OUR NORTHERN LETTER. (From Our Own Correspondent.) November 21.

Otago Witness, Issue 2179, 28 November 1895, Page 28

OUR NORTHERN LETTER. (From Our Own Correspondent.) November 21.

THE QUEEN'S DRIVE. The aim of tourists, the course of junketers, the pride of citizens is the Queen's Drive, Wellington. Contouring the bases and irregular flanks, gulches, and abutments of Mount Victoria and adjacent green hills, and based by the waters of Oriental, Evans's, and Island Bays, this beautiful drive is much frequented of holiday time 3. Cjmmencing at the public baths southward of the city and going westward you pass 'by Soames Island, a beautiful rock standing up far across the bay. This is the quarantine station, upon whose somewhat isolated heights many a wealthy touii-t has fretted and fumed. To,the eastward, three miles acrots the water, lie along the chores iln picturesque rownships of Petone and Hutt. Aw ay up above them tower the lofty Rimutsika*, with the rich, fertile lands of the Wairarapas be" yond. Southwards, and immediately overlooking Soames rises.thelongslopinghillof Wainui-o-rnata, up the valley of which is the reservoir supplying the city of Wellington. Now as we round a red clayey promontory « perfect panora"ma of rocks and water peeps, bays and headlands, blue sky, and blue hills play 3 upon the delighted vision. Jackson's Head away out in the ocean beyond looms up against a background of snowy clouds. The atmosphere is clear, and the faint blue hills of the distant Kaikouras showing the southern boundary to the swelling tide of Cook Strait can be observed. Evans's Bay, raced on to-day by thousands of white sea-horses, and girdled bya varying chain of long, low, irregular verdure-clad hills, spreads out. Here and there jagged rocks apparently play up and down amongst the crcmiy froth. Now a flock of "white wings" that never grow weary follow a steamer so cheerily over the bay ; then we pass by the Hermit and his rocfey sentinels, and the quiiut pier of Island Bay, and the ship-building further on, aud the rocks of Island Bay, past the broken peaks of which steams the Takapuna, en route for' Onehunga ; further off towards the North Sea, and along the coast, sit a row of rustic fisher's cottages, up above which rise more green hilh. You have now come three or four miles of unrivalled road and inimitable scenery, and if j ou have not had your fill of variety, you may here " satiate " by returning citywards via the picturesque borough of Melrose, with its quaint architure, sitting on hills like eyebrows on a .maiden's brow ; with its Ar.'a<iian lanes and rural hedgerows and gardens, and " town clerk on wheels" ; and finally once more into the heart of the Empire City, full of huni and drum and aching hearts. TROUBLE ON THE SEA. They would >ace the Wakatipu and Flora. You see, the Fkippprs were both gallant fellows, anxious to please then- passengers, who abhor a slow boat above all things. Amongst the illustrious personages aboard of each were the Union Company's managing director and its inspector. They left Wullington wharf simultaneously. " The Flora is a faster boat than the Wakatipu." "No she isn't." " She is, I tell you." "All right; we'll just fc" And away they went, helter-skelter, full speed Off one part of the Steeples one or other wouldn't slow down or give the other room, and so, as you know, a collision occurred, the passengers were Beared, the port boat smashed, the captains both temporarily suspended, and now they have been tried, and by way of punishment both dismissed the service. MISCELLANEOUS. A.s my readers are aw<tre ; the Wellington Post has apologised for having said that the Hon. J. G. Ward did go down on to the Queen's wharf and meet Mr John Murray, and the proprietors having also paid all costs of writ, &c , the, libel action has ceased. The New Zealand Times t however, gloats over the apology. Since the arrival of the Italian warship Chvistofero Columbo in Wellington harbour last Sunday thousands have visited her, the boat having been thrown open for inspecti. n by her commander (Captain Bertolemo). To-night at Government House his Excellency entertains the Columbo's captain and officers, numbering 40. Prince Louis, who is nephew to the King of Italy, and secend lieutenant, seems to have caused no small flutter amongst the softer sex, so tall, handsome, and graceful a youth i| he. To-day all flags in pji t are flying. in honour of the birthday of fair Italia's king. The Coast folk gave Mr Willam Hugh Jones, barrister-at-law, a farewell banquet last Friday at Greymouth "prior to his leaving there. He has now taken up his residence in tha Empire City. By a recent hailstorm many of the beautiful orchards of Riwaka, nearMotueka, Nelson, have had their crops destroyed. Oae vineyard had two feet of hailstones on it. The Prospectus mine at the Blackball reefs is reported to be crushing 4oz stone. Hokitika has got a cycling club at last, and is issuing a programme of events woith in prizes £100. Here is a very nicepoint in connection with vehicle taxation on wheels using the roads between tlokitika and Roas. Since the vehicle tax was put on by the Westland County Council the Grey-K033 road has -been taken over by th General Government, who now maintain it. Recently a carrier defended successfully art action brought by the Wtstlaud County Council for arrears of tax, his ground of defence being that the road was no longer under council control. Plaintiffs now threaten to appeal to a superior court. The Westland County Council, recognising its inability to longer maintain its roads and bridges, [ which are now in a wretched condition, proposes I to expend all its revenue thereon, and, with the view of ecoDpmy, resolves to only meet the Becond Wednesday in every alternate month There is a cbance for the Owen reefs, Nel=on, yet, an Auckland syndicitu having pegged off 100 acre* preparatory to floating a company iv London for the working of the same. A Greymouth syndicate having won £7500 recently in TattersaU's sweep, have been on the razzle • dazzle all over the Coattal towns ever since. A certain Mrs Tracey, living away down in South Westland at a place called Jftangiri, as a mode of showing the lady teacher there that -she must cot quarrel with her, broke open the school door tbe other day and marched her children from the schoolroom. The Education Board, in order to show her her duty more plainly, have determined to summons the offending matron for hi-r housebreaking proclivities. Iv connection with the recent find of the 20oz stone in the Tyrconnel mine, Alpine Hill, Lycll, a survey of the line has disposed the fact that the Tyrconnel leader is running straight for the Lyell Creek Gold-mining Company's lease. As a one result of dredging operations at Westport, it has been found that the bar and harbour have deepened respectively to 20/t and 25ft. Ma- co Polo, an unfortunate Italian, whilst mining at Dillrnanstown, Kumara, recently fell over a face and badly broke some rib 3. He remained there all night, and was taken up next morning in a sadly shattered condition, but the local medico thinks he may pull through. The New Zealand Insurance Company, which recently threatenei legal procee ling- against the fi-eymoiith Harbour Po.i-d for the kns of The banjti* Thurso, having all nve i the time to slip by, , the Utcy Harbour Board n-sw meditate an action agaiust ihc company to recover costs of clearing away the wreck from the harbour entrance. Mr Ro'ier'ck M'Kenzie, member for Bullor, who has succeeded in getting £25 granted to Mr John Ellis, veteran prospector of CollingiYood, for ■ discovering coal aud ijold there, is receiving the thanks of that community i There are one or two real good policemen doiug | duty at \\ cilJngtua. For instincn. Constable O'Malley jumped into Wellington barbed &o4

