The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1869.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 186, 10 August 1869, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1869.

'■< The English Mail. — The Rangitpto arrived off Hdkitika at Jhalf-past two yesterday afternoon, .Jbut up to the time of our going to press; Tiotliing furthjer had been heard of her. ~ .We presume she,; (must ;have gone on to Wellington, from whence we shall "prbbably receive our. tele- . grams to-morrow morning. v Across CowrßY.-r-The i ihembers of the Hunt Club met yesterday afternoon at the Black Horse, Wakapuaka, for the purpose of enjoying a scamper across country. It had been decided that the mere following of a paper-marked track was by far too tame .and unexciting a sport, a somewhat startling novelty was therefore introduced, as quarry in the shape of a horse, whose "mind had wandered from its dwelling, and whose eyes had not their own lustre, but ; a look that was not of the earth." This amiable creature, from a painful hallucination under which it labored that all flesh was grass and consequently the legitimate food of its race had been named the "Maneater," and as it was a fine jumper possessed of plenty of insane pluck, it had been selected as the game which was to be hunted over the broad dykes fand stiff fences of the Wakapuaka country. Punctually at the Jtime appointed the Maneater, gaily bedizened with ribbons, was.let loose aud; awsy he went with some dozen or so of sportsmen in his wake. Eight or ten ditches and four or five fences were soon cleared in good style, when a stiff post and railer was reached which 1 caused even the hunted lunatic to pause — carefully he iscanned its imposing height — gravely, he pondered over the chances of coming: to -grief "ifn he should attempt 1 to top it-p wisely he made up his mind to remain on the.cafe side — and then at a mad gallop with ears laid back, and the whites . of his eyes ferociously gleaming, he , retraced his steps at a bearing gallop, scattering his pursuers right and left, and leadiug them over the same ground theyjhad just crossed back to the starting point. The last bank that had to be cleared was reached, when v'onej" incautious sportsman took his horse ■"ijl it without a due regard for' what might -happen to be on,the'o,ther.side;. beautifully fhe leapt the 1 bank . amidst cries ' of admiration from his brother sportsmen — when alas! a tremenjdouiß^s^la^h^was heard,; :a ,n3ud-stamed hbrse was, Jisco^ered strugD ? to regain his feet, and afearful apparition, with streaming jocks ancT draggling, clothes, was seen to f ise^frbm the black" inky-lookmg ditch, which 1 - jpormed-the last leap of the horse-hunt.r iTh y e Man-eater having been safely^ lodged? in .the stockyard, the riders started- off ; again 4n pursuit of an imaginary line, stretched out somewhere between the Black Horse and somewhere else. .Along .this route some stiff fences were tb be met with, air of which were taken most successfully, with the exception" of one "particularly* stiff one ; at this point a gentleman mounted on a creamcoloured horse was in the van: recklessly s he;rose. at this "timber," when a c'rasli was heard, anflr^ ifl^ met^e6r r -l ike., through .the , air, u ri ill h i is fiiVtHer eartK, who received rhimii^jafond/eiriDrace, whe^e,.however^he4idinot^remain »lpng, was soon oh his gallant,^cream-color again. ";= This was the^^lastUeapol the day, • ;^and after it the party^returned: t&.dowtc^ej^ "pleased with their day's. sport. ;Xr^ *