MISCELLANEOUS.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 343, 25 July 1874, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

A scene of a highly amusing kind, and one which was not announced in the bills, took place at the Theatre Royal on Saturday evening last during the interval which followed the lowering of the curtain on the termination of the first act of " Grif, a tale of Colonial Life." Two or three habitues of the theatre attended the performances early enough to secure places in the front row on the O. P. side of the dress circle, After the first act they retired, presumably for the purpose of "liquonng up," and their seats were immediately '• jumped " by three strangers who had previously occupied positions commanding by no means so good a view of the stage. On the return of the original occupant 3, the intruders were politely requested to give up the seats. This they peremptorily declined to do, and ultimately the boxkeeper was requested to interfere. They still persisted in their expressed determination to remain where they were, and it seemed at one time as though a personal encounter would be the inevitable consequence of* the angry words ■which passed between the parties. Cries of " turn him out" resounded from all parts of the house, but all threatening hostilities were prevented by a most unlooked-for incident, »nd one of such a ludicrous kind as to convulse the audience •with laughter. Suddenly jumping up from his teat in the same row, and only five removes from the O. P. box, a man, •who, for a drcis circle patron, wa» rather conspicuously attired in a mackintosh and muffler, accused the person who was sitting next him of having itolen a Chinese shilling out of his waistcoat pocket. What with the absurdity of the charge, the growing excitability of the accuser, and the strenuous denial of the accused, the risable inclinations of the audience, already excited, were provoked to a very high pitch, but these outbursts of laughter were greatly augmented when the accuser in a very peremptory manner communded the accused to strip. It is needless to say that the order was not complied with. The man rearing the mackintosh and muffler then made a sudden rush round the dress circle, and, asking the audience in a patronising way to " keep their eye on him " (pointing with a stick he carried to the individual whom he charged with the abstraction of the Chinese shilling), intimated that he was off for a policeman. He was speedily followed by the young man in question and a host of sympathisers, who felt very much inclined, had a pond been convenient, to give the man in the mackintosh a good ducking. Meantime, a policeman had been informed of the accusation, but he declined to interfere, as the would-be prosecutor expressed his doubts as to whether he should be able to identify the Chinese shilling in the event of its being recovered. High words, but no personal encounter, ensued, an*l the last that was heard of the matter was of a tall young gentleman asking the policeman, in a confidential tone, whether his giving the mtn in the mackintosh a good hiding would be contrary to tho ■tatute. While this was going on outside the theatre, the most perfect order was restored within. The amusing mci dent about the Chinese shilling had put everybody in such good humour that even those wko Lad been the originators of an impending contretemps submissively gave way to the exhortations of the box-keeper, and rctrented into the sents which in the earlier part of the evening, they had faute de mieux, selected for themselves. — Lt/ttelton Times. The Rev Mr Waterhouse delivered a lecture in the Wesleyan Church, on the subject of" King Thakombau." The Bey Mr Rigg was in the chair There was a large attendance. The lecturer gave a highly interesting account of his adventures in Fiji, and of his experience of King Thakombau. He said that when he first went to the Island of Bau os missionary there was not a woman on that island but bad destrojed a child, nor was there a child whoso lips had not been stained with human flesh. He narrated in a humorous manner the difficulties ho had to encounter m preserving the privacy of his house after he had it built, ai the natives used to steal his things. When he complained to the King of this, ho was told that he would have to see the king of the thieves about it. So be went to that functionary, and was assured by him that nothing had been stolen. He (Mr Waterhouse) assured him that such was the case. " Oh, no," laid the king of the thieves, "for, if anything had been stolen, they would have told me about it, :ss the practice is to do so ; and then I tell them to hide it, and, if no person claims it, we divide." " Oh, but," said Mr Waterhouse " Perhaps they have learned the white man's habit, and are disposed not to keep half of the whole." On one occasion, when he caught a fellow in the act of stealing some article, and complained of him, the king of the thieves gave the delinquent his choice to contribute six pigs to his majesty, to cv cut a certain quantity of wood, or to be strangled. "Well," said the thief, "the pigs are out of the question, as I have no friends who would give them to mo ; as to cutting the wood, that would cause so much perspiration that I should be of no use afterwards ; so I will just be strangled." So he coiled himself up, and prepared for Ins fate, but, at the request of tho lecturer, he was pardonod. But on his chief telling him this, he was by no means thankful for tho leniency shown him and still wished to bo strangled, in preferenco to cutting the wood. So the chief then, by way of punishment, would not strangle him, but let him off. Twelve months afterwards Mr Waterhouse caught him thieving again. The lecturer then gave some interesting narratives of hu experience in Fiji, and of the peculiarities of King Thakombau, and was frequently applauded ia the course of his address. — Otago Guardian.