TOtago Daily Times. DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, SEPT. 12.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2061, 12 September 1868, Page 2

TOtago Daily Times. DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, SEPT. 12.

It will probably be considered very ungracious >hy most men to; pfFer any. opposition to so pleasing 'and patriotic :a proposal as .that, for the foundation of University; Scholarships. Few JpropGsals indeed are more likely to carry away one'ssympathies'than that. Tp.pick oui.the most brilliant boys in the colony every" year, provide them with' /a handsome maintenance at the public expense, land, then send-them-to Oxford or Cambridge in order tb earn . distinction and reflect lustre on their native colony—such an idea seems at first sight eminently worthy .of a statesman. Arguments in .support of lit flow in upon- us by the; dozen, w.hile arguments against it appear inconceivably petty and ridiculous. And therefote we shall not be at all surprised' to learnlthat> Mr Dillon ' : Bell's resolution has received , the sanction liof-the Legisla-; ture. |But should it' be sb, weorxiuch fear that' the result will not equal Mr Dillon Bell's anticipations. ; . It wilKprb- 1 bably be found j after a few years'ekperience, that in thig question as in every other, it is not safe to trust to our sympathies. SJEuchas we wish to see the standardofeducatioriraisedthroughoutthecolony—-• tb see individual merit rewarded; —to see .science and literature regarded as, objects!of ambition, we do not wish to see itJie Legislathreinake itself ridiculous in a very expensiveaud a veryiprafitlesaniaiuieri; Theife ho clasi of c(ueatipna in which. Legislative bodies run a greater risk of rnalcing themselves ridiculous than in this. ,The members of colonial Legislatures, as a ,Wle^ u are scarcely, competent>^p pffer.an? opinion on matters relating tp the' higher1 branches of veducatiph. -The - greater number lof our i;epreßehta^iy;eß, are men -whose lives have been .passed in" practical, pursuits, .^and iv;ho. hive never paid any serious attention to i any j department of either sci 6nce, litbrafiire, Jbr art. The'speeches reported in Hansard on this subject are evidence jin ; po^it; uNfo one .would: suppose, from a perusal ;0f 'ttip^e,speeches, thait the speakera.were'grave practical^men who thoroughlyv'understood the|%ubject/ liH^r discusse^i^, ,^'gme of oeiF4«rgu3»ents ■ a^e^positively' "chi|disK^ remmding^us^of r the glowing. ( and L) «nsu^^nifcMJifhetoric W^jhave ail heard in thedeba^mgsoci&tiiies of our yo^,oiMr J)n.LOjrl^mii, fprM^ stance, teils^uia^|ia£ his':pl?4" $3^l%#|b%|o; ; •sj^^^ij^i^p : hsd. show^' b6rispicuon^!talent;eyferj;^^*f ■-^\.'lfe^% BiL^^pe^^Smtoif eduoa^alrl^and|ifi|e|^^ aijjthing ypnng^li*iif.thii

jcolome^wlior a^^|uppd3e§ thirst fcnk dream of Mlq^g3^ so^&^iaaniic j^^iffieuity; jpi&^tttes&X itseK tdtvMs mind.f JxiWhereiß^^ffie?%;^pfi|p|^ti^"liate]^; ,-Ttot; come .ftpai |j j^ 'jß.Qjclr^f a .--we- —to-—-ber-sTire. %^ eiveu.alvfcw^f'^^ycmng ■ ijcnien~^ of be !■"' picked lye^fi^^'^^scliool?: Qf;\New ■ p.^aa'^^BEiLiteli us'how.'inany t ?^^ e';;^i<ip^J^^tfier"iEoWands of.' menhiSg^ojiipito the Fniversitieß; ja;*h.e :Unit|iJKiagdoia-4isplay conspicur; LOtui^l&Uy; ? t 'i'3Eve% ; one kriqws; that, .'a ■ "cpnspicuotis talent is a very; -rate aMgej indee^,, even; in; "tie" cro vfded \ fellaof Oxfjor|.'a|id,^aiQ^ridge; that the greater^iiimiber pi .thegi^iiißety nine out■]of ey^ry Ihundred-r—are of <mer,ely, raverage intellectx_&Q£t ibat'-a^very largefprop^rtion are hardly worth educating at JaUj-.'in. a University-sense. Wheii we iiarrovir the sphere to colonial life, -the talk about conspicuous talent becomes ridiculous^ Universities of "sbnie pretensions I have' been established fox years past in Sydney and Melbourne. What conspicuous talent has been displayed in their lecture.rooms ? Many of the candidates for matriculation are^yearly turned? back as disgracefully unfit for college sfedies, and niany of those who are allowed.to matriculate ate barely ' up to themarV..' Look over the calendars' of'thoSe UpJiyersities, and see^whaiT has-been"don^ ia -the^hope of drawing forth coi^picuo'as talent^Bchpla^ Bhips" have r beenTf otj-nded^ by \he jdbzenj' &th by the State :^ndsby.privlSe:^Ddiyidualsy 'Whilo 7 medals 7aad^ other honors axe. i>^e4-rm profusioiau C Yet i|^s;^a feet'^hui;: many 6!

