DUNEDIN GOSSIP.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IX, Issue 471, 19 November 1878, Page 6

DUNEDIN GOSSIP.

(from our own correspondent.) November 12, The grand Volunteer Review of Saturday was a great success in every way. The railway system north and south offered for ;the first time perfect travelling facilities, and these were fully taken advantage of. For a day or two previous; small detachments kept arriving, but the main body of the visitors came by the last trains on Friday evening, which from Christchurch and Invercargill arrived about eight o’clock. From that hour all night the city was in a state of excitement only equalled at Cup time. Early in the morning heavy rain gave everybody a fright, but just before'the “failin’’ was to take place, the weather cleared, and the rest of the day was fine. The mustering in Custom-house Square was an inspiriting sight, and crowds of people looked on with interest and pleasure. Forbury Park, where the review took place, never looked gayer or brisker than with its close upon 2000 men attacking and defending. How the battle was lost and won I need not detail to you. Enough to say that the men showed martial bearing, behaved themselves well, and made a better public impression than ever they did before. Volunteering has increased in favor as a result of the event. Up till Monday night most of the men—or at any rate a great number of them •. :—remained in town, and at every second step in the street one ran against individuals in uniform. The Invercargill band gave a promenade concert on the Caledonian grounds • on the Monday afternoon, which gathered a large and respectable attendance. The band can teach the Dunedin ones something. Only in one way did our Volunteer visitors lay themselves open to fault-finding. Some of them were of the hobbledehoy species, and these thought it a fitting thing, in order to show their knowledge of city life, to leer • at and harass every woman they met in the streets in the evening. They did not know enough to be able to distinguish between respectable women and les autres, and the consequence was they occasionally got themselves into trouble. How many reviews are to take place before a Cromwell contingent—and one who knows says Cromwell could put 30 or 40 more - soldier-like men into the field than any who were there on Saturday:—is to make its appearance on the gala day by means of the iron horse ? Perhaps not so long after all. For it is stated contracts for portions of the line are to be entered into without delayone at this end through -the Strathtaieri Gorge, and one known as the Poolburn section where a great deal of rock cutting is to be done. By getting these two under way at once, there will be a probability of as little delay occurring as possible. Of one thing you may be certain, Mr Macandrew will do all in his power to forward the completion of the line. Sporting matters have caused a great deal of talk and excitement of late, the interest, particularly in the Melbourne races, having been worked up by the large sweeps—or “consultations” —which have been so liberally patronised. . The winners of the big money in these sweeps have for the most part been men in humble positions—and in some cases women —and their good luck will tend to keep the ,consultation business going. The chance of £SOO or £I,OOO at the outlay of £1 has a charm for hard-working fellows, who find a difficulty in making ends meet. We hear nothing, as yet, of how the Flood Relief money is to be expended. Altogether about £2,000 is in hand for relieving distress, but I believe not one half of this amount will be required. Not that damage enough has not been done, but actual distress is not prevalent to any great extent. Inch Clutha is still in a dreadful condition. Not more than 400 acres out of the 12,000 comprising what was decidedly the fairest and finest portion of Otago is dry. The river cut new channels through the banks in many places during the flood, and through these it now runs into the low-lying centre of the Island. Some declare it is ruined for ever for agriculture or pasture, but if means can be taken to fill up the channels probably it will recover itself to some degree within three or four years. Such of the fields as are dry are covered with sand, in many places to the depth of six inches or more. The township of Balclutha is in a terrible plight. Immense holes cut in the streets all over the town, which are full of water ; fences entirely broken down ; beds of sand two and three feet deep where beds of flowers used to be ; buildings in some cases toppled over, in some washed away, and in others standing with half the piles of their foundations exposed ; and altogether the town is as utter a scene of desolation as could well be conceived. In addition, the river threatens it with total demolition, for immense inroads are being made upon the bank by the current. The inhabitants have subscribed £SOO to stop the danger, and heaven, in the shape of Government, is to help those who help themselves, the chief Engineer having been sent to report. In the way of amusements our visitors have on this occasion had no room to complain. Baker and Farron, in Dutch and Irish chaiacters, are as amusing as any who ever trod the stage ; indeed Farron is the best Irishman ever put before the public. Then there has been the Morley amateur operatic people in the Italian II Trovatore, which has been performed in a manner quite equal, and in some respects superior, to that in which it is given by travelling professional companies. The Misses Hume, tw r o sisters who have taken the principal parts, are not

only good- singers, but really first class actresses. The public have patronised the Opera immensely, and Signor Morley has scored success No. 2. Indeed, II Trovatore puts Maritana, his previous performance, into the shade.