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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5314, 6 April 1878, Page 2

Notice is given in onr advertising columns that in consequence of the short supply of water in the reservoir, the water will be cut off from the mains from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on and after to-day. Mr. Clarke, the eminent hydraulic engineer, will to-day commence making a careful survey of the city, in reference to the best system of drainage to be adopted. Upon his decision will probably rest the question whether the scheme initiated by Mr. Climie is to be adopted. The inward Suez mail, which arrived here on Wednesday last by the Arawata, consisted of 387 letters, 95 book packages, and 78 newspapers, via Brindisi ; and 314 letters, 156 book packages, and 86 newspapers, via Southampton. The outward Suez mail, despatched by the same steamer yesterday, consisted of 373 letters, 9 book packages, and 97 newspapers, via Southampton ; and 340 letters, 8 book packages, and 11 newspapers, via Brindisi. A meeting of justices of the peace was held in the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, to revise the jury list.. There, were present— Messrs. J. C. Crawford, R.M. (chairman), J. Smith, J. Moore, G. Crawford, Lewis, J. H. Wallace, C. C. Graham, J. Martin, J. Dransfield, and Kebbell. Several names were struck off the • roll, and about thirty were chosen for recommendation as special jurors.

A telegraphic message was received in town yesterday evening stating that the Foxton coach would not arrive here until next (this) morning, as the vehicle had met with an accident. What the nature and extent of the accident were was not stated, nor whether any one was hurt, but it may be presumed that the matter is not very serious, otherwise fuller particulars would probably have been forwarded.

A military funeral took place yesterday afternoon, when the mortal remains of the late Lance-Sergeant George Brewer were followed to the cemetery by the members of the City Rifles (to which corps the deceased belonged), the baud playing the “Bead March in Saul ” as the funeral procession passed through the streets. The coffin, which was borne on a gun-carriage, was covered with the Union Jack. A large number of people followed in the wake of the procession from the deceased’s late residence to the grave. We have before us a copy of the “ Underground World,” by T. W. Knox, and a careful glance over its. pages shows that it is a work of sterling worth and merit. It is not, as might be suspected from a cursory glance at the topics treated, a dry description of scientific facts, but statements of most important and curious deeds, interspersed with lively anecdotes. Mr. Sheridan, who is the sole agent for the publisher's, has just arrived from Sydney, where we hear that the work has met with great success. It is replete with interesting sketches of mines and mining in all parts of the world, oaves and their mysteries ; in fact, it is full of vivid descriptions of the hidden works of nature and art. Some of its chapters are of an exceedingly dramatic character, while the knowledge it dispenses is as rare as it is excellent. The book treats of a great variety of subjects. There are adventures by laud and by sea ; visits to localities closed to the ordinary traveller; stories of Siberian exiles, and the cruelties practised upon them ; tales of life in prisorr, and escapes therefrom ; horrors of mining accidents, and the dangerous realities of mining life ; experiences under earth and under water. The work is calculated to extend our ideas, and to bring before us things which are daily occurring in our midst, and of which many are doubtless wholly ignorant. Tire names of those who are desirous of subscribing for the work may be left with Mr. Sheridan, at the National Hotel, Lambton-quay.

There was an excellent attendance at the Theatre Royal last evening, on the occasion of the benefit of Mr. L. Sothern, when an attractive programme was presented. The curtain rose to Robertson’s charming comedy of “Ours,” which was produced for the first time in Wellington, and gave evident satisfaction to the audience. The piece was nicely mounted and the various characters well represented. Mrs. Walter Hill, Miss Pender, Mr. Sothern, and Mr. Poole were all highly applauded for the manner in which they played the parts of Mary Netley, Blanche Haye, Hugh Ohaloott, and Angus McAllister respectively. A musical melange followed, in which Miss Lizzie Morgan sang some popular ballads very charmingly i and was thrice called on to the stage. The performance concluded with the celebrated screen scene from “ The School for Scandal,” with Mr. Sothern as Charles Surfact, Mrs. Walter Hill as Lady Teazle, and Mr. Miisgrave as Sir Peter Teazle, who acquitted themselves most creditably. A change of programme is announced for this evening, when Mr. Sothern will make his last appearance before a Wellington audience for the present season. The Dunedin Morning Herald of the 2nd instant says ; —“There was rather a good muster last evening for the purpose of electing a captain of the team for the coming chess match. It was 'unanimously resolved that Mr. D. R.' Hay should bo the captain, from his great enthusiasm for the game, as well as his great exertions in bringing about the present match. i The selected players are expected to meet for . practice every night, so as to make as good a fight as possible.. The enthusiasm is becoming greater as the time draws near.

