The Daily Telegraph. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1885.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4435, 15 October 1885, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1885.

The followers of pastoral pursuits in this provincial district have reason to congratulate themselves on this annual show of the Agricultural and Pastoral Society. It would, perhaps, bo out of place in an article of this kind, to draw a comparison between the stock shown in 1885, and that which was yarded when at uncertain intervals and in divers places onr sheepfarmcrs first bethought themselves of exhibiting their stock more for purposes of curiosity than with a view to attract the attention of breeders outside tho district. Since tho years that have passed immense strides havo been made in the character and quality of tho stock, and our annual show has an influence and an interest fur beyond tho circle of its locality. This importance certainly would not have been attained had it not have been for tho enterprise of the settlors, who found in thu gradual improvement of their pasture their best investments in tho importation and purchase of the highest class stock that whs to be obtained. As a matter of fact this oud was not brought about-without tho sacrifice of the labor and capital of many of those who had first entered upon tho task of subduing tho wilderness. A largo number of the pioneers "wont down" in tho struggle, and their places wero taken by othnrs who brought fresh energy and more capital to bear upon tho work. Tho exhibits at the Show tell the result of the fight; the sheep and the cattle that wero yarded could not havo boon bred unless tho victory had been complete, and man had mastered nature. To show how wonderfully altered the face of tho country has become by occupation wo tuko the liberty of quoting from Mr W. Colonso's little work which ho has entitled "In Memoriam." And here wo may say that what ho describes of the country lying between Farndon and Pakowhai was moro or less true of every part of this district. Speaking of his early settlement in Hawke's BayHrColenso Bays:—-. " I havo mentioned tho trackless mountain forests of tho Ruahine rango ; but, if anything different, somo of tho open swampy plains near the sea in Hawko's Bay were worse, —all but impassable. I may particularly notice, in passing, tho present well-known extensive grassy level plain lying between Farndon, or tho sen, and Pakowhai, a long peninsula bounded by water on three sides. Words would fail mo to show tho original state of that land ! At this time I resided at Waitangi, a place near to what is now called Farndon, —the two large fir trees and also tho row of 1 cabbage trees,' raised from seed and planted thero by me, mark the spot. Tho principal native villages near me, were at Waipurokti (East Clivo), and Taanenuiarangi, Whakatu, and Pakowhai, on tho bonks of tho river Ngaruroro; this last village though greatly reduced and altered still remains. In those days there was no communication overland between those villages and Waitangi, and Te Awapnni, (tho large Maori pa, or village, noar by, on tho W. bank of the Waitangi creek where Kavaitiana and his sub-tribe long resided,) simply bor.auso it was almost impossible to travel through the dense interlaced old junglo of 'cutting-grass,' and other swamp-loving plants, as tho N.Z. flax and several largo eariees. which grew there. Tho Maoris came generally in small parties, almost every day, (indeed, too often !) from those villages to the station; everything being new and strango to them, and having nothing to do; but thoy .invariably came and rotnrned in their small canoes, taking advantage of tho tide to paddle up and down the river. I have travelled a good deal in New Zealand, but I never knew of a worse piece of low country to got through ; neither have I seen anywhere else ' cuttinggrass ' of so largo a size, and growing so closoly together, and forming awh a den.se mass, bo that a man, a cow, pr a horse, could not be observed even in looking down from a height (as the top of ft houso or a long ladder, or a chimney), when among the immense tussocks. Hence, too, it was, that I lost somo of my first few rattle, boforo tho place got clearod. The whole of tho low delta, or tongue of land, lying botween the two rivers, Ngaruroro and Waitangi, was rigidly tabood by tho Maori owners, as a wild pig, and swamp hen, and eel preserve; honco it had never been cleared or burnt off, aud tho sun did not