MISCELLANEOUS. [From September 23 to October 27.]

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXV, Issue 3803, 27 October 1869, Page 7

MISCELLANEOUS. [From September 23 to October 27.]

Hia Exoollency the Governor arrived in the Manulrau from Wellington on October 4, in the Colonial Government p.B. 'Sturt. 'On the journeyj oumey up hisExcellenoyvisitedTaranaki and .Raglan, at both of which places he was well received. We understand from priTate source* that a party of Melbourne merchants intend chartering a steamer, and, with a view of combining business with pleasure, visiting the various ports of New Zealand, in order to aaoerfcain the capabilities of the several provinces. A discovery of cannel coal has been tnado in the northern portion of this province, on land owned by Europeans. The discovery was made by some Maoris, who brought in large blocks for inspection by the settler*. The locality as given to us is Pungaere, near the Ririlriri waterfall. An inquest was held at the Lunatic Asylum on October 5 before Dr. C. P. Goldsbro', coroner, upon view of the body of Martha Mary Smith, a patient in the asylum, who died of pulmonary consumption on the 4th October. After hearing the evidence the jury returned a verdict of death, from natural caußes. Butemenfc Brothers are erecting a cordial manufactory, near the Karaka biidge, in Pollen-street, Thames, in • most substantial It i» the intention of Meiers. Judd aud Co* to erect a foundry at Grahamstown. The Tbame* has been declared a port or entry, A small parcel of Flying Cloud scrip changed hands at £1,000 psr share, an increase of £5 on the original t«1uo of the scrip when issued, i A quantity of flaggingwa* landed on Oct. 6, from one of the vessels in harbour, ; from Mangawai, to the order of Mas»M. McDonald and Ireland. A portion of it was dressed and the whole appeared to be highly suitable for street purposes, „.,»«.* A cricket match w«s played in tho Albert Bariaoka on October 7, between eleven of the 18th Royal Irish and elevon Butterflies (gentleman players of Auokland). The Butterflies proved the victors by 3rtma and 8 wickets to In the absence of the ordinary mode of administering the law at Coromandel, the summary code of Judge Lynch has been brought into requisition under the following circumstances:—An old lady, after serving tome oast jmers, had retired into the room behind the counter, when hearing * disturbance among the bottles she rushed ont ju»t in time to detect the two pilferers in the act of stowing away * bottle of brandy and another of pickles,

