ENTERTAINMENTS, ETC.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 4, 5 January 1907, Page 6

ENTERTAINMENTS, ETC.

j » WIRTH'S CIRCUS. Tho menagerie connected with Wirth's Circus, which opens in Wellington (in Monday night, contains over 200 kinds of animals and freaks, gathered fioin al! quarters of the globe. This attraction will be open every evening, and can bo seen without any extra charge by all patrons. The civcus performance is described as one of the best and most elaborates that has visited New Zealand, and amongst tho new stars to bo presented for the first timo are the imuvellous Flying Herberts, five in number, who perform daring flights through mid-air fiom trapeze to trapeze ; Hugh Patrick Lloyd, who created a sensation on his appearance in Melbourne by his feats on the cordc elastique, or elastic rope, and who is said to be more at home in this than than most people on terra Firma ; Sampei Osada, Japan's clover contortionist' ths high-jumping horses ■\nd ponies, Miss Wclby Cooke, the Sisters Leoni, Miss Marizlcs, and the hurlicane jockey act of Mademoiselle Phillipina, comprise an interesting combination. A mutineer will be given on Wednesday afternoon at three o'clock. The heat-wave ■nhich is being experienced in Wellington is general throughout New Zealand. In Nelson on W^dncdny the heat, according to the Colonist, was the most op])re»s>ive experienced this season. With tho exception of one wet day, when the rain vias merely Mifii--ient to lay the dus>t, there ha& been no rain to epeak of in the Nelson district for iwarly eight weeks. The Maitai River, adds the Colonist, is lower thnn it has been for a great many years, while portions of the Brook are a, mere chain of holes with dry gravel as the links. Streams in the country are alfco unusually low. The butter shipments for London by the Shaw-Savill steamer Corinthie totalled 47,687 boxes, made up as follows: — Auckland, 12,932 boxes ; Dunedin, 683 boxes; Lyttelton, 1779 boxes; New Plymouth, 13,701 boxes; Patea, 7951 boxes; Wellington, 10,641 boxes. Varied shooting in the heart of tho city is provided at "Tho Jungle," Man-ners-street, -ftheie moving taTgets of fowl and beast, set in realistic surioundings, are kept in constant motion. Last night tho week-end competitions were completed, gome forty marksmen being qualified for the final rounds. For next Friday's competition two gold medals have been allotted. Stationary targets aro also fitted up in "The Jungle." A visitor to London has had his pleasure in contemplation of tho varied attractions of the metropolis marred by the loss of a. watch, elierinhed more on account of personal associations than of its considerable intrinsic value (writes Mr. Lucy in the Sydney Morning Herald). Walking the full length of Bond-street, emerging on Piccadilly, he wondered to himself whether he should turn ea.«t or west. Mechanically feeling for his watch, to see what time it was, he found it was not,. The. c-liain hung limp and loose, lamenting separation from an old companion. The wutck wits safo in Oxford-street /or he Had consulted it. Evidently the bond had been loosed in Bond-sheet. Anxious chiefly for the return of his treasured heirloom, ho put an advertisement in tho papbr, saying that if it were returned a liberal reward would i be given and no questions asked. Prompt- j ly came a reply fixing an appointment. Arrived at the place of tryst he found a respectable-looking man, who responded to tho arranged countersign. The natch was forthcoming in undamaged condition, mid my friend cheerfully paid the fine. There waa, however, one favour he had to nsk of his newly-found friend, i How was it done ? In Oxford-sheet the watch wa« safe in his pocket. When he had reached Picadilly it was gone. ile was absolutely unconscious of any contact with a passer-by in Bond-street. "Como now," ho said, "I have kept faitli with you. I've got the watch. I might now nod to that policeman who is passing and give you in custody. But I play fair. So tell me how you did it." "Well, guvnor," said the man, edging up to him with genial effusiveness, "1 don't mind trellin' ycr. Do you remember when you- was lookin' at a pkturo in Agnow's v shop you felt something touch you on the left ear? You turned round and snicked at it with your right bund. At that moment your elbow boing up, T, from the right-hand side put my hand in your pocket and sneaked tho watch." Being so delighted with the ingenuity of tho trick and w ith the frankness with which it was disclosed, he gave the man an extra half-crown, and went off chuckling. Having mado eomo pi ogress on his way homeward, ho put his hand to his pocket to pull out the doubly -treasured watch. The , pocket was empty. In that moment of genial approach tho thief had sneaked it again. W. F. Shortl, Lid., will kcH tho contents of a 6-i com od house at their rooms, >siUig-Jtree,t, ou Mondny, at 2 o'fllock,

The French, fishing barque Perle, of tiancale, while fishing on 18th November in the Bay of Esquy ■with a drag neb auii, met with an, "exciting adventure, as reported in our cable messages at the thrns. Finding great difficulty in getting in (the net, the crew (writes a correspondent of an English papeT) set the windlass to work, and, to the astonish; ment of the fishermen, instead of fish a huge number .of octopuses — at leas>t 1500 — app<sared. The horrible .squirming mass shot crat hundreds of axms at least, six feet i-& length which began to fast-en on the sides of the barque, threatening to capswe it by their weight. Two fishermen were badly stung with the tentacles, and the men. weie only prevented from being dragged overboard by the prompt use of hatchets. The skipper immediately cut the cable, and the entire mass plunged back to the bottom of the s>ea. Still some fifty horrible monsters clung to the Bide of the barque, and had to be chopped away.