rescued a man named Clapham, who wus supposed lo be drowned, but was resuscitated after many hours' trouble He subsequently received a reward of £2. Prodigious prodigality on the part of the lords ! Another decent card is popular Jack Connor, formerly of the West Coast, and whose act . of heroism have long made his namo familiar. Some strange perversity of chance still leaves this people's friend and humbug's fue plain Constable Cameron, while many much less worthy southern men have been advanced in every way. Premier Seddon might do worse than by promoting this worthy police officer. The Hutt farmers have evidently no intention of allowing themselves to_ be licked by the " yellow a^ony," for they are going to have a slao at the Celestials on their o.vu ground. Last Monday eveni' g th<s farmers met the joint committee of tho Anti-Chinese League, an 1 pgreed to take the initiatory steps for forming an association whose aims would be to successfully compete with the Chinese in the vegetable and fruit trade. Good ! Wellington City Fathers are apparently wakening up to the importance of their city. Next Friday evening Cr Smith moves— " lhat next year the Mayor's salaiy shall be £210 iv lieu of the £105 of last year." 1 his scarcely comes up to Dunedin's £400 per year mayoral salary, however. A complete skeleton of a moi has been discovered near Waiohemu Caves. Complete, did I say ? SVell, all but one toe. It will probably be brought to the Wellington Museum. Jame3 Sullivan, draper's assistant. Wellington, is a brute He repaid a poor gill's unwise love by marrying her to save hinuelf going to gaol ; but since then he has never come near her or assisted her or their child in any way. Last Thursday he passed on the wharf his wife, bearins their baby, but did not take the slightest noticj of either, "passing them," as the magistrate sttrnly said, " like dirt." Sullivan was up before the "beak" yesterday under arrest for nonmaintenance of his wife and child, and on that occasion Mr Mai tin, S.M., administered a proper jacketing to him, and then gave him three months' imprisonment with hard labour, in addition to which defendant would be ordered to pay 10s a week towards the support of his wife, 5s to his child, and rind surety to the extent of £15. to be filed in Supreme Court. Mr George Fisher, candidate for tho mayoral honours of Wellington city, is ropeable. Last week some of his traducers circulated a rumour to the effect that he favoured the erection of another hotel at Newtown. This allegation he ''most emphatically denies," and says the nuyor has nothing to do with licensing matteis. My tip is that Geoige F. gaius the civic seat and the 200gs a year along with it. If they haven't got aristocracy up Stratford way they havD at least extravagant tastes. At last fortnighr.y meetiug of that go-ahead district's town board it was fouud that the councillors had ordered each a brand-new armchair with a green baize bottom, an incident evoking no small concern in the minds of Stratfordoneans, who growl over big bank overdrafts. Just prior to the close of the session— the Cabinet, Sir t. Buckley excepted, was all there, and the House pretty full too -some membfi had asked something concerning labour, and the Hon. the Premier was on his feet replying, whan the Hon. W, P. Reeves, pulling his leg fiercely, Eaid in an audible whisper, " It's my portfolio ; why don't you let me reply?" — "Because," growled Premier Richard, "you would have su'd it all wrong." Collapse of the member for Christchurch city. Mr Jellicoe, barrister-at-law, is a whale. I do not mean to insinuate by that that he belongs to the cetacean species of the briny. Far from that — he loves bo*; the heaving main, above nor below ; yet he hns one mammalian attribute— he spouts 1 And that too sensationally, or, at least, his Honor Judge Kettle thinks so, for he fined Mr Jellicoe £10 because he sent the clerk of the couit at Palmerston North the following telegram :—": — " Ec Tapper. Make no mistake. The hearing of the petition was by consent taken yesterday and adjourned. No further proceedings should'issue pending result of petition. Hold you personally responsibly for further irregularities." But the whale having felt the harpoon, lashes himself into a fury to free himself of the jagging, holding flukes, and has moved the Chief Justice for certiorari to quash the order on. the grounds of no jurisdiction