The Star. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1887. NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1548, 10 February 1887, Page 2

The Star. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1887. NEWS AND NOTES.

The Native Land Court removes to Opunake at once, and will commence pitting there in a day or two.

The chairman of the Harbor Board says that Westport coal at 23s 6d per ton is worth more to the board than Mokaucoal at 20s.

Mr. Gilbert King, the lite manager at Wanganui, has been nppointod AssistantInspector of the Buik of New South Waies for the colouy, Mr. R. C. Tennent taking his place.

The Manaia Oddfellows' Lodge was duly opened on Tuesday eveniug. The dinner held after the ceremony was numerously attended, and included several members of the Hawera lodge. The aff lir passed off very successfully.

At the present rate of alleged discoveries ot remedies by inoculation, the child of the future will look like a tattoopd South Sea Islander, or a wornout pin-cushion. He i? already destined to be punctured for smallpox, hydrophobia, yellow fever, consumption, cholera, and scarlet fever.

From a return published in a supplement to the Gazette it appears thsit the amount of land held in the Provincial Districts in holdings of over one acre was, in March, 1886, 27,846,699 acres, of which 11,728.236 acres were freehold. The number of live stock was 17,893,758 ; and the land shows an increase of 1,003,224 acres, and the live stock an increase of 8.836,627, since 1881.

The approximate total value of land, building, machinery, and plant, &c, held in New Zealand in March, 1886, in connection with manufactoiies, works, &c, was .£5,697.117. In 1881 the value was set down at £3,005,471. The number of industries, works, &c, iv the sever il provincial distiictsi were as follow: — Auckland, 508; Taranaki, 52; Hawkes Bay, 100: Wellington, 254; Marlborough, 73; Nelson, 202; Westliuid, 52 ; Canterbury, 340 ; Otago, 687.

The following special was sent to the Napier Telpgrnph on Monday, from Wellington .—. — There is now no doubt that negotiations are going on between Sir R. Stout and Major Atkinson for both to go Home to attend the Conference, Sir J. Vogel being left to lead the House during the spssion under ,1 pledge to pass the Representation Bill, and to initiate no new measures of a party character. Probably a seat in the Cabinet will be found for some member of Major Atkinson's party.

A large nugget was unearthed at West Dunolly (Victoria) last week on private property belonging to a Mr. White, but which had been worked for some considerable time. The nugget weighed iv the rough 4190z5. It was a large piece of quartz, impregnated with gold, and, after being treated at the Mint, realised 2600zs 12dwts of the precious metal. The Messrs. Hogan, who found it, receive twothirds, the other third going to the landowner.

A new way of smoking hams is to smoke the barrel, in which the hams are to be pickled, by inverting it over a kettle containing a slow fire of hard wood for eight days (keeping water on the head to prevent shrinking) ; in this barrel pack the hams, and pour over them, after it has cooled, a brine made in the proportion ot four gallons of water, eight pounds of saltpetre boiled and skimmed in the usual manner. They may be cured in eight or nine days, and may be left remaining in the pickle for a year without damage.