SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1485, 14 September 1865, Page 5

SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC.

Summarized from Aug. 14, to Sept. 14. The alterations of the line of road through Cathedral square are almost finished. The curve lately formed is metnlled, and will soon be ready for traffic. On one side of the curve a footpath, twenty feet in width, will be formed. A row of the trees, which formerly stood in the square garden, will be planted round it. Some of them will occupy their original position, others being transplanted. Many of the trees, which are, for the most part, poplars and blue gums, together with some larches, are of considerable size, and it has been no easy matter to remove them. When the work of forming the road and footpath is finished, the garden, which •was formerly enclosed, will be turfed and thrown open to the public as an esplanade. The Godley statue will be placed on a slight eminence in the centre, facing the Cathedral. Near this spot is a clump of blue gums and larches, which will be preserved. These will form a pleasing background to the statue, one of the gums being of fanciful and picturesque growth. A fountain —easily enough obtained in these days of artesian wells—would form A desirable and ornamental addition. The business of the Registrar of the Supreme Court will shortly be transferred to the new buildings in Durham-street, the fittings in Chambers will also be held for the future. The offices are pleasantly ■ituated and conveniently arranged. lliey consist of one large hall of good proportions, and of several rooms adjoining, lnese are semi - wainscoted with varnished wood, and are very neatly finished. The root of the hall is lofty, and the room well ventilated. The Provincial Legal Library will be removed to this building. The grounds are nicely laid out; and altogether the whole arrangement is a decided improvement upon the dingy and inconvenient place where the business is at present carried on. Mr. J. Bailey is the contractor for the work. I lie interior fittings and furniture are being finished. The tables and desks are of a neat design, being made to harmonise with the building itself. The mantel-pieces and the shelves, for the Provincial Legal Library, are also well designed and executed. They are made of New Zealand woods, stained and varnished. . An extraordinary large-sized goose egg has been brought to our office by Mr. De Troy. It weighs ten ounces, and was laid by a goose belonging to Mr. E. J. Dudley, of Jiroom farm? Avonside. The goose in question took the first prize at the last Agricultural Show. It has laid several eggs of a very large size, many of them weighing nine ° The workmen employed in levelling Cathedral square recently came upon a skeleton, which had evidently been buried for a considerable time. The bones were found in a hole—not in a regularly dug grave—and were those of an adult male of the aboriginal race, as was manifest from the phrenological development of the skull. The teeth were

nearly perfect, but were worn almost to the jawbone, the enamel being singularly well preserved. The iron in the soil has had the effect of colouring the bones to the tint of terra-cotta. The skeleton was much injured in the process of its being dug up. This is the second or third discovery of Maori remains which has recently been made in the city.

-A- seal, which was recently captured at Kaiapoi, has been exhibited at Christchurch. It is a very fine specimen of the kind known as the fur seal, nnd measures seven feet and

a-half in length, being about three and a-half feet in width at the broadest part. The head is similar in shape to that of a bloodhound, and the mouth is furnished with a formidable row of sharp-pointed teeth. Some of these

were broken in the attempt to capture it. The men who succeeded in killing it state that it seized the handle of the axe with which it was struck, and crunched it to pieces. At the time it was alive it was nearly nine feet in length, but when killed the body contracted to the dimensions we have stated. The body is covered with a beautiful glossy skin, of a light brown colour, dappled with white spots, and is as soft as velvet. The tail is bifurcated, and the animal is furnished on each side with a membraneous fin, covered with skin of the same colour and texture as that of the body. The person in charge of the seal informed us that the skin was valued at fifteen guineas, and that, as the animal is very fat, he expects to get about seven or eight gallons of oil from it. He ! states that he has been engaged for some years in the business of a sealer, but that he never met with so large a specimen. Another seal of very large dimensions has likewise been killed in Robinson's Bay, Akaroa, and we believe that it will be brought to Christchurch. During the last month we have had very frequent alarms of fire. In almost every instance it has been discovered that a gorse fence had been ignited. There is too much reason to suppose that these fires are wilfully occasioned, and the police are on the look-out for i the apprehension of the suspected miscreants. Fortunately the fires have all hitherto been extinguished without auy serious damage being done. A fatal accident recently occurred. It appears that a woman, named Mary Ann Dawson, who resides near the Coal Track, was returning to her home in a dray. By some accident the harness was broken, and she was thrown from the cart. She was severely injured by the fall, and was removed to Christchurch. Every care was paid to her case, and she was attended by Dr. Powell, but notwithstanding everything which could be done for her, she expired. A day or two afterwards an inquest was held on the body, before Dr. Coward and a jury, a verdict of " Accidental Death " being returned.

