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Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 64, 27 February 1877, Page 2

We beg to direct special attention to Messrs Bridge and BushelPs large sale of stock, advertised to take place at the Head of the Bay on Friday next, at Mr. Shadbolt's yards, at 11 a.m. After the sale of stock there will be a quantity of groceries, clothing, and ironmongery offered. On account of the alterations being done to St. Peter's Church, a special service was held on Sunday evening in the Town Hall, which was lent for the occasion. The Hall was very well lighted, and the attendance was extremely good. The service commenced by singing the Psalms of the Day, followed by Litany and Hymns, and concluded by singing the the 51st Psalm, the congregation kneeling. Both services will be held at the same place next Sunday. At a meeting of the German Bay School Committee, held on Friday last, it was resolved—" That with the sanction of the Education Board, application be invited for the post of schoolmaster immediately." It was also decided to request Mrs. Langbridge to open the school. It has seldom been our part to witness so impressive a scene as that of Sunday last. The funeral of Walter Scott, of Akaroa, took place at 3 o'clock at St. Peter's Church, several people being obliged to remain outside, the church not being large enough to hold the large congregation collected together from all partsThe co rtege from the church to the cemetery consisted of about 200 persons. The Good Templars, who numbered about 80, carried the coffin in relays of six, the deceased having belonged to that order. At the grave, after the service was finished, the Rev. W. H. Cooper gave a most touching address, at which everyone was more or less affected. Upon the coffin was laid a beautiful floral cross, the work of Mrs. Denny, of the Head of the Bay, whose first Sunday-school pupil the deceased was. It is evident that Mr. Billens does not intend being out-done by Mr. Watkins in giant productions. He has sent us some samples of the Spanish Percy peach, measuring 9J and 10 inches in circumference, and the two weighing 16 ounces. We can vouch for their excellency of flavour by experience, and we hope others will be led to send us some more monsters—heifers, bullocks, or sheep, being all the same to

The service of carrier pigeons is becoming quite an institution in this district. Mr. J. H. Wood has some at present in training, who bid fair to eclipse the postman. They were taken to a place within 4 miles of Christchurch. the other day, and arrived here again in 30 minutes after they were liberated. On Sunday they had a trip to Lyttelton, and we believe they are bound for Timaru next. We are much indebted to them for our information about the races on Tuesday last. It is likely a great deal of business will eventually be done by carrier pigeons in those districts to Avhich the telegraph does not extend. The s.s. Wanaka is appointed to sail from Akaroa this afternoon in place of the s.s. Taranaki, advertised for Thursday the Ist March. The Wanaka on her return trip from Dunedin will leave for Lyttelton and the North, calling at Napier, Poverty Bay, and Tauranga. On Saturday last a cricket match between the Eastern and Western sides of Akaroa Harbour, was held on the ground of the Peninsula Cricket Club, French Farm. The total number of runs on the Eastern side, was GG, on the Western, 123. We must hold over the scores until next issue for want of space. The cricket match between -18 of Canterbury and the All England Eleven was commenced yesterday. At 5 p.m. the Englishmen were all out for 70 runs. The bowling and fielding on the. part of Canterbury were excellent. " ' The Melbourne c6frespondent of the Hamilton Spectator* states: —There is some dtiubt whether we_ shall ever see the old Great Britain in these waters again. She was expected here some time ago, but letters have come to the effect that it was found impossible to sail her with profit on her old route, so many new vessels with greatlyimpro ved machinery having entered

Curiously enough, the last four or fiv years, as we learn from the leading Jewish journals, have witnessed the return of Jews to Palestine from all parts of the world, but more especially, from r Russia, altogether unprecedented. The Hebrew population of Jerusalem is now double what it ; was ten years ago. Great accessions still continue to be made to this element of the population, and while ten years ago the Jews .were confined to their own quarter in their own ancient city (the poorest and worst, as usual), they now inhabit all parts of it, and are always ready to hire every house that is to be let. Western capital, too, is beginning to flow into Judea, and aqueducts, railways, post offices, steamers, mammoth hotels, will ere long have at-' tracted the stream of travel and commerce to the old land that has been so long shorn of its former renown.

Some considerable excitement, says the Guardian, was occasioned a week or two ago by the account supplied by the Melbourne Age of a tragedy enacted by Mdlle. Cora in strangling Miss Wren, and her subsequent trial and sentence to death, In a later edition the same journal contradicts the " yarn " thus :—" An extraordinary and happily not unfounded rumour has been rife for some days past respecting Madame Cora, who, it may be remembered, left Melbourne about a year ago in company with Miss Jeannie Wren, Val Vose and other artists for the Cape of Good Hope. From all the accounts received the company had been doing excellent business, despite many counter attractions, and Madame herself was a great favourite with the public. About a week ago, a statement was circulated to the effect that in a fit of temper Madame Cora beat' Miss Wren with some violence by seizing her by the neck, from the effects of which the latter, who was weak and delicate, ultimately died. It was known when Madame Cora was leaving Melbourne that she was extremely kind and attentive to Miss Wren, to whom she surrendered her cabin on the voyage, owing to the delicate state of the latter's health, The rumour therefore received no credence by those acquainted with the ladies in qnestion The files of papers from the Cape to hand contained no information of the nature indicated, and the detective who came by the Wolverine, direct from Capetown, in search of Lyons and Karlishaw, the alleged diamond robbers, stated, when questioned, that there was not a word of truth in the rumour."