these tempting prizes are annually unclaimed and undistributed. Here we, too, will find the shoe, which Mr Dillon Bell assures us is an admirable fit, pinch us abominably. Our Board of Examiners will probably fin,d a difficulty?in selecting:! a couple of boys year'after year, wha could; fairly be sent home ■ under the, proppsed regulations withoii^perpetratmg on the colony. How i^Ujcii|'a:aiflioulty 1 to.. bf S ot,°ve r? To avvaYd^ "sxq acaplarships to boys of "merely average ability— that is, ability wbSonJs;'not?^worth talking about-r-would be simply throwing the money away. Itwould certainly bevthrown? away so far as the State i 3 concerned, and in I all probability it would'; be equally thrown away on the: boysi;' And putting aside., the question .of, ability, ■ it' must be remarked that there is absolutely no use in sending a boy to,the ijniversity, until he is thoroughly prepared by previous training for University studies. It has been, found in Australia that a great obstacle in the path of tlie Universities is the absence of such previous training on the; part of their students. Boys who have been kept at school from year to year, under the impression that they were making great progress, have utterly failed to stand the test of, matriculation. What reason have we to' believe that the schools of New Zealand are better than the • schools \oiy Victoria !6r New South Wa!es? ' .;' ;.

. It' is really laughable to observe how one !absurdity trips up another in this whimsicaTdebate. Mr Dillon Belt.-was followed by Mr Tkavebs; and nonsense haying been talked in one direction, nonsense was then talked in another.. Mr Travers proceeded to dilate upon the enormous advantages the New Zealand boys jwould; possess' in the shape of the great'libraries, the great museums, and the great men, whom the boys in question | would have opportunities for con,suitiiig. Mr Travers takes it for granted that these boys—who, if they do their real Work, will find their time fully occupied in working up the subjects for the day's lectures, and.the yearly examination^^— would spend day after day in the British Museum or the Bodleian. Library, in leisure hours, extracting: information .from- Professor Owen or; Sir !&odebick McrioHisoisr. We are inclined to think that jif Mr Travers had recollected for a moment how he spent his.time between the ages of 17 and 20, he would, not have urged Buch ah argument aa this. But the gradation of absurdity" rises higher and higher^ like the steps of a ladder. Mr. Tancred gave expressiohto a dismal foreboding which must be stated in his own words': 'He believed that if one of theke scholars did really distinguish himself, he ..would ;be tempted to remain at home, he-. ! cause he would have a much wider field I than' he could' p6saibly; find in New Zealand for the exercise of his abilities; and probably if he gained influence and made1 .his'way in the world,.it.would be; an inducement not only for' him' to remain in England, but for his family to remain I there too.* Mr Tancred's alarm reminds jus of an opinion expressed by^ another honourable member, ■Mr • Mete -KjnsrGi, when ; . ; he said, with reference1 to the escape from the' Chatham 'So then juat look at the thoughts; of the Maori [people. If you ■ were to take prisoners tb; Englahdj.naost' probably they iwould ' get (- a ; steamer ; and make their; .escape to New Zealand.'- The supposition,; ;in both >is nattufal^ enough^ Itrat it overlooks a wntirigency. 'Mete Kingi forgot that prisoners in England would probably be unableito get. .outside their prison Walls," and Mr T ancred forgets thaifc boys in England' would probably find the field "a little too wide to be convenient. A New Zealand: lad, supposing him to have gained somehonor at ah English university, would not relish, the idea; of passing ten .or fifteen, years in obscurity,;; and perhaps in poverty, before he could earn Mb own; bread j while it is equally probable' that his parents in the colony *would not be disposed ;to provide him with the means of tiding OjVer the interval. ■Mr Stafford also took part in the debate, and "acquitted himself much like !'th€k^rest.! Addressing himself to the fp|;!J#tiohithat sending boys to England ia^rtiißrelyrtlurowing them, in the way of ?