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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8669, 11 September 1891, Page 3 (Supplement)

In ten weeks and two days, three men in Marlborough caught 13,862 rabbits, for which they received a cheque for £151 3s sd. A match between the Ponsonby Chess Club and a combined team from the Remucra and Ellerslie Chess Clubs was played at Robson's Rooms on August 24, and resulted in the defeat of the Ponsonby Club by 11 wins to 6. urine: the twelve months ending 30th June, the Wellington Meat Export Company lias frozen and shipped 102,383 sheep, 14,047 lambs, and beef equal to (3210 cattle of 7201b each. The Auckland City Council decided on Sept. 3 to erect an addition to the Aro Gallery for the accommodation of the Mackelvie collection, and competitive desighs for the building arc invited. A friendly shooting match took place on 15th August, between teams from the Newton Rifles and Royal.lrish, twelve men a-side. The ranges were 200, 300, and 50(1 yards, five shots at each range. The Newtons succeeded in snatching a win by a majority of three points. 4 A rifle match, in which a good deal of interest had been manifested during the week, took place' at the Mount Eden range on Aug. 15 between teams, ten men a-side, of the Ponsonby IS!aval Artillery and the Auckland City Guards, and resulted in a victory for Ponsonby by 29 points. By the s.s. Ovalau, on on Sept. 2, Mr. H. C. Wick, well known in Ohinemuri mining circles, took over to Sydney a shipment of 16S0 bags ore, about 45 tons, for treatment by the latest improved methods in Australia. The ore was taken from the Woodstock and Kenilworth mines at Karangahalte.

The ceremony of opening the new Board of Education offices, at Wellington, took place on Aug. 14, there being a large assemblage to witness the proceedings. In the, course of a speech the Hon. W. Rolleston, M.H.R., pointed out that Wellington was behind the other centres in respect of a University, and he promised to support any steps taken to securo one. The return shooting match between "A" Battery and the Rifle Battalion took place at the Mount Eden range on Saturday, August 29th. There was a great deal of interest taken in the match among shooting men generally, and it was thought the result would be very close. At the finish of the 500 yards range the Artillery were 14 points ahead, and they increased the lead at every range, finally winning by 32 points.. At a meeting of volunteers on Tuesday, Sept. 8, under the presidency of Captain Kohn, it was resolved to send a team of five, or more if funds permitted, to the New South Wales and Victorian Rifle Associations' meetings, though it had been learned that matches No. 1, 7, and the Queen's Prize Match would not be open to IS'ew Zealand competitors, and thus the champion match would not be within their reach. The cost is estimated at £20 per man. There is every probability of the famous and long-spun-out Samoan land suit being finally settled shortly. It is stated that Messrs. Russell and Campbell, acting as solicitors for Messrs. McArthur and Co., have notified the Auckland representatives of Mr. F. Cornwall, who the principal in the Samoan land case before the Privy Council, that the firm now waive all claims to the lands in dispute at Samoa, and requesting that the agents should take possession.

A young man, James McMullan, was walking with some companions along the embankment at Opua, Russell, when he suddenly jumped over into the sea and started swimming off shore. A lad, William Murdoch, son of Mr. Murdoch, station master, Opua, with great risk to his own life bravely jumped into the water with all his clothes on and eventually brought McMullan safely ashore. Mr. Morris,'to whose house McMullan was taken after being resuscitated, states that he has no recollection of having been in the water. McMullan complained of being unwell several , days before this occurred. A remarkable Maori relic-has just been •presented to the Auckland Museum by Mr. Chatfield. That gentleman was out shooting at Ihumatao," on the Manukau, when he noticed a cavity amongst the rocks. Taking away some stones, he entered a cave, and in this lie noticed a large block of pumice. Lifting it, he found that it was really ft box, two blocks of pumice having been hollowed out, and fitted to each other. Within these was the lower jaw of a human being. The two parts of pumice had been evidently tied together, and a hollow had been made all round for the cord. To hollow out the pumice blocks would of course be an easy task, even with the stone knives which were' the sole cutting instru- , ments of the Maoris in the ancient times. It is evident that the jawbone has belonged to an aged person, because most of the teeth are gone, and the gum has grown over the holes where they had been. The relic is evidently a very old one, and probably centuries have elapsed since it was placed in the cave. The scoria blocks were probably obtained from the Wailcato, where lumps of pumice are frequently to be seen floating down the river.