shine upon tho soil, which was just as wot at midsummer as in winter, with water and slippery mud in the narrow doop pig channels or rut,, and p.opjs among tho tussocks. I well recollect on two occasions, when out visiting sick natives at Pakowhai, having' also domestic nntis-es from tho neig-hbov-liood witli mo, ond having- lost the tide wero returning ovmlaiul rather late In the day, we were actually obliged, after much fruitless effort and sorely against our wills, (bcir.g utterly unprovided with anything,) tp remain 01lt m tno swamp all night! — with wet fa&fc, hungry, no firo, and sadly cut hands,—through not bejng able to find our way through tho impervious'jungle. I have often of lato years asked mysolf.'when contemplating from tho hill (Scindo Island) the rising township of Napier, and tho inland level grassy plains with their many houses, gardens and improvements, and tho fast growing town of Hastings,—which of the two wonderful alterations, or changes, —the building of tho town of Napier, or the groat transformation in those swamps, —I considered the most surprising, and I have always given ijt in of tho plains. —And this great" change wjjs brought about ■. \ much earner than J ppul<J reasonably havo ■ •

anticipated, through several causes operating together, viz.— my own few cattle,— the introduction of grass and clover seeds, and, also, 'of wheat for the natives,—and through the natives around generally embracing Christianity • the chiefs taking off the tapu from the land, and so burning off the jungle—their catching, their numerous wild pigs which infested it, and their cutting and scraping the flax, for salo to the shipping and traders,—who soon after my residence came to Ahuriri to tirade.'' This is a page in the history of Hawke's Bay settlement that should not be forgotten, as it indicates tho character, of the country, and from which an idea may be formed of what the early pioneers had to go through to pave the way for those who can now reap the harvest. '-'

There was no business at tho R.M Court : this morning. The news of the death of tho Auckland Stud Company's celebrated sire Musket will bo heard with regret throughout the colony. Mr Inspector Bullen was a passenger today by tho steamer Suva for Gisborne. Ho will return to Napier by tho boat from tho north on Saturday. The figures given in our telegrams yesterday in reference to tho premiums received by the South British Insurance Company, have read £257,957 instead of £57, 957 as appeared in our columns. Mr T. Tanner having had numerous applications for his sheep has agreed to sell fifteen ram hoggets out of the pen of twenty which were awarded the Society's first prize, and Messrs Williams aud Kettle's silver cup. Tho salo will be conducted by Mr R. Dobson at 2 p.m. on Friday. News from Woodville states that several claims have been pegged out on the Fohangina "gold" field, and that a storekeeper has started off to commence business there. A quantity of stone has been sent to Melbourne, and the result of the crushing is awaited with no little anxiety. The Herald says tho nominations received on Tuesday night for the H.B. Guineas of 1887 is a best record, the nearest being tho 72 entries for the N.Z. Cup this year. The latter information will bo news to sportsmen, as tho entry fell far short of 72. late of Burley-in--vVharfedalo, Yorkshire, who died on June 9, has boquoated £3,000 l_ -t__ W»*l*yan Church of New Zealand. There is a familiar story of a gambler on ' the Mississippi river who was warned that t liis opponent was dealing from the bottom of the pack. Secure in the consciousness of his powers of self-defence, the gambler looked up unmoved aud said, "Well, it's his deal, isn't it?" Tho domo of tho Pantheon where Hugo ,is entombed rests on rollers. Recently an i exact duplicate of this dome was constructed for the observatory at Nice, but by an ingenious arrangement it was placed upon a reservoir, which in turn rests upon water in a circular basin. This system of suspension is said to be so perfect that, in spito of i its great weight, a single person can turn it completely round. The death is announced of Mr John Walker, the eldest member of the famous 1 family of cricketers. Mr Walker, had ho lived till the loth of next month, would have been 59 years old. Ho was in tho Cambridge Univorsity Eleven in 1847, 1848, and 1849. Though ho long ago retired from 1 the active pursuit of the game, his interest in cricket never declined. In his day he 1 was a capital batsman, and