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Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume II, Issue 70, 30 December 1863, Page 4

The large number of diggers that throoged the streets of Queenstown for the two or three days preceding Christmas Day augured well for the success usually attendant upon this great English holiday, and we are glad to say the anticipations indulged in proved not illusive. Christmas Day dawned with a clear sky and genial atmosphere, the sun making himself felt during the day with an intensity lately very unusual but dearly prized by old colonists. Additional numbers came trooping in from the Shotover to swell the crowds already thronging the streets of Queenstown and seek relief for a time from the care and toil of every-day life; the streets were gaily decorated with green branches and ferns, and scarcely a house that did not show some similar sign of rejoicing. The Alexandra steamer started for a trip to the head of the Lake, with a good freight of passengers; but the general inclination this day appeared to be for shore amusements, and those of a character requiring the least amount of physical exertion, the conventional Christmas dinner appearing to possess no small share of ihe attractive power. Boxing Day was undoubtedly that chosen for seeing and partaking in the sports so abundantly provided for the public by our enterprising caterers of amusement, and a better day could scarcely be chosen. The sun was shining in his fullest splendour, a gentle breeze tempering the heat and just rippling the placid waters of the Lake. The chief anxiety that influenced the minds of the numerous visitors to Queenstown seemed to be the difficulty of seeing all the sports; and Rees-street and Beach-street were thronged by a numerous and excited crowd, in a high state of dust and perspiration, surging round the corners, as loud yells of laughter and uproar from those spectators less inclined to locomotion announced the commencement of more fun. Leaping, racing, and wrestling contested its attraction with " riding the keg," climbing the greasy pole, and 11 hitting the pig while a number of individuals, more active than particular, swathed up to their eyes in sacks, leaped along in spasmodic attempts at imitating a new species of kangaroo* The greatest goodwill and enjoyment seemed to prevail throughout the whole of the day; never do we remember seeing less drunkenness, and it is only matter of surprise that, what with the heat and dust, the jolly holiday-keepers managed to find sufficient breath to shout, laugh, and "joe" to the extent they did. Boat-races formed the last of the out-door amusements of the day, and several very well contested matches took place; after which as many as could well pack themselves into the theatres did so. We ourselves endeavoured to enter the Royal, but seeing several stalwart individuals of the estimated longitude of seven feet or thereabouts, " craning" outside from barrels and whatever afforded the least hope of additional elevation, in a forlorn attempt to obtain a glimpse of the stage, we beat a retreat. Judging from the good-humored noise from the majority of the houses of public entertainment, till a remarkably late hour, we have little doubt that our Bonifaces have no reason to complain.

Judging from the splendid weather of last week, an idea seemed to prevail that summer had at last blessed us with its presence. No such thing: as if to make up for his previous leniency, the clerk of the weather has inflicted a penance ever since Sunday, in the shape of a violent wind, piercing cold, and a drizzling penetrating rain. When this sort of thing is going to stop passes all conjecture—our own opinion is, winter has set in again for good.

Owing, we believe, to a disagreement between the Messrs. Fawcett and Mr. Johnston, of the Theatre Royal, the company of that house have transferred their quarters to the " Prince of Wales," at the Boal man's Arras, Beach-street. The pantomime appears to be a decided success if we may judge from the numbers who crowd the theatre every evening, and Mr. Fawcett deserves great commendation for his victory over his adverse fate.

Scarcely has Christmas passed, when the eager eyes of our votaries of pleasure are turned towards the New Year, and we see that efforts are being made to satisfy the craving for amusement. By an advertisement in another column our readers will observe that races and other out-door sports are to take place on Stony Creek Flat, Upper Shotover, on the Ist and 2nd days of the new year. We are glad to see such signs of healthy vitality among the community of the Upper Shotover, and hope that the sports will meet with the success they deserve.

We have the pleasure to announce that a ball is to take place at the Camp Hotel on New Year's Eve, to celebrate the opening of the Forester's Lodge. We have no doubt that an evening's full enjoyment will be the result, if previous efforts in the same direction are to be accepted as any criterion. In another column will be found a report of the inquest on the body of Wm. Morrison, the particulars of whose death we published in our last. The deceased was 22 years of age, a native of Glasgow, and of a respectable family. He was at one time a clerk in H.M. Customs, Dunedin, and subsequently in the office of Cargill and Co. He was a general favorite at Maori Point, and his death is much regretted by all the residents at that place. The verdict of the jury may perhaps lead strangers and his own friends to suppose that he was an habitual drunkard, but such was by no means the case : he was a most respectable steady young man, but was apparently tempted on Christmas Eve to indulge too freely in intoxicating liquors, and while under the influence of those potations he met with the accident which resulted in his death.