^aaptk^oii^lie argued that when young men^areThelined to be dissipated, theyare i'n^^-iektrained ?By "Ihe fact that their in the-same country. This is 4tru6.Jehpughj? tabut Mr Sxasford jhp;ul^-hate recollecfe^lthat the objection i^,npt grounded, 6^ th|^absence'pf; the parents, button the pecmarly dangerous %hiiQiL;a colonial 1Ia1cl%d:al& occupy it'SgreattEn^fishjEfniyjersity.L He-must make - acquaintanc^Sy, and j,mpng* the icqu|intati.ces he wpiil^.^nd of [aStyoujSgi gentlemen with incomes .cobdSemblylargertlianTiis;owh little 4 stipend of £S|so a year, half of which would probably be; swallowed ap in.-tutors'feesrafid the pur^ase of books. ;L__ - An impression seems $p^ prevail, in the House, that unless; our young' men are sentTEibHie at;, the: expense' of the 1 State, they will never be sent home at all. %M$ believe that most of those colonfets^whfl! are in a position to maintain:a : son.in an English University will do so at theic ows expense, if ;they think proper to do it: and we also believe that for those cplonistE who are not in a position to do anything of the kind] the proposed art little nibre than a delusion.^ -We do iioi know why ithei Uhiversiiies-bf:—S^dnej and Melbourne should >\ be -: ignoret in such a'discu"slaion7v^pre"s*'"iii is>thatth( advantages which, ttidss msiiiution^plfej are unknown to our legislators.: JTfie^ can hardly be aware, for instance^ that;; scholarship has been founded b^an^us traliah: colonist for the _purppse_ pf,.|en<3 tinij home to Bnglarid,! every year, student from one pf'those; Unry^rsitie alternately ; the; - •scnolarship^^eiii I awarded to the student \vho: has-; earire tlie largest share of distinction during:hi career afc Sydney or Melbourne,'ani being" interidedT-not merely to give cbllege^-e'ducation to a raw youth, as."\s propose to do—but to give those who ha\ already graduated the higher, and moi 'con^lete? advantages of European TJn

versities. Thfere is common sense fct such a plan, while there is merely shadow of it in ours. Again, if scholastic advantages are the object of these proposals, it ought to be known ; that the most accomplished classical scholar of tha present day—one pronounced to.be so by all the scholars of Engtand-4s- Professor of Classics in the University of Sydney. We may send our, boys^fo--Oxford if we will, but even there they will meet with no such master of the dead and living languages as maynow-b© found in Sydney..- _: The trial of Special Jury Causes was com- - mencedyesterday;with Pampbellv.Petchel?. ■ It was a claim; for compensation for personal injury resulting from the alleged wrongful meddling of the defendant with the, ".tailboard" or .«• flap" of the stage used ©n-the ■■- south bank of the Clutha, in connection witk > the Balclutha punt, the plaintiff being one of the ferrymen,. The case for the ■ plaintiff / occupied the Court from eleven. o'clock' until half-past.;four yesterdayj and- the defend.ant's casewill be commenced this morning.—- - Bankruptcy business will be taken on Monday: •■ ~. , . v:; ■■';/.;.•. '■' ■''■" :' '" ' ' 14 Chambers, yesterday, Mr Smythies renewed his application to have "the ease, Orbell v. Jones,- restored to the list,; and Mr Macassey was h^rd for the defendant The Judge ordered the caae to" be restored j and it ndw stauds at the end of the list. We are informed that tho, salmon in tha ponds at the Waiwera continue doing welL We are informed that Mr D. N.isbet, the well-known importer of Clydesdale, stud h0r863, has just arrived from Scotland aft ' Melbourne, with five of the very best bred horses, one or more of which are inteadedr for this Province. ~ A meeting of the Directora of;, the Cafe- * ■- donian* Society will be held at Wain's flote^ Manse street,:; on Monday evening1 at & o'clock. .