MISCELLANEOUS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5491, 23 June 1879, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

Wβ believe that His Honor Judge Fenton has sent in bis resignation of the Judgeship of the District Court.

It is stated that some excellent Beams of coal have been discovered on Government land at Whaogaroa.

At last meeting of the Waste Lands Board, Chief Surveyor Smith reported that a man Smith had obtained gold at Pakiri, Rodney, on Government land. The Jand had beenopen for selection, but the Board decided to reserve it. The Waste Lands Board have forwarded to the Government a resolution of the NgarUawahia, settlers requesting ihat the lands hitherto reserved for Tawhiao, but withdrawn on the failure of tbe Kopua meeting, may, according to Government promises, be thrown open for settlement. On arrival of tbe 8.8. Kotorua at Dunedin, Captain Carey, the popular commander, wiU leave the vessel and proceed on to Melbourne, in order to take passage in the Orient b.b. Aconcagua, which leaves that port for tfng. land on the 14th proximo. The object of Captain Carey's visit to England is to bring out the Union Co.'s now eteainer Te Ann. Messrs. Bycroft and Co. have commenced tUe erection of a large biscuit factory to be known as "The City Flour Mills," in Short-land-street, on the Bite of the old Exchange Hotel. The building will be a large and' and handsome one. Mr. Pbilcox is the contractor, for the cum of £4245, and Mr. Keals is architect. Boring for coal has been commenced about half-a-mile on the Auckland side of the Mercer-station. The operations are being carried out by Messrs. Hunt and Lindsay, of the Waikato Steam Navigation Company, who have received encouraging indication! of a good Beam of coal underlying at no great depth from the surface. The official *' earthqnake report" for January, 1879, is published in the Gazette j it is as follow :—" Earthquake at Napierjon the 16th, at 10.45 p.m., sharp; at Wanganui on the sth, at 8.47 and 9.50 p.m., sharp, and, on the 12th, at G. 20 p.m., slight; at Wellington, on the sth, at 845 a.m., smart, and 12th, at 6.42 p.m., smart, with noise."

The death[of Wirihans Puna, the Aramoho chief, is announced by the Wanganui Herald. This native has been suffering from consumption, and fell away from the robuet sturdy man so well known in Wanganni to a veritable shadow of himself. Wirihana, or Wilson, as he preferred to be called by his pakeha friends, was a staunch friend to the Europeans, and in the late war on the Weafc Coast did good service. His conduct ia the field is referred to in warm terms in Mr. Gudgeon's book. On the 6th of June, Mr. Harbutt, brush manufacturer, Auckland, presented to the chief Rewi a very handsome clothes-brush for his use. It was very handsomely made, and had a thick back of polished mottled kauri. The hair with which the brush was filled was chitfly black, but the maker, by using white hair at certain portions of the filling of the brush, got the name of '' Rewi" very beautifully worked out. This will be a handsome reminder to the great Waikato chief of his visit to Auckland after his long absence, and at the same time a proof of Mr. Harbutt's skill as a workman. Major Keddell, R.M., and Warden of the Coromandel goldfields for the past 3 years, loft by the s.b. Rotorua for the South, it order to assume the Wardenship of the Clyde District, Otago. During his term of office on the Thames and Coromandel Major Keddell has faithfully discharged the onerous duties

of Warden and Resident Magistrate to the satisfaction of the residents and miners, and his removal from their midst is much regretted. The Clyde goldb'elds was the first Wardenship that this gentleman obtained 16 years ago, and his return to his old scene of labours will no doubt be a source of gladness to the residents of that district.

There seems to be a good deal of dissatisfaction shewn at the Thames regarding the manner in which they have been represented as claiming undue compensation for the lands through which the proposed Thames and Waikato railway is to pass. A gentleman,, who is thoroughly acquainted with the facts,, informs ns that so far from this being the case, in the greater number of instances the property - holders have employed expert valuers, and instructed them to be under rather than over the mark, and that they are now prepared to submit their claims to arbitration. So far from desiring to retard the progress of the railway, they are anxious to have it pushed on as speedily as possible, although some pecuniary less might be entailed on themselves.

The Thames will make a very creditable show amongst tho New Zealand exhibits atthe Sydney Exhibition. Wβ append a list of those who have applied for space, and tha nature of the articles they intend exhibiting —A. Gougß, colonial winea and cider; F. Dann, cabinet work; H. Fisher, colonial oven and grate; H. L. Koefoed, tomato sauce; Thames Produce Co., kanri gum; Messrs. Mennie and Dey, biscuits of various Borts; Messrs. Ehrenfried Bros., beer, draught and bottle ; Thames Brewery, ale ; John JXegan, collection of colonial ferna; H. Driver, rock stone clay; O. D. Grant, biscuits ; Messrs. Foy Bros., photographio views of Thames ; Me-srs. Kelly and Fraser, mineral water; William Plant, pottery warej Rev. E. Laishley, oil paintings. The claims of the widow of the late Ser-geant-Major Uleary, of the Thames Volunteers, who ia not in good circumstances, have, we learn, been brought under the notice of the Hon. Mr. Sheehan by Major Murray, of Grabamstown, with a view to some compensation being granted; and, from the circumstances which accelerated, the late Sergeant-Major Cleary's death, we believe it is one of those cases where the Ministry might give a helping hand to the widow. Mr. Sheehan has promised favourable consideration of Major Murray's application, and no doubt if a memorial is presented to the House of Representatives Ijn behalf of the widow, it will receive the co-operation and help of the Government. The deceased, it will be recollected, met with a severe accident whilst superintending shooting operations of the Volunteers at the butts, Parawai.

A feature of especial interest in the last official meteorological report is that the Chatham Islands appear for the first time in these returns. The observations taken at Waitangi (</hatham Islands) for January, 1579, shew that the climate ia much colder than in any part of these islands at a similar altitude, the latitude being nearly the same as that of Christchurch. For instance, while the mean temperaftare of the air at the Southland Obeervatory was 57 degrees, the lowest in New Zoalaad, that at Waitangi was only 567. The highest shade temperature recorded was 69 degrees at Waitangi, aa compared with 89 degrees at Christchurch, the mean daily range being the same as at Hokitika, 25 degrees. No radiation returns are given. The atmospheric humidity was high, -81, but less than at Hokitika, where it was "84, and the rainfall was slight, only I'll inches in nine days, while the mean wind velocity was 276 miles daily, the maximum being 660 on the 14th in a JJJ.E. gale. Mr. Hitchens, of blood-restorer notoriety, has made arrangements regarding the representation of bis medicine at the Sydney Exhibition, and ia order that it should attract attention, he has made it up in a most attractive manner. 'The case has been made by Mr. Jones, cabinetmaker, of Short-land-street, of very beautiful mottled kauri, handsomely polished. The case is two feet square, and about eight inches deep. The door, or shutter, is a very handsome piece of work, and is a beautiful frame. The latter encloses the glase front—a massive piece of plate-glass five-sixteenths of an inch thick. The lower portion is transparent, in order to exhibit the dozen bottles of bloodrestorer, but the upper portion is painted maroon colour, and bears the following inscription in gold letters, shaded with light bine :—" Hitchens'a blood-reetorer — the great New Zealand remedial »genfc for cleansing, purifying, and invigorating the blood Auckland." .The painting, lettering,, and gilding of the glass front has been done at Messrs. Holland and Butler's establishment, Viotoria-street. The design and workmanship are both elegant and creditable to the firm and to the owner of thev medioine.