THE ROWING CHAMPIONSHIP.

Evening Post, Volume XX, Issue 266, 13 November 1880, Page 2

THE ROWING CHAMPIONSHIP.

The River Thames on Monday next will be the witness of one of those strange scenes of excitement which foreigners find it so difficult to understand. To see the spectacle of a couple of men rowing frantically, in perilously " crank " and frail boats, over -a course of some two or three miles, thousands of Londonera will turn out, and lino the banks of tho river, little heeding the weather or any personal inconveniences they may suffer, so that they may but catch a glimpse of the two athletes aa they flit by, with straining musclea and labored breath, striving for the aquatic mastery. Thousanda of pounds will change hands on the result, and hundreds of hard-featured, matter-of-fact men. led away by tho enthusiasm of the moment, will throw their hats into the air, or perchance trample them on the ground,will yell themselves hoarse with cries of encouragement, derision, joy, or mortification, aa the case may be ; and, in short, will conduct themselves far more like escaped lunatics than steady-going members of the sedate British public, The scone on Monday will be one probably without precedent in the history of rowing, since we have the extraordinary apectacle of two foreign oarsmen, neither of whom was born in England.contendingon English waters for a championship which Englishmen for a long series of years were accustomed to consider aa belonging to their native country by a kind of aquatic right divine, and no more likely to leave the phorea of their tight little island than the Moore and Burgess Minatrels were to "perform out of London." There is, however, this satisfaction to the ardent upholder of the British supremacy in sports, that if neither of the competitors was born in the United Kingdom, both are of British blood ; and we may be sure that tho contest will excite very nearly as much interest in England as if one of tho champions had been born within the sound of Bow Bells, and the other on the banks of the Tyne. Whichever is victorious, however, the English people will hardly rest satisfied until the winner has been pitted against an antagonist born and bred on English, soil, and trained on English waters, and until the latter has proved himself "the better man of the two."

Our " Saturday Extracts," which will be found, as usual, on tho fourth page of today's Evening Post, include—" Attempt to Blow up an English Express," " Fenian Vengeance," " Strange Funeral Procession," ' 'Ediaoning Him, " and ' 'Household Recipes. ' ' A warrant has been issued by the Government for the arrest of the natives concerned in the murder of the unfortunate man Moffatt. The Hon. the Premier has received a letter from our new Governor, Sir Arthur Gordon, in reference to his advent. Its purport is much the same as that of the letter previously received by the Acting-Governor. Tho Premier will leave by tho Hinemoa on Monday night for Auckland, in order to receive his Excellency there.J A letter received by the Government from Mete Kingi, in referenoe to the Tuhua tragedy, states that the murder of Moffatt was deliberately resolved on at a meeting of tho committee of district chiefs. What did Mr. Hutchison mean, wo wonder, when he said last night that he stood for tho Mayoralty "with the persuaaion that there was no other desirable person standing, but if anyone came forward who could manage affairs he would readily retire ?" It has been freely hinted that there is fome " dark horse" in the background, in whose favor Mr. Hutchison, for reasons of his own, may possibly retire at the last moment. The remark we have italicised wonld seem to give some color to this idea. But who is this Great Unknown? In reference to the man Moffatt, shot by the Maoris at Tuhua recently, we learn that a Wellington gentleman saw him at PalmerBton about six weeks ago. Moffatt then said he was going into the Tuhua district, having left £1500 thero. He also stated that ho had discovered a quartz reef in the locality, and had a stamper working on tho spot. Dr. Diver will address the ratepayers at the Princess Theatre on Thursday next. His Worship the Mayor and Mr. John Hislop were the presiding Justices at the R.M. Court to-day. Tho only case on the list was a charge of vagrancy against Frederick Lynass, a man who bore tho appearance of having seen better days. He had been found sleeping in an outhouse belonging to Mr. Crease, and the police gave him a very bad character. No fewer than ten previous convictions were recorded againat him for vagrancy and larceny. The unhappy man, with tears in his eyea, pleaded for one moro chance to retrieve his lost character. He had tried to get work, but peoplo, knowing what he was, would have nothing to do with him ; but if he was let off he would Iry to live honestly Tho Mayor said tho Bench had decided that it would be a mercy to sond him to gaol for a term, and inflicted a sentence of three months' imprisonment with hard labor. The annual District Meeting in connection with the Wealeyan Methodist Church in this diatriot takes place next week, and tomorrow, as a kind of inauguration, tho annual missionary services will be held, the pulpits of the various Wesleyan churches being occupied chiefly by ministers in from the country for the purpoae of attending tho District Meeting. Full particulars of tho various appointments can be gleaned from our advertising columns. A proclamation contained in yesterday's issue of the Gazette conveys the announcement that certain lands in the Waimate survey district havo been set apart for sale on deferred payments, and that on the 13th proximo the allotments will be open for application at the hind offices at Carlyle and Hawera. The upaet prica por acre ia fixed at £5. An entertainment was given in St. Mark's Schoolroom last evening in aid of tho organ fund, and passed off very successfully. The programme was contributed by St. Mark's choir, and contained a number of favorite songs, duets, and trioa, all of which were well rendered. A young lafly, daughter of the conductor, contributed two pianoforte solos in a very pleasing manner, and two readings by a gentleman were very well given. There was a good attendance, but scarcely co large as the merits of the entertainment deserved. Mr. R. Walker, of the Union Hotel, has purchased the Prince of Wale 3 Hotel, Greystreet. There was a short sitting of the Supreme Court in Banco to-day, before his Honor the Chief Justice, when tho case on appeal, Moor v. James, was again brought on for argument. The case arose cut of a decision given in the Napier Magistrate's Court, in reference to some pigs which had been killed. Tho appeal was allowed, with costs. It is with great pleasure we learn that the Star Boating Club has consented to lend its racing outrigger, the Stella, to the Dolly Yarden crew to row at tie Auckland Regatta. It will be seen in our telegrams that the White Brothers, of Mercury Bay, have been entered for the champion race, and it only remains for a generous public to subscribe a sufficient sum, £50 or £60, to pay the expenses of the Wellington men to Auckland, where we believe they will givo a very satisfactory account of themselves. A subscription list ia lying at our office. Several of the purchasers of sections on the Waimate Plains are already settling on their land. The Maoris appear to acquiesce entirely in the sale of the Plains, only asking to be allowed to remove some potatoes whiuh they had left on one of the sold sections, and requesting that their horses, which are running loose on the Plains, should not be impounded by the new purchasers, as they would remove them so soon as they were able.

