LOCAL and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 108, 17 September 1868, Page 2

LOCAL and General.

«- Lttteltost PorULAR Entertainments. — The sixth of the series will take place this evening in the Colonists' Hall. A very attractive programme has been prepared. Canterbury Sunday School Union. — The Quarterly Prayer Meeting will, D.V., be held to-morrow (Friday evening") in the Congregational Church, Manchester street, to commence at 7 o'clock. The Rev. Mr Bavin will address the meeting. Engineer Prize Firing. — The second monthly competition for prizes, under the auspices of the Engineer Rifle Club, took place at Ilillsborough, yesterday. There was a large number of competitors, and the day was very favourable, resulting in some good shooting being made. Some of the scores having been mislaid, we are prevented from giving the actual winners, but it is understood that Sapper Barnes and Sergt. Woodford occupy the first and second positions. The ranges fired at were 200, 300, aud 400 yards, with five shots at each, and both these men made over forty points each. We shall be able to give the full scores in our next issue. Flax. — Mr Early, of Moeraki Downs, has sent us a marketable specimen of the ordinary English flax (Linum utiiissimus'), and a small bottle of oil prepared from the seed. The flax was grown on the Downs, and Mr Early informs us that from 400 to 500 bushels of seed have been sown this year. We believe the seed is worth from 7s to 8s per bushel in Melbourne, and our farmers might find it an advantageous crop under certain circumstances. At all events, a trial would not cost much. Mr Early has also sent a prepared specimen of the Phormium tenax, which compares favourably with other samples that have been submitted to us,\By far the finest specimen of the New Zealand flax which we have yet seen has been sent, by " Free Trade." It feels soft and silky^ and not a particle of gum can be detected. We are glad to learn that " Free Trade " expects shortly to be in a position to_j>repare the flax in large quantities for export^ Popular Entertainments at "^Ckaroa. — The fourth entertainment of the above nature for the prr sent season given in connection with, and for the benefit of the Akaroa Literary Institute, took place in the Town Hall, Akaroa, on Monday evening, the 14th inst. We were pleased to see a great increase in the numbers present, shewing that the popularity of these entertainments is increasing — this of itself is a pleasant stimulant to the Committee of the Institute, and those gentlemen who so kindly came forward to assist them in giving the public a cheap and agreeable evenings' entertainment. By the programme below, it will be seen that the Committee, using a wise discretion iv not having pieces of a lengthy nature either read or performed, are in a position to present a programme of so varied a nature that there is no monotony during the evening, and no piece is long enough to pall upon the audience. The programme of the evening was as follows : — lnstrumental quartette, "II Bacio," Messrs E. C. Latter, T. Adams, G. Brown, and G. F. Dunn ; reading, " How Commodore Trunnion got Married," Mr G. 11. Saxton ; glee, " Foresters sound the Cheerful Horn," Musical Society ; readiug, " The Bells," llev. W. Aylmer ; song, "Thou art goue from my Gaze," Mr C. L. Wiggins; Instrumental Quartette, " The Mabel Waltzes," Messrs E. C. Latter, T. Adams, G. Brown, and G. F. Dunn ; Dramatic Seena — "Honeywood and the Bailiff:*," from Goldsmith's comedy of j "The Good Natured Man" — Honeywood, Mr C. L. Wiggins; bailiff, vir Brown; bailiff's foliower, Mr S. Watkins ; servant, Mr VV. Sims ; Miss Richland, Mr W. Adams ; glee, " Here in cool Grot," Musical -'ocicty ; reading, "The • muggler's Leap," MrG. F. Dunn ; song, " The Maniac," '!r G. Brown ; reading, " he Cottar's Saturday Night," Mr Jas. Murray ; Intrumental quartette, " Lurline," Messrs E. C. Latter, F. Adam.s, G. Brown and G. E. Dunn ; reading, "The Three ona, Rev. v> . Aylmer; concluding with the National Anthem. Fire Police Dinner. — At the reorganization meeting of the Ohristchurch Fire Police, it was resolved to institute an annual dinner in connection with the force. A committee was on the point of being formed to carry it into effect, when Mr M. B. Hart generously offered to give the inaugural one at his own expanse, and selected last night for that purpose. In accordance with this, about fifty gentlemen responded to his invitation, and in addition to members of the Fire Police, the Mayor and Borough Councillors of Christchurch, \ he Mayor of Lyttelton, J. Ollivier, M.P. „T. S. Duncan, M.P.C., E. W. Roper, J. A. Bird, Capt. G. H. Wilson, and Dr Prins were present. The preliminary preparations were made with a similar spirit to that prompting the entertainment, and the room and tables were most tastefully decorated with flowers and other adornments. The catering was also of the most recherche description, and Mr Hart, by the elegant repast he served, earned equal encomiums for his cuisine and his generosity. All the arrangements were most perfect, and the delicacies were bo numerous and diversified that the most fastidious epicure could not have failed to obtain something to suit his taste. The dinner was served ala Russe, and in such a manner as to entitle Mr Hart to a foremost position amongst hie compeers in the City. The host, of course, presided, and the vice-chairs were respectively filled by the Mayor of Christchurch, W. R. Mitchell, senior captain of the Fire Police, and Cap*.

