CHATHAM ISLANDS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1030, 13 March 1869, Page 2

CHATHAM ISLANDS.

UitOM OTTB OWK COBBESPOKDEHT.J January, 1869. The Rifleman arrived from Dunedin on the 14th, in ballast, for -wool and passengers. Waitangi presented a scene of great festivity on the 14th inst., when nearly the whole of our fellow settlers were assembled to celebrate our annual races. The racing commenced with a match between Mr. Hunt's Gilroy and Mr. Taylor's Snapper, both ridden by their owners. This was a flat race of one mile. The rider of Snapper, however, bit the dust almost at the onset ; nevertheless, his inspirited opponent pegged aWay like Tarn o' Shanter, " fast and furious," and passed the winuing-post with a most triumphant flourish, to the infinite amusement of the spectators. Champion Flat Race.— Distance 1} miles. Mr. R. Shand's Rover (owner) 1 Mr. T. Ritchie's Mokai (Piripi) 2 Wiremu Naera's Half-Caste ... (Tamiti) 0 Roiri's Fyninore ■ 0 Toeng&'s Turanganui ■ 0 Kirihopa's Stallion (owner) 0 Eoyer took the lead from the first, winning easily ; Mokai a bad second. Ladies' Purse.— Distance 1 mile, Mr. Goodman's Owenga ... (Plummer) 1 Mr. Murphy's Stockings (H. Ford) 2 Mr. H. G. Ford's Robroy (Pitcairn) 3 Toenga's Turangamri 0 Ahirata's MeGrath (owner) 0 Mr. Taylor's Snapper 0 SauaßY Race. — Distance 1 mile. Mr. Tonnant's Skip , (Piripi) 1 Mr. Tennant's Mac (Tamiti) 2 Kiriopa's Prophet) (owner) 0 The flat races being over, and after a little necessary delay for lunch, &c, the public adjourned to the steeple- chase course. Champion Steeple-chase. — Distance 1£ miles, Kleven timber, and two water jumps. Mr. R. Shand's Rover (owner) 1 Mr. Pattison's Wharikauri ... (owner) 2 Mr. H. G. Ford's Rowdy (owner) 3 Mr. A. Shand's Cannon ... ... (owner) 0 Mr. Pattison's Selim ' (EC. Ford) 0 Mr. Draper's Okawa (owner) 0 Mr. T. Ritchie's Nukna ... ... (owner) 0 Mr. Goodman's Owenpa (Plummer) 0 Mr. R. Ritche's Piangi (Piripi) 0 No previous steeple-chase on the Chatham Island had been run over so stiff a course, the jumps being all warranted not to break. Okawa took the lead at the second jump, and kept it until striking the top rail at the seventh jump brought man and horse to the ground ; Hover then took and maintained the lead. The first three horses took their leaps in most gallant style. A few days since a gentleman about to proceed to New Zealand left a trunk containing a considerable sum of money in charge of a Maori. The trunk was subsequently broken open and the sum of £20 abstracted. The guilty party is more than suspected. Two experienced stockriders, accompanied by five or six well-trained cattledogs, recently arrived from New Zealand per the Anna Maria, under an engagement from Thos. Ritchie, Esq., to collect the numerous herd of cattle which graze upon tho margin of his extensive sheep run. They have now commenced operations, and the first morning fifteen head were brought into the stockyard. Two colonial whalers, the Othello, of Hobart Town, and the Robert Towns, of Sydney, have been successfully coasting round Pitt's Island. The latter vessel took three whales. Three of the crew succeeded in making their escape from the vessel, and are now on this island. The American whaling barque Albion is also on the ground, and will shortly arrive in Whangeroa harbour, to repaint and make some necessary repairs. Messrs. Smith and staff having completed the Government survey of this island, and also Pitt's Island, will return to New Zealand per tho Rifleman ; but to mark a sense of their public and private worth, some of our most influential settlers have issued cards for a public entertainment to be given in honor of these gentleman, to come off on the 25th inst. at Beamish' s Hotel, to be presided over by the Resident Magistrate. The inhabitants of the Chatham Islands generally are exceedingly disappointed, and in ?ome cases seriously inconvenienced, by the total stoppage of our usual mails. Since our last postal delivery in September, nothing in the shape of newspapers or letters has come to hand, consequently there must be a four-month mail awaiting us in the general post-office. In the interim, both the Rifleman and the Anna Maria have been trading between Dunedin and the Chatham Islands without intermission. Feb. 1..The brig Anna Maria arrived from Dunedin in ballast, consigned to. Mr. T. Ritchie. The Rifleman will clear out for Dunedin in a few days with a cargo of wool and from twenty to twenty-five passengers.