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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9285, 12 February 1889, Page 4

The American Government insists on Germany "holding its band" at Samoa until matters are settled at the proposed conference. It is likely that Germany will comply. In Burmah the British forces have captured a stockade with a loss of five killed and twelve wounded. It is not said whether this action is likely to finish the war. The rival of the Mahdi has, we are informed, captured El Obeid.

The Premier, Sir Harry Atkinson, Mr, Kelly, M.H.R., and Mr. Leckie, private secretary, left by the Rotomahana yesterday morning for the Thames, where he was to receive some deputations. He proceeds on to Tauranga and the Lake Country. At the Lake Country he intends to pay a visit to the Alum Caves, Orakei-korako. After spending a day at Taupo, Sir Harry goe3 on to Napier ; all the arrangements for coaching the party through, special, have been made by Hayr and (Jo'.'s tourist agency.

The Native Minister (the Hon. E. Mitchelson) left yesterday for Dargaville by the early morning train. He is expected back by Wednesday night. His visit to Dargaville is partly on public and partly on private business. It appears that some native troubles exist at Maitai Waka. Mr. P. £. Cheal, surveyor, was recently authorised by the Chief Judge of the Nairve Land Cr>wT%. j and by the Assistant-Surveyot Aienera\, & make a survey of a block of native land, known as Mareikura,. lying between Hutu Waka and the west side of the Tangilma range. As it was proposed to adjudicate upon the block at the sitting of the Mm Land Court at Dargaville in a few days, the surveyor's plan of the block was required to be forthcoming. Some of the native owners are, however, opposed, to the proeeedings, especially Hare Tutuwake and Akaraua, and Mr. Cheal has been forcibly obstructed in carrying out the survey, by having his pegs pulled up and the chain and theodolite removed. Several trivial skirmishes ensued, but Mr.- Cheal is now desirous of appealing to the law, and oi having it enforced against the offending natives.

The Deputy Property Tax Commissioner, Mr. C. M. Crombie, arrived yesterday from the South, but too late to catch the Premier, with whom he had some business. Mr. Crombie is up in Auckland on property tax matters, and will be here for a few days. A few gentlemen interested in the Hare system of proportional representation intend to work it out experimentally, so far as Auckland city and suburbs are concerned. They intend to issue circulars and voting papers, with the names of the candidates at the last general elections, and others thereon. The electors will be invited to fill the voting papers up, and return them to the gentlemen carrying out the experiment. The Government are to assist so .far as to give the use of the Post Office for the issue and return of the voting papers. i Yesterday Te Kooti left by the early Waikato train with his wife and orderly for his settlement at Otewa, on the Waipd The Native Minister is favourable to es changing the piece of land given to him a Orakau for a piece near the sea coast ai Ohiwa, in the Bay of Plenty, as requested The Government have strongly urged U Kooti to abandon his intention of visiting Poverty Bay, at all events for the present and there is reason to believe the representations made to him will be Mr. Hursthouse accompanied Te Kooti* Auckland, and, we understand, has returned with him to Waikato.

It is said that a meeting of licensed Victuallers was held on Sunday at one the city hotels in order to arrange details respect to the approaching licensing elections. The proceedings were euainenuy pacific. In some of the city pulpits ,°" Sunday the licensing elections to t^JjT: during the conning week were referred > and the voters in the congregations urg to cast their votes for the cause of temperance. An interesting event took place at & Epsom public school yesterday mormv namely, the presentation of a scholars" v to Miss Louisa Walker, who has been pupil of the school from its opening *■• Whyman, chairman of the school co mittee, delivered a brief address, un? jj upon the children regular attendance attention to school duties. He then cau upon Mr. Frank Lawry, M.H.R-i. 10 K sent the scholarship, which he did in appropriate remarks. Mr. J. sa^. addressed the gathering, and the pr oc . ings closed with three cheers by the PJ for the visitors, and the successful sen" ship winner. . : The General Assembly of the N f t ffe land Presbyterian Church, which is w , held this year in Auckland, will be ojxw this evening at St. Andrew's Churc half-past; seven. The opening servic&• be conducted by the Moderator, the J. Duncan, after which the Assembly constituted, and.an address will be J>* i& i the incoming Moderator. On i' l g t evening a conversazione win be " elc i Jji. James , Hall, when addresses will w vered by several of the Southern rep tatives, and music will be suppnea , the united city choirs. All the members Assembly are now in • Aucklana, y Southern representatives having arm the Rotorua on Sunday. j The carelessness of, parents in Auc ildr6 - is proverbial, and almost daily li« le^ ho are brought to the police station, the found wandering in Queen-str «*. * hazard of their lives by cabs. Yesterday alittlechild ofW fae was brought out of Queen-stree by f station, but subsequently a | e J, do tbe parents, who look to the police w needful as a matter of course. •