-./; ■ :'. £. There was a very good attendance at/the. Princess Theatre last evening, and the pepfpfmance went .off spiritedly. .The grsfc I piece, the comedy of; the,"Bird in the ''- Handi" was well cast and well played,' and" "° Mr Taylor'B skating entertainment went1 o#i welL ; The negro- entertainment by Mr Taylor and. Mr Russell elicited roars of laughter* and Mr; Taylor's , song; - " The ■ > JAIIl:of^ I'" Babyloni^wafl'lbucUy^pplaide^'-'^e&i^'iT of,the ; " Regular .Fix 1' was the after-pieca.;; A To-night, ; the of ". Claude DuvaV* r Mr Taylor's entertainment, and " The Iriak lion" form the programmW An accident of a serious nature, says the Southl&nd Times of .the. .4th, occurred on.. / board the 8.8. Tararua«- on Thursday, while1 she was lying at the Bluif Harbor wiarf. 7 It appears that .Captim. Howcliffe,; of the--"' brigantiire Brayo r went on board the steamer with a friend, and while stopping tospeak"t»"some one, leafit a|ainsfr'Bome cases standing: on.deck. 'These: giving way, hewaspred-' ' pitated down the hold, a fall of eight er nine yVfl feet, his head; .'coming "in~ contact with, the; a chime of a case, of galvanised iron. The nn>. y": fortunateiman was taken up insensible, and W word waß instantly ; sent ;to toira for afc^^' Burgeon. Dr Grigor acjiordmgly "wenfe dcwa by the midday train and- attended, to* thesuflferer. Fdrtunately 'ibhe woiitid is not so severe, as might have been anticipated, no :J.~ fracture; has fceen:';sustaine<Jj:>althoughitha" scalp is deeply cut, and there are good hopes that the; patient; will soon recover, •: :. • '^ : The Melbourne Herald ofTfte 4th: instL states that the qtteation^of the 'boundary line beiween; Victoria, and; South Australia ia creating some intereiit in the latter colony^ :^, :'Mi Todd, of the Electric Telegraph Depart- r '~"' ment, seems to have-"dome:to JtKeconclusiQa that, a strip.pf^^^territory^two' miles' and "a naif" r widei1 hitherto reported to be yictorian^o^. -:■ in reality belongs toSbuth'SustSdi*: ?' '_ The progress of the Geelbng Wbollea. Cloth Factory seems to be highly satisfac- ]..■<-.. toiy. The Advertiser states' that the Com- - paayhavß loßt no r time in; securing wool of - this season's clip, ~?rhe first lot of cloths made from it will be ready for purchasera .." next week jl'thby' consist of Oxford mixtures, suitable for the coming season, and are considered of superior quality^ a^y yefe ■producCdJ yhl.-in;:o;i-'' o;-.-i'.-' :.-f ■■ t ■ • The following appears in an Adelaide paper.^An individual.: at'WiHiamstown, .7 bearing the outward semblance of a man, but ; having evidently a large proportion.-, of tfe&-: ." .hog in his composition, rec'entlyiinderfcook tat _J.; eat two juvenile relations" in the. shape, o£ sucking pigs, for a wager of LI. The littte grunters weigheaVr before jbeing cooked: teaL and a half pounds, and. the old hog demo- > lished them in an hour, and twenty minutes^ : being ten, mirutes within .the. stipulate«L time, fairly cleaning .theobones^ ■ ~As they were fat and rather rich, our hero found it necessary ,^ take, a-.great-deal of vinegar^' " towards the close of his meal,,;andi; weTara informed, used _a. iottla-fuU. As for other -; - fluid, weunderfltJHxihedxank onlya KD^&t ; of brandy.'/He Boon after was seized : / ■withpani, and continued ill for some hours. rs?B.are iniorme^ y;that t:iie offered^ after HaymgIsu<»eeded~soli^s)ffably i witii tiis gastaro-:: nomic feat, |to devour a whole kangaroo dog for a wager of: : LS V , We recommend j this^dividu^'tp secui*e L a passage as soon as ppSsible.fQr the Cannibal Islands. The silver mines recenfily. opened wl Soutßt; Australia appear to prpmdgewieit -A. aesr - lode three feet wide has-been discovered air' thePotosi Mine, quartz from^Wbibh, yielded. 27ozs. of silver to the ton."^^^©^^^^^©!^. ligence has also beeii received from the Sfc i Mine, the. -mjoia^&of rwluljh.\l^.:l ai^untisuaily laigfr €paflli% pjl -biillion. 