CANTERBURY.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 334, 1 January 1861, Page 3

CANTERBURY.

{From the Lyttdton Timet.) CANTERBURY ANNIVERSARY. Sunday last, the 16tk of December, was the tenth anniversary of the landing of the first body of settlers upon the shore of Lyttelton Harbor. The birthday of the settlement of Canterbury has always been observed as a special holiday by its inhabitants, except when, as in the present year, that day chances to fall on a Sunday, and the following day is taken as a substitute. On Monday, the 17th, all shops were shut and business abandoned for the day, and the inhabitants as a body, male and female, old and young, betook themselves to such amusement or recreation as they ! could find to suit them within their reach. The day was overcast and almost without wind; the weather was therefore perhaps : the. most enjoyable that this time of the year can afford. Though sunny skies and fresh breezes may sometimes be very enjoyable, it was quite a relief on Monday to get rid of the burning rays and blustering northwest wind which on the previous | Saturday and Sunday had recalled to the imaginations of the people of Christ-! church strange old tales of Arabian deserts. It was warm enough on Monday to render cricketing in correct costume thoroughly enjoyable; and there was just breezy enough to render possible the sailing excursions in which a great part of the population oi" Lyttelton took out their holiday. There was not much excitement in either town; only a very quiet abandonment to an absence of industry. The great event in Christchurch was a cricket match, the result of a challenge from the ambitious club of Avonside to " All Canterbury." All Canterbury may thank itself and not blame Avonaide if that body of bold cricketer* becomes more bounceable than ever, fox the eleven which the province took tbe trouble of providing was quhe incompetent to assault, and still less to defend itself from the challengers, i It is very gratifying..-to everybody of course to find that one club in Canterbery can turn out», yery tidy eleven, but cricket will not be a game worth looking at until a second eleven can be brought up to the wickets showing itself something like a match to the first. This can be done if it is only properly set about: and we hope that before the holidays are over an eleven will be got together if not to beat, at least to bring out all the play that is in the men of Avonside. \\\ Lyttelton, no public amusement took ! place during the day. The steamers Avon and Mullogh took pleasure parties down to Port Levy, and brought them back after a very enjoyable trip. The latter boat bad on board part of the Lyttelton Band, whose strains gave additional charm* to the beautiful landscape and tha refreshing breeze. In the evening Messta, Hall and Martin gave their third and last Motley entertain- ! n*ent ia the Town Hall to a crowded house, and succeeded in maintaining an incessant peal of laughter throughout the audience. The very last event of the anniversary was, aa might be expected, the vigorous danoing of many pairs of feet in the. Town Hall, Christchurch, where the Anniversary Ball waa held with all the splendor, and

succeis which distinguishes festivities of this kind in oar capital city. We must not forget, in noticing the holiday, the part which strangers and visitors took in the celebration. Lyttelton Harbor is now more lively than it has been for months. There are at anchor the large ships Matoaka and Mermaid, with the Harwood and Koh-i-Noor. On Monday there was also the steamer Lord Ashley. The Mermaid, Harwood, and Lord Ashley were dressed in coldrs throughout the day, and Captains Kerr and Forsayth, commanding the two former vessels, saluted the town at morning, noon, and night, with salvos from their great guns. The brig Corsair and the schooner Wellington, having the first wool of the season (from Timaru) on board ready for shipment, and lying within reach of the Mermaid, into whose hold they are this day to deposit their valuable freight, added to the gaiety of the scene by decorating themselves from truck to bowsprit and boom end with bunting. On the whole, though there were but few of those troublesome forms of pleasure seeking which Britons are accustomed to endure when they have a holiday, there wag a general spirit of enjoyment abroad, satisfying everybody that they had done justice to the Tenth Anniversary of Canterbury. Death by Drowning.—An inquest was held on Tuesday evening last, 18th instant, at the Northern Hotel, Kaiapoi, on the body of a man found in the river Cam, close to Messrs. Cookson, Bowler's and Co/s store. The deceased was named James Steeple, but was better known by the name of Cooper in Lyttelton, where he had been employed in the harbor boat. He had been working for some time past in the bush at Kaiapoi, and on Tuesday week was returning home from Eaiapoi to the bush in a canoe up the Cam. His non-arrival caused inquiry to be made, and the canoe was quickly discovered floating bottom upwards in the river; but the body of the deceased was not found till the 18th. The verdict of the jury, through the foreman, Mr. Rich, was an open one, in accordance with the evidence—" Found drowned." The deceased leaves a widow and child to deplore his loss. Fire.—At about a quarter past seven on Monday, December 10, the town of Christchurch was aroused by the tones of the fire bell attached to the engine house at Messrs. Cookson, Bowler and Co.'s store. The cause of the alarm was a fire which had broken out on the premises of Mr. Howarth, Hereford-street, a large gorse hedge surrounded the garden having been, it is supposed, maliciously set fire to by a lad. In less than ten minutes 23 out of 25 members of the Volunteer Fire Brigade were on the spot, and by their active exertions succeeded in arresting the flames, by destroying the hedge on either side of the fire. Fortunately this accident was of no great importance, but it has afforded satisfactory proof of the seal and activity of the brigade, than which no more useful body exists in the province. We trust that the number of honorary members will include before long every householder in the town, as from the funds thus subscribed will be drawn the means of supporting any of the members who may meet with serious accidents in the proiecution of those duties they have so spiritedly taken on themselves. The engine on this occasion was under repair, but is now in working order again, and in a short time the brigade will be equipped in uniform consisting of blue tunic and trousers, black belt and fireman's helmet. Short WBiQHT^-^The following is copied from a letter to the Editor of the Lyttelton Times:— "A few days ago I called at a baker's shop in Lyttelton to settle a email account. Whilst standing in the shop, my attention was attracted by a child about six years of age with a loaf under his arm. The child being fatherless, J inquired after his mother and the other members of the family, and the child told me that his mother was lying very ill and confined to her bed, and the loaf'of bread that he had was to serve the family, five in number, from that day» Saturday, until Monday. 1 ordered the child to get two half-quartern loaves of bread and some butter, and I would pay for it. I asked the weight ? The answer was two pounds each. I put the two loaves supposed to be four pounds into the scale upon the counter, and the four pound weight in the other scale, when the bread was found short in weight. The quarter pound weight was put in the scale with the bread,, and it was still short; I then put two ounces more in, and that turned the scale. The two loaves were six ounces short. On the same evening I got a loaf from the same shop, and it was two ounces short. In the three loaves there were eight ounces deficient in weight. I inquired how it was the bread was short in weight ? The answer was, it dried up in baking. I made reply—why not make up the weight by cutting some off the other loaves, as the bakers are obliged to do in London? To which the good wife made no reply, but took the full payment for what was six ounces short. " Short weight is an abomination to the Lord. 1 ' It is the poor man with a large family who is the greatest sufferer, very likely his last sevenpence goes to pay fora loaf of bread for his children's breakfast, and when he getc the supposed two-pound loaf, it is two or three ounces short in weight. I think, Mr. Editor, it is almost time that the Government should appoint a Public Inspector of Weights and Measures for the protection of the public. tfl \ ■, "- ;_i,..'a ~: From the monthly summary of; wrecks, % appear*--(' that during the month of September the numbes waai; i 103. In the month of, January there, were March, 166; in April, 133, in May, 124, i» Jane, 146,. in July, 60, and in August 96, making a total during; .the present year of 1211.— Shipping (fatftt^ '"■ ,: