Land and Water.

Otago Witness, Issue 1432, 3 May 1879, Page 19

Land and Water.

COURSING FIXTURES. May 7-Southland Coursing Club's St. Legm, May 13 -North Otago Derby Stakes at Oaiuaru. June 4, 6-Southland Club a Meeting. Julv2 3-South and Club's Meetirg. A«dl iKuW Bracelet; nominations, April 14 P entries; with full descriptions of dogs, April 21. SeVNew 7 |elnWaterlooCu P ,Wa r oo^ and Waterloo Plate ; nominations, May 31 ; eatiies, with full descriptions of dogs, Monday, June July 16-Pre9ident's Cup, nomnitions, July 7 ; entries, with full descriptions of dogs, Ju>y 14.

A meeting of the members of the Metropolitan Coursing Club of Otago was held at the Xc of thesecretary, Mr J. A. Mackenzie, on the 291h, for the purpose of making premirations for the forthcoming meeting at ffiSXfrT Mr John M'Nall presided A vote of thanks was unanimously accorded to ?hose owners of property who had given the Club permission to course ° ve^ ' J-nZ' The place of the meeting was fixed at Dunsbridge, and it was resolved that the ttjtpair -of does be slipped at 8 o'clock on the Ist May. The drawing for the All aged Stakes, for ihfcb. eTeS D 32D 32 dogs are entered, afterwards took place, and stewards were appointed. Mr Bradley, the master of the Otago Hounds T arrived in Dunedia on Monday with VhSk wlucl consists of 10 couples. There mmm The Drill-shed Commissioners, reprinted *y Lieut.-Colonel Stavely, Major Wales Captahis Smith, Reeves, Jack, and BjJtJJ 1 . th« secretary, Mr G. L. Denmston, on the 25th, i£stt? tK possession of the Garrison HaU rSntfie contractor, Mr Beauchamp. The Hall was opened next day by his Excellency the Governor. ' In consequence of the arrival of his Excellency the Governor on Saturday, the regular Sball matches were postponed. Some of the players of the Dunedin and Union Clubs, however, got up scratch matches. At the Auckland Artillery company's competition Gunner Henderscn carried off the champion belt of gold and silver medals. . , "'Ttfe annual meeting of the Wakari Riflef -w» held at the Roslyn District Hall on; Mon-, lay night. Captain Chalmers Reid presided, and about 50 members were present. It was lesolved-d) That one Finance Committee be appointed for the whole cor £ 8; (2 1) Ihat Private Alves be elected treasurer; (3.) lha» the <3.0., the treasurer, Lieut. Gardiner, OoL-. Serat Whyte, Corporals M'Millan, : Shaw, Henderson, and Private Mason confute the Finance Committee; (4.) That the following *c the Shooting Committee, viz. : r Lieut*. Sardiner and Matthews, Sergt. PattuoD, Corporal Shaw, and Privates Wilson and Mason ; fa ) That tenders for a new drill-shed be called lor; (6.) That a letter be sent to Mr Powell, landlord of the Prince of Wales, Invercargill, . Chanting him for his great attention to the members of the corps while quartered in his house during the late demonstration. A Sydney telegram in the Melbourne Argus - gavß ._"A- considerable amount of correspondence baa been published in reference to the fate boatiace. A letterfrom Rush in the Echo affirms that he passed the flag-boat .tret, but the uian in the boat did not dip his flag till Laycock shot past, at which time Rush had stopped rowing. He also says that s. number of toersons stationed on both side 3of the Tiver in a line with the flag affirm t positively that Rush won, and that Mr Driver, being behind, was unable to judge who finished first. Rush says he is so dissatisfied with the decision that he intends to retire altogether from aquatic circles." The various branches of the Volunteer Force in the Colony gave a total strength of 7073 officers and men belonging to 123 corps— an incraa-e on the number of Volunteers in the previous year of 525, but a decrea-e of four m the numter of corps. The totals of each branch of the force were as follows :— Cavalry, 11 corps, 551 men ; artillery, 9 corps, 639 men j engineers, 2 corps, 123 men ; rifles, 56 corps, 3344 ; naval, 5 corp3, 434 men ; cadet", 40 corps, 1982 boys. It is intended to form an Artillery corps at Port Chalmers, some 70 of the citizens having already signified their intention of joining. On .Friday eveniog last Lieut. -Colonel Stavely, with Capta'ns Pteid and Hill Jack, paid a visit to the Port, and were met by the recruits, who bid their plans before them. Colonel Stavely, in reply, stated he should have great --pleasure ia forwarding the application to the Defence Minister for bis approval. A mile match has beer made between Brown, of Mercury Bay, and O'Connor of Tuam, for ■the championship of Auckland and LSO a side. The Auckland Athletic Club intend to give Goodfellow a benefit, to recoup bis losses at the late Kaitangata Carnival held in that place. At a meeting of the Ponsonby Football Club, Mr Goodfellow stated his intention to lining a football team from England next season to play throughout the Colony, calling first T^K Auckland Volunteers intend to have a grani review on the Queen* Birthday. An- admirable illustration of the way in which hasty entrenchmeats and field fortifications may be utilised by a weaker force, to enable it to withstand the assaults of an enemy -superior in numerical strength, at all events' until reinforcements can airive (says an Eisg-lish-paper) was afforded by the conduct of a detachment of the Austrian army of occupation during an episode in the late operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is described more fully than it has hitherto been m an »rticle published in a late number of an Italian military periodical. The Austrian column— that, namely, which under the command of lieutenant Field - Marshal Szapary was .directed at the outaet of the operations, to advaice upon Zwornik— found itselt unable, to accomplish the tank assigned to it. Not only, was it too weak to continue its forward move-, ment, - but, being • surrounded by insurgent forces largely puparior in numbers, ;_; _ it was defeated, ana was only able with great difficulty to extricate itself. In much' coßfusion tLe Austrian column fell back to Doboj, but, arrived there, it fouud itself unable either to continue its retreat or to again make head in the field. Accordingly it halted in the strongest position it could fird, and at once began to entrench itself. To secure itself against attack on all sides, it had to throw up five, miles of parapet, and the enemy was, pressing it hard; but, recognising that in 'the construction of these entrenchments lay their' only hope of escape, the 1 men worked with 'the greatest " vigour, and completed betimes fortifications'which enabled them, to .repulse ther e- ; peated and furious attacks of, the .enemy, and to hold for fully a - month; until .reinforcements ouiie'up, tne, position which they, had artificially strengthened. It .is evident from the ac-

count now publihhed that, had this defeated Austrian force not utilised "the advantages de. rivable from the judicious employment of hasty entrenchments, it must have either perished or surrendered.

Mr de Ears, American consul at Alexandria, has recently made the tour dv monde in 63 days. Starting from Alexandria, he reached New York, via Brindisi, Paris, London, and Liverpool in 20 days. From New York to San FranciVco, Yokohama, and Hongkong occupied the same period, ten days were taken up in the voyage to Ceylon, and 12 days in the voyage from Galle to Suez, whence a journey of % few hours wsrf sufficient to complete the circle to Alexandria.