THE LATE LIEUT. HASTINGS.

Otago Witness, Issue 880, 10 October 1868, Page 3

THE LATE LIEUT. HASTINGS.

A slight sketch of the career of Lieutenant Hastings appears in the leading . article of the Independent, written on receipt of the disastrous news fromßuararu. It i**s follows: — Of our old and intimate friend *nd fellow-worker on this journal, Henry Charleg Holland Hastings, we can scarcely trust oar* selves to speak. Originally an officer in a cavalry regiment, Lieut. Hastings, after taking part in some rough work in India, emigrated to New Zealand, and ultimately came to Wellington. He then became connected for ashort time with the Evening Post, and afterwards joined the staff of this journal, and remained on it for nearly four years. A well educated man, a ready writer, and a genial companion, ha waa liked by every one ; and when the day came that he resolved to lay down the pen to take tip the sword, no on« was there of his friends who did not bid him a hearty farewell and bid him God speed. Even now we have his last private letter before us, in which he writes— "We are going in for another fight, old fellow, and some of us will never come out of it. See Mrs Hastings, and tell her to cheer up." Then there is his "own correspondent V letter, pub. lished in the paper to-day ; but the pen with which the events of the campaign have been so graphically delineated has now dropped from a dead man's hand ! Poor Hastings 1 we shall not soon ceasa to think of the kindly friend and the able collaborateur whom we have lost. It will be sad newt to a distinguished family in .England that the mail took home yesterday, while here there is a young wife and an infant son left to lament the loss of the poor brave fellow, who lies in the narrow bush-bor-dered track that leads to Te Ngutu o te Manu. The same journal, in a later issue, adds the following particulars : — The late lieutenant Hastings was born in the County of Surrey, England, on March 15th, 1839, and was consequently only twenty-nine years of age when he met ma death. He belonged to an old country family, some members of which have not been without distinction. His grandfather was Sir Charles Holland Hastings, who some years ago commanded Her Majesty's forces in Scotland. His father, Henry Cadogan Hastings, was also in early life a Boldier, while his brother, Captain Hastings, is at present a Civil Commissioner in Oude. Belonging to such a family, it is not surprising that Lieutenant Hastings should have adopted the army as a profession. At the early age of seventeen, he obtained a commission in that crack cavalry regiment, the 14th Dragoons, and went out to India with it in 1857. Afterwards, he exchanged into tho 109 th regiment, and for a year or two he also served with the 57th and the 12th Bombay JMative Infantry.. Altogether, Lieutenant Hastings was six years in India, and during that period saw much rough service. He wss there when the Indian mutiny broke out, and took part in its suppression. Of bis experience there ; of the marches, and battles, and skirmishes which he has witnessed, we could call to memory many interesting details, which need not to be repeated here. He was one of many who did their duty bravely. In 18G3 the late Lieutenant Hastings returned to England on sick leave. He had received two wounds, and waa thus invalided. After remaining at home six months he resolved to emigrate to New Zealand, and so, having sold his commission of Lieutenant, he sailed from England in March, 1864, and arrived in Nelson a few months later. After residing a few months there he came to Wellington and found employment on tho literary staff of this journal.

A very unpleasant rumour, with reference to Chinese gardening, has lately been circulated at Maldon, in Victoria. It iB stated that several persona have been attacked with a hitherto unknown complaint, something like that familiarly known as the wildfire rash, and that tho medical attendants have declared the cause of complaint to be eating too freely of vegetables grown by the Chinese, the vegetables having been inoculated with disease by tho peculiarities of Chinese irrigation. It is just possible that the rumour has been floated by European gardeners, jealous of the success of the Chinese.

From the report of the Council of the University of Melbourne for the year end. ing on the 31st May last, it appears that there are in all 74 students attending lee tures, in addition to 173 not attending lectures, some of whom present themselves at the annual examination. Amongst the honorary degrees conferred during the year were that of L. L. D. upon the Duke of Edinburgh, aud of M. A. upon Viscount Newry. The Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and London had refused to admit graduates of the Melbourne University to the same status, but the various medical bodies had agreed to recognise the medical degrees conferred by it. Correspondence had been entered into with the Secretary of State relative to the removal of the restriction of a year's residence in England previous to admission, and with the Continental Universities relative to their curriculum. A scholarship of LIOO, tenable for three years, had been founded by the late Mr Gilchrist, a merchant of Sydney, open in alternate years, to members of the Universities of Sydney and Melbourne, for the purpose of enabling scholars to prosecute their studies either in London or Edinburgh. The total expenditure during the year amounted to L 10.523.