MR BR YCE AND THE THAMES NAVIGATION.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1517, 25 March 1882, Page 2

MR BR YCE A ND THE THAMES NAVIGATION.

Whkn at Okinemuvi the Native Minister had an interview with the native chiefs of that district. In reply to Pineaha who hoped the Government would do nothing rashly, but would act according to law, Mr Bryce said :—": — " If I understand aright, all this obstruction is for a few shillings or a few pounds, for the logs that are in stream. Is Pineaha to obstruct the river because theere is whave tuna — an eel weir ? What we purpose to do is to shift the whare tuna a little on one side, and let the tuna go to the new house. lam not going to take any side, but I will try to do justice. Pineaha says to me, "Go according to law." Perhaps he means one thing, and I another: I am acting strictly in accordance with the law in taking the obstruction out of a navigable river. lam here as one of the Queen's Ministers, and I know no other law but that of the Queen. No other law will now be tolerated. Pineaha is a sensible man ; he can see that European customs are flooding the land like a sea, and he must either float on the top of the waves, or the waves will overflow him. Let him think of that. I do not say that there are no faults in the law ; but we may as well begin by confessing that the law must prevail. It is no use asking if the waters are bitter or sweet : we must take them as we find them. lam prepared to hold out a hand to save, but it is hard to save those who will not be saved. I think Pineaha will see that what I say is right." Pineaha promised that there should be no further obstruction to the snagging operations, and Tukukino, whose name is familiar in connection with the Komata road, gave a similar promise.

In t the treatment of light soils, English fanners frequently sow mangels, carrots or Swedes to lie fed upon the land with sheep. Such land after being fed off by sheep will be made close and productive by the tread of the animals. With an allowance of oil cake, these fields will be quite procluctivo for cereal crops. A factoby girl at Lawrence was ordered by her physician to use chloroform to induce sleep, and, taking an overdose she was overtaken by sleep so profound that it was thought that she was dead. She was accordingly prepared for burial, and the mass was being celebrated in a Catholic church, when all who were in church were horrified by hearing a scream from the coffin. The coffin was opened and she was returned to life.

The Longevity op Iron Ships. —What term of years may be calculated as the life-time of a substantially constructed iron ship ? Experts we believe, are still undecided on that head; but judging from what is reported about the Great Britain, a vessel of the sort is quite as long-lived as a man, accidents apart. That once famous steamship left the stocks at Bristol nearly forty years ago, and when she was put up to auction at Liverpool the other day, she was found to be almost as strong as evei*. A very notable career hers has been, since the world marvelled at Mr Brunei's audacity in designing such a monstrous craft. Gigantic indeed she seemed in those days, but we have moved on so quickly since then that the Great Britain has come to be quite a moderate-sized vessel for ocean voyages, her dimensions being only 1795 tons register, or 3270 burden. During her early lifetime she met with a series of misfortunes, the first being of a rather comical sort. Before she could reach the River Avon from the yard where she was built, the glory • of Bristol had to pass through the lock-gates of Cumberland Basin. Norwasit.untilshe had nearly got wedged in the exit that her* proprietors discovered her to be some feet too broad to pass through. After that she lay for a ,whole winter fast .aground in Dundrum Bay^,with-nothing to .protect her against theory of the waves but the, floating breakwater?'of, brushwood and faggots, which Captain Chxton thought of in a moment of-inspiration". The Greats Britain subsequently suffered many 6tbejs vicissitudes* aaid the'pubUc^nfl^tlle^fgr,^ be glad to' hear that the old sbipi^ial such good health',~<?fofo. _< ■'.->' ,- ( .1- ■' i -