WELLINGTON EXTRACTS.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 409, 5 January 1850, Page 175

WELLINGTON EXTRACTS.

'Our exposure of the hospital job appears to have excited some little stir within the official precincts. The Lieutenant-Governor has appointed a Board (consisting in fact of the Executive Council) to visit it once a month. This acknowledgement of the force of public opinion is creditable to Mr. Eyre ; at the same time the measure is utterly inefficient to sweeten the nuisance. What knowledge of hospitals can Colonel M'Cleverty, Mr. Domett, Mr. Petre, and Mr. Wakefieltl have? Are they to be a committee of tasters, and take a sip at every bottle and a pinch at every drug ? How are they to know whether the hospital ia properly or improperly conducted? home medical' officers might at least have been added to the number* But the whole thing is rotten — and no reform short of that which we suggested, is worth a straw. The Board of Inspectors is a mere blind, of not the slightest particle of use, Independent, Dec. 15. Our obituary records the death of Captain Smith, of H.M. 65th regiment, who expired after a short but severe illness on Thursday morning. Deceased was deservedly respected by his brother officers, and the men admired him as an efficient though kind officer. His mortal remains will be interred this morning, at the cemetery, at ten o'clock. The funeral will be an imposing and impressive ceremony, and the corpse will be followed to the grave by the whole of (he officers and men. — Ib. On Tuesday a sad accident occurred at Karori. A little girl named Lucy Hollard, aged five years, went out of her parents' house, shortly after dinner, with a fire stick in her hand. It appears that tH% little thing fired some bush, and that her clothes caught almost instantaneously. Her screams attracted attention, but though every effort was made, the poor sufferer was literaly burnt to death, for on being carried into the house she almost fell to pieces. An inquest was held on view of the body on Wednesday, before J. Fitzgerald, Esq., and a respectable jury, when, after a patient enquiry, the jury returned a verdict of " accidental death."— lb. From Port Cooper our intelligence is interesting. The roads and necessary public works are being prosecuted with vigour, under the direction of Captain Thomas, and the various towns, with the suburban lands contiguous, laid out for the reception of the settlers. In fact, the colonists on arrival will find themselves surrounded with many comforts of an old community, and, not having to encounter the for-* midable obstacles which presented themselves to view of the first settlers at Port Nicholson, be enabled to commence the important business of founding a new home without delay. In England there is a great desire evinced to obtain land at Canterbury, but the managing directors have declined selling any quantity until put in possession of the fact of all the preliminary arrangements having been completed. This news must have reached home ere this, so that a few 6hort months will doubtless witness the arrival of the first batch of immigrants. H. M. brig of war Swift, Captain , arrived in port yesterday from Hobart Town, via Sydney, Taranaki, and the coast. Our readers will remember that this is the vessel which conveyed the Stale prisoners to Van Diemen's Land. The Swift is a remarkably fine looking brig, a splended specimen of naval architecture, as well as a crack sailer, and from her appearance, we should deem her just the sort of vessel required in these seas to make occasional visits amongst the islands. The Swift brings no news of any consequence. — Ib., December 26. H.M.S. Fly, Captain Oliver, arrived in port yesterday from Auckland, having been eight days on the passage. She brings a small mail, singularly barren of intelligence. The Thames had arrived at Auckland, all well, and may be hourly expected here. It is stated that the Fly has come down to wait for his Excellency Sir George Grey, who had left Auckland, overland, on a visit to Taranaki. — Ib. Flax and Wool-Lashing. — We are glad to perceive that the above valuable articles of export are being brought in from the coast in considerable quantities. Within the last six weeks flax, and bale lashing to the amount of £2,000 baa been either shipped off to the neighbouring colonies, or is stored .in the warehouses ready for that pupose. With perseverance on the one hand, and management on the other, our out-settlers will be enabled to add materially to the value of our resources, by inducing the large native population located on the coast to commence preparing flax ready for the market. And while this is being done, others will endeavour to set machines at work. Within a few weeks the Flax Company will be in a position to commence operations, and once started, we feel confident that success will crown its effrrts. But something more is required — and that is a paper machine. This we are happy to say one of our moat enterprising colonists bat ordered from the mother country, and we