She very placidly 'collared the felons and raised an alarm, which speedily brought to her assistance about a dozen stalwart digger*, who were on their way -for- their "nightcapsi'^'The bottles being found on the men and identified by tlie, landlady, there-was no nee'l of farther evidence against th* thieves thua caught red-handed, but the form df a drumhead court-martial was gone thrbugh» and they were sentenced to receive each a .dozen with a rope's-end on the bare backs, ,Lots were drawn as to who should act is the ■operator. The peculators were tied up with their arms round trees, and, a stout rope being prooured, the punishment was administered con gusto." .One of them bore the scourging almost without flinching, but the other yelled out lustily. Being told, when they were taken down, that if they did not evacuate the distriofc in a given time they would receive an increased dose of the specific for kleptomania, they lost no time in "making traoks." There are a considerable number of deserters on the ground, and it is said that at some distance back there are aotually men working in claims with tbeir regulation military trousers on. While Mr. John Wickham wa« searching for lost cattle in the bush at Mahurangi he found an immense egg lying at the foot of a kauri tree, and there has been much diseuasion as to what kind of a bird could have deposited it, as the egg of the kiwi is the largest known in the country, and this is apparently of considerably preater dimensions. The following members of the theatrioal profession came over with Mrs. JR. Heir in the a. a. 'Auckland ':— Mrs. Hill and Miss Melville, from the Theatre Royal, Melbourne; Mils Emma Rodgers, daughter of the celebrated G-. H. Rodgers, Miss Marie Diokson, from the Prince of Wales Opera House ; and Miss Crashaw from Sydney. The gentlemen are : Mr. George Darrell, Mr. Charles Serle, from the Theatre Royal, Melbourne; and Mr. George Griffiths from theHaymarket, London. The influx of population into Auckland from the neighbouring provinces is rapidly on the increase despite the persistent endeavours of the Southern press to cry down the Thames goldfield. Several improvements and additions are in course of progreis at the North Shore. Several new buildings have been erected, and a large channel hus been cut from the great swamp to the beach in order to reoUim. the land. The hull of the new ferrj steamer is fast approaching completion, and gives pro* mise of being an exceedingly fast boat. The companions of the Royal Arch Chapter assembled in their Chapter Room at the Masonic Hotel, Princes-street, Auckland, on October 11, when the undermentioned were installed in office for the usual term, Companion Dr. Goldsbro', P.K., conducting the ceremony. Companions : Dr. John H. Hooper X., Georga Gledhill H.P., Henry Lewis C.S., Louis A. Natban C.H., Charles T. Benzoni S.T., W. R. Hay ward 8.A.0., H. S. Meyers C.S.V., Alfred Sheath C.P.V., W. T. T. Snell C.B. V., C. Porter J. The paper hunt, which had been looked to with some degree of interest by the local followers of Nitnrod, came off on Oot. 19, at BUerslie, and was witnesied by a Urge aisemblage of spectators who had lined the road adjoining the course. The bazaar in ai.l of the building fund of the Young Men's Christian Association if to be held on the 9th, 10th, and 11th November. The p. b.i • Charles Edward,' which (arrived in the Manukau on October 20, from Nelson and other Southern ports, brought 66 passengers. The preliminary steps were taken for the establishment of a Mechanics* Institute at tha Thames at a meeting held on Ootober 18, when the sum. of £20 was offend on the spot for that purpose. Mr. A. Hiokson, lately of Wellington, was elected secretary pro tern. From a gentleman who has only recently returned from a visit to Ohinemuri we learn that a large number of miners are up there awaiting the opening of the district, and that many claims have been already pegged off in the bills. Our informant says that it is very probable that the land will shortly be opened up. We we informed by a gentleman who recently visited the Thames that, notwithstanding the great number of hotels and boarding houses, the towns of Shortland and Grahamstown are at present so overfull of population that arrivals by late steamers experience the utmost difficulty in obtaining room even to spread their blankets on the bare floor. Beds are not for a moment to be thought of. A cricket match was played in the Albert Barraoks on Ootober 21 between eleven gentlemen of Auckland under the title of " The Cureß " and cloven picked from the 18th Royal Irish. The Cures gob a severe btatlng —the 18th Royal Irish winning with 163 runs to spare. The following gentlemen have been placed on the roll of Justices of the Peace ;—MeiBM» G.P. Pierce, H. M. Jervis, G. J. Styak, andG. R. Johnson. On October 19, as some of Mr. David Burn's workmen were employed excavating the ground belonging to that gentleman, at the North Shore, they came upon a human skeleton, which was lying on it* right tide, with one leg drawn up. When the men attempted to lift it, it fell to pieoes. Ou learning of the disoovery Mr. Burn gave orders that the remains should not be further disturbed, and communicated with the Commissioner oE Police, who forwarded a communication to Dr. Philson on the subject. Au inquest on the remains was held on October 22, before Dr. Philson, coroner, when the jury returned a verdict to the effect that the remains were those of an aborigine of the male sex, but that there was no evidence to show how he came to his death. The s.B. 'Lord Ashley,' whioh arrived in the Manukau on Oct. 24, from Southern ports, brought 60 passengers. The s.s. ' Rangatira,' which arrived from Sydney on Monday, October 25, brought 75 passengers. The contract for the erection of the new Government buildings at Grahamstoirn hat been accepted, and work is to be commenced at once. Mr. Orofton's contract at £8,900 has been accepted. Amidst all the grievances about absentees it is quite refreshing to read of natives paying their rates like gentlemen, and contributing like their fellow settlers towards the progreis of the district in which they live. It is signiflcant of the state of things in the North when we read of % dumber of native ratepayers attending the meeting in tbe Ahipara highway district, and of Mr. Puckey being called upon to interpret to them the proceedings. We trust tbe time is not far distant when we shall see the natives all over the province willingly contributing th«r fair share towards the maintenance of roads and bridges, and when too it will not be necessary to interpret to them the proceedings of a meeting of ratepayer. There can be nothing like free intercourse and mutual interest for breaking down those barriers of language and custom*, and removing the distrust and prejudice which are produced by isolation and unfriendliness. . Information waa brought to Wbanganm by an eye-witness from Murimotu (25 miles from Tongariro) that an eruption of the mountain had again taken place. On the evening of Wednesday, September 15, at 631 p.m., the sky became overcast with clouds of smoke of *a inky blackness, which completely enveloped the mountain of Tongariro in total darkness. The volcano continued smoking for half -an - hour. A shook was then felt as though an explosion had taken place, and Tongariro belched foith from its oone a brilliant flame, whioh illuminated the sky for miles round, and presented an appearance, as it gradually died away, similar to a glorious suniet. It lasted about two hours. Both mills at Mahurangi have stopped working, and everything appears in a very dull and depressed state, the increased prosperity whioh appeared two or three months ago to have dawned on the district having vanished like a pawing dream, and the settlers are leaving for the Thames as fait as they can dear ont. A large number of men are at work on various sections of the North road, and many of the bridges and culverts have been put into good repair, Mr. S. Jones held a isle of tes, &c, at the Bmnawick Marion Oot. 7, when a quantity of goods were quitted at the following prices : Congou tea, 'Hannah Nioholson,' Is to Is 6d; Rangoon rice, 2£d; T.D, pipe*, 2s Sd per grot*