The furors' report) of the department of i nit*, flowers, plants, and vegetables, in i. Melbourne Exhibition thus notices a Saland exhibit --" E. Maxwell, Opuke New Zealand. First award for a very fnre' collection of specimens of dried ferns, beautifully got up, showing the fronds in various stages of growth, all named, accomVfl nied with a great deal of information. Iphe collection was rich in filmy ferns." The members of the Ponsonby Naval Artillery mustered at Mount Eden Rifle Range on Saturday afternoon for the purZjseol firing for Lieutenant Whitely's edal, or which the competitors were handicapped, and two cups, presented by Mr E. f j - Smith (mine host of the Pon\inby Club Hotel), which was shot for from scratch, and Seaman Bryant's washL(T.tub. There were 30 competitors, in turtre of Captain Miller, and seven shots J-ere tired at 200, 300, and 500 yards' ranges. Second P.O. Spinley succeeded in carrving off the medal and one of the cups, Hedley the second cup, and Bugler E«-nn the tub. The firing for the Shooting Club prizes was postponed. £ great many old Thames and Auckland fesidtuits will observe with regret the notification of the death of Mr. Richard Onvon. For many years Mr. Onyon was principal shipping agent at the Thames, jj I!( j by his courtesy and business habits he published for himself a lasting friendship Binongst those who had dealings with him. Mr. Onyon's health has been failing for the last few months, but his most intimate friends did not anticipate that death was so near. The Thames Advertiser has the following :•—" A rather good thing came to my knowledge the other day, and for cool impudence bangs Banagher. A certain licensed holding, not a hundred miles from Waiomo, is divided into ten shares, of which five are hold—worse luck—in Auckland, the ether five at the Thames. Somo of the Thames shareholders, anxious no doubt to go to work and ascertain whether their property was valuable or not, tried to get a meeting held at the Thames so as to make a call, adopt a mode of procedure, &c. The Auckland shareholders, who, no doubt, are very big men in their own ' tin-pot' way, wrote saying they could not possibly attend a meeting—to look after their own interests, unless all their expenses were paid. How is that for hijjh ? And so the ground Btill remains unmanned. I think it is time our worthy Mining Inspector took a hand In the game."