\ 'fwe understand that the freehold of the Clarendon Hotel, Molesworth-street, has changed hands at £2OOO. A carbine match will take place this afternoon between the Wellington and Wanganui Cadets. \ » ;

A meeting of the Teachers* Association will be held at the Sydney-street schoolroom at eleven Vclock this morning. , Five sailors belonging* to the b.b. Taiaroa were given into custody last evening op the charge of refusing duty on board that vessel, * A meeting of the. Wellington Freethought Association will be held ,ou Sunday evening at the Fire Brigade Hall, Manners-street, when Mr. Ashton will deliver a lecture.

The Loyal Britaunia. Lodge, I. O. O. F., M. U., call for. applications from duly qualified persons to act as medical-officer to the lodge., A considerable improvement was effected yesterday in Willis-street by the taking down of the old and somewhat unsightly wooden building which has so long, encroached upon the pathway near the Melbourne Hotel. Messrs. Kohn and Co., Jewellers, have on exhibition in their shop window, Lambtonquay, some - elegant silver cups - / which’ are to be contested for at the Wellington Amateur Athletic Club's gathering on the 22nd inst. At the Supreme Court yesterday his Honor Mr. Justice Richmond ordered the recognisances, amounting to £SO, of a witness named Richard Harris, in Ockenden’s case, to be estreated.

At a meeting of the Wellington Diocesan Committee on Thursday evening the generous gift by Mr. J. C. Cranford of a site at Eil.birnie was suitably acknowledged. The site is more than an acre in extent, and is very eligibly situated. The Hawke’s Bay Jlerald announces that Mr. Watt has retired from the well-known firm of Watt Brothers, and that Mr. Wardrop, of Auckland, and Mr. Edmund Sutton have taken over the-business so .successfully earned on by the late firm.

At a cricket match at Ngaruawhia the other day, Mr. K. N. Gox performed the .feat of howling three wickets With consecutive balls, and taking four wicket's in one over. Subsequently the Ngaruawahia Club subscribed for a new belltopper, to be presented to the champion bowler. The Otago Daily , Times of the 3rd instant says—“ An additional line of railsjs about to be laid down between the Dunedin station ami the junction of the Ocean Beach and Clutha lines of railway. We understand that -Mr. Armstrong will have the work commenced in the course of a few days.”

Mrs. M.‘ Mason, whose premises in Upper Willis-street were recently burned down, notifies in our advertising columns that she has taken the spacious house in Bonlcott-street formerly known as the Queen’s Hotel, which will be opened on Monday next as a firstclass boarding-house.... The Canterbury Press remarks, in reference to Mr. Duncan Ogilvy Campbell’s letter to the Herald on the subject of the supposed caves at Te Ante :—“ It is sad to think what ability in lying New Zealanders are developing. Such hoaxes were not heard of till the colony entered upon an era of liberalism.” The largest brown , trout , on record was caught in the Shag River last week by Mr. McDonald, who . presented it, to Mr. D. Stewart, of Dunedin. The fish,, which was caught with a minnow, weighed 481bs, measured 2 feet 7 inches in length, and 19 inches in girth. We believe this is the largest brown trout yet caught in the colony. One guinea per day (says the Bruce Herald) has been devoted to defray the travelling expenses of councillors coming from a distance to attend the meetings of the Vincent Council. The chairman (Mr. Pyke), in giving his vote in favor of the motion, said :—He always thought when the subject was mooted that there was a lot of virtuous humbug talked—he thought all laborers were worthy of their hire, more especially those who contributed that valuable commodity, “.brains.” . ■ The demand for New Zealand hemp, says . the Euiopcan Mail of the 15th February, is Ivery small, and buyers only operate to execute special orders for New, Zealand rope. .. Quotations are reduced £1 per ton. ’A speculativedemand has set in. for Manilla hemp, based upon war rumors, and prices'have advanced £1 to £1 10s. per ton. Fair roping is worth £27 10s. Stock of New Zealand on February!, 168 tons, against 570 tons; deliveries since January 1, 21 tons, against 69 tons during corresponding period last year. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before J. C. Crawford, Esq., R.M., two persons were subjected to the customary penalties for drunkenness.—Charles Martin and Edward Stuart were each fined 20s. for being drunk and disorderly. They , were charged with assaulting Constable Sullivan in the execution of his duty. Prom the evidence it appeared that the constable was in the act of apprehending another prisoner when Martin and Stuart attempted to rescue him, and knocked the constable down. Martin, who took the more active part in the assault, was fined 405., with the alternative, of seven days' imprisonment, and Stuart was discharged with a caution. —A charge against a Maori named Mokeno, of stealing a bag containing groceries from the. Provincial Hotel, Upper Hutt, was dismissed, as it appeared; that accused had taken the bag in mistake for one of his own. On the civil side, judgments were given for the amounts claimed, with costs, in the following oases :—Brogden and Sons v. 11. Simpson, £BS 19s. 3d.; Moeller v. Dreyer, £69 14s. 6d.; E. W. Mills v. F. H. Mayr, £2O 10s.;. and in J. Reid v. G. Young, a claim of £l2 2s. 6d., judgment was given for £3 10s.

