TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2207, 17 January 1868, Page 2

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Dn. Haasiv-Tho Provincial Geologist returned hist night from tho South of the province, and intends starting in a few days for Banks Peninsula to continue his Geological examinations,

Mbmorial to the late Mr, Cuosniß Ward.—The subscription lists for the above object are filling up fast in LyMelton. Wc havo been requested to state that tho list lies for signature at the Caxton Printing Office Oxford street, Lyttelton. ' Wkstland.—The Hokitika morning paper of January 13 states that the Hon. John Hall, accompanied by his private secretary, arrived by Cobb's coach from Cliristchurch, on Saturday. Mr, Hall, as the head of tho local Government of Westland, is staying at Government House. Legal.—ln chambers, on Tuesday, Mr Duncan obtained leave to register probate copies, instead of the original wills of flonry John Cridland and James Eaton. Mr Duncan applied for leave to file certificate and affidavit of verification in re Ann Fleshbourne. His Honor made the order as prayed. The settlement of the issues in the case Longbottom v. Hawkeg and another, was postponed by consent of Counsel until Thursday next.

LiNCOLN.-Mr Binstead the Bush Missionary, delivered a lecture in the Presbyterian Church here, on Tuesday evening on the social evil. The chair was taken by the Rev. J. Campbell and the audience, consisting almost entirely of young men, was very numerous. At the conclusion of the lecture which was an excellent one, and in which the lecturer strongly deprecated medical supervision as proposed by some, a cordial vote of thanks was rendered to Mr Binstead for his address.

MAoisTERiAL.-Yesterday, at the Magistrate's Court, Cliristchurch, before R. J. S. Harman, Esq. Emma Mitchell was charged with having stolen a ring. Sergeant Foster said he arrested the prisoner on the 15th instant, and found the ring produced in her possession, which he charged her with having stolen from Eliza Ellen White. The prisoner denied that she had stolen the ring, but admitted that it had belonged to Mrs White. The witnesses for the prosecution were not in attendance, and the prisoner was remanded till to-day.

AccHMATEATKw.-Tlie bare presented by Captain Rose, of the Mermaid, has been turned out in the large enclosure in the Domain, as a companion for the one previously brought out by Dr Macdonald, and also presented to the society. It is a singular fact that unlike birds, the male hares are the first to die on shipboard, and although many hares have been imported from time to time, the representatives of this class of animals now in the province are believed to be all females. Mr M'Quade has presented an English Jackdaw and a partridge, the only sn™!™™ out, or a mrge numoer shipped. Eew of the English birds have this time survived, the voyage having been unusually rough. The SiMonseu CoKCERTS.—These artistes gave their last concert, but one, at the Town Hall, last night. The programme was both a lengthenedandavariedone.comprisingachoice selection of morceaiufrom the works of the best known composers. The attendance was not so numerous as the beauty of the pieces aud the excellent manner in which they were rendered, merited. Our space will not permit us to enter into any detail of the various pieces executed. We can only say that each and all were given with that taste and correctness which have always distinguished the performances of the troupe. This evening is announced as being the last occasion on which the company will appear in Cliristchurch. Madame Simonsen will take a farewell benefit, and offers the best programme which has yet been put before the public. Theatre Royal.—There was a very good house at the theatre last night to witness the production of the pretty comedy of "Faint Heart never won Fair Lady." Miss Bowring played the Duchess of Torrenueva with great success, her acting being both easy and graceful. The struggle between pride and affection, hardly acknowledged, however deeply it might be felt, was most excellently represented. Mr Steele's idea of the ardent and pertinacious Gomez was a fine piece of acting. Although bent on obtaining the object upon which he has set his mind, he was never obtrusive, and always seemed to retain a sense of the dignity of the true Spanish hidalgo. Mr B.N. Jones was very amusing as the pompous Marquis de Santa Cruz. Miss Shepparde made a very good Charles 2nd, combining the frolicsome gaiety of youth, with the dignity befitting a king. The dresses and accessories wero both picturesque and historically correct. The feats of the Martinettt Troupe brought the performances to a close.

