BATANUI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2288, 6 January 1898, Page 25

BATANUI.

January 3— l am again favoured with Mr G. M. Draper's monthly repot i; of tbe weather at Batanut and also some statistics for the past year, as follows : — During tbe month of December lain fell on 11 da>s ; maximum, '6 l )in on the 4th ; tot.l for tbo mouth, 3 JBin. 'J'eiupei ature : Maximum, 79deg on the 241h ; minimum, 40deg on the 6th ; average 60 21 Sldeg. Wind, veiy variable ; chiefly north-west to s-outh-wevt, with frequent changes to north east iv the evenings. The highest tempeialure recorded during the year was SOdeg on iheJHb. January, and tho lowest 30deg on the sth August ; average for the year, about 51deg. The rainfiill for the year amonutcd to 57'75in, and rain fell on ]80 days. '1 his give^, 7in moie than the year picvious. The maximum day's raincccuried on the 20th M.irfh, and amounted to 5 3Sit>. These observations have been made at an altiiude of about 7&oft above sea'level. If mide at llatanui (sea level), the temperature would aveiage about 4deg higher and the rainfall 2in 01 3iu lower. Compared with other paits of the bush di&trict, the annual lainfall at Ilitanui is less, owing to the district being out of the n.»in storm route. A Dry Day,— The new year was ushered in with an extremely dry atmospheie, and by about nnon tho whole distiict was enveloped in dense clouds of .smoke ri&iug from burning clearings. Those who waited till this day are much more fortunate than those who hiuriedly burnt, and many spoilt, their felled bush previously. Yesterday also was an excellent one for binning, and I hear that on some of the clearings little ia left but the laige&t logs. Spoivis at Owaiu. — Each successive year Ratanui and Ovvaka, and indeed the whole of this foie&t dbtiict, become more widely known and appreciated. 'Jhe boisterous weather which prevailed on the Sunday before Owaka Sports day undoubtedly Kept away many hundreds of visitors who had previously made up their mind.s to witness this increasingly popular outing. The Owaka storekeepers, of couise, had their shutters erect; but I notice that they aie ever ready to accommodate settlers who can only occasionally vibit the Owaka township of Quakerfleld. Business in the refreshment line was very brisk all day at the two temperance hotels owned by Messrs Vial and Meder, and as I looked through each I found everything necessary

[to refresh the inner man. Mr A. Patersor* [ whose temperance hotel is about a mile from the 1 laitway terminus, was also welt patronised. [ There is no lack of accommodation for tourists i and other visitors. The office-beai ers as usual v orked to make the sports a success, and all the arrangements were bordering on perfection. Messrs J. T. Vial and G. F. Mitchell catered refreshments on the ground, and did good business, which would, however, have been largely expanded had the weather been naoie appropriate to the consumption of large quantities of fuiit and temperance drinks As the prZ 1 list has been published in the local papers I will only trouble readers with a note of the most popular sports of the day. The all-day small-bore shooting competition, '22 calibre, brought ;^1 entries ; Wimbledon target (2in bull's eye), distance 6'lyds. Po'-sible score 50. Results : Robert Moiton, 44, first (gold meral, value £4); John Foic?, 39, second, 35s ; II Nelson, 38, third, 7s (id. The sawing competition " astonished the natives," and was won by Me srs Fiiher aud Hudson, with severel seconds ahead of Latta and Jackman, the previous champions of Ovvaka. Tho 2ft leg was sawn through at the late of 2in per second, and amidst the gieatest excitement. Seven boys entered for the jqmho' chopping contest, and while A White claimed the first prize the smallest boy lHauning) did the best work of the lot. The winner (A. White) had to suffer the indignity of a protest, lodged by Mr Diaper, affirming bh age to be over 16, and I understand that the pioof wil be forthcoming in duo time. The men's champ : on r hopping contest resulted in an easy win for Mr Fisher, with Mefsis Hudson tecond and Osborne third. Prizes — First, £5 ; second, £0 ; third, £]. The winner's time w»s stnin 14isec, and ths diameter of his log a shade under 21in. Forspend and quality of woik I should think Fisher could hardly be beaten. Truly man is a machine ! lOmajii Bark. — A conference of a few settlers will take irlace this week at Ratinui regarding the opet.ing of this proposed new industry, and probably a public meeting will be held shortly, at which all available information will be giveu. In the meantime settlers within a radius of, &ay, six milt s of Untanui will do well to consider and di cuss the matter amongst themselves. To establish this indu^tiy on a safe and profitable basis a capital of i! 5 0 called up within three or f'iur months, with a further responsibility for .£SOO, to he called up when wanted, will he requisite. If the settlers — say, 100 with £.c> each — co-c pevate, they can immediately have a \e y profitable and ready-money indu»tiy at thoir duor«, and operations which would result in w.iges fora good many could be commenced within a mouth Failing the alulify of settleis to throw ia their *' fiver.°," application might be mide to the Government for a lo.m of " cheap money," ancl alto for a bonus on the product of the faetojy. Port MolYiNF.ux.~- Many of our settleis vi&itcd V/illshtr Bay on New Yeai's Day, and met a very j lp.rjro company. All the available house accomit'o fl aiion at "the port" is 1 ow utilised, aud this place isaninially becoming o r more importance and increasing in popularity as a pleasant, quiet seaside report. Tahakopa. — The expression may seoi.i somewhat ambiguous, but Tahakopa New Year sports were held on Dec mber 31, and pasred eff wiy successfully, many of the vi itora going long dibtanccsto meet in the pocial company which can always be found ntTahal opa futict ; onp. Cicmc — The atttiopt t ) have a picnic on New Yiior't. Day nt Eatanui was a p>onounced failure, if theie ih any truth in lhe adage, " the better the ri; t y the better the deed," I suggest that Sunday febool picnics could more aijpropriateJy be he'd on a Sunday. Fjke.— TJnforiuriately for Mr J. Harland it is reported that his cottage am contents hive been consumed by fire. j Factory —The i'ataimi cows are "in clover," j mo^tof 'he E-pttlew thi3 season having 1111 abuu- | dacco of herbage, antl v the result is telling at \\w j ]( el factory, where about SOOgal of tjui'k are j rii«mii,ulatod daily. ! ItOAPS Must of our loads are in fair or-kr at jne^ent, but ought to have been triaae loucb > etter pievious to the t copnmen(.eii)erit of the lioliday-i ' Were our loads in any other county, <ht?y would as sr>on as diy weather eventuated Lave been speedily impi'oveJ, and a few exfci'i picn employed for a few' days filling up holo-t, j '•veirt^ougli tt>e dnv m n -hbuulj li-ive to take ,1 j CuiDpulsMy holi'li'V in vanl^r to suks up fov the j ' xti a exi^-rbe. ,()f com.v 3 e\ c,ij r oue "f u«v county o -imc llor<> will pjruse thio r.ut«, na usr>;.l, and ('"-pite ib. Th"y aiv a iieculisily aelf-^iiK-^ and aiupi.l people. " Voub Own." — T Lave not pre'uoii^ly t^k' 11 j the opportunity of wishing my laadeia a bapny ! No,. which I now do in all F.inccri y, and j hose lh,s.t tho slight chastit-enien); I have runted j to t-omc and the f l voun 1 have citiferieil on J otbei.i Itavo been accepted only at their <iutj j \.ilualiou Judging fiom the jnanvc 'inDlPuerH-ary t K'tiurlio leceived from 55r Kditor .-.nd many fiiends ivgarding my cotvtribution^ to tVe cuntiy nbv. s column', I have the con c'nibnefoof having done some good and little haim, aiul am thankful.