ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10418, 22 July 1895, Page 3

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

The 60 live sheep brought by the Moray-" shire from -New -Zealand fetched splendid prices, realisms no less than B2- I4s per head, whereas the. 210 live sheep, from Adelaide ._. Woolloomooloo brought only 354 to 40_. Now, seeing that-it costs from 34s to 35 3 per head to place the sheep ou fche London market, the Adelaide returns allow a very narrow marcm of profit (if any). On the other hand the New sheep ought to yield the shippers fully 15s per head, if not more. ■ .-..-■ J .. Sir GeorKe Gcey has not yet fixed the data of his talk.cU'of return to New Zealand. I do not think he has'made up his mind ou tbe subject.-; HesSems to grow mora and more infirm physically as. might naturally ba expected at his age, but talks with all his old' charm and 'vividness.-'. '•■'-' f•, ,•-.- '*'• ""'

. Sir Donald Currie waß very anxious thafc Sir .George Grey should form one of his party for the cruis^of the Tantallon Castle, when he and Mr Gladstone might, dffcer so many years, have ;ec]oyed much delightful chat, while, as someone remarks, " the party woul-i.have' *been all the more mfcsresfciug.for the pcVsauce of: so, picturesque a^psrsOnality.'V. But: Sir George did not feel well enoUgh or strong enough to Undertake the expediton, so he very reluctantly declined on the score of weak health. Bver-fbod'y is; very sorry, Jand no one-more so than Mr Gladstone himself. ' ;

Mr Mendelspu, of Jesus College, Cambridge who is commonly known as J the' New Zealand afchlefce—as he; came from; Christchurch—has been .winning ..more ;.afc-lefcic- v and cricketing laurels. He, stands second in- the cricket averages foi; his college, his figur*. being 34 • he won the trial.long jump with 21ft 9|-in, and subsequently jumped:succeEsively 22ffc 4|iu arid 22ft three timts consecutively. *■ His merits hays been recognised, and ho . has received' bis "blue" .as, a .niember of the Cambridge University athletic team—an honour which he nuturally apiireciates. His.knee1 gives him very litt'eif any trouble ..now,-so,' I, hope to record further triumphs won by him. , JI. Mr Ji-W/'Hiil;;the tenor singer, ssiled for New Zealand to-day, in .the;Tainui. He has excellent credentials -from' Professor W. H CummiDgs . ahd ■'.-■other'!: promiuent English musicians. .-'./:•.. ;-, -J.-,- ,; . .

■ A.youug Maori lady and geo,tiemau, Mr and Mrs-.Rawei, arrived in . England1 las'b week, and haveopeue'd ft. series of entertainments "descriptive of Maorilaiid and. its /.people." I attended one ;,of their j psrformances at Plymouth, J and, was greatly sJruck.;with its high merit. As for the limelight views of New Zealand scenery and sceaea of Maori' life they are simply superb. I have hardly ever seen any po good, j The ent .rfcaiument. was eufchusiastio.lly received, and should.bs'.a remarkable success if only Mr jaud, Mrs Hawei cau get hold of a capable -,agent. So- far their arrangements in England hiivej been sadly d.fective.and I fear they^will not will .the financial reward they so well deserve until business matters are put on a j better, footing; '.._• fy]...f.'77f ..■-■.-'■-■■":■

Mauy New Zealanders wbo,-voya_r.=d to cr from the colony by the lonic 'in ISB3, by the Tongariro in 188*, or by tbe Rimutaka in 1885, will recollect; Captain Edwin Owen ' Hallett, who successively commanded these steamers. All will, I am sure, be sorry lo hear of his death.'-which occurred last Friday. I grieve to add that he died by his own hiud -during a lit of temporary insanity. C-iptain Hillett entered the Royal Navy in 1861, and became a staff commander in 1880. He sewd for ssver.il yearn on board the Royal yacht Osborne, which he ultimately commanded, under one of" the navjil Princes. Unfortunately a mishap .occurred, a yacht being run down in the Sole.it by tho O .bcrue while the latter was running afc the rate.of'ls knofce. Iv reality, I understand tha1; the Royal captaiu was blaraable, but ifc was more convenient' lo miliß out thai his sc-cand, in.'command was at' fault, and co Captain.Hslle.fc had to re.iio However, be received moatgatif-yiug tokens ot the respect aud regard entertained for him by the Prince and Princess of Wales and other memoers of the Royal family,' whom he had so often conveyed across the Solant or elsewhere in the Osb-irne When iv 1683 the New Zealand Shipping Company secured, the Wlufca'S'ar ate-tn-rs lonic, and Doric, then building afc Bellas., to open fche regular direct servic. be.we n New Zi-alaud and London, it wks ■ arrangsd that Captain Hallett should command the lonic and "op-n the bail," which he did by making the run to Wellington in the then _ unprecadentcd lime of. 43 da-,s When the fir..tot the New Shipping Company's /-peCi3;':m,lfc boats (*hiJ Tongßriro) was'ready (in 1884), Captain' Halle-is wm transferred to her, and signaled his assumption of the coaimauil by taking .her out to Dimed'u in 40 d,ws' steaming time aud Home iv 3B days His next trip was made osperimt-nlully via the Sutz Canal, and occupied much l.nrer ; but hu second Homeward run was made in 37 days. 'Next, year, when I the large,- steamer Rimutaka'was ready, JCaptain Halle.t, as" commodore of the, fleet, coum.-and-.d her. and he once moie broke the record.by cirryiuc thoutwatd mails in 39 da>s 3 hours, it.cludi.g all s.cpp-gei*. This still remains a record Captain Hallctfc's health failed him and he bad to give up the service. He subsequently held a shore appointment in coun.e.ioti with the same company. During the past fow years he bus suffered torribly from extreme mental depression. Whui fche servant took un his br.Rkf-isfc the Other morning she was hon-i----fled to lied him lyiog on the i_ed with his throat rut, and quito d»ad. He must have s-creted a sharp table kuifa which he used. r-f u>*h "svmj patby is felt for Mrs Hallett in her afirc'-iou