The Rev. Dr. Maedonald, who held the charge of the Dorcas-street Church, South Melbourne, from 1854 until his resignation in December, ISS7, expired on December 27, at the manse attached to the church. The deceased gentleman had been in ailing health for somo time past, and he suffered a shock during the winter by a severe fall down stairs, from the effects of which he never recovered, dying at last of a general break up of the system. Dr. Maedonald was born in ls'2O, and received his early education at a parish school in the north Highlands of Scotland. He entered the University of Aberdeen in 1536, and graduated in IS4I, subsequently identifying himself with the Free Church movement of 1543, and entering on his theological studies under Drs. Chalmers, Duncan, and Welsh. When it was resolved, on the discovery of gold in Australia, to send preachers in the wake of the numerous emigrants to these shores, he accepted the offer to proceed to the colonies, arid arrived in Melbourne with Mrs. Muedonald on Christmas Day, 1852. In 1555 Dr. Maedonald was elected moderator of the Synod of the Free Church, and during his term of office he was successful In claiming for the Free Church Synod a share of the £50,000 which had been granted by the State for the support, of the Presbyterian Church, and which had been ell appropriated by the Synod of Victoria. He was also instrumental in bringing about the union of the various sections of Presbyterians in the colony, which was consummated in 1559, being largely helped by the Union Act which the deceased gentleman piloted through the Legislature in the face of considerable opposition. In 1562 he was ailed to the high position of Moderator of the General Assembly, and in IS7O the University of Aberdeen conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Divinity. He leaves i widow and a large family, among whom Ei'ia Rev. D. Macoonald, who has worked via great success as a missionary in the Sw&Seas. ■ - • Ttas British statesman, Sir Robert Ted, was Tont to keep a private secretary, who.-* »ie function was to cut out of the British journals, and paste in a scrap-book, a/1 tie hard and bitter things which were said against him and his administration. h his leisure hours Sir Robert was amused

and tickled by the reading of these choice eicerpts. Sir George Grey seems to be endowed with at, least this Peelite proclivity. The other day in his journeyings around, with a view of adding to the Grey collection at the Free Public Library, he came across a brochure the frontispiece and cover of which was handsomely lithographed, but the interior contained Nine thirty blank pagee ! It was issued some eight years ago, at the general election, succeeding Sir George Grey's Administration, and the frontispiece contains the Mowing inscription : " What Sir George Grey, K.C.8., as Governor, Superintendent, Member of the House of Representatives, Premier of the Colony, Gentleman of Fortune, Land Proprietor, has done for Widows, Orphans, Poor People, and Persons in Distress generally, and lor the Working ■Man in particular. By Recorder." Then in tfle pamphlet are thirty blank pages, which contain " What Sir George Grey has Done!" On the back cover is inscribed " Voxpratereanihil" —"Talk, and nothing jnore." Sir George, instead of feeling "hit,' , seems to regard the affair as "a Hank charge," and has just added the gorgeously got up brochure to the Grey collection in the Free Public Library ! Some of the political quidnuncs, who were looking at the work yesterday, incline to toe opinion that somebody will wish to see ik off the shelves, but it will not be Sir George Grey.

Archbishop Croke recently sent. £50 as a donation to the Cardinal Manning Jubilee 'unci. His Grace, in an accompanying letter, says : —" To me personally he has been a true and never failing friend. I wish nim therefore, from my inmost heart, health and happiness and length of days to govern his diocese, as he has done for nearly a quarter of a century, with conspicuous prudence and ability ; to edify his countrymen of all creeds by the example of his laborious life, and to illustrate, withal, the thorough devo'tedness of a great English ecclesiastic to the best interests of his Church and country."

" Amicus" aeks the following questions : —Will you kindly inform me what length of time requires to elapse before an article gets coated with silicate after being deposited in the hot springs at Rotorua ? Tou.s .supposing that one of those Nikau v &se.s in the Art Gallery was deposited in u ne of the springs, how many days, weeks, jnonf.lis, or years would require to elapse before r u would receive a thorough coating W silicate? Also, would the skeleton of a wd tike a coating as quickly as a fern

The Gospel Temperance service held in ">& Protestant Hall, Karangahape Road, «3 well attended last Sunday evening, Notwithstanding the wet weather. Mr. *»• French presided. Pastor Geo. Aldridge av e an earnest address based on the »oius "And who is my neighbour?" The Chou-_siii){j the "Sweet by-and-by," in a |T lsln « manner, Master Ryan taking the

