TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1251, 18 June 1864, Page 3

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

The English Mail which left on the 16th by the Airedale was made up as follows : — From Christchurch — London via Southampton : letters, 4800 ; , newspapers, 7954 ; London, via Marseilles : letters, 864: newspapers, 81 ; for other places: letters, 823 , newspapers, 666. Total letters, 6487 ; newspapers, 8701. Lyttelton:—933 letters and 1300 newspapers via Southampton ; 266 letters and 5 newspapers via Marseilles, also 255 letters for other places Total—Letters, 1199; newspapers, 1305. The whole of the mail was sent away in twenty-eight boxes and three bags. • Princess' Theatre. —On Thursday last the drama of the " Lonely Man of the Ocean, written by Thomas Blake, was played at the theatre. It is decidedly a sensational piece, and notwithstanding the extravagance of the plot, possesses a certain amount of interest. It is supposed to be a dream, which is about the best definition of it,_ for it is a dreamy affair altogether. The leading idea is that of a young naval officer, who on the eye of his marriage fells asleep, and in his slumber imagines every sort of conceivable horror. He fancies that his bride lias been carried off by a rival, that he has a desperate conflict with a pirate, and that all his crew perish by the yellow fever, generally known as "Yellow Jack." He,believes that he is the sole survivor of his company, and that he is left in hideous solitude amid the ghastly relics of those who had sailed under his .command— something m the position of the Ancient Manner. However, to his great surprise and delight lie awakes and «lo it was a dream," and he finds himself m the home of his intended father-in-law, and surrounded by those friends and companions who in his vision had all passed away, amidst scenes of the greatest suffering. Mr. Newton played this part very successfully. He and—we suppose we may say—his better half made their re-appearance on this occasion, and received such a hearty ovation at the hands of the audience as must have been very ■ratifying to them. Mr. Shiels was Jack Jolly, a a sort of maritime Mark Tapley, and Mr. Manly was, as usual, the villain of the piece. In the dream lie is made to walk the plank as a pirate, but in the happy denouement he acts tbe generous nva , or rather the man who makes a virtue of necessity, and resigns the yount? lady whose hand he has no chance of obtaining. Mr. Hall presented a ludicrous picture of the landsman suffering from that most miserable of the minor evils of life—sea-sickness. Mr. Howe acted the respectable elderly gentleman, the father of the bride, with hts usual care and attention, Shfe Mi."Kale Grant made a very tohmting Ere Hillington. Altogether the piece, was highly s»ccess--1 ful We must not omit a word of commendation for the scenery ; it is really capital, especially a kind of moving%'orama of. the pirate vessel and the sea, I view where the crew are supposed to be lying. The 1 afterpiece was <• Whitebait at Greenwich, m which > Mr. John Hall acted John Small with his usual

humour. An Ingenious Machinr.-Wc have been shewn a model of a calculating machine, constructed bj a man named Erazee of Pigeon Bay, who states that it" is his own invention. The machine, which ceedingly simple, will give the area or cubic contents of any figure which can be traced to scale on P a P Gr » or the outside dimensions of which are J 0 ™""- peculiarly useful in calculating the contents of any uneven figure, such as a plot of ground with an irreregular boundary, or the amount of masonry in the walls of a house, omitting doors and windows ; or any similar operation. The pointer, as m a pentatrranh is simply traced over the outline, and the result is read off from a card on the top. The machine will also perform ordinary arithmetical processes, or complex calculations in figures of any kind. Some scientific gentlemen have arraijged with the inventor to inspect the machine at noon to-day. Tiib Lyttelton Volunteer I ire Brigade.-A meeting of the members of the brigade was held at the Town Hall on Thursday evening, convened by advertisement. About a dozen members were presi s to ask him to call a public meeting to consider the BU SpeBAN Synod.—For the convenience of such of the Synodsmen as are also members of the Prooi ine o J . B i ß i lop 0 f Christchurch has postponed the meeting of the Synod until the 2nd of A^f ust " rmkr PntiNCiL—The seat for Timaru, 1 RoviNCiAL '. nt of Mr , Robert Wilkin, is vacant by the _ Henry Sewell, a member of the ■ SgSX^oS^eil of

standing, with a view to the full discussion ot important questions, such for instance as that ot education. The Canterbury Council is, perhaps more than any other, distinguished by the presence of men who have made a reputation in the colony at large. Mr. Sowell, if elected, will add to this list as well as to that of old members who, having formerly served the Canterbury public in the Council, are glad, when occasion offers, to renew their old relations. The Weather.—At length our rainy season, so lone prophesied and contemplated, has set in, with every probability'of its continuance. Occasional lulls, with glimpses of sunshine, give hopes to the sanguine of a breaking up ; but soon big clouds roll up from the south-west, and again we have the pelting rain—at times mingled with snow. The main thoroughfares are in a state of mtid ; though not as bad as they used to he before City Councils. Occasional miniature lakes render travelling on foot anything but pleasant ; water finds its level by forming j pools in unlevel places; and may the City Council pardon our temerity for suggesting to their own Surveyor that now is the tinje for him to note the water indications with" a view to future improvements in roadways. The man who invented the a3phalte pavepient deserves well of-his-country, and those of our • townsmen who have adopted the same are entitled to the thanks of all foot passengers; but can nothing induce those who have not done •so to go to the trifling expense which will convert the present puddle in front of their doors into a .firm pavement, beneficial alike to themselves and the general public? Ase the City Council powerless in the matter? Now does the time-honoured umbrella appear in the hands of the more civilized, in the orthodox style; while the old identities face the driving sou'-wester in dreadnoughts and waterproofs of every shape. •« With a hey-ho the wind and the rain, for the rain it rameth every day." _ •■ ■ . , New. Zealand Exhibition.—We notice, by an advertisement, that Mr. li. L. Holmes lias been nominated Secretary of the Local. Committee of this Exhibition, and that he will give every information to intending exhibitors at the Government Buildings. „ _ , , , Kaiapoi Election. —The poll demanded by Mr. Fuller was declared on Thursday lastat 4.15 p.ni.; the following was the result —Wilson, 28; luller, 13; Beswick, 6; upon which Mr; Wilson was declared duly elected. In the absence of the successful can. didate Mr. Ollivier returned thanks, assuring the electors that he was convinced that Mr. Wilson would do all iri his power to serve them ably aiid faithfully. Mr. Fuller and Dr. Beswick having briefly returned thanks, Mr. Moorhouse addressed : the meeting and gave an explanation of his motives for retiring from the representation of the district, which he stated was occasioned by a change which had taken place in the course which he deemed it his duty to pursue with reference to the policy of the Government. Mr. Ollivier proposed and Dr; Beswick seconded a vote of thanks to the Returning Officer. Dr. Donald briefly returned thanks, and the meeting broke up.