MEMORANDA FOR THE MONTH.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 11, Issue 834, 12 March 1867, Page 2

MEMORANDA FOR THE MONTH.

\ No mail via Suez was> last month* forwarded from this province. The ThaJbe y steacner, which should have called at Napier on the 13th February, on her way from Auckland to Wellington, went straight on to the latter port—the captain (a stranger to the coast) alleging that the weather was too tbiok to permit of his entering Hawke's Bay. We are quite satisfied, however, that had Capt. Kennedy, who usually takes the East Coast service but whox.was temporarily absent.fr.om Sydney, been in charge of the Phoebe, our mails would have been duly taken to their destination. On the 14th February a government sale of suburban sections at West Olive, On the banks of the Ngaruroro river, where the new bridge will cross it, took place at the Council Chamber. Notwithstanding the tightness of the money market, there was considerable briskness in competition for some of the lots. This was particularly the case with lots 6, 9, and 17— small lots — which, put up at £15, £20, and £20 respectively, realised £84, £96, and £167, In all, 42 sections were offered, having a total area of about 307 acres, at an average upset price of £4 15s per acre. The sale realised in all £3478, or about £11 10s per acre. On the morning of the 14th February a fire broke out in the back part of the premises of the Herald office, Tennyson-street, which resulted in the total destruction of the bookbinding and warehouse departments. The fire broke out about £ past 4, and threatened the destruction of the whole pile of buildings, but, through a fortunate concurrence of circumitances— -no wind at the time, a large supply of water on the premises, plenty of willing assistance at hand, and the early arrival of the fire engine — it was confined to the building in which it originated. The machine room, which formed part of the same structure, was also saved, although partially injured.. The escape was an exceedingly narrow one. No cause can be assigned for the fire-— no light having, bo far as is known, been in that part of the premises for three days. Two artesian wells have been successfully sunk at Meanee, about six miles from Napier. The one — in Mr. Davis' paddock — is 151 feet in depth ; the other — on the premises of St. Mary's (Catholic) mission house — 171. In both the overflow is equal to at least 60 gallons per minute, and the water is beautifully clear and cool. It is very creditable to the enterprise of the settlers by whom these wells have been sunk, that, undeterred by the failure of the first attempt, made by subscription, they incurred the personal responsibility of making a second. Fortunately, this display of public spirit has been attended with the best results. The Rev. P. Barclay, who for nearly eight years had been pastor of St. Paul's (Presbyterian) Church in Napier, took his departure, on the 18th February, in the good ship ' Strathallan.' Mr Barclay takes with him the best wishes of his late congregation, and of a large circle of friends, who will look forward anxiously for news of his safe arrival. The 'Strathallan' was the second wool ship of the season direct from Napier, and took cargo to the value of £39,931. The 16 th February was the day appoint- j ed for receiving tenders for the work of erecting the new bridge over the Ngaruroro river. Six tenders were. received ; that of Messrs. Miller and Lindsay, for £1,123, was the one accepted. The work is now being proceeded with vigorously, and there is every reason to believe that it will be completed within the stipulated time— ten weeks. The General Government has given the following by way of compensation to the officers and men wounded at Omarunui : — Captain Kennedy, a gratuity of 9 months' pay at 14s 7d per diem; Dr. Ormond (wounded at Poverty Bay), a gratuity of 9 months' pay ; Sergt. John Lawson, H.8.V., a gratuity of £5 ; Private Roope Brooking, No. 3 Company, a temporary pension of 2s a day for 18 months, commencing from the date on which he was struck off pay ; Privates A. Skilliconi, No. 4 Company, and G. Stevens, No. 3 Company, Is 6d a day. for 12 months, or a gratuity of £25 ; Private J. Shirley, No. 4 Company, Is 6d a day for 12 months, or a gratuity of £20; On the afternoon of Wednesday Feb. 20, the Rev. George Morice (successor