TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1194, 9 February 1864, Page 4

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Arrival of the All England Eleven.—During the whole of Saturday, the people of Lyttelton were full of expectation to join in the welcome to be given to the Knights of the Willow, on their arrival in the steamer City of Dunedin. At eight o'clock many of the ships displayed their bunting in great profusion, and on numerous flagstaffs on shore the time honored ensign floated in honor of the All England Eleven. The steamer was expected to arrive at eleven o'clock, a.m., but it was not till just on the wane of ten p.m., that the first signal announced her approach. During the day many people had their attention diverted from the disappointment occasioned by her non-arrival, to the Election going on in the town, and after the Returning Officer had given the results of the polling, the streets began to assume their usual quietude. At sundown the ships fued a parting gun, notifying their disappointment at not sharing in the pleasures provided for our countrymen; but afterwards they were amply repaid, they had all the honor to themselves, after the first rocket was sent up, announcing the approach of the City of Dunedin, innumerable rockets and blue lights illuminated the darkness; in addition to repeated discharges of great guns. Capt. Boyd, on reaching the anchorage, lost no time in responding to their compliments, with a grand display of rockets. The Health Officer was alongside in a few minutes after the anchor was down, found all well, and about a dozen boats with their living freights reached the shore to give the news. About 40 people might be on the jetty at this time, and as it was an uncertainty about the Eleven coming on shore till morning, (although Mr. S. Jones was anxious to make the necessary arrangements), but owing to the late hour of arrival, it was difficult to complete them at once. It was not till half-past one that the first boat left the steamer with the players and their friends, and the few persons on the jetty at half-past 10 had dwindled down to half a dozen by the time the boat reached the stairs. A capital supper was provided for them at the Queen's. From choice Sunday was a quiet day, and at 9 a.m. on Monday the Eleven left for Christchurch. All England Eleven.—We are requested by Sir. S. Jones to state that to-morrow the cricket ground will be open free of charge to the schools of all denominations. This will afford a fine opportunity for young Canterbury to witness the exploits of the famed Eleven. Princess' Theatre.—Last night " Macbeth " was played to a crowded house. As Ave so recently reviewed the performance, it is unnecessary to do so again. We will, therefore, content ourselves with remarking that the piece was remarkably well played, and that as usual on a repeated representation, it was seen to greater advantage; the little imperfections, almost inseparable from the production of a piece the first time, having been almost entirely obviated. Miss Aitken was very successful in the part of Lady Macbeth, especially in the scene where the ghost of the murdered Banquo appears to mar the festivity of the banquet given by the ambitious and guilty usurpers. Mr. Newton was very effective in the part of Macbeth; his horror and remorse were excellently and truthfully portrayed. The dresses, scenery, &c., were excellent; the make up of the witches of whom Mr. Shiels was the facile princeps wa9 capital, but why will those who act the part of these weird and ghastly beings persist in pronouncing Hecate as a dissyllable ? Locke's celebrated music wa9 very well executed by the band, in which there is a great improvement, but the lead should be sustained by the violin. As we have remarked, the house was crowded. Amongst those present we noticed several members of the " Eleven ;" to them, with memories fresh from English, Victorian, and we may add, Dunedin theatricals, our little theatre must have appeared as a proof that in this out-of-the-way corner of the globe, we have not been altogether unmindful of the refinements of more advauced communities. From the sublime to the ridiculous there is (says the proverb) only a step, and so we will conclude our notice of last night's performance by mentioning that at the conclusion of the grand tragedy of Macbeth, Miss Annie Merton, in the language of the play bill, read Mr. J. L. Hall a " conjugal lesson." Provincial Law Library.—lt will be seen from our report of the proceedings of the City that some of the books intended for the formation of this library, for which a sum of money was voted by the Provincial Council, have arrived from England, and will be temporarily placed in the City Council Chamber. Lyttelton Election.—The declaration of the state of the poll took place at the Resident Magistrate's, on Saturday evening. The Returning Officer declared the following to be the state of the poll:—H. P. Murray-Aynsley, 103; E. A. Hargreaves, 20; thus giving a majority of 83 for the former gentleman. After a number of speeehe3 from the candidates and electors, the proceedings terminated by Dr. Donald declaring H. P. MuxrayAynsley, Esq., duly elected to represent the town of Lyttelton in the Provincial Council of Canterbury.