old cricketers will readily rcmoraber his innings of 98 in th°. famous drawn match between the Gentlemen and the Players at the Oval in 1862. Wo hear that some forged cheques are floating about. Ono found its way to Waipawa. It is said that this paper monoy was put in circulation by visitors to our races. A very convenient way of getting rid of a bit of forged paper is for a visitor . to pay his debts with it, apologising for the mode of payment by saying that as it was , Saturday the Banks wero cloaed, nnd he was going by the steamer. A man thinks that under such circumstances he would bo a churl to refuse tho cheque, and so a victim is secured and a scoundrel escapes. A Government poster notifies that tourist excursion tickets may be obtained on application at tho railway booking offices at Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, Christchurch, Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Invorcargill, and Bluff stations. These tickets will be issued from December 1 next, to March 31, 1886, cost. £8, and will ho available over all Now Zealand railways. As tickets arc not to bo had at Napier, -w« presume tourists from hero aro expected to go to Wellington by steamer, and purchase tickets there, tho Union boats being regarded as the legitimate means of gottiug away from here. Tho Navals, Artillery, and Rifle Volunteer corps paradod this morning in Clive i Square for inspection by Lieutenant-Colonel Butts. Thero was a good muster of men, no less than 153 answering to their names, and the companies went through their evolutions very creditably. In marching back to the dismissal ground in Browning-street, headed by the bond, tho public had tho opportunity of criticising tho military appearance of the spectacle It was noticed that tho Naval Brigade marched with much better precision than the other two com--1 panics. When drawn up in Browningstreet Captuin Duucan thanked the Naval 1 Brigado for electing him t_3ir chief officer. Well mounted on a descendant of tho famous Traducer, a well-known New Zealand squatter was chasing a sheep-worrying dog which mado its appearance from a , neighboring township. In'his excitement ho quite forgot his own newly-erected standard and wiro fence which ran along ■ the face of a hill. Asked .- fterwai ds by a | sympathetic friend tho cause of his arm being in a sling, and of his pronounced Alexandra limp, he explained his trouble, adding—" As I was goiug .-trough the air I thought to myself, by Georgo, hero goos , tho Christohurch dentist's twenty-guinea set of teeth—and wool down twopence." The terribly wet weather that was experienced at last year's show has, api parently, had tho effect of lessoning the numbers of exhibits this year in those classes for which no cover is provided. : Last year numerous buggies were exposed to drenching rain for twenty-four hours, their only protection being- a calico coveri ing, and serious loss was sustained by cxi hibitors. The consequence is that this ■ year thero is not a single buggy or carriage on tho ground, the only two vehicles being a dog-cart and a farm dray, both excellent specimens of workmanship, by A. Jones and Sons. Mr William Nelson, tho senior partner of tho publishing firm of Thomas Nelson and Son. has offered to defray the cost of restoring externally tho little Norman church within tho walls of Edinburgh Castle, known as Queen Margaret's Chapel, to as near as possible its original condition. This interesting fabric, at ono time degraded into a powder magazine, is ono of tho oldest ecclesiastical structures in Scotland, having been built by Queen (or Saint) Margaret, wife of Malcolm Canmoro, towards the end .of the eleventh century. Internally the building was restored many years ago, under tho auspices of Professor Daniel Wilson, now of Toronto. An English traveller iv Ireland, greedy for information and always fingering tbe noto-book in his breast poekot, got into the same railway carriage with a certain Roman Catholic archbishop. Ignorant of his rank, and only perceiving that he was a divino, he questioned him pretty closoly about the state of the country, whisky drinking, &o. At lust he said, " You aro a parish priest yourself, of course ?" His grace drow himself up. " I teas one, sir," ho answered with icy gravity. "Dear, dear," was tho sympathising rojoinder, " that accursed drink, I suppose." A well-known firm of booksellers in the Strand have on viow what must be, we should think, ono of tho largest and most oxpensive extra