to the Rev P. Barclay) was presented by the ladies of the congregation with a pulpit gown and cassock, and with an easy chair— the last named having been purchased with surplus funds collected for the two first. The presentation was made in the school room, and Alexander Kennedy, Esq., on behalf of the ladies, read the short address which accompanied it. Mr. Morice briefly and appropriately acknowledged the compliment which had been paid him. On the 23rd February the arrival of the Donald McLean, schooner, from Poverty Bay, brought us the startling news that the steamer Star of the Evening, which left Napier for Auckland on the 12th, with a crew of 18 men, 3 passengers, and a full cargo of sheep, was totally lost at 2 a.m. on the 13th, she having ran on a reef off Pauwha, about 12 miles to the northward of Poverty Bay. Lamentable to relate, three passengers and three of the crew were drowned, while the remainder were saved with great difficulty, a considerable number having remained clinging to the foreyard from Wednesday till Friday, before the weather would permit of their being rescued. No explanation of the cause of this tragical affair is offered in any account that has been published ; but the generally received hypothesis is that the vessel overran her distance. His Honor the Superintendent of Hawke's Bay, returned to the province on the 24th, he having been absent on a tour in the Middle Island. The Native Lands Court sat at Wairoa on the 16th February. Present, H. A. H. Monro, Esq., Judge ; te Hakiriwhi and te Harawira Tatare, assessors. In 7 cases, certificates were ordered to be issued. One application was adjourned, in consequence of there being no survey, and two for alteration of boundary. On the Ist March, the " Waka Maori," a journal printed in the native language, which in former days proved itself an important instrument for good amongst the native race, but the publication of which has for some time been suspended, was revived. The first number of the new series was that day issued from the Herald office. « The English mail via Suez reached Napier on the 24th February, by the s.s. 'Taranaki,' from Wellington. The Panama mail steamer had not been signalled when the 'Taranaki left.

A brewery is now among the local indostries of Napier, and it is said that two otbws will shortly be established. Hitherto there has been a large consumption of imported malt liquors, •which the production of a good article within the province will| no doubt, tend to diminish, A letter received from our. Chatham Island correspondent, refers to the, arrival from Lyttelton of a cargo of sheep j he also ■ mentions that "road-making and other improvements are progressing at Waitangi. The prisoners seem to work with a will ,* already a fine level road has been cut through a hill almost perpendicular, and we believe a secure bridge will shortly be placed across the river." The same writer thus alludes to a curious rumour that had prevailed among the natives:— "About the commencement) of January a report became current amongst our native population, to,the effect that a general onslaught was to be made on them by the colonial guard, aided by the white population — in fact, that their destruction was finally" determined upon. HowjWhyj.orwfierestich, a rumour arose we are unable to ascertain! Ridiculous and absurd, however, as it may appear, the liveliest terror and; apprehen-. sion has been excited amongst them ; in every settlement groups might be' seen stealing away to the bush and Becreting" their valuables, and one pa became all- but deserted. Here and there 'a group might be seen scouring up their rusty and long disused muskets, with the resolution of : selling their livejs as dearly as possible. > Our Resident has most sedulously endeavoured to trace this rumour to the fountain head, but without success. However, the panic nOw begins to subside; and the Maoris are somewhat ashamed of their credulity." The Hawke'a Bay portion of the Panama mail reached Napier on the 2nd inst., by the s.s. Lord Ashley from Wellington. The Rakaia arrived at Wellington on the 24th, after a splendid passage from Panama. ■■•••. On Tuesday February 26, at a Goverh- | mentland sale, 36 sections in the township of Clyde were sold at a trifling advance on the upset price — there being only one exception, lot 420, which was knocked down for £48. The