1 :< Ait^^ ■:exfeaoidmaryi;meeting: ox this^-- r l^ar^QW^rsl^i tlie>: - piiirpose, "of inmfin^r%r«Dgements\fpr pre- ■"{_ 'aecuti^^operatipiMas/vigorously aapossible. n>^e Arguk^f^Me'-^&imC/ce^^ . follows.on' 'iibs prqsp'ects '6f iiiie iboming agrtcultural season in Australia i-—The prospect of a dry-Sseapn? is;:'now:? 'becoming ro^^ i^armingi THe fgales y6f!-/w^; J^ w^ek.^ rSro^bt wltife^ieni rain enpugfctc^^ihost parts -'olfcthjß.neighbpui^^icplonijßS^^^f lii^la tc^ Voctpria. f Andp aid^isprin|dsHbo;befolloiffed; by "an unusually hot summer aaint TMglani, crdparof. aU k&ds \^ beslior^jMadC grass. vpSi disappear^ early in.' the year before tieinumbersiof sheep fiiost settiers_EOwhwrek_;^ ot^ the^runs-^ As ?= K3EeyP9ng .wheaidosa: ' not promise welV having fceeiicteckedby-tiia cold where iil has had rain enough, and }t&v~ r mg suffered from,a.T??anir of ; rain v ;in;;tfcos« parts of the: colony where: the tempeiatut& has Tiot been so severe! ;la. SbutKAustralist . thete has^bsen sufficient rain, to; bring on the wheat well, but red rust is said fobe»p- . pearingalreadyon the plains; anditisalsft . stated that the young plant grown from. ;very poor seed is" dyrng off in places, owing apparently to its no* naying strength to throw out roote enQßgb, fe».

"gastain it. Practice has proved that good crops are sometimes to be obtained from shrivelled, light "wheat; but it stands to jreason that this is only to be expected 'under, very^ favorable, circumstances, and, that if there te a demand on the endurance of the young plant, owing to drought or unusual cold, it will not be able to resist $his as well as the plant, growing from- soil* with plenty of nutriment in it. The vitality of a plant from a plump grain of wheat must needs be greater than that of a'plant from a; grain only a fif t^. of the weight, and that the farmers of South Australia are likely to learn by experience 'this year., '. , . A special general meeting of the Otago Typographical Association will be held at "Wain's "Hotel," Manse street,; this evening, at <ight o'clock, • The Rev.. A. S..' .Fitchett will preach to-morrow morning and' evening, in the Wesley Church, Dowling-street. • The Argus gives warning' that .Melbourne may run short of water during the summer, if measures are not speedily taken to put the Van Yean works in a state of repair. ' It ap« pears that the; watercourses have been neglected, so that they have fallen,in and become filled up. It is estimated that it wi)l take L50.G00 to put the works in a state of thorough repair. Gold mining has extended its operations to China, under the stimulating influence of European enterprise. The China Mail of the 24th July informs us that a company of Europeans had been formed in Chefo.o for the > purpose^visiting the mines, and that the members had invited over several Californian miners, whom they .were; expecting ; by the next steamer from San Francisco, •fcb1 take T>art in the experiment. This news caused • considerable excitement in Hong que, on Saturday night last, and we hoar a sum of four,hundred dollars was subscribed towards • defraying the expenses of an'old miner, at present engineer of : one of i the Chinese steamers here, who is to proceed to the mines and report progress ; probably the 500 picks and-spades, advertised for: in this morning's Daily JS^ws,' may have some,connection with this matter. If >so, go it boys, we say, for by the same we; hear that. the precious mineral promises, a good return: * to tnejeeKers. ;T ~.' :.. A Brewery Company' has been got up in Napier, and brewing now ranks vas a new industry in Hawke's Bay. ,;.plr ■ i* ."•; / The Government has organised: a linfe, of ; communication between Wairoa arid Taupo '<■ for the purpose of procuring, full and imme--I diate information with reference to the ho3-l tile tribes. "An orderly will leave Taupd; once, aridJWairoa twice, a week. v ; : ; Another curious insolvency case is reported in the Argus .of, the 15th' nit.