NEWS OF THE DAY.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3314, 15 November 1883, Page 2

NEWS OF THE DAY.

Sir George Grey lectured last evening on Federation and Annexation to a crowded audience, in the Theatre Royal, Auckland. The s.s, Fenstanton reached Rio de Janeiro on the 9th inst., her refrigerator working well, and her meat being in excellent condition, Taylor, who was hurt by a tram accident in Wellington, on Tuesday, still lies in a critical condition. Hopes are, however, entertained of his ultimate recovery. Dr King, of the Lunatic Asylum, has been asked to take charge of the Wellington Hospital, in place of Di Hammond, who, it is understood, retires from the position of Superintendent of that institution almost immediately; Mr Shrimaki, M.H.R., is in Auckland, and continues in an infirm state of health. While residing at the lakes, and undergoing a course of treatment at the baths, Mr Shrimski became quite well, and since leaving there he has had a relapse.

At a meeting of the Cabinet yesterday it was decided to recommend to His Excellency the Governor the names of four gentlemen for appointment as official assignees under the new Bankruptcy Act. The gentlemen are:—For Auckland, Mr John Lawson, formerly connected with Brogden and Son, and for a time Commissioner for the North Island Railways ; for Wellington, Mr 0. G. Graham, at present Town Clerk ; for Christchurch Mr B. C. Latter, a well-known resident; for Dunedin, Mr Jas. Ashcroft, until recently, editor of the “ Otago Daily Times.” The appointments will be gazetted as soon as His Excellency has given his assent. A correspondent of the Asian, writing from the Kheeri, Oudh, sends the following account of a fatal embrace of a gigantic python " A boy, aged 15 was out herding cattle on the Rampore Grant, near Gola, in this district (Kheeri), Walking about with another boy, they suddenly came on a very large python. Not knowing what it was, the elder hoy walked forward to look at it when the snake suddenly rushed forward and seized him, The other boy run off to a village and gave the alarm. When the villagers first arrived at the spot (it was Sakhoo jungle) they were under the impression that a leopard had seized the boy, but, gradually going closer and closer, they found the boy entwined in the embraces of a huge python some 16ft long. Several blows were given to the animal with Iwdars before they could induce it to partially unfold the embrace, when, getting hold of the boy’s arm, they managed to extricate him, and rushing on the animal, despatched it with their Mars. The poor boy was quite dead. His stomach had been burst open by the violence of the snake’s embrace, and the ribs and bones all more or less broken.”