Horticultural Socikty.—We notice that the time appointed for holding the last exhibition of this Society, is postponed until Thursday, the 10th March. By this arrangement, a better display of fruit may be looked for, as the samples submitted for competition will be more matured. Christchuech Band of Hope.—The annual treat to the juvenile members of this Association will be

held on Thursday next. The young folks, after being marshalled at Mr. Worth's Temperance Hotel, Market-place, will proceed in procession to Mr. W. McHutchesson's paddock, where they will be regaled, according to the advertisement, with all manner of good things. The members of the band will muster at 9.30 a.m. on the day mentioned.

Serious Accident. —On Saturday afternoon Mr. Benjamin Syuionds, of the Victoria Hotel, sustained serious injuries caused by the fall of his horse under the following circumstances:—About Ave o'clock he left his residence for a ride on the Sumner road in company with a friend. On returning to Port, and nearing the town, the horses were put into a smart canter; on reaching the sharp curve opening on to London street, Mr. Symonds and his mare were observed to come in contact with a heap of stones belonging to the contractor for the repair of the road. The mare was frightfully cut on the fore legs and neck; the rider was thrown with great violence on the stones. When picked up he was found insensible. witli his chin and head severely cut. Drs. Donald, Rouse, and Motley were in immediate attendance; on examination it was found that the lower jaw was fractured, a deep scalp wound over the right eye, and the lower lip severed in three places. The patient continued insensible until Sunday morning, when consciousness returned, and he vas able by signs to communicate with his attendants. Yesterday morning it was reported he had passed a better night, and hopes are entertained of his recovery.—We regret to learn that about noon yesterday unfavorable symptoms presented themselves, and that at 2 p.m. death terminated his sufferings. Death from Fire.—A young female, named Martha Kirwin, who was employed as servant by Mrs. Nimmo, of Chester street, Christchurch, has lost her life under the following circumstances:— It appears that about a fortnight ago, the poor girl, who was only 16 or 17 years of age, was stooping near the grate, when her dress accidentally caught fire. Every assistance was rendered to her by Mrs. Nimmo and by Mrs. Woods, who resides in a neighbouring cottage. The former had her hands severely burnt in endeavouring to remove the clothes from the sufferer, and the latter did all in her power to afford relief to the girl. Dr. Prins was sent for, and advised her removal to the hospital, where after lingering in great pain, she expired on Saturday last.

Recruiting for New Zealand. —Victoria is now threatened with a further large departure of population, and this not only of the least settled of the laboring class, but of men with families, and whose emigration is final. A few, perhaps many, of the single men may straggle back to their old haunts, but the men with families will never return. The extraordinary success of Colonel Pitt's mission to Victoria has been Regarded there with feelings almost of consternation. So seriously have the Government of that colony regarded the matter that it has felt it necessary to interfere to prevent what bids fair to become an exodus. For some time the Government had felt a little soreness at the success which has attended Colonel Pitt's enrolment of military settlers—"a success which," writes our Melbourne correspondent, " was not confined to Melbourne and its immediate neighbourhood, but. which extended to all the country districts where offices for the purpose of enlistment had been opened." At last, roused by the " rush " which was taking place daily to Colonel Pitt's office, the Chief Secretary opened a correspondence with the Colonel expressing the surprise of the Victorian Government at the steps which he was taking, as there did not appear to be anything to justify the movement. Colonel Pitt replied that he was acting under the orders of the New Zealand Government, and must follow his instructions. The Chief Secretary of Victoria then at once wrote to Auckland, but in the meantime Mr. Reader Wood, who was on his way to England, had just arrived &t Melbourne; and he was at once appealed to. Mr. Wood, after discussing the subject with the Victorian Government, gave orders for the closing of Colonel Pitt's office, and the recruiting has been stopped altogether.

How to get tiiin. —At the meeting of the British Association, Dr. Gibb read an interesting paper on the bromide of ammonium, from which it appeared that this chemical agent, administered in small doses, causes the absorption of fat. It also improves the intellectual powers, and produces a soothing influence on the minds of those who use it. The President, Professor Rolleston, in thanking Dr. Gibb for Jiis communication, observed that if bromine exercised such a beneficial effect upon the temper, it was highly desirable that no one should be without a supply of it.

Otago Sheep Statistics. —A return lias been published in Otago of the number of sheep in that province, which are stated to amount to 280,861, of which 119,901 are ewes, and 160,960 are wethers. The sheep brought into the province during the past fifteen months numbered 132,035, of which 54,225 were brought over sea, and the remainder were introduced by land. The number of wethers slaughtered in the province during the year 1863, numbered 135,000.

Wesleyan Conference. —We extract the following from the ' Melbourne Weekly Herald,' of January 22nd. " The annual conference of Wesleyan Ministers was commenced on Wednesday, at Wesley Church, Lonsdale-street, the Rev. James Buller, of Canterbury, N.Z., presiding. At noon, a religious service was held, which was largely attended. Several ministers joined in the religious exercises, after which the members of the Conference dined together at the Odd Fellows Hall, in Swanston-street."

