A Voice from Eastern Bush. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2407, 19 April 1900, Page 29

A Voice from Eastern Bush. TO THE EDITOR.

. Sir,— -Your travelling correspondent is misleading in his description of Eastern Bush in youis of Apnl 12. First, as to the banquet to Mr Ward: the people of the Waiau, between Manapouri and Scott's Gap on the one hand, and -birchwood and Hauroto on the other, are exceedingly well pleased with the outlook. Sec?nJ?,' f* to h , is facts :Mr Field is not the teacher at Chfden— he left about a year ago. Firm No 1 is not m existence; Firm No. 2. ditto; Firm -Wo. 3 ditto. Mr Stott does not occiroy an extensive area— he left at the new year. Tlie height of misreporting is, however, reached when a gentleman is described as a large sheepfarmer having fine flocks. A year ago he had about 10 pet lambs, which ho sold, and at present has not a single sheep. I omit other egregious eriors. °

If he had but the requisite faculties of imagination and style your travelling correspondent might make a pile as a writer of fiction. Facts in Southland generally seem to be too much foi him to wrestle with successfully.— l am, etc WAIATJ.

W- Rnngilahau, the old 'Maori chief who died I the other day at Tiwpo, was one of the Hau- | hau prisoners who escaped from the Chatham Island^ ill 1f69, and wns one of Te Kooti's band, in which he held high rank as chief e:.ecution.6.'.

An Auckland telegiam says:— The gold returns for tlis month are not so large as usual. The Talisman returns are too late to be included. Another cause is the shortage of water for motive power in the Upper Thames, owing to the prolonged di ought. The yield from the Thames mines shows an imuroveJtnent this month. The total output of gold was valued at £43,416. The New Zealand Crown crushed 2965 tons for bullion valued at £5330. The New Zealand Talisman crushed SSI tong for bullion worth £2931.

— A great many things that are now u?ed for food were once considered poisonous. Lemons were considered poisonous by the Romans, who iised them to scatter among their clothes and keep away moths. It was a bold man who firpt dared to eat a tomato or cook an egg-plant.