NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11579, 18 February 1901, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Auckland van en fete on Saturday. Saturday"; military procession was near!* a mile long. c, * n 7. The Impeial troops left for Rotorna eariv yesterday miming. ' It is estinated that 35.000 persons wer* present to witness the military display j« the Domain in Saturday. . The Aucklaid Cup winner Bluejacket won' the principal (vent at the Takapuna Jockev ' Club's Meeting on Saturday. *' - The country volunteers who attended the Imperial troops reception returned to their homes by rait aid boat yesterday. A " rara avis' of a "somewhat singula, description appeared at the Magistrate*. ' Court, Christchu-ch. recentlv. in the shaife of a man who coiid not spell' his own name The military drill by the Imperial troops at the Domain on Batnrdav afternoon proved an eye-opener to the local forces and the public. Such precision has never before been seen. ;

The registrar of mchamed money at the Bank of New ZeaUnd for the la"st year 5 - shows that 45 persms were non-claimants for the dividends payable to them from the I Colonial Bank.

A Southern paper states that one of the visiting Tommies asted whether quids (£1 notes) grew on trees out here, as every fellow who asked him to have a drink had planked one on the ounter. He evidently thought money was alentiful. The sitting of the Police Court on Saturday morning before At. Brabant, S.M., was of a few minutes' duration. A first offending inebriate was corvicted and discharged and the hearing of tiree small charges was ordered to stand ovei till this morning. A rare specimen of a, bird known as Landrail (of the genus Ralidse) was captured on the 9th inst., by a cat (says the Gisborne Times). It is stated that although altogether uncommon, ttese handsome members of the feathered tribt have been previously seen in the district.

At Wanganui the oilier day, a young man who had given evidence against a Chinaman in a Court case, wfft tttacked by the latter in the street. The Chinaman was armed with a dangerous-looling knife, but fortunately he was secured, and his intended victim escaped unhurt. A boy named Moss was admitted to ■Corowa Hospital fromMulwala (New South Wales), suffering fron a broken leg and bruises caused by beiig gored by a bull which got separated fron other cattle. When it was turned it chargtd the boy, who got a horn of the beast caught in his boot. The Auckland police authorities have received information that a man named Joseph Davis was killed at West Clive while driving a spring cart, on .he 15th inst. He is said to have brothers m Auckland, and the Auckland police are desirous that they should communicate with them, so as to advise them concerning tie death. A man charged with drunkenness at toe Magistrate's Court, who had been convicted of the same offence several times lately, was very anxious that he might be allowed to go to a clergyman and take the pledge (says 'the Lyttelton Times). Mr. Beetham, however, had more fai;h in the efficacy of a sojourn in Lyttelton Gaol, and sentenced him to 14 days' imprisonment. Being in doubt whether to use the word " colonial" or " colonist" in describing an Australian visitor, a London press representative asked a well-known squattet from New South Wales for advice in the matter. "Well." said the old gentleman, "I dislike being called a ' colonial.' I am a ' colonist.' But my boys and girls, who were all born out there, glory in calling themselves ' colonials.' The word has crept in with the increase of the native or colonially-born population, and the word ' colonist' will disappear when we old stagers hand over the reins to those that come after us. However," continued the old gentleman, with a twinkle in his eye, " after January 1 next, be careful about using the word ' colonial' at all. or you will have some of the young men of the new ' Nation' jumping on you. Call them Australians, and you are all right."