AUCKLAND NEWS NOTES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2358, 4 May 1899, Page 40

AUCKLAND NEWS NOTES. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.

AUCKLAND, April 26.-

K. T. Te Aho left by train this morning for Kaipara to commence a political campaign in the Northern Maori electorate,represented at' present by Hone Heke, and will address meetings at all the principal Maori centres from Helengville to North Cape. Aho intends to contest the seat as an Independent Liberal, and while he refuses to declare himself a Government candidate, will give the present party his support in any efforts to conserve the best interest of the .Maori race. He will, however, insist on the sale of land to the Crown being stopped as pauperising to his people, and intends to support measures brought forward by H". Kaihau, M.H.R., and the Maori King party, winch have been approved at every Native meeting lately held in tlie Western Maori district.

There are about 3000 Dalmatians in Auckland province at the present time, very few of whom are ever .likely to depart from the British colonies in this part of ttie world. The hostility -that has been manifested £0 them by many British settlers owing to the fact that .as, a rule Dalmatians have confined themselves to gum-digging and have remitted large sum's of money to their poor relatives -at home has been a discouragement to them and has caused them to herd together in a clannish way, which was undesirable, and has aided in preventing them making friends with settlers and acquiring a knowledge of the English language. A few have banded themselves together to produce a newspaper in the Slavonic language, to be used as a medium of interchange of thought and feeling among the Dalmatians themselves. At present the Dalmatians indulge in no reading. For the present the paper is intended to be published once a fortnight, and is to be named " Bratska Sloga," which in English means the brotherhood \inion. The name indicates the scope which the promoters have in view — to produce a feeling of union and brotherhood among Dalmatians themselves and the British settlers among whom they live. M. A. Ferri and Anton Bullat will undertake the literary work connected with the new undertaking.

May 1. At Waimate' Mr John Pugh, a very old resident in the Bay of Islands, died somewhat suddenly. He was over 88 years of age. Mr Pugh was a native of Ireland, hut he left ,that country for New Brans-*' wick in 1819. He came to New Zealand in 1838, and lived at Kororareka (Russell) until the war in 1845. Then he went to Sydney with his family, but returned in 1846.- Ih 1850 he removed to Waimate North, where he has resided ever since. His first object in removing to Waimate was to help the late John Bedggood to build a flourmill, at which .wheat was ground in the early days and sold to American whalers in the form of biscuits. Unfortunately the old mill has been idle for very many years. Mr Pugh's funeral, calling attention to old- times, recalls the fact, that the church at 'Waimate, a fine building, built of wood, has on a shelf a vestry register which dates * from early in the century, containing the entry of the first European marriage celebrated in New Zealand, as well as the baptisms of those who are now old men and women. These registers cover a period long anterior to any record in the Government offices. In view of the danger of fire, Canon Walsh, incumbent of the parish, brought the matter before the Diocesan Synod two years ago. The Government were asked to send a man to get duplicates and to provide means for then: safe keeping. The answer was not satisfactory, and the matter was again brought up last year, but still no action was taken. Should any accident occur endless trouble would he bi ought about, as it would be absolutely impossible to get the information elsewhere.

The Auckland press, in commenting on the strife at Rarotonga, states that the arrangements for governing that protectorate will prove as futile as the tripartite an'angement in Samoa, and suggests that Rarotonga should be made a, Crown colony.

The Pall Mall for April is an excellent number, bright -with variety, rich in illustration. A fine photogravure of Orchardson's picture " The Fanner's Daughter " constitutes the frontispiece, and a poem, at once powerful and pathetic, and on a novel theme, opens the number — -"The Prayer of the Cattle, Smitten with Rinderpest." Tho author's name in new to iis (W. C. Scully), and he dates from Cape Colony. Charles Dana Gibson continues his attractive " Sketches in Egypt." " The Ship and Her Story " has reached the point of steam ; " Railhead " will interest those who are embarked on a course of Soudan reading; "Old Memories of Afghanistan," Kensington Palaoe, and "A Famous Portrait Painter" are ali capital reading, and there are good short stories as well as the continuation of "The Silver Skull."

' From a Cornish Window," the monthly notes have shifted to "A London Attic,'.' and passed from Mr Quiller Couch's hands to Messrs Strut and Henley — not with appreciable gain so far. Messrs W. J. Prictor and Co., publisher^ Stafford street, send us volume 58 of the "Family Herald Supplements." These tales still maintain their interest for a large class of readers, and the volume just issued will no doubt be the means of agreeably passing away many a epare half-hour during the longwinter nights.

Miss Mabel Tendall, L.C.A. and Diplomeo of the National School of Cookery, has been appointed teacher of cooking in the Girls' College, Nelson, and begins her duties in June.

At the inquest on a young woman, Inabcl Walton, who shot herself in the Melbourne slums on a recent Saturday night, the evidence showed that remorse, jealousy, and drink led to the rash act. She had been drinking in a hotel, and heard a song which caused her to weep bitterly, and said it reminded her of her twin sister, who was leading- a good life. Sha was found shot goon afterwards. A verdict of suicide was returned. There was insufficient evidence to show the state of her mm/ at the time.