illustrated books in existence. It is a copy of Boydoll'a edition of Shakespeare's works, which by the insertion of many thousands of plates has been extended to thirty-six volumes. Some idea of the vast quantity of tho plates and the labor involved in their collection may bo gained from tho prico of tho book, £1500. It is said that this by no means represents the original cost price. It is really melancholy that men of education and a certain umount of taste and intelligence, should dovoto a lifetime and vast sums of money to such objects as these. Printeellcrs miiHt, however, look at the matter in a different light; a really cnthusiasttc "Grangerite" with money must be a good income to ono of these gentry. It is not generally known that Miss Ward had an offer of marriago when on Iter Now Zealand tour. Tho occasion was the crossing of a river iv a " dug out," iit company with Professor Tucker and Mr Vernon. Miss Ward was reclining in tho stern sheets, enjoying tho beauties of the scenery, when suddenly, without a moment's warning, tbp grndojior—a handsome stalwart Maori—bent over her, and whispered with appropriate gesture, "You'marry mop" " Really," replied tho lady, '< this has come rather suddenly, can you keep a wife; have you any money ?" "Money," replied tho suitor, in tho tones of eight or ten generations of Rothschilds rolled into one, " Me ! Monoy? Any amount." Alas! for human aspiration, when tho party reached the opposite bank, thofaithloss "Forget-mo-Not" parted from hor dusky admirer without oven saying " good-byo." Tito readiness of tho Japanese to adopt European ideas has not been shown in any moro striking way than by tho progress which has boon ruudo in the construction of railways. It is only thirteen yours since ' the first railroad in Japan was open to tho i public, but in April last there wero 265 miles of lino in operation, and 271 miles in < course of construction, as well as 513 more : in contemplation. A report on tha subject has lately b.;en presented to tho Foreign Office by Mr Lo Poor Trench, Secretary of ' Legation at Tokio, from the statements in i which it appears probable that Japan will, in tho course of a tow years, be exceedingly '. well supplied with' railway communication. Tho lines aro being laid out with more re- i gard to tho wants of tho country than .was' ! shown in the early days of railway-making i in England, and tho newly-found facility Is < eagerly appreciated by tho people. A a in < India, and on most of the English lines, i three classes of passenger traffic aro found to bo necessary, .and it is not i surprising that, as elsewhere, the third i •class ejs-the ttiost profitable. Consider-

ing the novelty of the institution,'" and the facilities which exist for mischief, it is very satisfactory to read that wilful damage to railway property is a crime almost unknown in Japan. Only one very serious! accident has yet occurred on the Japanese lines, and that was eight years ago. ; It was a collision between an ordinary train and an empty special. A European engine-driver and a Japanese fireman were killed, and another Japanese fireman was badly cut. No_ passenger seems to have been hurt, which is probably due to the fact that the night, being a wet one, there were very few in. the ordinary train. Tho general immunity from accidonts is, no doubt, partially explained by the low rate of speed, whioh does not avorago above eighteen miles an hour, and is, in the hilly districts, where the gradients aro heavy, a good deal less. A Parisian paper prints some amusing reminiscences of Alexandre Dumas's shortlived paper, the Mousquetaire. The romancer, whose littlo idiosyncrasies were well known, inserted a daily notice to the effect that the editor would receive neither complimentary tickets for the theatres nor books for review, since he mado it a rule to pay for tho one aud to buy the other. Nevertheless tho contributor to the Mousquetairo who writes these reminiscences says that he never received so many books and stalls. Whenever he asked the cashier for a five-frano piece to buy a stall ho was laughed at, and he was obliged to allow himself to be corrupted. The daily receipts of the paper were from £16 to £20; but Dumas had always some Jew to quiet, or some bonne amie to soothe, and the cash-box was usually empty—like the pockets of tho printer and paper-maker. The unfortunate cashier, who had to bear tho hoat and burden of the demands for money, spent his time in reading " Jerusalem Delivered." The contributors