TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1541, 20 November 1865, Page 3

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Entertainment.—We learn that Mr. L. Harding and Miss Rosa Cooper will shortly appear in conjunction with Miss Aitken in an entertainment to be given in Christchurch.

Church Property Trustees.—A special meeting of the members of this body is summoned for Monday, Dec. 4. The decree in the case of Fooksv. the Church Property Trustees, and some business of importance will be taken into consideration.

Princess' Theatre. — Miss Julia Matthews will make her appearance in Christchurch on Thursday next. Her peculiar forte is said to be burlesque and light comedy. She was greatly admired in Dunedin, and indeed wherever she has played. A full burlesque company has been engaged, who will play for a short season.

Ltttelton.—On Saturday, a requisition was in course of signature to invite Mr. J. E. FitzGerald to come forward to represent Lyttelton in the next General Assembly. We are informed that the supporters of Mr. Hargreaves are beginning to bestir themselves now there is the probability of a contest.

The Homeward Mail.—The Lyttelton portion of the mail which left by the Airedale on the 16th instant, was composed as follows : —Letters for London via Southampton, 715 ; newspapers!, 1500. Via Marseilles: Letters, 195; newspapers, 11. Other places : Letters, 262 ; newspapers, 99. The whole of the mail was dispatched in 29 boxes and seven bags.

The Seat for Akaroa.—A report has reached us, which we should hardly credit, but that it is supported by good authority. It is to the effect that Mr. Lancelot Walker will be opposed in his candidature for Akaroa in the General Assembly by Mr. George Armstrong, late M.P.C. for the- district, the term of whose penalty for a recent breach of the law has not yet expired.

The late Rev.. W. C. Fearon.— This clergyman, one of the oldest clerical residents, died on Friday last, after a lingering illness, in the fifty-third year of his age. He was an amiable and affectionate man, and was greatly and deservedly esteemed both in his ministerial and private character. He leaves a widow and large family. The funeral will take place this day, at 2 p.m. Roman Catholic Schools.—lt is the intention of some of the ladies and gentlemen of the city, who are interested in the welfare of these schools to give an amateur theatrical performance in aid of a fund to pay off a small debt upon the building. Mr. Harding and Miss R. Cooper have kindly expressed their willingness to promote the object if the committee of management should desire their services.

Papanui.—A meeting of the Ratepayer's Protection Society of this district was held on Friday evening, at the Papanui Hotel, Mr. Saunders in the chair. A plan for the collection of the subscriptions was inaugurated. About £J 2 was collected in the room, a sum amply sufficient to defray the outstanding liabilities of the society, including the legal expenses, which amount to £10.

Theatre of Arts.—Mr. Lawrence will exhibit his Theatre of Arts, at the Town Hall, on Tuesday next. It consists of views of different well-known localities, animated by moving zinc automaton figures. It was shown at the recent Cattle Show, though under great disadvantages, in consequence of an accident occasioned by the high wind. It is an ingenious piece of mechanism, and is well worth a visit.

Agricultural and Pastoral Association. —We have been requested to mention that the money prizes for the pigs and poultry &c., exhibited on Thursday last, will be paid to the successful competitors on application to Mr. E. B. Bishop. The medals for 1864 are now ready, and will be delivered to those who have won them by Mr. Coates. Those for 1863 and 1865 are in the hands of the engravers, and will be ready for delivery in about a fortnight. The winners are requested to call upon Mr. Coates at their earliest' convenience with a view of ensuring accuracy in the spelling of the names. Meteorological.—The following table is extracted from a report furnished to the Government by Mr. Bochfort on the rainfall and temperature of Hokitika. They are contrasted with those of Cnristchurch :—

Ship Blub Jacket. — In our Saturday's issue we mentioned that smallpox had again made its appearance on board this vessel. On Saturday the Health Officer (Dr. Rouse) and Capt. Armstrong, Emigration Officer, went down to Cainp Bay, to decide what was best to be done under the circumstances. The conclusions come to were these: The whole of the emigrants to be landed and housed in the barracks, the invalids to be placed under canvas in the opposite gully, at a distance from the other emigrants ; all communication strictly forbidden; and Dr. Macdonald, of the Tudor, was engaged to assist Dr. Wilmshurat. In order to prevent the emigrants from going away to any of the bays, three special constables were appointed, and on Saturday afternoon they went down to take charge. We learn that the saloon passengers, among whom there has been no sickness during the voyage, will be released on Monday or Tuesday next; and probably the vessel also, after she has undergone the usual fumigation.

