JOURNAL OF THE WEEK.

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 14, 12 April 1851, Page 5

JOURNAL OF THE WEEK.

The arrival of the " Gazelle," from Van Diemen's Land last Saturday, in addition to a cargo of other useful commodities for a new settlement, brought some excellent horses, which have sold for prices, averaging, as we hear, forty pounds a head. On Tuesday, April 8, fifteen sections of land, each a quarter of an acre in extent, forming part of the fifty acres of Rural Land selected by the Rev. Mr. Dudley, on the west side of the town of Lyttelton, and of the rural land with which the college is endowed, were put up to auction ;by Mr. Tulloch. Fourteen out of the fifteen were sold at the average price of 101, so that three acres and a half of the rural land in this choice, has realized almost the whole price of the fifty acres, including the town sections attached. We shall be curious to see what the town sections themselves will fetch at the auction which is to take place next week. It appears from the advertisement that a considerable number are to be offered for sale.

On Thursday morning we had a severe gale of wind from the southward. It came on without much warning at an early hour, and the small crafts which, had not taken up berths at a sufficient distance from the jetty, were in considerable danger. One cutter, the " William and John," was laid on shore at high water, having dragged her anchor ■so far that she could not have ridden at low .water. She escaped damage, being hauled up by the hands on the jetty. The "Gazelle" and the "Wellington" dragged their anchors. The Wellington especially, although with three anchors down, had a very narrow escape. We were astonished to see her however with top masts and yards aloft, as if in fine weather. The " Travancore," with one good anchor and the seventyfive fathoms of cable which she let go on arriving, never moved from her berth. As these gales of wind are not unfrequent in the winter months, it is evident of what great value good moorings would be to this harbour. The harbour is perfectly safe ; but vessels should not be tempted by th anxiety to discharge cargo speedily, to anchor so near the jetty as not to allow room for paying out cable, or letting go a second anchor before they are ashore. "

The appearance of the Ti palms on the Canterbury plains is very remarkable. They rise amidst the short rich grass with their thick stalks and graceful crest; often, when one looks up suddenly from the ground, startling with their likeness to men. One of our wags remarked of these plants, that they looked " like men as trees walking." A less observant youth having lost, his way a few nights ago, in the neighbourhood of the capital, was cheered in the loneliness of the prairie, by the appearance of a nnn approaching. He took off his hat, (not having yet forgotten the courteous address of the old country.) and accosted the stranger, " I beg your pardon, sir, but can you tell me which is the way to Christchurch/' It was a Ti palm.