_ Railway oveu Mont CuNis.-An interesting account has been published of the first ascent of the Mont Cenis Summit Railway. Ab announced some days since, the line was successfully traversed on the 21st August over its whole length of forty-eight miles. A train composed of an engine and two carriages, left the St. Michel station at half-past six a,m, There were present the Duke of Vallombrosa; Mr Fell, the inventor of the system on which the line has been constructed! Mr .Brogden, a director of the company; Mr Brunlees, the engineer, and his assistant, Mr Bell; Mr Blake, the agent of the company, Mr Alexundcr and Mr Barnes, locomotive engineers; Signor Copello, chief engineer for the Modano seclion of the tunnel; Captain Beaumont, R.E., Mr James Brogden, Mr Jopling, Mr Morris, and Captain Tyler, R.E., on the part of the British Government. Mr Fell's system consists of the application of a central doubleheaded rail placed on its side in the middleof the way, and elcvatod about fourteen inches above the ordinary rails. Thero are four horizontal driving wheels on the engine, under tho control of tho engino-driver, which can he mado by pressure to grasp the central rail so as to utilize tho whole power of the engine, and ho enable it to work up incredible gradients without slipping, The carriages also have four horizontal wheels underneath, which, with the central rail, form a complete safety-guard. In addition to the ordinary break thoro are breaks upon the central rail. It would appear, therefore, impossible for the engine or carriages to leavo tho rails where the central ono is laid. After leaving the deop valley in which St. Michel is situated, the line passes by a gradient of one in thirty to tho Point do la Denis, where an iron bridge spans the River Arcq near the site of that which was carried away by tho inundations of last year. Tho first very steep gradient of one in twelvo was seen in passing Modano; but tho engine proved equal to the task, and, clutching the central mil between its horizontal wheels, , it glided quickly up, under a pressure of steam of not more than 80 lb. to the squnro inch, without apparent effort. Tho progress was purposely slow, because no engine or carriage had previously passed over | the line, and also to give opportunity for

examining (he irorltß, Tho train entered Lanilobourg station, undor a triumphal arch, havlug accoinpllahed twenty-four miles of distance, and attained an elevation of 2,100 ft, abovo St Michel. From this point the zigzags of ascent commonce, »nd tho gradient! oror o distance of four miles wcro for the most part lln la. Looking down from tiio train near the summit, as If from a balloon four of the zlgzagg wore visible at the same Instant, to a depth of 2,000 ft. Tho power of tho onglno was satisfactorily tested in this ascent, and tho summit was reached undsr salvos of artillery from an improvised battery ami amid tho cheers o£ Fronch and Italians who had gathered to welcome tho English on the frontier. Tho engine again camo to a stand under a triumphal arch, at an elevation of (j,7ooft above the sea, Flags of the three nations, and a Bilk Hag especially presented by Signor Giiiftoli to Mr Fell, waved over a sumptuous breakfast nUo provided by that gentleman. The hospice, the lake, and the plateau otthosuramit, surrounded by snowclad peaks and glaciers, rising to an elevation of from lO.ooott to 13,()00ft were pußsed, and tho portion of tho descent commenced from the Grand Croix. Tho railway hero follows tho old Napoleon road, which was abandoned long since for diligenco traffic on account of the dangers from avalanche, Masonry-covered ways of extraordinary strength had here been specially provided for the railway. The descent to Susa was a series of the sharpest curves and stoepest gradients, ou which the central rail had been continuously laid. Kmm was entered amid the acclamations of multitudes of spectators, and the party adjourned to dine at the Hotel de France.