amount realised was £221 17s. 6d. Four sections iirthe Pohui Bush realised £560 10s., and three rural sections, Clyde, £113 — all seven being at the upset price. A good many valuable sections remain open for selection. On Thursday the 28 th, there was a sale of unagricultural land. 1,500 acres on Wm. Lyon's run 1 - ' were bought by the applicant, J. N. Wil- ! Hams, at the upset price of ss. 1,752 acres on T. Mason's run were bought by him at the sameprice; and 540: acres on A. St. . C. Inglis' run were bought by him at ; 5s |d. • . •:.. The 'Montmorency,' ship, which left' Gravesend for this port on the 10th Dec. ': with immigrants, may be expected to arrive in course of two or three weeks. The single • women (44 in number) will all find situations, if they do not land with absurdly high ideas, but the families and single men will " find some difficulty in getting immediate.:: employment. We trust, however, that some of them have small means, so as to be able to buy land and begin farming operations, if „ only, upon a small scale. • The week ending Saturday, March 9, was one o£cpmplete holiday -rmaking in Na- , pier. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the sth, 6th, find 7th inst., were the three days of the Hawke's Bay annual race meet- " ing, held this year on the new race course reserve, four miles from Napier. The wea- ■ ther was fine, and the attendance of the : general public good, close upon £200 hay- . ; ing been taken at the gate as entrance fees. The sport was very good indeed. Auckland horses, of which there were several at the meeting, took the chief stakes, but in no case did they win without a struggle with a Hawke's Bay horse. The Maiden Plate (entrance 5 soys., with £50 added) was taken by ' Marchioness,' a filly partly owned in Napier, and the sire of which ('Herald'), is the property of a Meanee settler ; but the Victuallers* Purse (entrance 4 soys., with £40 added), and Scurry Stakes (entrance ' 3 soys., with £30 added,) were taken res- . pectively by 'Numa' and 'Count,' two of * the Auckland horses. On the second day the event of the meeting — the Jockey Club Cup for £100, with a sweepstakes of 10 soys., — was taken by ' Orlando,' while the Ladies' Purse (entrance 4 soys., with £40 added), was won by 'Numa'— both being Auckland horses. The Railway Stakes, however (entrance 3 soys., with £30 added) were appropriated by * Ranter, 1 a Napier horse, after four heats, including a dead heat between himself and ' Count,' one of the Auckland stud. On the third day, the three mile race — the Hawke's Bay Stakes (entrance 6 soy., with £60 added) — was taken by ' Marchioness ' ; the Forced Handicap by ' Numa ' ; and the Consolation Handicap by ' Chrysalis,' a Napier horse. Although the Auckland owners did not take all the prizes, their horses have proved their superiority. This will probably give an impetus to the breeding of better stock by our settlers. The province can already boast of two thoroughbred sires— • The Bishop of Osnaburgh ' and ' Herald ' ; — but it is sadly deficient in mares — the only thoroughbred mare owned in Hawke's Bay being, we believe, 'Dijanira/ by 'Riddlesworth,' out of 'Altboea,' the property of Thomas Tanner, Esq. ; but her stock—a two year old filly, ' Crazy Jane,' by 'Frantic,' and a yearling colt, ' The Primate,' by 'The Bishop,' both now running at Te Aute — will doubtless be heard of in due time. Friday the Bth was devoted to the annual, show of the Hawke's Bay Agricultural Society. Our report of the same, to be found in another column, will shew that, if our settlers are behind some of their neighbours in the breeding of race horses, they, have not neglected the first essential in a new country — the rearing of horse 3 suited for draught and agricultural purposes. The exhibits of cattle and sheep were also good, and indicative of substantial progress. Another show is to be held on Thursday next, at the in- . land township of Waipukurau, which will doubtless be well attended by the settlers of. that and neighboring districts. Saturday the 9th was, to some extent,;: another holiday, although not so general a one as the preceding four days. It was devoted to cricket — the Napierplayers having given a return match to the players of the 12th regiment.' . A large number of , speo-l tators, including many ladies, went outfto Greenmeadows to see the game. -