—'• James • Anderson, of Brighton, late a squatter," now, out of business. Cause.1 of insolvency V From having"-made an assignment, in : X)eni cember, 1866, of all his real and,personal^ estate in trust for the benefit of all creditors, but which deed hs had' beeivtitr able to get signed ; also, from depredation in the value of squatting ■■■ property,, arid heavy losses through a drought"; further,from longTCpntinued,-illness. liabilities,^ •' L 200.061 5s 54d"-; assets, L& y. deficiency,'.1 L 200,053 5a s|d. -Mr Courtney, official; ' ■■■ assignee." y; A '' v ; '.■■. ■..' {; ■" .. <: .. The editor of the Wagga Wagga Express has rather a hard time of it. In a recent. issue, under the heading "Another threat- - ened assault'on the editor of the Express,'" • it reports that "in the early part oilast - week a bootmaker and; temperance apostle^ r"named George Everett, sent us for publication two comnramcations, advocating his, ! favorite cause of teetotalisih, one in prose ; . and the other in vei;se.v: Other communications of a similar class which he had: previously sent we had re-written and published; tut the thing\?:as'growing intd a nuisance,^ and not haying the time to Uckhilii compositions into'shape, we declined to publishj them, • and recommended him to send us no more until he could obtain the asaistijuiee of; the schoolmaster in -writ-ng 1 them.' This .gave the gentleman great oSei3LCe;'andeqiriy". en the Saturday morning he ; "repaired to the private residence of one, of the proprietors and endeavored to force open the doory say- ■ ing he wanted to see the editor, and threat-;, erring to 'smash' T"*m if he could find him/. Finding &ikt the was not )n, he; took his departure, vowing vengeance /arid an liour or two-later appeared at the printing •office, where the editor then was,; and 'there^ •with a great deal of abusive arid insulting language, repeated his'threats, until a p.olice;l man coming up, he was given into custody, «nd being brought before the police .magis-. trate was convicted arid fined." ?\ ' ? How the Native disturbances of; ;the pre--sent time affect jfche progress of settlement in. the North Island; may be conjectured from the following in the l.Aucklaridv Herald, of a -late" date :— -f' The Schooner '■ Tawera, which arrived.in harbpr yesterday morning from Poverty Bay, \, brings, up. , twenty-five passengei's—-settlers r who have -been compelled to desert their-homesteiads, in consequence of the present disturbances caused by the presence of the escaped Maori:, prisoners, a^d.tiiel hostile attitude of some.pf: thetri es. re^understand that, the #iole' -of the militia force of the district was under orders to turn out for active service on Mon-* -day last, after date no settler would, be allowed to leave the diatricfc Should1 this state of thingßs continue much longer in •the North Island, we can entertain but fiint; hopes of the development of our^agricultural, •resources for years.to t cpine.."; .. /;■ ~; .;.":' The demand for emigrants in Canterbury; is illustrated in the case of those who arrived ' in Lyttelton recently by the Light Brigade/ This ship, says the Lyttelton Times, brought -out six families, eleven single men, and eighty-seven single;: women. -To show tbe, rapidity with which this batch of immigrants has been absorbed, we May state that" within -eight hours after the"" barracks were opened to employers, there remained the following:; —1 family, 6 single men^ andß single women.As is generally the case, several'immigrants" have gone to'their'friends residing l,jgi' : sheProvince, who procure situations for them^ Twenty-five of : ; : the: new ■} arrivals /reached 0 Timaru on Saturday last, arid before night were all, with one or two exceptions, engaged, at wages ranging from L2o to L3sper,aanum.. They had been applied for, by residents, and J the local journal adds: Ead there been double I the number forwarded they would scarcely, have met the demand in-the town alone, and! great disappointment has in consequenc^beeri ■ -expressed. . :■■''■■,..'■'-■■' '■' ■'■ - j The dead body of a Chinaman was found a short time ago in a.paddock "off thießallarat'-| road. The Melbourne papers give the par-'j ticulars of the case, which are rather curious. It says that a few months ago the deceased, who liad amassed considerable wealth^ purposed returning toiis native land, arid came Melbourne to take shipping in a vessel,

