Lake Wakatip Mail. QUEENSTOWN, THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1878

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1060, 30 May 1878, Page 2

Lake Wakatip Mail. QUEENSTOWN, THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1878

The County Conacil to-day held special aud ordinary meetings in the Council Chambers, bnt we are obliged to hold over full reports of same. There were present—The Chairman and all Councillors except Messrs Malaghan and Boyes. The special meeting was for the purpose of considering the yearly balance sheet and statements, and settling same, which, after carefnl examination, were finally adopted. At the ordinary meeting, held in the afternoon, no business of immediate importance was transacted. Tenders for works were dealt with, when that of T. Travis—No. 23, forma tionof road Arthur's Point to Arrow, for £26 10s—and that of P. Henderson—No. 24, formation of road in Hogan's Gully, for £ls—were accepted.

1 We are glad to state there was a break last night in the frost which has existed in the district such an unusually long time for this season of the year. It is to be sincerely hoped the weather will become still milder, and then thors will be a prospect of many sheep being yet saved. Skating and shooting are the sports of theseasoh. In the one instance the continuous frosts have rendered all our lakelets and lagoons—event at lowest levels—safely bearable to permit any amount of exercise, whilst in the other case the abundance of the feathered tribe in various parts of the district afford ample recreation to those who desire to combine profit and pleasure. "We have heard of several good bags of native birds—chiefly of the pukaki, one of the most gamey of New Zealand birds. On Saturday the opening of the first season here for the Californian quail shooting will commence, and the residents will then have an opportunity of getting some of the first fruits resulting from an importa* tion made only some three or four years ago. The usual escort left here on Monday, hut the amount of gold sent down by the Bank has not yet transpired. The New Zealand Gazette contains a notification that the first sittings of the District Court at Arrow will be held as folows this yeat :—June 13, August 15, October 10 and December 12. We hear that Mr Drill Instructor and Staff-ser-geant Scully has been appointed Sergeant Major of battalion for the Lakes Volunteer district. Mr Puddy, a well-known carrier on the Dunedin and Lake road met with a rather unfortunate accident on Monday afternoon at Owens Morveu Ferry Punt while returning with some back loading —between four and five tons of flour—for down country. It appears that on arrival at the punt the six leading horses were taken across first, the remaining two shaft horses and waggon (the latter with break hard on) being left in charge of a Chinaman—or we might say with a Chinaman sitting in front of the waggon. When the punt was returning, and within a few yards of the bank, by some unaccountable means the break became released, and—the incline being steep—the waggon descending, forced the two horses over the end of the platform—waggon and horaes dropping into the Kawarau. The former fell partially on its side, and was carried some fifty or sixty yards down stream before coming to a standstill—the animals struggling all the time to make for the side just left and therefore keeping the whole from being totally submerged in mid-stream. Mr owen 3 and his man Phillips put off in a boat and at no small risk, rescued the "heathen Chinee," who in his fright almost capsized the boat and kicked away one of the oars. The horses were then released, when one landed safely on the opposite shore while the other, in his effort to reach the neare shore got stuck in the sand, and was not brought to land until nearly 11 o'clock at night, after much difficulty, with the aid of six horses to drag him out. The loading has all been saved except about two tons of flour, and the waggon has been got ou* out almost undamaged. We are informed that no blame is attached to anyone. [Since the above was in type, we learn the puat was so near shore that the horses by a desperate.effort, landed on it, one of them—a fine mare worth £BO or £o3 having one of her hind shoes dragged off by an iron rod. Their force drew the punt away and tl»© wnggbu dragged them down with the result already stated. 1

Her Majesty's 59th anniversary on Friday passed off very quietly, and was marked only by the closing of nearly all the business places in town and some demonstration of the local Volunteer Corps. Among the latter the first competition took place in the morning for the companies prize, won at the late Demonstration—the highest scorers being Segt. Aldred and Vol. Wilmot, who scored 43 points each. At noon the Company, under Lieutenant Eichardt; and the Cadets, under Captain Rogers, mustered opposite the Town Hall, whence they marched—headed by the Band, under the leader, ship of Bandmaster Vause—to the parade ground. Here they were drawn up and gave a Eoyal salute and three cheers for her Majesty, after which they were dismissed.

la the Magistrate's Court yesterday, before H. A. Stratford, Esq., KM., James Eggleston, a shearer and farm laborer, was fined ss, or in default to be imprisoned 12 hours for being drunk on the previous day. There were also two other charges against prisoner arising out of the same offence, namely—for using abusive and profane language ; and for assaulting the police in the execution of their duty, for which Eggleston was fined £3 or 21 days imprisonment, and 20a or 7 days respectively. The only civil cases were Robertson and Co. v. P. Vail—a fraud summons—in which defendant was ordered to pay the amount by 31st instant; and the other was an interpleader case, Wesley Turton v. Eliza Jenkins, the claimant being Selina Jenkins. Plaintiff in person, and Mr Finn for claimant. Evidence was adduced and considerable legal argument ensued, at the close of which the Magistrate reserved judgment until 3 o'clock, when he gave judgment for claimant, saying that the Court was of opinion that the goods (chiefly household furniture) did not belong to defendant. A lad named Dalton, the son of a mason of this town, and in the employ of Mr M'Bride, of Bridesdale Farm, met with a serious accident the other day whilst out shooting, through the explosion of the gun he was using. We have not heord whether the accident occurred through a defective weapon or overloading, but the boy had to be taken to the Hospital, and Dr Douglas informs us that his hand has been so seriously maimed as to necessitate the amputation of a portion of two of bis fingers—otherwise he is progressing favorably. We regret to hear that an old and respected resident, Mr John Smith, manager of Mr Ludemann's run at the Head of the Lake, is suffering from the effects of frost bite in his feet, caused by his detention on the ranges on Friday night. From what we can gather, Smith and two of the men— John Laverty and another—had previously been getting sheep out of the snow, and on Friday afternoon they again went out with the intention of making another short search. They had not travelled very far from the station when a heavy snow storm came on. Laverty missed his footing and slipped several yards down a steep slope until brought up by a projecting rock overhanging the river. The first care of Smith, who is a very plucky fellow, was to look after his companion, Laverty, who was found to be much shaken, but not seriously hurt. The shades of night, however, had come on, and it was considered dangerous, if not impossible, to reach the home that night, and the only alternative was to remain on the rock till morning. During the night Smith, in getting a drink of water for Laverty in a creek near slippedinto the stream, and it was no doubt the frost that ensued maimed him. We are glad to learn, however, that he is progressing favorably in the Hospital, although Dr Douglas fears .that he must lose the tips of some of his toes.