*>'e have to acknowledge receipt of a wunst guide, by Terence Gordon, of the not Lakes, Volcauoes, and Geysers of I , ; v Zealand, with Legends." Mr. Gordon ves a very readable description of a trip « oni isapier through the Taupo and Rotorua Inn i- cts ' wiLl ' some details concerning the tain i-' 3 ! of intore - sb visited. The book conyT a, Ulllo ?r,lhed views of the entrance to Alum Caves, Orakei-Korako ; the Huka [' ', *; ', vU,l p«»u,Tongariro, Waihi Waterfall, ij"" ma « Spa, Rotorua, Rotoaira, Taupo, J. . navVi Gorge, and township of Napier. v ; > published and printed by Dinwiddie, «Uker, and Co., of Napier. ft e V , Ar^UN ' speaking of the meeting of ''■"will Council . says:—"Their meetdol, .be a critical one, for upon what is touch u i , ai ' fc this year depends very "lent i, efcher tl »e present federal experi--6 fail,j Per!evcrecl with or is abandoned as mm i mi "■ t But we may hope for the best, '"e's'uU ,U ' S i ab ' ie new arrangements trail-,, n .'," Llle annual meeting of Ausof lei"; i men, char,ed with the task u «on whSf fish, petty ' I,ov i» cial to set b v th See t0 kee P asunder and Unship have - e^' s lhose whom nature and i'uiue joined."

The Auckland police force are to be at once armed with revolvers. Whether this is theoutcorae of Te Kooti's visit, or arises from the Sainoan embroglio, is not known. In .the good old days the force was known as the Auckland Armed Police, and the men were armed with carbines, but it was determined in the wisdom of Parliament to " de-

militarise" tho police, and their teeth were drawn, all that was left to them being " a little bit of sh tick" in the shape of a baton, which as they were mostly " son 9 of the sod" it was thought would be sufficiently useful for their purpose.

It appears there are tricks in the fruit trade as in all others. A gentleman travelling on the West Coast saw very indifferent Nelson fruit at Taranaki. Oα reaching Nelson he found the fruit there excellent. He inquired the reason from a resident. " Oh," said he, " we send the rubbish away, and keep the good for ourselves." The gentleman said he was afraid the same principle prevailed in more than fruit, and was applied to the English as well as the provincial markets. Many people in the colony seem to care little what rubbish they send home. Honesty was the best policy after all. On the lowest ground of selfishness it would pay the colony to send nothing home which was not the very best of its class, as a name would thus be secured for n good article, and a bettor price be obtained. ! Considering t e number oi youngsters who find their way down the Queen-street Wharf, and perch themselves on piles and other dangerous places, the wonder is that some of them are not drowned. On Saturday evening a little girl named Carry Edmonds was sitting on tho steps, and tumbled into tho water. Fortunately the accident was noticed, and she was rescued, -.little the worse for the ducking. A Maori woman named Witara Wharepito, was brought up on Sunday from Gisborne by Constable Hanson, having beon committed to tho Lunatic Asylum on a charge of being of unsound mind.

Tho man McDermott, charged with the murder of Elizabeth Patterson, is now sufficiently recovered from his self-inflicted wounds to appear at the Police Court He will probably be brought before tho Police Court on Friday morning.

It is expected that the second " draw" in the club matches at the Auckland Bowling Green will bo finished by to-morrow. The club, it is understood, is arranging for tho visit of an Auckland bowling team of two to three rinks to Taranaki and Wanganui. Hitherto'an Auckland team has not tried

conclusions with the Wanganui bowlers, bsib at Taranaki, which they have already visited, the Auckland bowlers will receive a cordial reception. Last night the Devonporb Steam Ferry Company's line ferry steamer Eaglo ran on a moonlight excursion to St. Heliers Bay. She left the wharf at about seven o'clock, and was largely patronised. A good band was in attendance, and many of those on board enjoyed themselves in dancing to its strains both on deck and when ashore, while others preferred moonlight strolls along the beach or over the fields. The party did not leave the Bay till a late hour, but all were safely landed shortly after midnight.