then ready to sail; but on his making application to be taken as a passenger, lie was ; greatly disappointed at finding that the berths were all engaged. Instead o£ going back forthwith■. and resuming business, he remained in Melbourne, fell into gambling habits, and squandered his money all away. Dispirited and starving, Ho then started for Smythesdale, and, on ids way thither, a few weeks ago, when near his destination, ho met with an acquaintance, to whom he related Ms misfortunes, addingthat he was ashamed to go back among his old friends. Nothing more was heard of him in the neighborhood till his remains wsre found as already indicated, resting on the ground at the foot of a tree in the.paddock, a muffler tied round his neck and fastened to a.branch of the tree, leading to the conclusion that he had committed suicide by hanging himself. A woman was fined L 5 the other day in a Melbourne Police Court for sending a letter enclosed in a newspaper, addressed to Belfast. ■ .V : ..■.'•'.,.,.; I ; Mrs Bloor is sailing in Melbourne a " New Food for Infants and Invalids,'^ made from her." own _ receipt. The food is highly Bpoken of. ].'. ; '~,■■ •. • ,•.••.•... ■■■•- •• ; Another Club ia,al)out to open its doors in Melbourne. It is a Commercial Club, and ; according to its prospectus—as stated in. the Age—is intended to furnish mercantile men,, both. wholesale and retail, clerks, commerolal travellers, buyers from the provinces, and others, with a suitable place where they J can enjoy the usual benefits of such,institutions. Attached to the club will be reading rooms, library, smoking and billiard rooms, dining rooms' and sleeping accommodation; infactj f all the, usual .appurtenances of a=well organised, club v .The entrance fee, is three' pounds, 'with an annual subscription of two pounds. The olub will be under the management of a committee of fourteen members; exclusive -of ex officios. It is proposed, to limit the number of members, to 500. Among the recent telegrams of' English: news is one relating to, the; excessive heat felt in England this summer. lii the south of England theheatit appearshas been particularly distressing. ? A paragraph in the European News,; states' that such a dry hot season as the present has 'not i been_ • known" for the" v .last" seventy I "years. There is not ithe slightest trace of dew at night. This excessive" dryness is owing to the prevailing > polar currerits.: In all parts water ! haa to be'taken-to sheep> and -pfoerxattleV; :. ~',',}'■!■ T-.'"■'■■'■::"i'i\:^'- >--'■' ■ Op. the morning of the Bth r^nst.; .eongiderr '. able excitement was occasioned in Campbelltown by the appearance of two whales at the I entrance of Bluff Harbor. A boat, under the command of' Captain Gilroy, late of the Amherst, was speedily in pursuit,' and after | some >time succeeded in approaching near enough for a harpoon to be stuck into one of the whales. - The animal immediately. started off aH; "full'speed, dragging the boatl after it for some distance," when, its strength .being exhausted,! it Was killed, and towed,in to ; tiie ;wharf.^ -The whale is of the black species, and measures about 60ft dvi; length,1 its value: being estimate&^at 'betVeen. L4OO. and LSO(L A number of people from lnyercargill and elsewhere have paid the monster a visit, a cheap I excursion train being put On:for the occasion. ! The capture.oi."this marine giant appeanT to have awakened the local muse, a piece' of ••poetry" having been produced for the occasion, from which we extract the'followxag stanza:— . .'••, •••:■ •■■■'... •■■::.-.■ ■-■)■•■= ■ ;All round'town, ;frqm the jetty to the jail, The universal question is, VHave you seen1 sthewhale?" , ; ; ■? To,stimulate inquiry, with eagerness, all .' ■''"'strive, , •-•.■■. --;; ■- • _--;; •; *_ _ ... So here's a new: aensatioiaj just to keep jhe_ ,-■ ■" game alive. ~, - -.■--- ;i",.;. . ~:.', T"~ < -:- • ■