Legal.—His Honor Mr. Justice Gresson sat on Friday in Chambers, at 11 a.m. The following cases were disposed ofln re Mills, deceased, Mr. Williams; an order was

made for enquiring who was the next of kin. Langdown v. Jackson and another: Mr. Williams for the plaintiff; enquiries as to roftl rutate were ordered to be made. Langdown v. Rees : Mr. Williams for the plaintiff, Mr. Slater for the defendant; this case was ordered to stand over, with leave to the defendant to amend his plea. M'Lean v. Bunting ; Mr. Williams for the plaintiff, and Mr. Slater for the defendant; this case was also ordered to stand over. Buss and another v. Seager : Mr. Williams for the plaintiff, and Mr. Slater for the defendant; Mr. Slater applied for an injunction to restrain the action—ordered to stitnd over until the next sitting day. Macpherson r. Dunnage and another : Mr. Travers for the plaintiff, and Mr. Williams for the defendant; Mr. Williams showed cause against a rule compelling the defendant to rejoin—This rule was discharged. In re J. O'Neil, deceased : the Registrar obtained leave to pass the accounts. Under the Debtors' and Creditors' Act, A. Farney, a debtor, obtained the usual order.

Fire at Kaiapoi.-—The Assembly rooms, Charles street Kaiapoi, had a narrow escape from being burnt down on Friday last. About four in the afternoon Mr. Moore who occupies a shop adjacent, detected a strong smell of fire and on examining the building he found the roof of the next shop on fire. lie obtained assistance and by means of a copious supply of water from the river he succeeded in arresting the progress of the flames. The origin of the fire is not known but it is supposed that a number of sparks from some of the neighbouring chimneys must have fallen on the roof, which is much lower than any of the surrounding buildings, and which must have been very dry from the recent nor' westers. A light nor' west wind was blowing at the time and this doubtless fanned the sparks into a flame. Some uneasiness was felt by inhabitants in the same street, as it was known that a considerable amount of ammunition belonging to the Kaiapoi Volunteers was stored in a building close at hand. We would however state that there is no real danger as the ammunition spoken of, is enclosed in a thick brick compartment where it is impossible for fire to communicate.

Acclimatization. —One of the white swans is now sitting. The black ones have dispersed themseves over the country, no doubt for the purpose of breeding, some having taken up their abode at Lake Ellesmere, whilst others have been found on the Waimakariri. The only casualties which have as yet come under the notice of the curator are the loss of three swans which have dr'fted out to sea, and four which have been killed by dogs. A Paradise drake is also missing, and is feared, shared a similar fate; this loss' is the more to be regretted, as the society was anxious to rear some of these birds in order to exchange them with other societies.

Wesleyan Church.—Two sermons were preached in the Wesley; \ Church, Durham street, Christchurch, yesterday; that in the morning by the Rev. W. Kirk, of Nelson, and that in the evening by the Rev. I. Harding, of Wellington. Collections in aid of the mission fund were made at the conclusion of each service, and amounted in the aggregate to £30. The missionary meeting will be held in the above church this evening, at 7 p.m. Several ministers and gentlemen have undertaken to address the meeting. There is at present the largest number of ministers belonging to this church which have ever visited the city, ten being here besides the regular staff. The term of the pastorate of the Rev. Jas. Buller will shortly expire, and it is believed that he will be stationed at Auckland, althgouh a desire has been man - fested by the Conference that Sydney should be the scene of his labours.

