Dunedin.

Bruce Herald, Volume VIII, Issue 701, 18 May 1875, Page 6

Dunedin.

• — — (From our own Correspondent.) We have had quite a bustling week since my last. There has been the Council in session ; the movements of his Excellency the Governor to chronicle; we have had the opening entertainment of the Fakir of Oolu, the citizens' ball, several serious accidents, and, above all, overshadowing all, and coustantly cropping up everywhere and always, has been the Princes- street widening, and the abitration thereanent. There is to be a big meeting of the citizens on the subject on Monday evening, where I expect a lot of indignation, honest and otLerwise, poured forth on the subject, and efforts will be made, no doubt successfully, to carry resolutions denouncing the award of the arbitrators as a gigantic job. It certainly looks remarkably like that, but I am not sufficiently acquainted with the facts of the case to pronounce an opinion. I will go to the meeting on Monday, and will probably then hear all about the dispute. One thing is certain, the choice of arbitrators was not a happy one. I don't know who was, or is, responsible in this matter ; but arbitrators could have been appointed who would have commanded much more public confidence. As it is, the citizens are, one and all, save those directly interested, highly indignant, and resolved if possible to upset the whole arrangement; and very wroth will be those by whom the city hss been led into the present fix. I wish them a happy issue out of all their troubles. ' The biggest stir in the Council since the debate on the address in reply has been over the Harbor Bill. On Thursday the House sat till one on Friday morning (pardon the bull) in Committee on this Bill. Poor Mr M'Grlashan was well nigh fogged by the number of amendments, counter amendments, and contingent amendments proposed during the discussion. The Government, as well as the Council, were all at sixes and sevens, and the Bill was so altered that the Provincial Solicitor has to prepare and bring down another one to embody the many alterations supposed to be amendments which had been made by the Committee. On Thursday or Friday evening Mr De Lautour made an onset on the Government for the alleged negleef. of gome public works, and moved for papers on the subject, promising when the papers are I produced to substantiate all the charges he j had made. I expect there will be a lively time -when the Education Ordinance is brought on ; I will endeavor to be present to hear the debate. Their Excellencies the most honorable Marquis and Marchioness of Normanby have j been making themselves very much at home, and gaining to themselves the goodwill of the citizens. The Governor is much pleased with the city and surroundings, and compliments us very highly on our enterprise, push, and all that, and says he is much surprised at our astonishing progress, and promises to come and see us again at a more seasonable time of the year. The Fakir of Oolu ia likely to have a good run and do a fine business here. I don't know that there is anything particular about his tricks of legerdemain. He is very voluble, and perpetrates puns by the gross while manipulating his tricks 1 . He sings, too, an occasional song ; but the main attractions of his entertainment are the suspended girl, and the fairy fountain. I have seen the suspension tricks performed by Professor Anderson and Madame Cora, but the Fakir surpasses both in the way he manages this performance. While the littfe girl is suspended on the one pole under her right elbow, by the use of varied colored lights, different articles of clothing and other appliances,. he produces some marvellously beautiful effects ; the little girl at one time representing a gipsy . fortune-teller, then a bride, then an angel; jiow she is in the character of Joan of Arc,

then in that of Britannia. Suitable and appropriate music accompanies each change of character. After this comes the fairy fountain, the wondrous beauty of which it is impossible to describe. I have seen many tricks and illusions, many beautiful combinations of colors in fireworks and otherwise, but I remember nothing to which the term beautiful can be more appropriately applied than to this truly fairy-like fountain. It is quite beyond my power to describe. It must be seen to be appreciated. The Dunedin Harmonic Society, recently organised, and meeting for practice in the north end of the city, gave its first concert on Monday evening last in the Temperance Hall. There was but a meagre attendance, but the concert on the whole was a good one, and gave evidence of careful practice and fair training. But I know you have many demands on your space this week, and will not encroach further at present.