A sale of valuable commercial and mining stock was held yesterday at Messrs. D. F. Evans and Co.'s mart. Two hundred shares in Messrs. T. and S. Motrin and Co.'s, Limited, ironmongery business, were disposed of at £1 per share ; twenty shares in the Northern Boot and Shoe Company brought 9s 3d each; live shares in the Champion G.M. Co., Te Aroha, realised £'2l each ; while 1000 shares in the Woodstock G.M. Co. fetched Is 10d per sharo. A man named George Thomas Sullivan, who states that he is a brother of the noted American pugilist John L. Sullivan, attended service at the Primitive Methodist Church in Alexandra-street on Sunday evening, and delivered an address at fche Evangelistic meeting which followed. He said that he had, like his brother, been a professional boxer, and had taken part in many contests in the ring, bufc he had now determined to give up these associations, and become a useful member of society. He assisted in the singing, and played at the harmonium the hymn, " Nearer, my God, to Thee."' Sullivan was present at a classmeeting held in the church yesterday evening, and evidently entered heartily into the spirit of the service. He is an athletic young man of splendid frame and massive limbs.

The usual Saturday evening concert in connection with the Auckland Total Abstinence Society was held last Saturday in the Temperance Hall ; Mr. Tremain occupied the chair. There was a large attendance. The following programme was gone through : —Piano solo, Miss Cottingham; violin solo, Mr. Hood ; recitation, "The Donation Party," Miss Leslie; song, "Come back to Erin," Mrs. Cottingham ; recitation, "The British Tar" (encore); "Love of Home," Mr. XV. Jones (H.M.S. Dart); song, " Trust in me," Miss F. Edmonds; song, " Close the Shutters, Willie's Dead," Miss McGreevy ; address, "What will a man do while under the Influence of Strong Drink," Mr. Knotb; song, "The Song of the Labourer, 1, Mr. Ryan; comic reading, "Talking Latin," Mr. S. White ; recitation, " Marion May," Mr. Leyland, sen. ; duet, "Where shall we Wander (encore), Miss Edmonds. The meeting closed with the usual vote of thanks to all who assisted in the programme. Misses(Jottingham and Edmonds and Mr. Hood played the piano accompaniments. It was announced that the programme next week will be provided by the Dialogue Club. It is hoped there will be a large attendance.

A " free and easy" was held at the Sailors' Home on Saturday evening. There were a good number of seafaring men present, and many of them took part in the proceedings. The mission hall wa3 nearly full. Mr. Williams presided. Piano solo, Mr. Forbes ; song, Mr. Hennesy (sailor); duet, by the Misses White; song, Mr. Shean (sailor) ; song, "My Own New Zealand Home," Miss Clark ; song, Mr. Harry Williams; song, Mr. C. East; recitation, Mr. Cooke; song, Mr. Barclay (sailor); violin and piano (duet), the Misses White song, Mr. Flemming; recitation, Mr Forbes; song, Mrs. Clark. The proceed-, ings closed with a hymn and the benediction. We are glad to learn that the institution is winning its way baok by the new method of management to the confidence of the seamen visiting the port. There are now 18 to 24 regular boarders. Some of the men say they have never been so comfortable since leaving their own home, while others enjoy a comfort to which they have hitherto been strangers.

The well-known dairymen, Messrs. Ambnry and English, received a London cablegram yesterday, stating that if they could guarantee a sufficient supply of butter of the quality shipped by them in November, the consignees were prepared to assure a good price. The firm state the price named would pay them better even with shipping and commission charges added than selling in the local market. The butter they sent home was on the market eight weeks after being made, and arrived in London in the pink of condition, consequently the top price was obtained.

A unique horse-flesh story comes from Philadelphia. The famous American steeplechaser Pandora was shot because of incurable lameness. After she was dead, some of the choicest bits were cut from her, and sent to the cuisine of the Philadelphia Club, where the chef was sworm to secrecy, and the meat was disguised as a joint of beef. Dr. Kirsh S. Huidekoper, who bought Pandora thirteen years ago, gave a dinner at tho club, and one of the dishes on the menu read fillet a Iα pandora. Nobody knew except Dr. Huidekoper thafc that course was a part of poor old Pandora's body. After the fillet had been eaten and pronounced toothsome by the guests, Dr. Huidekoper remarked that he was glad of his guests' appreciation of his horse, for, he said, you have just eaten her. In silence the company rose to their feet, lifted their glasses, and sipped solemnly to the memory of the old grey mare they had just devoured.

