ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8313, 21 July 1890, Page 6

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

[FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] London, June 14. (The Australian auxiliary squadron will soon be completed, and should sail for the antipodes in the autumn. Uncomfortable rumours are current —which, however, should be received with considerable scepticism in view of the high reputation of the builders for solid and substantial work—to the elVeet that the cruisers exhibit the same symptoms ot " flimsinc3S and frailty " which have developed in vessels like the Barrosa, Mamie, Blanche, Bamicouta, Barham, and Bellona after their gun trials, It is declared that the decks of the Barrosa exhibited such signs of weakness during the testing of her armament that the authorities were afraid to lire many rounds. That is not the sort of vessel the Australian Governments are looking tor, and yet naval nun declare that the shock <>t the continual firing of the -flinch quicktiring guns, which form the main armament of the squadron, will develop similar detects unless the. hulls are strengthened. _ The Telegraphic Conference at Pans will close on the 17th instant. A Renters tele(.'nun which has gone the round of the press this week makes a statement to the etlect that upon the initiative or Sir Francis Dillon Bell, Agent-General for New Zealand, negotiations have been commenced with a view of bringing about an arrangement with tie French and German Governments ami the .Eastern Kx tension Telegraph Company for: reduction of the cable taritl between tit continent and Australasia, similar to the scheme now under consideration for reducing the tarili between Kngland and the colonies. This telegram appears to be quite erroneous. Your Paris correspondent has seen ,Sir Francis Bell on thesubject. and is informed by him that although tjie subject has been discussed by himself and some other members of the Conference, no official steps whatever have been taken ill the matter. Sir John Fender, of the Kastern Extension Company, bring absent from Paris, hail not even been consulted with regard to this proposal when the telegram appeared, nor indeed had the other Agents-General. '1 lie Conference has decided to uphold the Berlin rule with regard to the number of letters composing a word. Sir Francis Bell proposed that the huropean rule recognising live figures as equivalent to a word should be made extra-European, but although seven members vote.i with him. there were eighteen against the proposal, and in favour of maintain i.; the present rule, which makes three 'etters equivalent to a word in the case of telegrams sent out ot Europe. The Primate of Australia and lasmama— the Rev. Dr. Saumate/. Smith—is to be consecrated Bishop of Sydney, at St. Paul's Cathedral, on the -4th hist. '1 he Archbishop of Canterbury is to otliciate, and lie will, at the same time, consecrate the newly-created Bishops of Bangui- and St. Alh.ms. Evidently very great regret is felt locally at l>r. Smith's severance of his - 20years' connection with St. Aidan's College, Birkeuhead. The Students have made him a presentation of his Episcopal robes and dress and an illuminated .Heiress, which expresse 1 a conviction that the Australasian colonies had a great destiny, and a hope that the tl.ig of the United Kingdom, which is wafted turn Sydney, might mark the track ot missionary enterprise: that "the Cross and Crown, which there glitter in the heavens, might impress their character on the earth, and that Dr. Smith's episcopate might be among the brightest pages of the. Church history of the Southern Hemisphere. In reply to this somewhat florid communication the Bishopelect said he hoped to become the Bishop of the laity a: Sydney as well as of the clergy. He sails about the middle of next month. The conversazione of the Royal Colonial Institute will !•.-• held next Tuesday week a: the Natural History Museum, South Kensington. This is a new departure, and 1 quite expect to find it a very happy one. The splendid natural history collection which is housed here, to say nothing of the botanical, the miiier.Uogieal, and the geological departments, would atone constitute a sufficient attraction. Une of the most interesting of recent additions to the_ geological department c.iiue from the North Pacific, and has a romantic history._ It is the great northern sou-cow, or rhytina, an animal about "J.~> tec; long, resembling a whale or porpoise, but really helougin,' to the regular group , ''• herbivorous sea animals of wiiicn the <';;:_on.' in < v >n.'e:i--land and the m in,<.:■■-■ are the only survivors, its existence was lir.-t revealed to the world only 40 years ago, and now i: is extinct, it was found only in Behring's Island, after the Russian navigator who w/.-; wrecked and died there. Amongst the rescued crew was a German naturalist, named Keller, who first discovered the rliytiua. _ The- i ••]• _<■! i the rescued mariners that the island abounded I in seals and sea otters soon caused a rush of fur hunters, who used the rhytina.-j for food. A few fragments or those, envious creatures have been found in Northern Siberia, but, until the specimen recently secured, no British institution. Mid indeed mi European museum out of Russia, possessed mote than two rib-!. j The force of habit is very strong in us all. I but unusually so in Lieutenant Stairs, when he found it impossible t-> iWg-.-t his New Zealand experience*, even when tr.unping for Id, l * j miles through trie twilight of the great Central African field. He always spoke of it as a " bush,' though it v■.•■■ a field extending to 224 million acres, or fi-'u: , ti:n..s tins size of Great Britain. Mr. Stanley eieatcl a laugh in the presence of the 1N..,,! Scottish <»(.->- graphical Society, the other day, by alluding to this peculiarity til his amiable comrade. The Archdeacon nf Wellington, the Rev. T. Fancourt, considerately undertook to enlighten Anglicans in the old country in regard to the details of the .settlement of the dispute ,i.-, to the Primacy of New Zealand Hi.s explanations will be found set forth in the current number of tie- oio'an of the Bio id Church party. There are more tilings in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in our philosophy, so it won't do to contemptuously ili-uii-s the following extraordinary yarn, though a prurient reserve may be dewubl". Tales of the divining rod— a twig of hazel which served to reveal the presence of hidden minerals or springs—have long been current, but the latest wonder >■• •- divining buy, Frederick Rod well by nu.nn:, who is a strong, healthy, robust lad of l."i v.-.ns ot ;».'.<■. lie is said to possess "the marvellous gilt" of being able to detect the p;v<enr. : of mineral veins and subterranean v. ■!• ,-. He was tested afewd iv.-i since over the royaltv controlled by the l)ulton Fell-head Ore ('ornpany in Westmoreland. Passing over untried country iiu found several new veins, which sire both strong and promising. Anyone, holding his hand when In: passed over a vein experienced an electric shock, which continued so long as tin: hid remained on the vein. Ii i.-i said J i..-!-.•..: has been engaged to proceed to Australia to "divine. the underground water and minerals to be found in tli.it arid country. The Academy of Scit-neeM in Pan's have awarded the "« jay Prize' , to M. C. Dim;;del Castillo for hi-i memoir on tin; flora oi the Islands of J'oiym-.si.t and th" countries. He shows that the Polynesian plants found on I lie coast and lowland:-! are nearly all Indio-.Malayan or ipolitau, rarely Ain erica '■;• Aiist.iali.m, ;uid that they have been brought there either by ocean or air eurreiits, or by birds or man, v. 11iI«- the plants nourishing in tin: high valley;) and mountains are, on tin: contrary, " sin-ci.il" in their character. Among tii'j \2~2l Hpeijie.'j peculiar to the l'o!\ .ie-;.i!i flora, wllicll M. del Castillo mi liUoi;-., '•'>■!. per cent, are of Asiatic type, '-! or .'• percent, only of Australian Mid New Zeiiliiinl Lypt;, US pi:r cent, of American, nnd IT of the cosmopolitan type. His conclusions are tulvcrKC to the hypothesis of the existence at a remote, geological epoch of a vast, continent occupying a large, part of the Pacific.