A Peripatetic " Monitor."—One of those brilliant and impracticable ideas which occasionally see light in the columns of the Press was given to an admiring public on Saturday morning. The Press tells how the great difficulty exists of bringing treasure from the West Coast by an escort through forests, where robbers could pot off the troopers from snug lurking places behind the trees. This has caused " frequent and anxious discussion." Now comes the plan, a very simple one, says the Press; and so it is, charming in its simplicity. "If a small redoubt, large enough to hold two men with the gold," were to be put in an American wagon, the sides of iron, and loop-holed all over for musketry, the weight would be within the wagon, and within a ton. The weight evidently is an inside passenger. " Two men could thus be seated within a bullet-proof chamber," and we may add, within half an inch (in iron) of their lives. But the next part is the best of the simple plan. "If the wagon were attacked the horses might be shot, and the driver." What a cool possibility is this ? We afterwards get the comforting assurance that "the robbers could be shot from the loop-holes the moment they showed themselves outside the bush," which, in our opinion, would be an unwise proceeding of the robbers after shooting the horses and driver; and we should strongly recommend the bandits to remain perdus until night, when they would have immense fun in smoking out the troopers from the iron redoubt upon wheels which the Press has built. Further on we are told that "no attack need ever be feared." Then why all the fuss about shooting the drivers and the robbers if the whole performance is to end paradoxically in no attack ? The idea is moreover, given away by Press absolutely to the public and the Government patentless of its country. And we will add, let the Government have the peripatetic iron redoubt constructed,' and copying the treatment of Perillus, who made a brazen bull, and was the first of its victims, let the inventor of the plan be sent with it as driver.

A Preserve op Pheasants.—During the Cattle Show dinner on Thursday evening, Mr. Fleming, of Port Levy, gave an account of the origin and increase of the English pheasant on Banks Peninsula. The parent birds were brought out between sixteen and seventeen years ago by Messrs. Robinson and Smith, of Akaroa, and were handed over by them to the keeping of Mrs. Sinclair, of Pigeon Bay. Getting away from the homestead, the pheasants travelled through the bush and over the hill which divides Pigeon Bay from Port Levy, and when Mr. Fleming settled in the latter bay at the first settlement of Canterbury he found that a few birds had made that place their home. Mr. Cholmondeley, a neighbouring settler, united with Mr. Fleming in maintaining a most vigilant protection of the pheasants from the very first, and in this self-assigned duty they were assisted by the other residents in the bay. The example being thus set has been strictly followed; even the Maoris who live close by in some numbers have treated the pheasants as if they were Mr. Fleming's personal property, and have never ventured to destroy one. They formerly, knowing the birds to have been under the care of Mrs. Sinclair, called them " Sinclair's chickens." The consequence of this disinterested conduct, and of the active care which Mr. Fleming gave to his charge besides, has now met with its reward. The birds are swarming all over the bay, and are extending into Rhodes and Charteris Bays in f e direction of the plains. Mr. Fleming describes four points within which lie about 7000 acres of land, and he asserts that one can hardly walk across any one of those acres without springing a pheasant. They run about his fields and grounds, and even take up their quarters in the Maori pah, sojsecure are they from ill-usage. While employed in a potato field on one occasion, Mr. Fleming states that he observed several pheasants about, and he and his men tried for curiosity's sake to find out how many there might be; they beat the field, driving the birds towards a fence, under which it was quite possible for them to run. Besides those that might have escaped sight in thiß way 47 birds were counted on the wing. Mr. Fleming calculates that there must be upwards of 5000 pheasants in Port Levy at the present time.. The situation is excellently adapted for them. The edges of the forest and the dense vegetation in the numerous gullies afford them ample protection; 1 and it is only after a fire may have swept a portion of the open land that their nests have ever been found. Here'is a magnificent preserve from which to draw supplies to stock the rest of Canterbury. But whatever is attempted in this way, the great services of Mr. Fleming and his, neighbours ought first to be acknowledged. 1

Mean Temp'rature Rainfall in Inches. 1866. Ch. Ch. Hokitika Ch. Ch. Hokitika April9to30 63.9 60.7 May ... 47.2 48.3 2.663 17.182 June ... 43.9 46.0 2.144 14.530 July ... 41.5 44.3 2.938 4.380 Augu»t ... 43.8 46.3 0.626 7.890