There are now some 4200 species of flowers cultivated in Europe; and it is a matter of some surprise, as well as regret, that only 420, exactly 10 per cent., are odorous. Perfume, therefore, the special "poet attribute" of flowers, is the exception, not the rule. White flowers are the most numerous, there being 1194 species of this colour. They also include the largest of fragrant species," 187. The other colours are yellow, 951, 77 scented j red, 823 only, but 84 of these having scent; blue, 594, 31 only scented ; violet, 308, 13 only scented ; and 230 parti-coloured, of which 28 have scent.

From all quarters come the cheering news that the present harvest appears to be highly encouraging. Of course in many districts the reaper and binder has not yet been turned into the wheat and oaten fields, but in several districts in this province harvest operations have been well begun, and in northern districts, whore the quantities sown are small, the harvesting operations are well advanced. Some correspondents have implied that the crop is not likely to be quite so good as could have been desired, but in the great majority of cases present appearances give much encouragement to the husbandman. Even from the Wellington and Taranaki districts very favourable accounts have come to hand, and upon the whole we think it may be fairly concluded that the present harvest will be one wliich will be quite satisfactory to the farmers so far as quantity and quality are concerned. In almost every district where wheat has been grown in previous years there appears to be a considerable extension of the cultivated area this year. The rising price of wheat in foreign markets, and the low price of all animal products, no doubt have been potent causes in making our fanners turn their attention to this crop in the Auckland province. Last year the Auckland average was considerably in excess of the general average for the colony, and there is no reason to anticipate a less favourable result this year. The. firm demand which has arisen in New South Wales for breadstuffs will no doubt tend to stiffen prices as the season advances. This extension of culture appears not to be confined to European settlers, for in several instances the Maoris have shown a considerablo enterprise in extending their culture of wheat. It would be desirable to obtain as close an approximate as possible of the extent towhich wheatandoats arogrown in the several districts in the North Island before the agricultural statistics come to hand, as their publication is generally too late fco be of much use as a guide for tho sowing of winter wheat. In this our district correspondents might do useful work by giving an approximate respecively of tlie wheat and oats grown in their several districts, and the probable average yield of the crop. Information of this class is always useful, and of considerable interest to a wide circle of readers. It will be a lone time yet before tho Auckland farmers "produce the quantity of wheat necessary to feed the people who find a living within her borders. The s.s. Mararoa has some fifty tons of potatoes among her cargo for Sydney from Napier and Gisborne. They are in bags, but practical men say that if the shippers had put the potatoes in rough boxes it would only have cost 10s a ton extra, while the increased price obtained in the Sydney market would have been from £'2 to £3 per ton.

The annivrsary services of fche Mount Eden Baptist Church were held on Sunday, bub the inclemency of the weather affected the attendance. The morning service was conducted by the Rev. J. D. Gilmore, and the evening one by the Rev. E. Best, who delivered appropriate discourses. Agricultural matters in the Forty Milo Bush are in a prosperous condition. The Wairarapa Daily says that the potato crop is in splendid condition, and larsre yields are expected. It is estimated that quite a thousand tons -will be available for export. A great quantity of grass seed, rye and cocksfoot principally, is now being gathered. It may interest a good many parties who have no admiration for fche sparrow to learn that a letter from Miss E. A. Ormerod, of St. Albans, England, on the sparrow nuisance, has been received by Mr. A. Moli- ! neaux, a member of the committee of fche ! Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society, Adelaide, in which was enclosed the sum of £5, with a request that Mr. Molineaux would take the trouble, on her part, to use ifc as he thought best to further lessen the number of the sparrows. She thought it mighb bo used either for prizes for eggs and heads, or for payment to those who weigh or count—she wished in this case that her name should be mentioned as co-operating, for she is trying by every means she can to lessen the crying evil. She remarked thab the martins and swallows, which really do clear legions of insects, are being driven away by these dugnacious robbers.