Madame Melba, Hi' , Australian jn'imu tlomtu, is achieving a fries ol vocal triumphs at the Royal Italian Opera at Covent (Jardeli. H ,, ." Lucia and .Juliette have been ciithusiastically commended, ami now her first appearance us Lisa in Lohengrin has proved ft decided success, though the music scarcely .suits her as thoroughly its sonic oilier operas. Socially Melba is also a " star," or it tuny lie only "the comet of tin: season."' She sang this week at a brilliant reception given by Mr. A. \V. Robertson, of Gobi) and Co. n» ; l Mount Morgan fame, at which the Duke of Edinburgh ami .-ill the great wurlil attended. I believe her honorarium was 'Mi guineas, and there Were several other musical lights pre.sent, .so you can form some idea of the pecuniary sacrifices Australian millionaires liavu to make to force an entrance into smart society. Mr. W. Stead's proposed national memorial to Her .Maji ;t,v in favour of a penny postage between all Englishspeaking lands, is proving a valuable stimulus to the agitation. Liu has already received many thousands of signatures, and will receive many more, as his list, of memorialists will not close until the 'Jlst instant. Many leading worn* have also responded to his appeal. I mention a few of the most notable petitioners :—Dukes of Fife and Sutherland. Marquis <>t Ripon, Cardinal Manning, Bishops of London, Bedford, Rochester, Bath, Liverpool, Durham, many mayors, editors, etc.

