NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1057, 9 July 1883, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

After a couple of days detention by the heavy southerly gale the Napier and Waverley sailed this morning, the former for Wellington and the latter for Nelson. Mr Cowern’s sale of trees passed off very successfully on Saturday. Another sale will be held at the end of tho week.

Meetings of creditors in the estates of Charles Fisk and; Jamos Dane of'Waitotara, were convened for 11 and 12 o’clock respectively- on Saturday last, but as no one: turned-up, they consequently lapsed. The Fire Brigade will hold a practice to-night, and a meeting afterwards for the |eljßUi^.r,oi'- ; 'new members and other business. ; J A Nevada man, noting-the clumsy way in which the often mutilated with the sheep shears, and acting upon the idea that in ancient times sheep were shornwith-'flint--6hive^-/B^‘ ; 'ihv(6hted'-'a.. knife of a peculiar ; shape, ; which is as sharp as a razor, for shaving the wool off. He says that, being kept close and flat upon the skin of the sheep, it is next to impossible to cut them, and he claims that he can take all the wool off in less than half the time occupied by snip-snapping of the ordinary sheep shears, and with con siderably less tension upon the muscles of the.wrist arid fprearm. The clumsiness of the sheep shears has long been felt and acknowledged, and various contrivances have been invented and brought under the notice of flockmasfetk; tried, condemned and forgotten, and this last idea will probably share the same fate. The Waitara Press has started what it calls “ the Growler’s Column.” It is the best filled column in the paper. .

A destructive flood was reported from Coromandel on Saturday. All the bridges have been washed away or badly damaged and: great destruction has been done to private property. It is said to have been the heaviest flood known there.

... The danger.pf leaving children alone in :the-house :atr night was, exemplified in a startling way at Dunedin last week. Some people named Newman, residing a four-roomed cottage at Kaikorai, went to, town in the evening and left their*infant at home. A young man named Keogh happened to be passing the house, and seeing it on fire ho broke open the door, and at great risk rescued the child. Its life was thus saved by the lucky circumstance that its. deliverer happened to be aware that the parents were in town. A • Wellington exchange says The state of the Manawatu bar is i beginning to be a serious matter for trade with JToxtOn, for unless a change for the better takes place, goods will have to be forwarded to and from'that place by way of Wanganui, The Wellington City Council have offered a reward of £SO for the discovery of the person who cut the hose at the late fire. . -

The promoters of the Sawmill Company met on Saturday afternoon and discussed the prospects of success which ■ were bold to be favourable. During Ibis week a canvass will be made, and on Saturday evening next a general meeting of intending shareholders and others interested will take place, when it is hoped a sufficient number of shares will have been disposed of to warrant the registration of the Company. We (Marlborough Times) have been shown by Mr Clouston the New Zealand native bird the kea. The bird in plumage is not at all unlike the ka-ka, the head being smaller. The bird is a terrible enemy to sheep, and its home may be said to be in the interior of Otago, These birds have killed hundreds of sheep in the Lake Wakatipu district, and their, mode of killing possesses the novelty of being a little peculiar. The birds fly down on to the back of the sheep and firmly cling on with their claws. The sheep endeavour to escape, , but without avail. The birds then insert their beaks into the side of the sheep, and in a very short time are complete masters of the carcase. They bore away until the fat of the kidneys is reached, when, after having disposed of that, the carcase is abandoned.