LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 868, 20 August 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Members of the Gisborne Football Club are requosted to attend a general meeting at the Masonic Hotel, on Thursday evening, at 7 o'clock, for the purpose of arranging preliminaries for a team to visit Napier. The members of the Gisborne Debating Society are reminded that the usual fort* nightly meeting will take place this evening, at 7.30, in the Court-house. The subject for debate will be — " Would the Colony be benefitted by the selling or by the leasing of Crown Lands " The proceediugs are open to visitors. We have been furnished with the following particulars of the result of the amateur performance recently given in aid of the Poverty Bay Hospital. Total receipts, £29 16s. 6d. Expenses : printing and advertising, £3 12s. ; carting seats to the hall and labor, £1 4s. Total £4 16s. Leaving balance to be handed to the Secretary of the Hospital Committee — £25 6d. The management tender their sincere thauks to Mr. P. McFarlane for tho gratuitous use of his hall for the' performance and numerous rehearsals ; to the same gentleman, his family, and Mr. Carter, for the music ; to Messrs. Townley, Skeet, and others for their gratuitous assistance in arranging various preliminary details. We are glad to hear that the performance will probably be repeated on Saturday evening, the 30th instaut, at reduced prices. The Native Henare te Kotiti, charged by his tribe with witchcraft, and sentenced by Maori voices to death, is to be removed forthwith to Napier, and thence to Taupo, his life not being considered safe here. At the last meeting of the Hawke's Bay Education Board, it was directed that it be suggested to the Gisborne School Committee that they should recommend Miss R. Forbes for appointment as pupil teacher was recommended, The total number of locomotives in New Zealand is 163, viz. : 58 in the North Island and 105 in the South Island. They are distributed as follows : — Christchurch, j 50 ; Dunedin.- 31 ; Wellington, Auckland, | and Invercargill, each 16 ; Wanganui, 13 ; Napier, 7 ; New Plymouth, 4 ; Kaipara, Greymouth, Westport, Nelson, Picton, each 2. We are glad to welcome back by the -Hawea, this morning, the County Engineer, Captain Winter. He will have his hands full of business for a while. E/idently his trip has agreed with him, for he looks ten years younger, and is about two stone heavier. While at Wellington, Captain Winter made an effort to obtain the extention of the Patutahi Drain to the point at which it was originally promised it should end ; and we have every reason to believe he will be successful. Messrs. Bromley and Buller will sell by auction, at .their Central Auction Mart, on Saturday next, the whole of the household . furniture and effects of Mr G. R. Turner, who is leaving this district ; they will also sell at the same time, a superior buggy, 1 dray, sewing machines, and a lot of sundries. Messrs. Ferris and Pitt will sell by auction at Makaraka, on Thursday, the 28th instant, at 2 p.m., the whole of the stock-in-trade in the estate of Peter Sorry,

Captain Porter, Mr. Woodbine Johnson, and Captain Morris addressed the electors at Ormond last night. The opinions expressed by the candidates were of course the same as expressed at previous meetings. A new telegraph station has been opened at Newton, County of Eden. A letter was read from Mr. Edwin Woou, of Gisborne, applying for aid for the Turanganui library, at the Hawke's Bay Education Board on Monday. The secretary was directed to reply that the distribution of the grant to libraries had already taken place. At the Education Board meeting, the Inspector said, in reference to the pupil teachers in the Poverty Bay district, that the second year pupil teachers have passed a good examiuation, but I cannot say so much for those who attempted the first year's examination papers. Of the three examined only Mary Baty has reached the required standard, the other two being exceedingly deficient in their work. The candidate for appointment as pupil teacher — Miss B. Forbes— has passed a satisfactory examination. The following is the result of the pupil teachers' examination, end of first year. Total number of marks obtainable, 686.— 1. F. H. Sheppard, Gisborne, 528; 2. Jane Browne, Gisborne, 419 ; 3. Mary Baty, Matwhero, 436 j4. J. Dunne, Matawhero, 247 ; E. A. Rosie, Gisborne, 214 ; R. Forbes, Gisborne (candidate), 344. A correspondent at Porangahau informs the Waipawa Mail that a large swordfiah was picked up on the beach near Wainui a few days ago, He says that it is the first description of this kind of fish found on the coast in the neighborhood. The swordfish measured fourteen feet from tip to tail, the sword being fully four feet long. A snapper about three feet long, was found inside, and it is surmised that the traveller of the deep came to grief by taking more than could be readily digested. General Sir Arthur Cunynghame, in his •recently published book, "My Command in South Africa," relates the following : — "One evening T way resting in my tent while a group of Kaffirs were conversing outside, 1 heard, the following remarks. A Kaffir who had been partly educated at a mission station was expatiating upon the grandeur of the Queen, when he was answered by another, who said: — 'Why friend, we are all well aware of the grandeur of Her Majesty ; not only is she the Queen of the ocean, but her son is the Prince of whales.'"