Victorian Gold Statistics,-'!'he quantity of gold, the produce of Victoria, exported from the colony during the year 1867, was 1,427,900 oz., shewing the trifling decrease of 34,21307, upon the quantity exported in 1866. In our general exports there has been a falling off to the extent of £387,565, while the imports exhibit a decrease in value of not less than £2,854,904. In fact, their aggregate value has been less by upwards of half a million Bterling than that of our exports—a fact which is conclusive as to the pernicious effects of protection. In connection with the Duke of Edinburgh's visit to Ballarat, some interesting statistics have been published, shewing that twenty-four alluvial mining companies in that district, with a subscribed capital of £406,019, have raised gold of the value of £3,941,516, and distributed £2,062,159 in dividends, the present market value of the shares being £905,574. Departure of the Prince mom Mel-iiomtNH.-Tlie Argus of Jan. 4, says :- Williamstown iB to-day to reap the fruits of its patience, and though denied the honour of seeing the first of the Prince, it is, at all events, to have the last of him. To-day His Royal Highness leaves our shores, and his last public act is to be the laying of the memorial-stone of one of our greatest public works—tbe half-built graving dock at Williamstown. A special train will eonv»y him from Spencer street Station to Williamstowu shortly before eleven a.m., and on arriving at his destination he is to receive the customary address, and go through the town in procession. His journey will end at the graving dock, which has been fitted up as well as possible for the occasion. The interior is set round with seats, and the amphitheatrical nature of the dock itself will afford those who are fortunate enough to have tickets an uncommonly good view of the whole proceedings, In leaving such a memorial of his visit, the Prince will carry with him another, in the shape of a gorgeous golden trowel, the elaborate engraving, enamelling, and chasing of which we have already described at length. When the ceremony was completed, His Royal Highness is to take his final leave of Victoria, and go on board his vessel, there to entertain a large party of colonial legislators and others. At about three p.m. the start will take place, and the Galatea will steam down the Bay, accompanied by a cloud of steamers—the Annie, the Prince Alfred, the Kesolute, the Sophia, the Titan, the Warhawk and others. We may warn those who witness the laying of the memorial stone, that there are near the dock some mounds of loose earth, which, being dangerous, will be gimrrM nn much n« possible by the police, 200 of whom have been sent to keep order round the place. The same paper of the 6th inst. says:—The Duke of Edinburgh's visit to Victoria terminated on Saturday. The last public act of his Koyal Highness in the colony was the laying of the foundation-stone of the Williamstown graving dock, and immediatel) after the ceremony the Koyal party embarked at the breakwater. The Duke entertained a large company, consisting of the Reception Commission and both Houses of Parliament, with their lady friends, on board the Galatea, and at three o'clock the ship steamed away for Hobart Town. The weather was even finer than on that day six weeks, when the Prince arrived, and the bay was gay with hunting streaming from the ships at anchor and from numerous pleasure boats.

Strasbdrg Clock.—A correspondent of the Liverpool Albion writes as follows:—At Stnuburg, in one of the finest cathedrals of Europe, is that wonderful piece of mechanism, the clock so well known to the scientific world and to all persons who have visited the town itself, for no one goes there without visiting the clock. .This extraordinary piece of machinery, which in 1842 took the place of the ancie.nl but much less perfect horologe, was inaugurated in presence of a meeting of the scientific bodies of Prance, assembled at Strasburg in 1842. Besides showing the apparent time, the mean time, the exact hours of the rising and the setting of the sun for each day in the year, the Zodiacal sign for the particular season, and the day of the week, it calculates the eclipses of the sun and the motn, and performs a rariety of other astronomical equations. In addition, it indicates diurnally the ecclesiastic period, These, for the learned, are its great achievements; but for the " general public" it possesses properties more easily appreciable and more entertaining. Some one of the gods comes out of a sanctum sanctorum each twenty-four hours, as emblematic of the day of the week, and remains as thecentrepieceonaraisedplatfonu till that day is succeeded by another. Thus, when I saw theclock, Mercury,in achariot and pair,was doing duty on Wednesday. On a stage below the divinity of the day are two angels, one seated beside a bell, the other holding an hour-glass. Over the god is another platform, having on it a bell, beside which stands Death holding a bone. Near Death is a second bell, on which the quarters are tolled. At the first, quarter of each hour, an infant comes out of an enclosure and strikes the bell; at the second, a youth; at the third, a man in the prime of life; and at tho fourth, a hoary-headed veteran. The angel below also Btrlkes tho quarters. Tho h ur is struck by Death himself, with his bone hammer, the angel turning the hour-glass at the same moment. But at noon each day the great popular performance of tho clock is to be witnessed. Immediately Death has sounded the last stroke of the twelve, a procession of tho twelve Apostles in presence of Our Saviour takes place. The thirteen automata are marvellous. As each little wooden apostle passes the figure of Christ, tho latter raises its arm and blesses that one of tho twelvo. The third who passes is Peter, and, as ho is doing so, a life-sized automaton cock Haps the wings twice, anil then raises a crow, which is all but a perfect imitation of that sent fortli by the living bird. Before the last of the apostles has passed tho cook flaps Ids wings, and crows twice more. A crowd assembles within the church each day to see and hear tho performance, which, indeed, no one visiting Strnsburg should miss.