Acclimatization.—At last the attempts to introduce the Gouramier from the Mauritius have been crowned with success. The barque Formosa, which arrived in the bay yesterday, has succeeded in bringing over thirty of this fine river fish, all in good health. It says much for the carc that must have been taken of them that but one died on the passage.—-Argus, Jan. 24.

Theatrical.—On Saturday night a telegram was received by Mr. Coppin from Mrs. Kean respecting Mr. Kean's health, from which it appears, that although progressing favorably, Mr. Kean's complete recovery is likely to be somewhat protracted. It w «iß stated that lie would hardly be able to bear removal from Sydney for eight days, while there was little prospect of his being well enough to play with safety for some three weeks afterwards. The intelligence will occasion regret on the part of Mr. Kean's numerous friends.—lbid.

Preserving Bdtter.—ln Great Britain, butter is often preserved with a mixture of one part of loaf Bu gar, one of saltpetre, and two of the best salt. These ingredients are thoroughly mixed, and one ounce of the mixture thoroughly incorporated with °ne pound of butter. The latter is then potted with the usual precautions, the pots holding from lOlbs. to 15lbs. each, and improves on keeping for many months. In summer, fresh butter can be kept cool and good for a long space of time, by keeping it in water saturated with salt. It is well known that the substance, as prepared in the dairy, contains a certain amount of caseine and albumine (0.5 to 0.7, ft nd even one per cent in the best made butters, according to the late Professor Johnstone), and these matters when exposed to the air soon decompose, ferment, and putrify, and determine a similar alteration in the butter, which becomes rancid. The addition ota harmless antiseptic, such as salt, prevents

this. It is, therefore, necessary, that the salt be added immediately the butter is made, before the caseous matter has had time to decompose; and in using the above proportions all the water in or about the butter becomes saturated with salt, and will not contribute to organic decomposition as pure water does. Moreover, this decomposition requires the presence of air; so the more the air is excluded the better.—Prize Essay on the use of Salt in Agriculture.

Emigration from Cornwall.—The ' Cornwall Chronicle,' of the 16th instant, remarks:—" The effect of the last two years' drain of our best laborers to New Zealand and the adjoining colonies, is now being severely felt here. Farmers cannot procure reapers at anything like reasonable rates of wages, and in some districts great loss must accrue from this scarcity of labor. The oat crop is becoming ripe in some localities, where farmers have been compelled to offer 10s per acre for mowing oats, as it is impossible to procure sufficient labor to reap them with the sickle."

Iron Streets—A project has been broached in New York, for paving the streets with iron, and conducting the traffic by steam carriages moving on these iron floors. It is urged that the saving to clothing, furniture, and goods, from damage by dust and mud would be enormous; that the resistance on clean iron floors would be small, the wear on carriages slight, and the noise but trifling in comparison with what it is at present. Shoes, it is represented, would wear much longer on iron side-walks than on stone. Russian Wheat.—Mr. J. Hodgkinson, of Emu Creek, has some fine wheat growing on his farm from seed brought by Sir D. Barry, from the Exhibition of 1862, and distributed by the Board of Agriculture, through the various Agricultural Societies, to the farmers throughout the colony. It is of the variety called Russian Wheat, and yields 60 bushels to the acre. We have seen a sample of this wheat, forwarded by Mr. Hodgkinson to Mr. Casey, president to the Bendigo Agricultural and Horticultural Society. At first sight it looks like barley, with its thick bristly beard. The Russian wheat evidently seems quite acclimatised.—Bendigo Advertiser, Jan. 18. Yankee Notions.—Why do the Americans allow their lunatics to go at large ? " Parson Brownlow," —a so called clergyman, is said to have invented the motto, " Greek fire for the masses and Hell fire for the leaders," a clerical motto which, if he be not mad, would certainly seem likely to secure him a disagreeable association with the leaders of his foes. Another gentleman, the honorable H. Winter Davis of Baltimore, is still madder. He revels in the idea of Admiral Dupont sending his " bombshells over the dome of St. Paul's, and the ruins of London Bridge tumbling into the stream below." Evidently Mr. Davis wishes to play into the hands of Lord Macaulay's Maori, who from his broken arch will paint the picture, while Admiral Dupont realizes it. But if the shells are to fly over the dome of StPaul's the elevation of the mortars will be somewhat unpractical, like that of Mr. Winter Davis's oratorical artillery.