GENERAL NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 860, 12 September 1871, Page 2

GENERAL NEWS.

A. man, named Thomas Carney, whilst on a farm at Oamaru a fewdays ago, was attacked in a savage manner by a boar kept on the premises. The animal inflicted a wound on the outer part of the thigh. The road-steamer imported by the Auckland Government appears to have astonished the Maoris, who declared that it was " Taipo's (Satan's) father." An unusually large number of jointstock companies have been registered in Auckland recently. Mr W. E. Warner, Sergeant Major of the Christcurch Battery of Artillery has liberally given two silver cups to be competed for by his subordinates. One is to be confined # to the non-com-missioned officers, and the other to the gunners, both being of precisely the same make. The design is very appropriate, the bowl of each cup, which is of goblet form, being supported by three rifles held together midway by a wreath of laurels. The outer portion of each bowl is handsomely engraved with trophied flags and other ornamentation, leaving a blank shield for tho winner's name, and the interior is gilt in the usual manner.

The following very gratifying letter, testifying to tho serviceable qualities of New Zealand flax rope, has been received by Mr Lennon, of Christchurch t

Mr Thomas Lonnon, ropemakor, Christchurch, N.Z. Dear Sir, —As yotf, wished me to try the quality of the\ tarred flax rope shipped by you in Lyttelton, N.Z., March 18, 1871, I rove two coils for main and maintopsail braces, and as I, on the first part of my voyage from there to Boston, had a good opportunity to try their strength, I have found it to be as strong and good as the best kind of Manilla rope I hitherto have had experience of.—Yours truly, C. Schum, Master of the Danish barque Johanna Marie."

A shopman, named Saunders, in the employ of the City Butchery, Dunedin, was recently assaulted by another butcher, named Crist Lorga, who accused him of " telling tales " to the master. Lorga seized a " long arm " and rushed at him, striking him on the side with the point. Saunders seized hold of it, whereupon Lorga assaulted him with a knife, inflicting three small wounds on the wrist, thumb and fingers of the right hand. A rather singular method of evading payment of toll is related by the "Bruce Herald" as follows:—"The Fairfax toll bar, since its erection by the Milton Road Board, has been a ' source of much dissatisfaction to the carters of timber from the bush, and coal from down the river pits, who mainly use the road. This grumbling has recently increased more and more as the roads have grown less and less available for traffic, Jand when any one pays money away they like to see some return commensurate therewith, and, as nothing is being done to repair the roads and make them more accessible, a well-known and respected resident of Milton—as he came along the road on Friday last—got into grief with his team from the very bad nature of the road, and determined that until something was done to improve the road he would pay no more toll; he therefore declined to pay the collector, repeating the decision come to in his own mind, just stated. Next day, as he came that way, he found the toll-bar closed in his face, and as he declined to pay toll, the gate was locked, and Mr Collector appeared as master of the situation; however, this proud supremacy was but of short duration, as Mr Carter, who possesses Brobdignagian proportions, like a modern Sampson, quietly seized the toll-bar and lifted the gate from its position and deposited it carefully on the road side, and returning led his team.safely through. "We need scarcely state that Mr Carter has not since been asked to pay toll, and we further understand that his action has quite nonplussed the Road Board, who are at a loss how to proceed to obtain a conviction against this modern Hercules."

Two churches—the one "Wesleyan, the other Episcopalian—are about to be erected at the Teviot. According to the " Bruce Herald's" correspondent, Balclutha contains four public-houses, but only one baker's shop. The beach miners at Port Molyneux are reported to be all doing well. Another death from scarlet fever has taken place at Tapanui, but it is nevertheless believed that the epidemic is now abating. The natives at Tauranga appear to be great gamblers. A correspondent of the "Southern Cross" says:— " Some few years back nothing but religion occupied their minds; afterwards war, with all its excitement and reverses ; but more recently cards have been the all-absorbing subject. From the child of five years of age to the veteran of seventy, they may be seen engaged in this vile and exciting practice ; and it is no uncommon circumstance to witness special night parties playing till daybreak for a penny box of matches. The " Hawke's Bay Herald " of a late date says:—"Bopata and Captain Porter arrived in Napier yesterday from Poverty Bay by the s.s. Napier. We learn that the men during the late expedition, suffered very severely from cold, their limbs, in some cases, being so swollen as to render them incapable of travelling. There have* been one or two instances also of freezing to death. About the 20th ult., while at some distance from home they disagreed and took different tracks, and one of them has not been heard of since. In another case a man who had likewise been out searching for food, was found, after four days, stark and stiff, reclining on the fork of a tree. Efforts were made to revive him, but in vain. Apiata, one of the prisoners recently captured, has been with Te Kooti ever since his escape from the Chatham Islands. Bopata, on hearing of the report that he had joined Tfl Kooti, remarked that the man who j invented it, and the editor who* inserted i it, should be placed in confinement together as lunatics."

We are informed that of the immigrants by the Merope, only three families and six single men remained for engagement at the Immigration Barracks yesterday. The following rates of wages were given : —Families, £SO to £6O; single men, £26 to £4O; and single women, £2O to £25 per annum.—" Lytteltion Times," August 30th.

A public meeting has been held IB Hyde Park to discuss Prince Arthur's civil list. Very violent speeches were made. A second mooting in Trafalgar Square was prohibited on the Ist of j August. In the House of Commons Prince Arthur's civil list was approved] of, and his allowance of £15,000 a yeafl

has been granted by 276 votes agains 31.