G. H. "Wilson, Superintendent of the Fire Brigade. On the removal of the cloth, the ordinary loyal toasts were honoured, after which followed "The Superintendent and Executive," "the Representative Institutions," replied to by the Mayors of Christchurch and Lyttelton, " the. Manufacturing Interests," replied to by Mr J. Anderson, " the Pastoral and Agricultural Interest," by Mr A. Duncan, " the Commercial Interest," by Messrs Sawtell and Alport, '•' the Host," proposed by the Mayor of Christchurch, "the Fire Police" and "Fire Brigade," replied to by Mr Mitchell and Capt. Wilson, and "the Ladies," proposed by Mr H. Thomson. In submitting the health of the host of the evening, Mr Wilson made a lengthy speech, referring eulogistically to Mr Hart's connection with the city, and the generosity and magnificent catering which he had displayed that evening. Several excellent songs were sung between the speeches, and the party did not break up until a late or rather early hour this morning. \Sydnby Mint.— The Sydney Mint issued 226,000 sovereigns during July last. It received 71,000 ounces of gold for coinage. During the seven months of the year from January to July, the Mint issued 1,378,000 sovereigns. Victorian Cloth Manufactory — The progress of the Geelong Woollen Cloth Factory seems to be highly satisfactory. The Advertiser states that the company have lost no time in securing wool of this season's clip. The first lot of cloths made from it will be ready for purchasers next week ; they consist of Oxford mixtures, suitable for the coming season, and are considered of superior quality to any yet produced. South Australian Silver Mines. — The silver mines recently opened in South Australia appear to promise well. A new lode three feet wide has been discovere 1 at the Potosi Mine, quartz iron which yielded 27ozs of silver to the ton. Favourable intelligence hns also been received from the St Arnaud Mine, the manager of which has brought down an unusually large quantity of bullion. An extraordinary meeting of the shareholders has also been called, for the purpose of making arrangements for prosecuting operations as vigorously as possible. ;\ / Hoggish. — The following appears in an 1 Adelaide paper : — An individual at Williamstown, bearing the outward semblance of a mat, but having evidently a large proportion of the hog in his composition, recently undertook to eat two juvenile relations in the shape of sucking pigs, for a wager of £\. The little grunters weighed, before being cooked, ten and a half poundp, and the old hog demolished them in an hour and twenty minutes, being ten minutes within the stipulated time, fairly cleaning the bones. As they were fat and rather rich, our hero found it necessary to take a great deal of vinegar toward* the close of his meal, and, we are informed, used a b ittleful. As for other fluid, we understand he drank only a single nobbier of brandy. He soon after was seized with pain, and continued ill for some hours. We are informed that he offered, after having succeeded so admirably with this gastronomic feat, to devour a whols kangaroo dog f'»r -i wager of £5. We should recommend this individual to secure a passage as soon as (possible for the Cannibal Islands. / "Robbery at the Club Hotel, Timaru. — The Herald of yesterday contains the following: — A robbery of jewels and money to a considerable amount was committed on Sunday night at the Club Hotel. Timaru. It appears that soon after midnight Mr M'Rae, the landlord of the hotel, was awakened by a rustling; noise in his bedroom, proceeding froai that part of the room where Mrs M'Rae's dress was lying. At fi-st he thought it was a cat, but the noise continuing as if the dress were being stealthily moved to and fr.>, and as if somebody wa< searching: for the pocket, he cried out and sprang out of bed. On reaching the door, it was suddenly closed against him, and on his endeav uring to open it, it was held firmly closed from thp outside. He then cried " robbery, robbery," when the thief suddenly let go the door and bolted through the sitting-room, knocking aside as he did so si table standing in the way between him and the door leading into the back passage MrM'ltae followed through the sitting-room and passage quickly, and on reaching the door leading into the back yard of the hotel, it was violently slammed to by some person outside. Hie night was hl> dark that some few moments were lost in opening this door, and when Mr M'Kne did •*•), all traces of the robber were lost. On returning to his bedroom a lii*ht was procured, and proceeded t-> Kearch the morn to find it' any loss had been sustained. It neema tlmt the night previous (Saturday) he had put over £>() in his trousers' pocket. The trousers were placed near to the head of the bed that night, but he now found th.-m lying close t > the door of the room. On searching the pockets the whole of the money was g-me, Busidos the in- >ney, there were also musing off the toilet niblrf a valuable brooch and chain. On going through the other parts of tht- himse, it wns found that the bar had been entered, uud this two cash boxes were not in their accustomed places, but were lying on the floor with the trays taken out and the papers scattered about. Fortunately then* was no money in either of the b ;xes. From the children's bedroom which was between the sitting-room and the bir, and through which tii.i bar was reached, there were found to be missing, a gold pin, brooch, and ring, and a top co it;. The thief must have had a most intimate knowledge of the house, and the ways of the in mutes. At present the affair is in the handa of the police, who, we trust, will succeed in bringing to justice the guilty party. The most unusual facilities are offered to crime in Timaru, for there is only a single policeman to traversa the town at night ; and there have been numerous complaints of potty larceny recently, but the culprits have bo far eluded the vigilance of the law.

AThe Ova. — The cases -were carefully landed from the Southern Cross yesterday, and the railway manager supervised the conveyance of the same to Christchurch without the contents being shaken in transit. On arrival they were transferred to a spring trap and suspended by hand during the journey to the garden, where the boxes were immediately opened, and on comparing the different modes in which the ova were packed, a most important advantage was perceptible in that where concave sponges had been used. Almost every egg was good in this instance, whilst in the others more than half were bad. When the whole were placed together and the dead ones removed, there were about 500 eggs having the appearance of vitality. This is half the number originally shipped. A great portion of the ova are in a very forward state, and a few days will settle aU doubts as to the number likely to be hatched^ They have been placed in the new breeding boxes prepared by the Curator, and a careful examination of these has shown them to be most admirably adapted to the purpose, and an improvement on previous efforts in the same direction. The perch are in excellent condition, and the success which has attended their importation, has only left it to be regretted that the Salmon Commissioners could not be persuaded to forward in company with them some live trout.