GENERAL NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 895, 2 December 1871, Page 2

GENERAL NEWS.

The Ladies' Society in Auckland contiuue to jealously exclude persons from their meetings. Even Bishop Cowie was refused admission. Mr Stafford stated in the House of Representatives the other day, that for twenty years past he has grown his own sheepwash tobacco, and has found it superior to the imported article used for that purpose. Chief Justice Arney caused some amusement in the Supreme Court at Auckland lately, at the close of a civil case, by saying:—" I beg to draw your attention, gentlemen, to the fact that in a case which has occupied the Court three days, three counsel addressed the jury and the judge summed up, all within the space of two hours. The farmers in the Auckland Province are crying out for rain. We take the following from a description, in Land and Water, of the museum at Canterbury, England—"ln the little room, on the bottom shelf, are two heads of New Zealanders. The tatoc marks on the skin are very neatly cut, and show the progress of ' science and art' in that far distant country. One of the heads has straight, the other curly hair. Tatooted New Zealanders' heads are now very rare. In former times the natives could get good prices for the heads of their friends, enemies, or relations. They dried the skin with the hair on in a most clever manner, and I wish I knew how it was done. Captain Cook, I believe, first brought in the fashion of having a New Zealander's head as a curiosity, but at the present time these people are more civilised and no longer cut off and sell each other's heads. These heads therefore, at Canterbury, are valuable. I should say that their market price would be about .£lO each. Insects have bored holes into the skin of the face of one of them. The heads, therefore, should be washed with hi-chloride of mercury and be put in air-tight glass cases near the weapons from New Zealand. They are too good to be put out of sight." A young Maori eloped from the paternal roof at Ohinomuri the other day, for the seventh time. She was pursued, overtaken, brought back and " tapued several inches thick."