THE HOLIDAY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 150, 13 October 1876, Page 2

THE HOLIDAY.

When the early risers drew the windowblind aside this morning and beheld the rain steadily pattering clown, they must have felt that all hopes of an enjoyable day were at an end. The dark, lowering clouds to the S.W., and the steady wind from that quarter, were sufficient to convince the veriest tyro in meterology that all chance of the holiday being observed strictly as a holiday was out of the question. At half-pasfc nine o'clock the weather ajjpeared to be clearing up a little, and hopes were entertained that, after all, the races and the Waitaki's trip might come oil*; but at 10.30 a.m. things looked blacker and gloomier than ever. POSTTONEMENT OF THE RACES. The Stewards of the Oarnaru Steeplechase Meeting assembled at eleven o'clock to decide -whether the races should be held, or not. After sitting in solemn conclave for an hour, they eventually resolved to postpone the meeting till Thursday nest. There was a large crowd outside the Empire Hotel waiting for the verdict, and when it was known that the Steejneehase would not come off, curses might have been heard both loud and deep. We overheard one old sport observe that it -was another injustice to Ireland that the weather should have held up fine till the very morning of the meeting. Of course, the weather, like several newspapers we know, is of a very uncertain character, and never can be relied on. For ourselves, we feel bound to admit that the Stewards did wrong in postponing the races. It says very little for the sporting enthusiasm of our leading horsemen, if af ew drops of rain and a sou'-west breeze will cause a steeplechase meeting to be adjourned. As a matter of fact, we question very much if the public has not got wetter walking about the streets trying to kill time, than it would have done if assembled on the course to-day, and there appeared to be a number who shared this opinion with us. However, the matter is settled, and the races are postponed till next Thursday, when it is hoped fine weather will be the order of the day. ARRIVAL OF THE S.S. WAITAKL

The races being postponed, caused an immense number of persons to witness the arrival of this fine new steamslrip, which is to take the place of the Samson in the Oamaru and Dunedin trade. Owing to the thick weather to the Southward, the Hignalwan on the Cape was unable to

notify the position of the steamer on the coast till she was off Awamoa. As soon as the rendezvous flag was hoisted, there was a simultaneous rush of people to the railway station, and long before the train left there must-have been quite 300 people on the platform, waiting to go down to see the visitor make her first appearance in Oamaru. She showed in sight just as the train arrived alongside the Breakwater, which was at 12.55. At 1.10, Captain Edie had his beautiful vessel all snug and made fast alongside the wharf. The Waitaki took a berth a-head of where the Samson generally came to. The number of persons on the Breakwater when the steamer arrived would be about 400. As soon as ever an opportunity offered, a general rush was made to get aboard, and like a lot of bees everybody was everywhere all over the steamer, and prying into every nook and corner. It would scarcely be fair, on the present occasion, to attempt to give a description of the "Waitaki ; in fact, it would almost be superfluous, for so much has been said and written about her in the Dunedin papers, and extracts have been published by us, that we should only be repeating the eulogiums passed on her in our previous issues. The Waitaki left Port Chalmers this morning at 8.30, and arrived at the wharf at 1.10. She experienced a stiff S.W. breeze on the run up. and did the trip in four hours forty minutes, which we think our readers will admit is a slight improvement on the old Samson. We do not say this in disparagement to the Samson, for there is no doubt that when she was on the trade she performed her work most honestly. Captain Edie brought his vessel alongside in splendid style, and was greeted on all hands with congratulations on his having such a fine vessel under his command. We noticed on board our old friends Mr. Irvine and Mr. Benjamin Caverille. Mr. Scott is also in charge of the engines. After the passengers from Oamaru had gone ashore, the Waitaki steamed out of harbour to give the excursionists a run round the Bay, with about 450 passengers onboard. On all hands the verdict of the public was most unanimous that the Waitaki is a splendidly fitted up boat, and admirably adapted for the trade which is to be her future scene of operations. We endorse this statement, and hail with pleasure the arrival of one of the finest steamers that has ever sailed in the passenger-trade in this Colony.

Amongst the passengers who came up from Dunedin in the Waitaki were— Saloon : Mesdames Hay and six children, Carter, Brown, Watson, and Murison and two children ; Miss Taylor ; Messrs. Hay, Brown, W. H. Lambert, Watson; and five or six in the steerage.