were duly installed for the ensuing twelve months:—Bros. B. C. Reid, R.W.M., S. Thorpe D.M., E.H. Bullen S.M., W.H. Eadclifte S.W., W. D. Kerr J.W., James Murray, Treasurer, J. E. Denniston, Secretary, J. A. Maguire S.D., J. Suisted J.D., J. Corr 1.G., W.H. Poole O.G. After the ceremonies the brethren partook of a good supper provided by Brothers Tonks and Hughes ; the usual masonic toasts were proposed and responded to; and a few songs and recitations added to the enjoyment of the evening. A mixed entertainment consisting of singing, dancing, and instrumental music was given in the Masonic Hall on Monday evening, for the benefit of Mr De Maus, the local professional representative of "Tommy Dodd." The entertainment would have been more a benefit had it not been for a postponement and the presence of such a "star" as Thatcher in the neighbourhood. As it was, the attendance was small—much smaller than the intrinsic merits of the entertainment deserved. The same entertainment, but not the same small attendance, deserves repetition; and probably the professional amateur friends of Mr De Maus—Messrs Hull, Burgess, Lenardo, and Vincent—will be disposed to re-appear at some convenient season.

A whirlwind passed over Nelson on Sunday, and did various damage. The John Peon was caught in it, in the bay, but no damage was sustained. The race-horse Manuka was sold privately in Melbourne to Mr Petty, after being bought in at the public sale.

We learn from Nelson that the trial of the prisoners from Charleston was not to he commenced until to-day. It was expected that Mr Thatcher would exhibit his panorama last evening, but, the Murray having arrived, he proceeded south with her. At Charleston he had " immense success."

Dr Giles, R.M. and Warden, proceeded yesterday to Charleston. A rifle-shooting match between Sergeant Forsyth, of the Hokitika Volunteers, the winner of the FitzGerald Cup, and Volunteer W. Smith, of the Greymouth Corps, took place on Saturday. The scores were —Smith, 58 ; Forsyth, 46. A sad accident occurred at the Middle Township, Napoleon, on 25th inst., when a fine child, about 18 months old, the daughter of Mrs Hogan, was drowned in a waterhole.

The Rev. E. Royer, Roman Catholic clergyman, is about to leave the West Coast. His successor is expected in the Gothenburg. A serious accident, arising from the incautious use of fire-ams, happened to a wellknown resident of Greymouth on Monday evening. It, appears that a young man named T. Semmes, a sailor on board the Black Hawk, schooner, was showing a needle gun to some persons in the front of the Cosmopolitan bar, and was explaining the mode of loading at the breach; he also showed a cartridge, and was desired to explain further by inserting the cartridge into the chamber. As he did this, keeping the barrel pointed downwards, a man alongside of him foolishly lifted the stock of the gun, closing upon the barrel, and in a moment causing the charge to explode. Mr P. Crogan, the sufferer, was standing reading a newspaper immediately in front, and the tilt of the stock raised the barrel slightly, causing the bullet to strike the lower part of his right arm, completely shattering it. He was immediately taken to the surgery of Dr Morice, who attended to the wounded arm, after which Mr Crogan was conveyed to the hospital. The man who was the cause of the accident was taken to the lock-up. Late at night Mr Crogan's arm was amputated by Dr Morice above the elbow joint, and he is progressing favorably.

Dr Featherstone left Wellington on Monday by the s.s. Tavarua, as one of the Commissioners for England. Mr John Knowles, clerk to the Superintendent of Wellington, has been appointed Secretary to the Home Commissioners, and leaves in the s.s. Rangitoto.

A shock of earthquake was felt in Nelson at half-past one o'clock on Saturday morning. In the Fijis, on the 11th of October, there was an earthquake, which lasted for three minutes, was very severe, and shook houses out of their position, but did no serious damage.

Thatcher's musical company, Bird, Blow, and Wills's Circus, and Woodroffe's glassblowers are all expected at Hokitika about Christmas. The glass-blowers and the circus company will probably visit Westport.

The polling in the election of a Superintendent for Auckland has been very close. The actual result is not yet known here, but by the last accounts Mr Gillies had a majority of 16. The opinion is in favor of his being returned. There had been much excitement, and there were disturbances at Shortland and Coromandel.

Next year, there are to be shilling telegrams all through Victoria—ten words for 160 miles for a shilling. It is proposed to make the same rate uniform in Australia. The miners of Stafford Town and Waimea have petitioned His Excellency the Governor to interfere with Mr Hoos, County Chairman, to prevent him removing Mr C. C. Schaw from the Wardenship of Ihese districts.

The annual Synod of the Church of England, in the diocese of Nelson, commenced yesterday. The special sermon was to be preached by the Rev. J. E. Thorpe. In the important special jury case, Levin v. Beaumont, tried at Nelson, the jury have been unable to agree. The plaintiff, formerly a merchant in Wellington, sought to recover £o,ooo damages for a slander cir-

culated by defendant, to the effect that the plaintiff, in collusion with Mr J. D. Tetley, formerly of Marlborough, sheepfarmer, had swindled defendant and certain other persons out of money which they brought out to the colony for the purpose of investment. The jury retired at half-past eleven, and at half-past two next morning they were dismissed by consent of both parties, there being no chance of a verdict —one of the jury resolutely standing out for the defendant.

The following adventure with a seal is related by the Fort Molyneux correspondent of an Otaa;o paper : —A large seal was seen on Sunday last playing about in the sea at the Nuggets. One of the men sent a rifle bullet through it, but the shot appeared to have no effect upon its progress through the water. Four of the men went to the bottom of the cliffs, and in penetrating one of the largo caverns, found the seal taking a rest, and bleeding very much from the bullet wound. It immediately made for the water. Mr Wilson, of Puerua, ran on to a narrow reef towards the mouth of the cave, to intercept the seal from taking to the water. The seal with open mouth ran straight at Mr Wilson, who could not get out of its way, on account of deep water on each side of him. He struck it on the neck with a stick, when it seized him by the leg. His trousers were torn in two places, the leg of his boot cut through, and a flesh wound made in the calf of his leg. The suddenness of the attack and the narrowness of the reef caused Mr Wilson to fall over head and ears in the water, the quick jerk clearing Mr Wilson's leg from the seal's mouth. After the drenching, Mr Wilson was congratulated on his escape from being worried and drowned, and was asked what he thought during the attack ? " He thought the ereatur'ud keep its baud, and drag him into the sea." The seal made its escape. The following rabid extract from a leading article in a Thames paper reminds one very forcibly of the " dog days " : —" The spectacle of the martyr-makers' penance is of itself sufficiently humiliating to excite pity for the miserable reviler, who one day snarls like the veriest cur, and snaps at the heels of the man from whose resentment he thinks himself secure, and on the following day whines, fawns, and growls at the foot that ho finds out can give him a kick in the ribs." A new Warden has been appointed for Coromandel—Mr William Eraser, a gentleman entirely (before his appointment) unconnected with the law, and, it is said, of little or no experience on goklfields. Mr T. B. Gillies, a candidate for the Superintendence, has accused the Superintendent (Mr Williamson) publicly of having made the appointment in consequence of Mr Fraser's support in his candidature for the Superintendenoy.