THE PROVINCES.

Colonist, Volume XLI, Issue 9097, 15 February 1898, Page 4

THE PROVINCES.

Dr. Cruicksha\k3, the first lady doctor to practise ber profession in South Canterbury gave evidence in the Supreme Court of Timaru the other day. It was the first time a lady doctor had appeared as a witness in the Southern town, and her presence created considerable attention. Pays an Invercargill paper : There is a man in one of our goldfield towns who believes in doing things in style. He got married the other day, and entertained a numerous company. The festivities, it is said, cost him about £300. Says ' Southern Cross' : The Mataura district waa inspeoted as a possible site for the Free Church settlement in 1844 by a party including Mr Tuckett, surveyor, Colonel Wake6eld, Dr Monro, and the Hon. Barnicoat — who is, we believe, the only surviving member of the party. Dr Monro in his report speaks of the Maori settlement at Tuturan, a short distance from Mataura, and of the quality of the wheat grown there by i the natives. A monument of Carrara marble has been erected at the Government expense at the head of the grave of the late Chief Hirini te Kani a Takirau, at Tauranga, Poverty Bay. The inscription is as follows : — " Tbis monument is erected by the Government of New Zealand in memory of Hirini te Kani a Takirau, the paramount chief of the East Coast, who died at Tauranga (Gisborne) oa the sth day of July, 1896, aged 70 years He was the strong friend of the pakeha and the mainstay of his people." A thrilling adventure occurred at Island Bay during a storm the other day says c N.Z. Times.' A fisherman was pursuing his avocation some distance out when he was caught by the storm, and at once pulled for the shore, but in the vicinity of some rooks jutting out from the land for some distance his frail eraft capsized. He swam to one of the rocks which stood out by itself, and clambered on to it, retaining his hold on a rope attached to the boat. In this precarious condition he remained for two hours, eventually losing control of the boat, which afterwards drifted ashore. The man's predicament was viewed from the shore by many anxious eyes, and his mates launched a boat for tho purpose of going out to his assistance. The sea was running so stroogly ever the rock to which the man was . clinging, however, that his comrades were obliged to abandon the attempt, They immediately arranged another plan of oampaign. Taking their lives in their hands, they clambered along the slippery rocks from the lannward side, and, after an infinitude of trouble, succeeded in floating a rope out within reach of the now fast-drowning fisherman, and, as ha clung to it with a last despairing effort, dragged him ashore almost in extremis. It was some time before hia blood circulation could be restored, and the muscles of his limbs, which were drawn up into balls, rubbed back into their normal shape— naturally a very painful process.