were no better off taan the printor, and when they asked Michel the cashier—he had formerly been ono of Dumas's gardeners at the Chateau de Monto Cristo—for tho prico of an article, he would show them with a melancholy air his empty cash-box. Liko so many of the romancer's similar enterprises, the Mousquetaire at length came to an inglorious end. The of Prince Henry of Baitenberg (s_ys the World) —who, as the offspring of a morganatic marriage, is regarded by foreign Courts as .." not born " -into the Royal Family of Eugland has alnWy led to several squabbles and misunderstandings on the tiresome subject of precedence, and thero is the prospect of serious troublo about the matter. Tho Prince of Wales holds very decided views as to all these Court questions, and feels very strongly about them, and likes tho rules to bo as fixed and. immatablo as tho laws of tho Medes , and Persians. The Queen has thought proper to create Prince Henry a Royal Highness. The Gorman Courts will not recognise this procedure; and if Prince Henry happened to visit Berlin or Vienna he would not bo regarded as a Royal personage, nor would ho be allowed any precedence whatever. It has been intimated that if Princess Beatrice has children they will not be regarded as Royalties in Germany or Austria, nor would they bo eligible to marry any legitimate princes or princesses. It is, indeed, impossible for the Courts of Vienna, Berlin or St. Petersburg to recognise Prince Henry's precedence without exciting a perfect tempest, as tho position of a morganatic personage has hitherto been perfectly understood ; but if such innovation were permitted, there would be shoals of applications for similar favours from others in his position. • A curious fact has been brought to light by an industrious English student of the archives of Venice, with reference to James IV. of Scotland, the King who perished with the flower of his nobuity on Flodden field. In the opening passage of his description of the battle, Sir Walter Scott exclaims—" What 'vails the vain knighterrant's brand ?" Tho King, at least in his purposes, was more of a knight-errant than even the.poet knew. It seems that in 1510 a Scottish priest suggested to Andrew Badoer, the Venetian Envoy in London, that "his King would be a good General," asking at the same time what pay the Signory's commander-in-chief received, and adding that "his King wished to come to boo Venioo.'' Another letter from Badoer of tho same year states " that the King of Scotland, who wishes to be the Signory's captain-general, could bring 10,000 fighting men, and would oomo with 150 ships on pretence of going on a pilgrimage, and on tho completion of tho undertaking attack tho infidels free of cost to the State." Badoer adds that he had arranged for a sooret conference with James on the Borders. The conference was never held, and nothing came of a proposal so eminently characteristic of the romantic and adventurous spirit of James. Strange, indeed, would it have been to see 10,000 Scottish warriors, Highland and Lowland, fighting in tho Bay of Venice against Turks and other adversaries ! The scheme appears to havo been unknown to Scottish historians. Nineteen cases new goods opened up this week at Carter's, tho great ready-money drapers, and will bo sold at prices which defy competition. New colored laces, brocho and silk mantles, and new muntelettea, washing costumes, twenty boxes kid gloves, brocho silks, satins, canvas dress goods, spot zephyrs, «r_c, &c.; an inspection respectfully solicited; wo guarantee to supply you thirty per cent, cheaper than any other firm. Call, sco, judge.—[Advi.] Tho many spurious ond injurious articles that are placed in tho market as Violet Powder havo induced us to prepare ono from absolutely puro wheaten starch, delicately perfumed and to which is attached our name —Aickin & Owen—as a guarantee of purity. —[Advt.] Keep the kidneyshoalthy and unobstuctcd, with American Co.'s Hop Bitters aud you need not fear sickness. Read.

In military operations the first and most important step Is to strengthen your defences. So with tho human system. In order to fortify it against the sieges of disease, it must bo put in a sound and perfect condition. To effect this end there is nothing known better calculated to invigorato the constitution than Udoltiio Wolhs's SciriEDAit Akomatio Schnapps. It braces the nerves, tones tho functions, stimulates the action of tho organs, and sets the machinery of the frame in healthy operation.—[Advt.]