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Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 118, 19 May 1892, Page 4

A number of those prisoners from Mount Eden Gaol who are temporarily stationed at Fort Gautley in charge of their warders and the members of the Permanent Artillery, are at present engaged in work at the Bastion Fort on the opposite side of the harbour, levelling, forming earthworks, etc. Erery morning between 20 and 30 convicts are taken across to the Bastion from Fort Cautley in the Government steam-launch Isabel in charge of warders and Permanent Artillery, and are conveyed back in tho evening. A good deal of work still remains to be done at this Fort to complete the defences.

With regard fco the broken Cook Strait"* cable, we learn from the Wellington " Posb " that) ono of the cables is broken" about three knots outside, of Lyell Bay. This cable was laid in September, 1866, and taken over from the contractors on 3rd September, 1867. The portion in which the break has occurred has never been diuturbed since it was first laid, and was the oldest undisturbed cable in existence. The other Lyell Bay cable was laid on 11th March, 1887, and in it the break ia abouc 16 to 18 miles out. To repair these breaks, it will be necessary to bring one of the Eastern1 Extension Company's steamers over from Singapore! Were there a steamer available in New Zealand waters capable of doing the work, both cable 3 could be picked up and repaired in a few days, as the Department has in stock 10 knots of the three-cow cable and 20 knots of the single-core. Communication with the South Island and with Australia and Europe, so far as this island is concerned, is now dependent on the single-core cable laid from Wanganui to Wakapuaka in February, 18S0. This cable consists of rive knots of 11 ton cable at either shore end, and 98 knots of five ton cable connecting, and it rests upon a level sandy bottom ranging from 36 to6o fathoms. It is therefore unlikely to break, and there is every probability of its bearing the strain of the ordinary work until the others can be repaired.

The Napier "Telegraph" Bays:—"lb was stated gome years ago that one of the largest waterfalls in the North Island fell into an inaccessible part of the Rangitikei River, running through the inland Patea district, and Maoris who live up near that locality believe to this day that such a thing exists. Recent investigation by a surveyor, who has just completed surveying a portion of the vast Awarua block, goea to chow that the whole thing is a'myth, and that not a semblance of a waterfall exists there. What has deceived the Maoris to a great extent, besides the original fabrication, is the roar, of the rapids, which run down at a great rate for fully seven miles."

The first football matches in connection with the Northern Wairoa Rugby. Union were played lasb Saturday, when.the Aratapu and Kopuru teams journeyed to the up-river townships, and played the Dargraville and Maropiu clubs respectively. The Arafcapu team were successful by 19 points to nil, bub Kopuru were defeated by 5 points to 4. Tries were scored for Aratapu by Woollam, Kitching, Bonella, Hammond, Nield, Phelan (2), and Morrison, one of which was converted by Bassett. In the Kopuru-Maropiu match, Nathan scored a try for Maropiu, and Pohi converted it; while Nelson and Keegan scored a try each for Kopuru. On Saturday nexb Aratapu plays Maropiu, and Kopuru plays Dargaville. A cup, as well as the banner, is to be competed "for, and the winning club is to be presented with a set of silver medals, by the Union. There is some talk of arranging a match with Whangarei, and also with Ponßonby, during the season.

Mr C. M. Crombie, the Commissioner of Taxes, to-day telegraphed from Wellington to Mr W. J. Courtney, Chairman of the Board of Reviewers, asking him to name a suitable date after the 6th June for the Board to hear objections against the Government assessments in the Auckland city and Parnell, Newton and Newmarket boroughs, and that he would then duly advertise the same. Mr Courtney conferred with Mr Stoney, the Clerk of the Court, and that gentleman suggested the 13th of June would be a suitable date to commence the sittings, so that the next meeting of the Board of Reviewers will probably bo on the date mentioned.