need scarcely remind our readers of the benefits which must result to the colony when enabled to export paper manufactured from the flax, for such can be made as cheap as that produced in England, and of a far superior quality. — Ib. Funeral of Te Rauparaha.— The following description of Rauparaha's funeral, written by a correspondent, though rather out of date, will be read with interest by many parties in England, as well as in the Colony :— The funeral of this celebrated chief, which was to have taken place at Otaki, on Saturday, the Ist inst,, was postponed until Monday, Dec. 3, at the request of Rangihaeata, who arrived from Manawatu with his wife Rangiwera, and principal adherents, the same day. The arrangements for the funeral, which were made under the direction of his only son, Thomas Martin (his relative, and nephew of Rangihaeata), and the Rev. O. Hatfield, were highly creditable to the parties concerned, as they succeeded in preventing the dismal howlings and disgusting manner in which the women usually cut themselves when a man of distinction dies. The coffin, which was covered with black cloth and mountings, had a very neat appearance, was placed on a small platform covered with white, under the verandah of tho deceased's house; the front of the verandah being hung with red blankets, festooned with black crape and silk rosettes, while sitting or standing in groups around were his old associates and companions in many a bloody and desperate engagement, and his two wives sitting at the head of the coffin lamenting their breavetnent. The arrival of friendly natives and Europeans was much smaller than expected, but the influenza prevented many natives from coming, and the distance from Wellington had the effect of keeping away several Europeans from the funeral of this extraordinary man. For the feast a fat bullock was killed, as well as turkeys and fowls without end, so that viewing the preparations, it had more the appearance of a rural festival than a melancholy gathering. The attention of the young chiefs to their guests was kind and considerate, every thing being conducted with great decorum. A temporary erection was put up adjoining Martin's new house, like a pavilion, covered with tho sails of a vessel, and decorated with boughs of laurel, at each end of which was a flag-staff with the St. George's cross and the New Zealand colours flying. Previous to the procession moving, T. Rauparaha requested Rangihaeata to wear a new black satin cloak, and a cap with, a gold band and black crape on. This the old warrior contemptuously refused, and followed hia brother associate and chief's remains in hii old kiataka mat, and feathers in his hair, such being his ordinary costume. The procession moved about 11 o'clock on Monday, headed by the Rev. Messrs. Hatfield and Williams. The coffin was carried by six of deceased's tribe, and the pall was supported by six of the principal chiefs. Thomas Rauparaha followed as chief mourner ; and there were between five and six hundred natives and Europeans. A number of the natives were veary neatly dressed in black, and the whole of the women, young and old, who had no black dresses, had their heads covered with the boughs of young trees, and ornamented with a profusion of wild flowers— giving them a pleasing and fantastic appearance. The grave was dug a short distance at the back of/ the spacious and beautiful church now erecting by the natives, at the foot of a small hill used as a cemetery. Rangihaeta took his seat on the side of the hill, about 20 yards from the grave, and when they were lowering the coffin, he called out to stand on one tide until he could see the last of him. Thus terminated the earthly career of one of the most artful and successful chiefs that ever addressed a tribe of New Zealanders, or carried terror into the ranks of his opponents ; but as the grave swallows all distinctions that made us foes — the miserable 'past is forgotten—- and all alike lie down in peace together.— ld.

Talk about and or Aicibxcans.-— Should one ever hesitate ai to the place of nativity of one of our free and enlightened citizens, there exists a test which, potent as the spear of Ithuriel, will dispel all clouds of doubt Let the person in question be requested to give an opinion upon any subject ; should he " guess," write him down a Yankee ; does he " reckon," you may swear him a southern: the Yankee "guesses," and the southern "reckons" — per contra, however, the Yankee " calculates," and pretty shrewdly alto, while the southern " allows i" the one " wouldn't wonder" if some expected event should take place, while the other, more ardent and careless of his assertion, "goes hia death upon it" that it will: to the latter, drawing his comparison from hia idolised rifle, a thing is "sure of shooting," while to the former, more pious, or more hypocritical, it is •« as sartin as preachin :" the one will be " darned " and the other "denied" but evading an oath in nearly the same manner ; .should this asservoration require additional force, the northern man will be "gaul darned," and the southern "dod derned."-~a curious perversion of names to ease the conscience while giving vent to one's temper.