The Bank of New Zealand is being raf pidly proceeded with, and we learn that the

time fixed for its completion is the 16th of May, 1866. It will be a massive stone structure, the walls being principally composed of

hewn stone, from Mr. Ellis's quarry at Hoon Hay. The hall will be a good-sized room, tbe exact dimensions being 25 feet by 54. Some of the carved stonework is very handsome, being of the egg and dart pattern. The basement of the building is finished off with dia-mond-hammered work, but the stone is somewhat too hard to give due effect to it. Mr. M'Cosker is the contractor for the bank, Mr. Speechley being the superintending architect. Mr. Bailey has undertaken to furnish the woodwork.

There have been two elections for members of the Provincial Council of Canterbury during the month The first was for Timaru, the nomination taking place Aug. 18, when Messrs. Thompson and Hayhurst were proposed. The show of hards being in favour of the latter, a poll was demanded which terminated in favour of Mr Hayhurst, by a majority of nine. On Sept. 8, Mr. Edward Jollie, the Provincial Secretary, was elected for the Heathcote district. Mr. William Wilson proposed the candidate, Mr. C. W. Bishop seconding the nomination. There was no opposition, and the proceedings passed off very quietly, only a few electors being present. A man named Wright, a labourer on the West Coast road works, was recently injured by a large boulder falling upon him. His face was cut, and his shoulder severely injured. He was brought to the Christchurch Hospital on a dray, where he is likely to do well.

At a football match lately held in Latimer square, between the Christchurch Club and a selected number of the Volunteers, an accident happened to Mr. Simpson, one of the employes of the Bank of New South Wales. He came into collision with Mr. Norman Thomson, and fell. In the fall, his leg was broken close to the ancle. Dr. Fisher promptly attended him, and he was taken to Collins's Hotel, and we learn that he is progressing so favourably, that he will probably be convalescent in about six weeks. He is under the medical care of Dr. Turnbull. The total quantity of gold found in Canterbury up to August 31, is 104,6891 ounces, valued at £405,570 ; or nearly half a million sterling. This is a very large amount, considering the short time that the digging have been in existence; worked, it must be remembered, with only the few diggers and limited appliances which have at present been brought to bear on the immense tract of known auriferous country. The road is now being preferred by many of the new arrivals to the sea route; every steamer which arrives at Lytteltori bringing in a number of passengers for the West Coast. The Queen brought in sixty diggers, who were taking the overland route. We have reliable intelligence from Australia that an undoubted movement towards Canterbury is taking place amongst the Victorian miners, who are desirous of trying their fortunes in the new sphere of action opened up for them. There seems every probability that the good old days of the Australian rushes will be revived in Canterbury. A very interesting addition is being made to the museum, in the shape of a collection of native birds, now being stuffed and set up. Among the more curious specimens are three kiwis and two kakapos. The collection will include specimens of every variety of native bird, and those who either have or can obtain good specimens cannot do better than send them at once to the Museum, Government Buildings. The works at the tunel are being pushed on with increased vigour. The substance lately reached is a white stone dyke, and is much more easy to work than any yet met with. About seven hundred yards of the tunnel remain to be got through before the work is finished. ;

An agitation is being got up by some gentlemen of the city with reference to the new buildings for the Post-office, Telegraph offic and the Custom House, which it is desired to unite. A general feeling in favour of the retention of the site of the present Post-office seems to prevail. A deputation was appointed to wait upon the Secretary for Public Works, in order to ascertain what action the Government are disposed to take in the matter.