Some interesting cases relative to big holdings came before the Hawke's Bay Board of Reviewers ab their sitting. Captain Russell, Flaxmere run, 3.5C8 acres assessed at £60,590, reduced to £58,402, unimproved value, £37,964. John D. Ormcnd, Hastings run, 1,270 acres, valued at £32,150, reduced to £28,010, uriim« proved value £20,430. Kenrick J. Hill, Fernhill run, 3,153 acres, valued ab £20,033, reduced to £17,753, unimproved value £10,525. J. N. Williams, half of Frimley run, 1.29S acres, valued at £31,927, reduced to £28,400, un< improved value £21,921. J. H. Williams, 427 acres, valued by Assessors at £12,828, reduced by Commissioner on objection to £9,925, which was also objected to~-jjattcr value sustained. Estate of Henry K. Russell, Rotokawa, and other blocks, 3,372 acres, valued ab £26,976, valuation reduced to £22,766, unimproved value £19,561. Archdeacon Samuel Williams objected to £38,360 as the value for 7,772 acres in the Havelock district. Valuation was reduced to £30,500. He also objected to £8,905 as the value of 1,570 acres. This was reduced to £7,190,' and another of his properties in the same districb, 1.170 acres, valued by the Department; at £7,605, was reduced to £5,265.

Mr Thos. Thompson, M.H.R., has been laid up with a bad attack of " la grippe " since Saturday night last, "but he has now passed the worst stage of the malady, and the doctor expects that he will be able to ba 'about again before the end of the month.

In reference to the man Fred Bould, who had been an inmate of the Auckland Asylum and committed suicide at Dargaville, the " Northern Advertiser " has the following:—"There are some half-dozen persons in this neighbourhood whose lives were in danger while Bould, the lunatic who. committed suicide, was at liberty. During his detention in the Auckland Lunatic Asylum, in hia mad ravings, he repeatedly declared his intention, as soon as he regained his liberty, to shoot certain persons, and he frequently named the followine as the special objects of his yen* geance : Mr A. Raynes, hotelkeeper, who held a bill of sale over Bould's floating dwelling1 known as ' The Ark;' Mr N. A. McLeod, the solicitor who prepared the bill of sale; Mr J. M. Dargaville, the justice who committed Bould to the Asylum ; Constable Carr, who arrested him; and Messrs T. Eastbrook and P. Gardner, at ono time great cronies of Bould's, but) who had apparently come under his displeasure. Had he succeeded in obtaining possession of the gun and revolver he so often asked for, it ia just possible that he might have ' run a-muck' and killed one or more of ths above, and indeed anyone else against whom he considered he had a grievance. We trust that an inquiry will be held into the extraordinary conduct ot the Lunatic Asylum authorities in setting at) large so violent and dangerous a madman."

A Ramarama correspondent writes :— "TheMaketu Creamery (our local Houss of Representatives) has closed, for the season. It is to Le hoped that the district will not collapse in the. recess. The eloquence of our local orators Is; stunning, and their wisdom is beyondthe comprehension of all ordinary inoi'tals. If some or our Wellington M.H.R.'s would make it convenient to attend when our local Parliament is in full swing, they might gain a wrinkle or two, and leave older if not wiser men."

Several complaint 3 are made by residents in all parts of the city and suburbs of the dangerous practice of furious driving indulged in by drivers of vehicles and by equestrians. The police often seem to look on with perfect equanimity at fasb driving in a crowded street. This morning in Newmarket a little girl had a very narrow escape from being knocked down by a butcher's cart. She dropped a small dog which she was carrying, just in time to save herself. The uufortunate little animal was run over and killed.

At the Young Men's Christian Association Rooms last evening Professor Golledge gave another of his interesting lectures to a fair audience on " Physiognomy." He gave an instructive account of tie signs of character in the face and their indications. He also spoke of a testimonial received from Archdeacon Dudley. After the lecture, several of.those present submitted to facial examination explaining their character and tendencies, and these results were very generally testified to. This is tho last lecture likely to be delivered by Professor Golledge in Auckland, and any persons desirous of undergoing examination should do so at once.