NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume VIII, Issue 1356, 12 July 1886, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

The Library Committee meets on Tuesday evening.

At the Wanganui scholarship examination, Margaret McFarland, of Hawera, got third place on the junior list, obtaining 533 marks out of a possible 700. She was the only one who entered from here, and out of eighteen candidates succeeds in securing one out of three scholarships awarded.

An another column appears the programme ot the performance to be given by the Cogill American troupe on their visit here on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Messrs. J. S. Smith and Co., who were business managers ior the Called Back Company, are piloting the minstrel troupe — a strong indication that the performance is one of gonuine merit.

An Auckland paper reports that the other day a wandering goose made a savage attack upon a little girl aged seven 3*eai\s. The child was playing on the footpath, when the bird attacked her and bit her so severely in the face that Dr. Evans was compelled to put in threo stitchps to draw together the wound. Her face will probably be marked for li<e, as the lip is split in a slanting direction from the side of the nose downwards.

We remind the public of the torchlight procession and amateur dramatic per formance to be given this evening in aid of the fnnds of the Fire Brigade. As previously mentioned, the Town Band will assist, and there is no doubt that the whole evening's entertainment will be one of genuine interest. The object of the performance is one which should command the support of some who might not attend but for the good purpose of the amateurs engaged, in assisting a valuable and worthy institution.

We are informed that the true meaning of the expression Teko-teko, which has been applied hy Te-"\VhiU-ites " to the meeting houses built in the bush and not on open land in European occupation, is a carved figure or image, such as Maoris used in olden times to place at the doorways of important houses. It is believed that the term is now used to represent ancient, old-fashioned, or obsolete ; so that it is now intended to introduce a new departure more in couformity with the policy of to-day.

A curious occurrence, which might have led to a serious result, happened in Colombo harbor on April 24. Early in the morning of that day an unusually heavy squall passed over it. striking as it passed the s.s. Armenia, which was lying at her anchors with steam up ready to leave for the Canal ; a brass grating was blown down by the gust, and in falling struck the telegraph apparatus which communicutcd with the engine room, causing the index to point to " full speed ahead "; aud " lull speed ahead" she accordingly went. The steamer was still anchored and made fast to the moorings, when the captain ami pilot, who were od deck, heard the hawsers straining and wondered what was up. On looking over the stf-rn they weie astonished to find the propeller moving, and the mate rushed to the engine bridge and telegraphed to the engineer to stop. If the engines had run on for a few minutes longer the hawsers must have parted, and the steamer must inevitably have run into the steamer ahead of her. As it was, fortunately no damnge was done.