J A project ia on foot, and will soon be made public here, which, a3 far as I know (writes j the London correspondent of the Otago Daily Times), is quite novel. It i 3 to form a company in Scotland for the cultivation in North New Zealand of the tea plant and the ailkworm. One Mr. Win. Cochran, of Perthshire, has it in hand. He has been, I believe, a tea-grower in China, and is satisfied, from hia atndy of the subject, that North New Zealand is well adapted for both of these industries, and that they can be successfully carried on together. I have reason to know that Mr. Cochrane has been in communication with Dr. Hector upon the subject, and that the scheme will be before the public ere long. The principal items in the Intercolonial Yachting Regatta, to be held in Hobson's Bay, 15th January, are — 1. A challenge race for all yachts exceeding 15 tons (or if less than 15 tons to be classed as 15 tons), belonging to any recognised Australasian yacht or sailing club. First prize JE2OO, second prize .£SO, third prize .£10— .£260. Entrance fee, £7 7s. 2. A race for yachts exceeding 7 tons, but not exceeding 15 tona, a3 above. First prize JJIOO, second prize .£4O, third prize .£lo— .£lso. Entrance fee, £5 ss. 3. A race for yachts not exceeding 7 tons, as above. First prize .£IOO, second prize third prize £10 — .£l5O. Entrance fee, £5 ss. 4. A race for all centre board yachts, not exceeding 25 feet over all, as above. First prize .£SO, second prize JB2O, third prize .£5— .£75. Entrance fee, £2 2a. Many of our readers will still have a pleasing recollection of the wonderful performances of Professor Haselmayer, although it is a good many years ago since he appeared in New Zealand. The re-appearance of the great wizard will, therefore, doubtless be greeted with much pleasure. Mr. E. W. Cary left for Dunedin last night to meet Professor Haselmayer and his company, who will arrive there next week, and who are expected to open in Wellington about Christmas. Mrs. Jordan's Singing Bee takes place this evening in the Tinakori Schoolroom. It is requested that all exhibits for the Horticultural Show on Wednesday may be delivered not later than Tuesday afternoon. A day or two ago we published a cable message stating that Lord Malmesbnry, cetat 73, had married a young lady of 21. " In this connection," as the Americans say, the following extract from the London letter of a contemporary will be found interesting :—": — " Lord Malmesbury has also added to the scandal of the town. His nephew, Lord Ossulstog, who is staying in Germany, and who is quite a boy, fell in love with an American widow. The noble earl went off to Germany to break off the match, and sue* ceeded in doing so to the extent of himself falling in love with the widow. He presented her with many jewels, bhe hesitated to marry him because of a short period having only elapsed since the death of her first husband ; but, when pressed to wed, she confessed that she had already married Colonel Kingacote, whose name was recently before the public in connection with the Buller scandal. The worst remains behind, for the quondam widow declines to return the earl his presents, though the latter are said to include the family jewels. Lord Malmesbury is 73 years of age, an ex-Cabinet Minister, and has made himself ridiculous to the public by having written to his heir-pre-sumptive announcing his intention to get married, but stating that he would recompense him for the disappointment that would arise ! " There were queer goings on at a recent ball at Tauranga, which formed the subject of an appeal to the Resident Magistrate. T. L. R. Clements charged William Lemon with u«ing obscene language, calling him " a conceited jumped-up puppy," and challenging him to a pugilistic encounter outside. Complainant, who was acting as master of ceremonies, swore that defendant was drunk on the occasion, notwithstanding the fact that the ball took place in the Temperance Hall. Defendant was fined Is, costs being divided. At a late inquest at Mount Roakill, on the body of an infant who was poisoned by eating the heads off lucifer matches, Dr. Philson informed the jnry that in his opinion two or three vestas were quite sufficient to cause the death ot an infant if no remedies were applied at ouce. The proper remedies were ipecacuanha wine to cause vomiting, followed by successive doses of magnesia. Castor oil, and all other fatty matters, should be avoided, as they would only assist the phosphorus in fulfilling its deadly mission. If the announcements which appear in the advertisement columns of the press, and the flaming placards which are to, be seen on every hoarding and in almost every shop window of the city are any criterion, Cole's " Cirous, Menagerie, Museum, and Congress of Living Wonders" is an exhibition of an order superior to anything which has ever been given in the colony. Certain it is that the varied and really handsome pictures illustrative of the feats performed by man and beast, and the living wonders