Auckland and Wellington ore not the only cities where the corporation water has been in an unsatisfactory state. A correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald sent a bottle of water supplied to the inhabitants of Parramatti for drinking and domestic purposes. The Herald ways : — "The water is turbid, almost milky in colour, is full of specks of floating matter, and has a decidedly putrid smell. No one would think it fit for human consumption." Under the heading of " Cockney-Scotch," the St. James' Gazette has the following : — At last a Scotsman has been found to admit that the English are more polite than his own countrymen ; and, what is even more marvellous, he made the assertion without anybody exclaiming " Hoot awa', mon." The gentleman's name will go down to fame. He is Mr. Primrose M'Connell, and he is one of the Scottish farmers who migrated to Essex a few years ago. He lias found—so he has been telling his old friends in Renfrewshire— that the most remarkable things in England are the flatness of the country and the astonishing politeness of the people. Having got so far, we may hope presently to get some such admission oven from a Frenchman. The [ cricketers, footballers and athletes generally of Auckland will be sorry to learn that Mr. W. W. Robinson, for so many years a leading light among those who practised these healthful outdoor pastimes, and the "g.;ide, philosopher, and friend" of many a raw tyro, is about to leave Auckland permanently, and will take his departure to-day for England by way of Sydney. Among all classes of athletes and sportsmen Mr. Robinson has mado himself deservedly popular alike by the excellence of his own efforts in the cricket and football field, the pains he has spent in instructing young players to become proficient in his chosen sport, and the unfailing courtesy and straightforwardness which have characterised his conduct both in public and private relations. It is a matter of surprise that among such a host of friends as Mr. Robinson undoubtedly possesses, no one seems to have thought of giving him some mark of their appreciation to carry with him to England as a souvenir of happy days spent in " Brighter Britain."

At Wellington, on Sunday morning, a fire destroyed an unoccupied house belonging to Henry Holland. The house was insured for £300 in the Northern Insurance Company. The agents will probably demand an enquiry.

It has been frequently asserted thafc' the sex of oggs can be determined by the shape of the egg, the position of the air-cell, the curl or twist at the small end, etc. These tests have been disproved by careful experiments, which have shown that all such ideas and theories are erroneous and absurd.

The sixty-fourth dividend declared by the directors of the Moonta Copper Mining Company was paid in Adelaide recently. Altogether £1,168,000 has been paid in dividends since the company h'rst began work. Since the rise in copper early last year, which gave such an impetus to copper mining, the Moonta mine has disbursed £90,000. There have been five dividends, four, including the present one, of 10s each, and one of £1. Not long ago the Dietetic Gazette gave the plan of Dr. Soxhlet, of Munich, for sterilising milk, thus ridding it of all germs and preventing fermentation. The apparatus consists essentially of a number of small (five ounce) glass bottles, with rubber and glass stoppers combined. There is a tray for holding these, fitting in a tin pot for boiling the milk. The milk is raised to a boiling point in the small bottles. These are then hermetically closed and kept ab 212 degrees Fahr. for twenty minutes, when the milk is sterilised. The process is really, therefore, only one prolonged boiling under pressure. Experiments prove that milk boiled in this apparatus thirty minutes remained good for eighteen days, while milk boiled in a pot and placed in an ice-box turned sour in from eighteen to twenty-six hours.

Objectors should note that Friday, the 15th instant, is the latest date to lodge objections to the city valuations. Ask your grocer for hydroleine soa-p; it " washes the clothes without rubbing," is the text of Mr. A. J. Entrican's advertisement in another column, which also states that he is sole agent.

Mr. Hazard, gunmaker, notifies that all firearms left with him for repairs previous to 1888, and uncalled for by Ist of March, will be sold to defray exoenses.