ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8355, 8 September 1890, Page 5

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] London, July 25. Sir Francis Beix has loft Heidelberg and is coming down the Rhine. It is not improbable that ho may return to London considerably sooner than he at first intended. The Agent-General is advertising for applications for the appointment of lecturer on modern languages French and German— for the Canterbury College. The salary offered is £500 per annum. Applications will be received up to August 27. The unfortunate death of the Hon. James White has rendered void the entries made for the redoubtable string of racehorses which he sent over to compete for some of the prizes of tho English turf. It is fcruo his horses have run somewhat disappointingly recently, but better things wore expected as they became more accustomed to English training. Kirkham carried Mr. White's colours in the Derby this year, and was to have run next week in the Goodwood Cup. Owing to the arbitrary ride of tho English Jockey Club, a rule which is not to be found in the French or Australian code of racing, all Mr. White's horses are now disqualified and rendered practically valueless. and they will probably bo sold or sent back to Australia. It is now admitted that Kirkham and Narellan have proved something of a disappointment. They have not turned out so good as was expected, and carried very little of their owners'money. Hut the second contingent which arrived recently comprises several horses of a superior quality. Nepean, Wcntworth, and Mons Meg are all animals of breeding and merit. The last-named has especially turned out well, and was considered to have a capital chance of winning the Middle Park Plate. Had she been able to run, she would, I hear, have carried over £1200 of her owner's money. The barque Me rope bound from Now Zealand to this country has experienced an unhappy fate. When about two miles off the Western Islands, tho cargo was discovered to bo on fire, the cause being supposed to bo spontaneous combustion. All | efforts to subdue tho fire failed, and the j flames gained such a rapid hold upon the I ship, that it was recognised that it was i impossible to subdue them. The crew stood by the ship until it was imperilling their lives to remain any longer. Several of the boats were destroyed and they took to the two last. When they left, the ship was enveloped in flames. They were soon picked up by tho American ship Servia, bound to Hull. Tho captain and 11 of the hands remained aboard and were brought to Dover. Seven of the crew were, however, transferred -IS hours after their rescue, to the ship W. F. Babcock, and were landed at Queenstown. Mr. R. Price-Williams, C.3., has nearly completed his report upon the unification of Australasian railway gauges. He will probably recommend that all the colonies should adopt the sft. Sin. gauge in uso in New South Wales. The cost will run into several millions, bub Mr. Williams thinks that if each colony were to borrow £1,000,000 for the work at 3?< per cent., tho amount could bo repaid in 50 years by moderate annual payments. Mr. John Carmichael Smith, of New Zealand, has just passed the second examination for his degree at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Edinburgh, and Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. A specimen of the New Zealand flax plant is flourishing at Torquay, in the public gardens there. One would have thought that £0000 for an Australasian tour of only 15 weeks would have been considered a liberal offer, even by such " stars" as Mr. and Mrs. Kendal. It has, however, been made them and declined. Mr. Kendal answers Mr. Williamson that his offer does not hold out anything like tho prospects of a provincial tour at home, therefore he and his wife must for the present abandon any hope of a visit to the Antipodes, much as they would have liked to accomplish it. Perhaps, after their third visit to America they may feel disposed to continue their travels, and cross the Pacific. The Leslie-Farran troupe bid a long farewell to their metropolitan admirers last Saturday night, when the Gaiety Theatre was literally packed. Miss Fart-en received an immense reception, and was quite overcome when she attempted to say farewell. With tears in her eyes she begged the audience not to forget their '• very own Nellie." Mr. Leslie hoped ''hey would all meet agaifi " Plum-pudding time twelvemonth." The troupe sail first for the States, and then proceed to Australia. A clerk named Frederieh Ostrich?, in the employ of the National Fire and Marine Insurance Company of New Zealand, has been brought up at the Mansion House and remanded, on a charge of withdrawing stamps from old marine policies, and offering them upon new ones. Dr. John S. Wait, of New Zealand, has just been elected a Fellow of the Royal Colonial Institute.