which it is alleged are to be seen in the menagerie and museum, have created a great deal of interest and discussion. The circus performers comprise equestrians, male and female, female gymnasts, serial bicycle riders, acrobats, acting horses (including six thoroughbred stallions, said to be worth 50,000 dollars). The menagerie contains a drove of camels, herd of elephants, mandrils, baboons, " 650 feet of crawling reptiles" {vide advertisement), and a large number of other animate as well as inanimate objects, which are to be seen without extra charge. Another novelty will be an exhibition of the electric light. It is said that the secret of the popularity of this circus lies in the fact that the manager has never in a single instance committed a breach of faith with the public ; that what he advertises he shows, and what he does not show ho does not advertise. If that is the case, the public may really expect to see value for their money, and they will be able to compliment Mr. Cole on an amount of veracity which is not the peculiar and distinguishing characteristic of all circus managers. The initial performance will be given on Tuesday, the 30th instant, and two entertainments will be given daily thereafter. An illuminated street parade will take place the previous evening, upon which occasion the entire resources of the show will be displayed with calcium lights, torches, and pyrotechnic effects. The advertisement, which is well worth perusal, will be found in our first page. A curious incident occurred at Danedin to the drawer of the first favorite in the .£6OOO consultation on the Melbourne Cup. Shortly after the result was announced a list of the drawers of horses was read out in a well-known city hostelry, and the holder of Progress' 3 number, on scanning it through, failed to discover his good fortune. With the remark that "another note had been wasted" he threw his ticket at the Hebe who presided at the bar. Hia astonishment when he learned next day that his investment was much more profitable than ho had anticipated can be imagined. In hot hasto he repaired in search of the lost ticket, and discovered that it had not been destroyed. A hoax which in all probability will prove anything but a laughing matter to the perpetrators has come under our notice (says the Timaru Herald). On Friday la3t the following notice, enclosed in an official envelope bearing the seal of the Resident Magistrate's Court, Timaru, was handed to more than one Orangeman who took part in the procession : — " it.M. Court, Timaru, sth November, 1880. — To . In the name of the Queen you are hereby summoned to appear before this honorable Court tomorrow morning, the sixth day of November, to answer the following charge : To wit : That on the fifth day of November you did wilfully and knowingly carry loaded firearms ! on your person, thereby endangering her Majesty's subjects, and further rendering yourself liable to a fine of fifty pounds. Herewith fail not. By order [here follow some hieroglyphics like ' C P,'] Clerk. Little attention would have been paid to the document had it not been for the envelope. It ia a scandalous thing that not only official envelopes but the seal of the Court should be obtainable by persons who wish to exercise larrikin propensities. The Queenslander of 23rd October has the i following : — "Mr. James Edward Fitzgerald, formerly Premier of New Zealand, but at present the Controller and Auditor-General of the Public Accounts of that colony, left for the South on Tuesday, in the Elamang. for a fortnight's stay in Brisbane. Mr! j Fitzgerald, it appears, has been commissioned by the New Zoaland Government to visit the several colonies, in order to enquire into and report upon the different systems of receiving and accounting for public moneys and railway and other stores and material, in force in those colonies respectively; and, as he has the reputation of being an extremely able and intelligent man of business, and evidently applies himself diligently to the work entrusted to him, his report will doubtless prove a valuable State document. We p&ther that both our Auditor-General and Treasury | authorities believe the Queensland system, especially with regard to payments, to be in almost all respects superior to that of New Zealand, which is, in fact, ' central audit before payment, and payment of all accounts from the Treasury direct.' It is contended that the New Zealand plan of making all payments from one central office, and of sending innumerable vouchers to another central office for examination, is dilatory and cumbrous, and must sooner or later break down ; whereas that of this colony — namely, local payments, and local audit after payment — is more business-like, more effective, and capable of expansion as the colony advances and transactions multiply." An important sale of jewellery, silver goods, and bronzes is advertised by Messrs. T. Kennedy Macdonald and Co., to be held at their mart on Wednesday next, the 17th instant.

