DINNER AT 8 O'CLOCK.

Otago Witness, Issue 1003, 18 February 1871, Page 6

DINNER AT 8 O'CLOCK.

Tickets to be had from Mr Bennett, or Mr D. Callaghan.

Wasn't it grand ? and did not the committee and the gentleman of the press deserve the thanks of the community for their exertions ?

The eventful day at length arrived. The excitement was so great that few could eat their breakfast, let alone dinner, lam sure. The harbour master and boatmen were as busy as they could be in stringing up flags. Happy idea from some one — the flags should be Btrun/? up according to their number in the code of signals, to represent " Welcome to New Plymonth," under which the coach could pass. Are we not a clever lot of people in this place ? The idea is quite original, lam sure. The signal staff had a sentence also run up, " Glad to see you safely arrived." The display of bunting was. very grand — every flag in the place being brought into requisition. There was a Btring of them across Brougham street — one across Devon street, and another close to the Custom House.

The coach was to have arrived not later than 6 o'clock ; the energetic committee, therefore, that nothing should be left undone, announced that all who could muster horses should ride out as far as Omata, to meet the coach, and accompany it into town. About fifty went, but — alas ! — had to return without the coach. As the hour of six in the evening drew nigh, the settlers and their wives, from all parts of the province, gathered into town, and took up their place where they thought they could get the best sight of the coach ; and there they waited, and waited, and waited — but that provoking " Cobb and Co." failed to make his appearance. Six o'clock passed, and seven o'clock, and yet no sign of the coach ; half -past seven o'clock ani eight — but there were no tidings of the " harbinger of peace" (vide Address). Horseman after horseman rode in, who, with downcast looks, announced that "no coach was to be seen ;" and the gloom of disappointment moved upon the face of the populace. It was now dark. Most of the ladies and children had gone to their homes, (tired and disgusted. Husbands followed to get their tea. Everyone seemed ill-tempered, and therefore the' evening meal, I expect, was short, for the male portion of the community were quickly in the streets again conversing on their disappointment. The dinner had been prepared — the ticket had been paid for — what was to be done ? — as the guest to eat it had not arrived. A consultation was held by the committee whether it should be postponed or eaten, when it was unanimously carried that it be eaten. Hark ! What's that ? " Cottier's just come in from Omata— saw the coach — Fox was in it — thinks he saw Gisborne — would be there directly." Wild- fire never spread more quickly than did the news on this occasion. The excitement was great, and iB beyond my power to describe. It was pitch dark at the time — you could distinguish no one, but you could hear their exclamations. " Here it is," says one ; " No, its only Steer's van," say another. " I can hear the whip — he's whipping his horses and coming in at full speed." "Don't you believe it," saya another voice; "Shepard never uses a whip." " Clear the road — clear the road ; out of the way ; he's coming," says a man on horseback riding past, making his whip resound as he cracks it on either side of

him. Still no coach appealed* Blatant oheers were to be heard, which were opposed to come from persons by whom it was passing. " Here it is !" at last burst from the crowd. " Where ? no, it isn't." "It's a Bell." "I can't see it." "Then come and feel it," said a man oa horseback riding amongst the xjrowd ; and true enough there was the coach in the middle of the road, the people all around it ; but 6o dark was it that no one was aware of it being there for some seconds. When, however, they had made &Uvb that it was there, and had not bfeen sold, there arose a cheer such as I have never before heard since the settlement has been inhabited, and that dates back some thirty years. But it must; be remembered that the "mask of night was on their face," and none could see who it was that tried to shout the loudest;, or the cheering, 1 am certain, would not have been so vociferous. They cheered for Fox, they cheered for Gisborne, they cheered for Shepard, and they, cheered for the coach. They cheered for every one and everything, and they cheered themselves hoarse. The populace were so exoited that I believe at one time it was contemplated to remove the horses, and to drag the coach to the stable themselves. Mr Shepard, however, put this idea quickly out of their head, for having delivered the mail, and also an extempore apeech, something to this effect — " Sorry, gentlemen, not here before — bad road-^said I'd be here to-night — and here we are/ gave his horses a touch with his whip, and left the crowd yelling with delight behind him. Was not the reception worthy of the object 7 True, it was dark — true, the coach was late — true, no one could see it — but it was there, and the great event was realised. What a pity the three rows of flags had been taken down, but the dinner was ready, and that would make up for all that was lost. Oh, happy, happy people, to be even so much blessed as this. The dinner took place at 10 p.m. His Honour the Superintendent, all smiling with delight, took the chair ; on his right sat Shepard, and on his left the " Co." and the guard of the coach. All, all of any consequence, were at the dinner. It was superb. T here was a turkey at this end of the table, and a ham at the other : and a ham at this end of table, and a turkey at the ether ; in the centre were hams and turkeys, and at the side, were hams and turkeys. Provisions were certainly plentiful, and a barrel of beer was handily placed on a side table for the use of the whole, which, although not actually ornamental, was certainly convenient. Dinner over, Hia Honour Frederic Alonzo Carrington, Esq., Superintendent of Taranaki, rose, and with a smile playing upon his face, gave a sort of paternal wave of his hand, put on his spectacles, smiled again with delight, unrolled a sheet of parchment he had in his hand, and in a voice similar to that of a monotonous boy-reader, read as follows. Thiß is well worthy preserving, so I send you a copy of it : — To Messrs W. H. Shepard and Co.

