ITEMS IN BRIEF

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 232, 27 June 1932, Page 10

ITEMS IN BRIEF

About People and Events LAST VOYAGE CONCLUDES Her long service with the Melanesian Mission 'completed, the little steamer Southern Cross returned to Auckland from the Islands early on Saturday morning, states a Press Association message from Auckland. In the course of the next few days she 'will be taken to an anchorage in the stream, where she will lie up indefinitely, for after 29 years’ service she is to be replaced by a smaller and more economical vessel. On her voyage just ended the Southern Cross, the fifth ship of that name to carry workers of the mssion round the Islands of the Western Pacific, covered just over 7000 miles. “There was nothing eventful about our farewell trip,” said Captain A. H. W. Burgess, who has been master of the Southern Cross for 20 years. When among the Banks Islands the ship encountered the tail end of a cyclone and was forced to run for shelter, a delay of four days resulting.

A Real “Birdie.” While playing on the Titahi links yesterday, Mr. Stan. Gyles played a shot on the sixteenth fairway, and his ball in its flight struck a bird on the wing, and killed it instantly. This was a real “birdie”; in fact, almost an “eagle.”

Fall Douai Stairs. When he fell down stairs at the Columbia Private Hotel late on Saturday afternoon, a Mr. Young, who lives at the hotel, received a scalp wound. He was taken to hospital by the Wellington Free Ambulance.

Crushed Finger. Through his left hand being struck a severe blow with a four-pound hammer, Mr. J. Findlay, of S 9 Randwick Crescent, a fitter and turner, was taken to hospital by ambulance on Saturday morning suffering from a badly crushed little- fiuger. The mishap occurred at the Public Works Department, Ngahauranga.

Broken Arm. A youth, Jack Crockford, of 156 The Parade, Island Bay, fell off his bicycle shortly before 11.30 a.m. on Saturday and broke his right forearm. He was attended to by Dr. A. N. Slater and taken to hospital by ambulance.

Obtaining Gold. The methods of winning gold in Otago and other mining areas in the Dominion have evidently interested people in distant lauds. That this is so is demonstrated by the fact that Mr. James Knox, of Dunedin, has received. letters from a brother in Zululand (South Africa) asking for information regarding the construction of cradles, sluice boxes and other appliances in common use in New Zealand. While presumably they have the latest methods of extracting gold from quartz in South Africa, they seem to have little knowledge of cradling, sluicing, etc. Mr. Knox has obtained all the information required and this will be forwarded to Zululand.