The approaching collapse of American competition is predicted, and iiiitish farmers and Irish graziers are told to lake heart, «s the troubles and ruin resulting from the excessive competition of American produce will soon be things of the past, it this news be trne, the conditions of agriculture will once more be revolutionised in these islands, and the inUueiice of the change will be felt at even your end of tiie world, li is contended that American competition, so far as wheat

and meat are concerned, is on its last legs. and that iu a very short time America will have to import wheat to feed her own population. It is calculated that within five years from January last, domestic consumption in America will absorb the entire product of cereals. The diplomas in medicine and surgery which Professor H. B. Allen obtained at the University of Melbourne have just been # registered by the Council of Medical Examination of the United Kingdom. This success lias only been achieved after most pertinacious efforts, and Professor Allen deserves to be the first colonial who has been registered under the Imperial Act passed in KSStJ, for his exertions have materially assisted to bring the agitation to a successful issue. There. should be no reason why the University of New Zealand should not obtain a similar recognition to the University of Melbourne. Lord Dunlo and his wife—Miss Belle Hilton, of music hall notoriety, will supply the next society sensation. 'I ho divorce action instituted by his lordship will come on for hearing during the present sittings. Another victory for electricity! A new process of tanning by this agent has just been introduced from Paris. It accomplishes in a ivw days what formerly took months. Light calf, coat and sheep skins are completely tanned in -M hours, horse and light ox hides in 7'J hours, and heavy ox hides in from 120 to 144 hours. Heavy salted Australian hides, which had been operated upon for ">H days have been pronounced by experts to be perfectly tanned. Professor James l>. Dana in his work, '•Characteristics of Volcanoes," devotes special attention to the great open fiveworking craters of the island of Hawaii. 'I he claims of Kilanea and Mouna Loa are pronounced at least as worthy of investigation us those of Ktna and Vesuvius. Mr. \Y. Kinross While, of New Zealand, has just been elected a Fellow of the Royal Colonial Institute. Australia continues, to use the words of Cardinal Manning, to show " its true Christian and civilised sympathy" with the cries of labour, which are so periodic in this country. Mr. John Hums, on the one hand, ami the Irish agitators, on the other, seem equally justified in counting on a golden shower tVom the Antipodes, directly assistance is asked for, or even the necessity for it suggested. for instance, a strike occurred recently at one of the wool warehouses in London, and the fact was cabled to Australia, with the result that £700 was remitted home, though the little dillieulty only lasted a few days. The Union scarcely know how to deal with the money. Other remittances, amounting to nearly Jt'looo, have also been received from Australia within the last week or so by various labour organisations. The (llenroek Company (Limited) with a capital of .'.■•. v J,"),(H>t», has been registered. It proposes to acquire from a company of the same name, now in liquidation, certain mining rights in India and the Argentine Republic, and also in the Premier Cold Mining Company of New Zealand. The directors appear to have secured fairly good terms, as they have power to divide i'lilX), with C-jO additional they pay for every 1 per cent, they pay after 5 per ecu:, has been allotted to the shareholders.

Under the auspices of the Royal Colonial Institute the Kev. W. Pair Gresswell has written, and the Clarendon Tress (Oxford) has published, a History and Urography of , Canada, to be followed by similar works respecting South Africa and Australia. The books are carefully revised by colonial experts, so should lie valuable. Mr. A. Patchet -Marten's "Life of Lord Sherbrooke"will not be ready before the end of the year, though a good portion of it already in the printer's hands. It was tipro/>6< of this famous Oxford coach, colonial statesmen, and Knglish politician, that the cleverest jut tl'r*prit of modern politics was written. The following was circul sited as a fitting epitaph : —

Hriv lifsilielhi'ty of It<il>ert Lowe, A tr-u-Iht ';;> friend, a bitter foe. Whither his restless soul has tied, M i> i)..>t he tluiucht, iiiui'h less lie sail!. I: t" IllH Tv.tlllK «f pe.u-.- ami love, F.ire'ivell to happiness above ; If haply t'.5,,i.;,. |~wer level, We can't nmsratiilare the Devil.