Gentlemen— ln welcoming the arrival of the pioneer coach to New Plymouth, we feel we should be wanting in onr duty, as a community, did we neglect to express our appreciation of the great benefit conferred not only on ourselves as inhabitants of this portion of the province, hut, »lso, on the colony generally, by the action taken by the Government in promoting, in this enterprising manner, coach communication between the hitherto isolated settlements on this coast.

To the Government onr thanks in the first place are due that we are enabled, this day, fco welcome your arrival in New Plymouth, for we Bee in your undertaking, so liberally encouraged by them, a practical proof that their professions to maintain peace and further the progress of this colony are no mere empty declamation, but & clear realisation of the wants of the North Island, and a steady determination to supply them.

But little more than two years ago the country you have traversed was the scene of bloodshed and desolation, held only by prowling bands of cannibal rebels. Now, we see in yonr undertaking, a harbinger of peace and further progress in the increased facilities for the extension of settlement which are afforded by the opening of communication between isolated districts ia the vast aid to the march of civilization aforded by these facilities.

While thanking the Government for the wise action they have taken in opening up the native districts of this province by means of roads and establishing inland communication between this town and the city of Wellington, we do not forget that your firm is entitled to the credit of entering on this enterprise, and enabling the Government to carry it to a successful issue. We hope the undertaking may prove successful to you commercially, and that we nay long continue to welcome you as viators to this town.

He then handed the parchment scroll to Mr W. A. Shepard, who rose and informed the company that he was not much of a speaker, but he would guarantee to drive a coach and firar with any of them ; he then thanked them and sat down, and whilst opening the parchment

in Ms hand/ I could Hot help noting that thire was* a twinkle in his eye and a slight twitching about his month, which were indications of what was passing in his mind, and that he tn'otight we were a parcel of — well, never mind, t was one of them, and I fervently trust to be forgiven for my folly. I think I have said enough of this affair. Shepard and Co. get L3OOO a year for their job, which the natives would have done equally ai well for L3OO. The roads are so bad that no* one will be able to travel with any comfort in the coach for a year or two at least, and there are fltf Accommodation houses to stop at between tbitf and Patea, although the coach stops one night at Kawera, a station midway.

The telegraph is to be put up at once between New Plymouth and Patea, but from what I can hear, there is little ohance of its being joined. The natives at Pariaka (Te Whiti'a lot) object to what they call " the chain" passing over their land.

January 23rd. Our elections are nearly over, but they have been tatoe affairs. The electors seem so thoroughly in favour of returning supporters of the present Ministry that it was next to useless Mr Richmond attempting to contest au election here, so he wisely withdrew. The nomination tor the district of Grey and Bell came off on the 16th, -when His Honour F. A. Carrington and Major Brown were proposed. The show of hands was in favour of the former, but the poll proved the other to be the favourite. Mr Carrington is a thick-and-thin supporter of Mr Fox, but Major Brown, although he stated he was in favour of the policy initiated by the present Ministry, strongly opposed the members of it going in. There are about 397 eleotors on the roll, of whom 218 only polled, Carrington having 112 votes, and Brown 106.

On the 18th the election for the Egmont district came off, when the Hon. W. Gisborne was returned without opposition. There have been a series of accidents here since Christmas last. On Boxing Day a young man named Bishop was knocked off his horse at the Waitara races, and died a day or so after from the effect of the hurt he received. On the same day the son of an old settler named Dingle, whilst engaged cutting the foot of an old ram that was troubled with foot-rot, allowed the knife to slip, and cut the artery of his left arm. He was for sixteen hours bleeding before he was discovered. The poor young man lingered till the 18th instant, when he died on the noon of that day. He was buried on Friday last, and over a hundred persons followed his remains to the grave. On the 10th, John Marah fell down dead from the effect of breaking a bloodvessel whilst coughing. Although he had been attended over three years for the disease of which he died, and the medical men gave certificates of the cause of his death, the coroner insisted on there being a post-mortem examination on the body, against the wish of the deceased's relatives. The coroner had the father and brother arrested, and threatened the Burgeon with a penalty of L2O if he refused to do as he bade him ; and at length it was done. The inquest was held, when a verdict of died from natural causes was returned. Great indignation was felt by the community at this outrage on public feeling in the coroner compelling the friends of the deceased to keep the body unwashed and in the clothes for fortyeight hours. The coroner is very old and extremely deaf, frightfully obstinate, and totally unfit for the office. He receives a pension as a retired Government officer, It is in consequence of the fees on these occasions that he holds an inquest every opportunity. These are the only fatal cases I have to record, but there have been broken arms, broken legs, fractured skulls, &c. The sufferers in each case are, I am happy to say, recovering from their injuries.