The Ladies' Committee of the Servants’ Home in Adelaide took the very sensible step some time ago of establishing cookery classes in connection with that institution. The following statement concerning the success of this effort to construct good cooks, and, as it were, to lay the basis of much future happiness for society in South Australia, will be perused with admiration, flavored with envy, by many of our readers :—“ Twenty-four lessons in all were given, each of three hours’ length, but in two series of twelve lessons each. One series was to young ladies on payment of one guinea for the whole series, 10a. 6d. for the half-series, or 2a. 6d. for the single lesson. The other series of twelve lessons were for servants, who were charged 6d. per lesson. An interval of one week elapsed between each set of these two lessons, which for economy of time and money embraced the same subjects on the same day. The subject s of the twelve sets of lessons were generally advertised beforehand, to admit of previous preparation by the pupils if so disposed. They ranged as follows, namely : —Outlets and potatoes, soups, fish, jellies and creams, pastry, puddings, curries, potted meats, poultry, cold meat cookery for hashes, &c, omelettes, &c,, calves’ heads, jugged hare, mock turtle soup. The attendance of lady pupils varied from 40 to 90 per lesson, and those of servants from 15 to 30. The tetal expenditure incurred amounted to £76 3s. lOd. The total receipts amounted ( to £9O 7a. 7d., made up as follows : Fees from lady pupils, £79 19a.; fee 6d. each servant, £9 10s. 6d.; cooked food sold, 18s. Id.; total, £9O 7s. 7d. .The sum of £l4 3s. 9d. thus remains as surplus on the undertaking, in addition to the value of cooking aud table utensils in stock.”

About four years ago, M. Aoki, the Japanese envoy at Berlin, requested in the name of his Government, a firm of brewers in that city to take a young Japanese named Nakanava as an apprentice,in order that he might be thoroughly instructed in the art of making lager-beer. They consented, and when the young lad was considered sufficiently skilled in brewing they passed him on to another house, where he was taught everything connected with the preparation of malt. The whole apprenticeship lasted about three years. Meantime the Japanese Government had built and fitted up at Tokio a large brewery, according to plans sent out from Germany, and on Nakana'a return home he was placed in charge of it. The intention of the Government is that it shall serve as a school for the practical training of young Japanese in the mysteries of brewing.

; of houses aud heiresses (says “Atlas" in the World), it is reported that Baron Grant’s palace at Kensington has been purchased by Mr. Mackey, the American millionaire/ whose magnificent fete in Baris was recently described in the World. This gentleman. s income is popularly estimated at £3OO per hour, or £5 per minute. He has A daughter. The attention of rising young statesmen is called to the above fact;"'

A West Coast paper states that while in Milford Sounds which: he -visited with Sir George Grey and party, the Captain 3? raser'discovered a workable vein of statuary marble 12ft. in thickness. It is situated in Anita Bay, in a convenient position for shipCaptain Fraser immediately reported the discovery to the Minister for Lands, and made application for the ground with a view to working the quarry. The Euabalong correspondent of the Bay Standard, writing under the date ,of 18th ultimo, reports the following shocking occurences “On Friday the 15th ultimo, a tansinker, named James Johnson, who was camped about six miles from ' Condobolin, weut to that township, and left again for the camp during the severe thunderstorm raging at .that place, and when within 300 yards from the town his horse refused to face the storm, whereupon he took shelter by a large yellow box tree. After the storm had abated, he and hir horse were found dead, having been struck by lightning, which is supposed to have glanced off, striking the unfortunate man and his horse dead. Johnson was" a German by birth, and leaves a wife and five children almost destitute. On the 14th, a man named Ambrose, Glover, who was in the employ of Mr. W. Berry, with his dog were travelling up the Lachlan with sheep, and were struck dead at Kieacatoo by the electric fluid while taking shelter by , a box tree. The poor fellow’s •clothes were torn to shreds, and scattered for a considerable distance around where his remains lay. '

. The last annual written by Mr. Marcus Clark (says the Southland Times) is entitled “King Billy’s. Breeches,” and narrates the difficulties met with by an unlucky squatter in Victoria, who, having some native blacks under his charge, applied to the -proper department for a pair of breeches for one of them. The correspondence thereby occasioned extended over a lengthened period, and was only terminated by the death of the unclothed savage, A similar farce is being enacted in Invercargill just now;' The Bluff Harbor Board have obtained from the Government free haulage, of stone from Green Hills to the Bluff, but the Railway Department will not advance a step till they know who is going to pay for the grease for the waggons.