Mrs. Harding, late of the Brunswick Hotel, has purchased the .lease of tho Union Hotel, Willis-3treet, and intends carrying on the business under her own supervision. An advertisement on the subject appears in another column. Messr3. Laery and Campbell offered the steam-launch Fanny by auction to-day, but as the bidding only reached £195, she was not sold. Croskery, Hasell, & Co.'b great and important la-nd sale of town and country properties will take place on Monday next. In this evening's issue of the Post i 8 enclosed a catalogue of the sale, and any person in search of business site 3in the heart of the city will do well not to overlook this opportunity. The auctioneers will also offer, by order of the trustees, property in Collegestreet, with a nicely-finished house on same ; also, freehold in Carterton, with shop and dwelling-house, and by order of the mortgagee a very valuable farm in the Kiwitea, partly cleared. All thesa properties being by order of bonafide settlers should attract a large crowd. The sale is fixed punctually for 12 o'clock.

Thb opening of tho Railway through to Mastorton will do a vast amount of good both to the country and town, as it will unite them more closely, and give them greater means of transit. It will do more good to the hardworking country settler than anyone eke. It will enable him to come to town and select his own Ironmongery from Messrs Robt. Gardner & Co.'s, Cheap Sale, Lambton Quay. He will there have a great variety to select from, at astonishing prices.— [Advt.] One Pound Free Gifts. — Tho proprietors of Wolf c's Aromatic Schnapps, to induce the destruction and prevent the improper use of their wrappers and labels, and thus further protect the public againts fraud and deception, have inclosed in the bottles, or under the label on the quart bottles, since Ist October, 1878, and continue to inclose in evert day's packing THROUGHOUT THE TEAR THREE £1 ORDERS, which are drawn upon the undersigned, and which will be cashed by their agents. To secure these gifts, tho public must be careful to ask for and accept nothing but the Genuine Udolpho Wolfe's Schnapps, with onr name upon the top label. M. Moss and Co., Wynyard Lane, Sydney. — [Advt.J