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Marlborough Express, Volume XIII, Issue 1081, 23 November 1878, Page 7

Scarcity of water m summer is one of the inconveniences from which many of the settlers m Hawkes Bay suffer, and much enterprise and ingenuity are often displayed by them m surmounting their difficulties. -The Napier Telegraph m a recent issue says : From Fairfield we learn that John Bright, better known as "Maori Jack," the well-known prospector, finished, on Tuesday" an artificial lake for Mr Bridge. It is about 250 yards m width, a mile long, and about 12 feet deep. On its banks Bright has planted about 160 willows and 70 poplars. The lake rises three feet six inches above the highest level of the plains, and takes its source from the springs of the Ruahine Eanges. Mr Bridge's enterprise has received warm commendation from the settlers throughout the district, who also give credit to the ingenuity of Mr Bright, who has only taken eight weeks to turn a portion of a plain into a vast lake. The advantages to be obtained from this novel enterprise, more especially at this season of the year, cannot be over estimated. Dire results, says an exchange, have attended a discussion by the Wanganui Mutual Improvement Society on the advisability of admitting ladies as members. The argument on the motion, says the Herald, trespassed an freely on impropriety, and waxed so passionately rash, as to induce the ladies present as visitors, of whom there were about a score, to rise m a body and leave the room, one and all. As they passed out of the door, the opposers of the motion were guilty of an unpardonable breach of good manner's m signifying their approval by applause. As might have been expected the result was a general smash. The motion was put to the meeting, and lost by 14 votes to 10. Then the president handed m his resignation, the secretary handed m his resignation, and members handed m their resignation wholesale. A. gentle Chinese youthj measuring already eight feet six, and who report gays, is still growing rapidly, has left the Celestial Empire bound for Paris, where during the present Great Exhibition he hopes to make capital out of his superabundance of inches. Yano Shan, the youthful gaint m question, although not yet nineteen years of age, overtoys considerably his predecessor Chang, another interesting point about him being that his head, eschewing the example set by the other members of hia body, retains its normal size. The parents of Yano Shan say that until the age oi sixteen their son differed m no way from other lads of his years ; but at that epoch he went fishing one day near the parental house, netted a fish of strange appearance, cooked it and subsequently fell seriously ill. It was after this malady, of which the fish was supposed to be the primary cause, .that Yano took to shooting upwards, his growth increasing the more rapidly m proportion as he regained his health. The Chinese consider the unknown f|sh he caught belonged to a species called the growing fish, and ascribe the circumstance of his head not sharing the developement of the rest of his person to the fact that the fish's head was not eaten. Whatever may have been the cause of Yano Shan's extraordinary height, whether it be owing to a fish or freak of nature, the young phenomenon will prove a godsend to French anthropologists, who aie becoming rather tired of examining the Esquimaux, now domiciled at Le Jardin d'Acclimatisation, and welcome joyfully fresh matter for study m the person of Yano Shan. A Sad Story. — The Auckland Herald's Thames correspondent sends that journal an account of Captain Goldsmith's funeral, and a copy of an affidavit which was read at the grave, tending to exculpate deceased from the awful charge made against him. The funeral was a respectable one, about 200 citizens being present. The affidavit was by Dr Payne. It narrated that on tha 25th October a woman called upon him with a little girl, and made certain statements about Captain Goldsmith. Dr Payne then describes that he was convinced that no such crime as alleged had taken place, and states that he was cqnviuced it was only an attempt to extort money. The affidavit then proceeds : — " About a quarter past eight the same evening Captain Goldsmith arrived. I said I was almost ashamed to say why I had sent for him ; that a most fearful attack had been made upon his honor, but that I was m a position to know positively that the charges made about him were false and untrue, and I assured him of this m the strongest terms. I then told him of all that had taken place. Ho said that an attempt had already been made to extort money from him about this matter. I advised him strongly to face the matter, and immediately to prosecute the woman for slander and defamation of character. His reply to me was, that with the enemies he had here, the mere suspicion of a charge of such an awful nature being made against him meant • ruin ! ruin ! ruin ! absolute ruin ! ' repeating these words several times. He

said the repeated attacks against him were breaking him down, and he nearly broke down crying mmy place. He said the best thing to be done was to see Mr Miller. I consider he was not m a fit state of health to be trusted m this matter alone, as he had been under my care for months past, and his nervous organisation was not such as to enable him to me«t a charge of this nature, however innocent he might be. I, therefore, said to him ' For God's sake do not offer her any money. 1 [The doctor stated to Captain Goldsmith the result of his examination]. After this he teemed a little more cheered, and he left about a quarter-past nine, Baying he would see Mr Miller m the morning."