Jt i> well kimwii how Mr. Lowe received the epitaph, and at once gave it the following admirable I.ttin rendering : —

V. 'liertlis Huniilis hiejaret (>iii ini|ii-< din>r;mis) v ilili" iilacft, AiiiAnis hosti-, ennlflis, A ink-its iiiiniuif ritlelis ; ■•i s.'aii'.let fiifltnn i>'i pestis V lie. i- iiii-iir.lia iM-losiis '. si ipiid inf'T.is jnrcbit l>i:(ii.i!inn ejn-; |»>enitt-liit, K'. IMs IJialiu.i misiTfliit.

He was also credited with having clothed hi.s epitaph in a (ireek dress, and there are French and Herman translations in existence bi-si,l'.\s, but they fall Mα after the Lain. Tlie " acts "of war" which H M.s Royalist has been recently perpetrating upon tin: natives of the Pacific islands have not Lriven nni)ualiiie:l satisfaction to some memi'.vs of tiie House of Commons, who have endeavotireil to show their antipathy to a ■' 'i i.-b irons system" by docking the salary of tii- Hi-ii Commissioner by £100. Sir (!. ('..rap' l - 11 complained that the innocent were shot down and their plantations and villages destroyed because the guilty could not be. captured. Baron du Worms made a sonicwli it feeble defence, contending that extreme measures were only taken in extreme e ises, and even then \wv,' always carried out with the greatest humanity possible. It was absolutely necessary that tlie natives must, be taught that horrible and unprovoked massacres of \yliit- s could not be perpetrated with impunity. Of course nothing came of the debate bevoud a icw hours'obstruction.

A number of Sainoan natives are now being exhibit"'] in Berlin. Two out of the nine who left their country have died of measles, but Marozi, Lealoti. Leasuasa, Letungaifo, Foi, Tasitu, and Tuna still survive, and proudly exhibit their names etched in blue colour on their stomachs to the curious gaze ot tip Berliners.

A writer hi the National Review warns colonists who are relying upon stoats to extirpate tile rabbits to b'.'WatC lest tll"V have exchanged a bad pest for » worse. He states that a pair of stotts will breed four times a year, with twelve young ones at a litter, a rate of increase which may be proMuctivc of great dangers iu th>: course of a few years.

Mr. W. Conyera is in London. It is rumoured tliat li« is concerned iu an attempt to float the business of (luthric and Co., of Diuicdiii, into a liniilfd liability company. Mr. H. IS. Friend is reported to '»• trying to float ;i land company holding country on the We--: I oast.

Mr <l. Holdship, of the Kauri Timber ('ijinp.'uiy, is on th'j evu of leaving for Scotland.

There is a dearth of .-ill colonial news at the present time, and quite a famine in regard to New Zealand pioper. Wry few New Zealandei'a are at home, and those one meets have little to communicate. There is more stagnation than i can remember for years.

_Mr._ Leslie Ii Reynolds will not return to New Zealand for som<; lime, a 5) he has accepted nil appointtii'Mit in Peru for a term of three yenra, iis chief assistant of central system of railways in that country] This appointment was offered him by the wellknown firm of engineers, Messrs. .James Livesey and Son, of London, who are carrying on great works in South and North America. He will first of all .spend six months in Bolivia, making investigations aim surveys of the River |).-s;u|uadero. He will be under Mr. J. C. Coode, son of Sir John (,'ooilf, until this part of his work is completed, and then he pro ds to Pern. Mr. Reynolds has had several gix»d and responsible apjioiutmciits ollereil him since his return from Trinidad, but declined them for climatic: reasons. He hopes to return to New /'■aland at the end of his present engagement. He holds excellent certificates, and lias hail valuable experience, no hi.s services should be worth retaining.