Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 377, 29 July 1869, Page 2

Local and General.

_» Lyttelton Juvenile Entertainments. — The next of the series will take place in the High School, Lyttelton, to-morrow evening. St. Luke's Parish.— We are glad to notice that an e»ter tainment will be given in the schoolroom of the above parish, tomorrow evening. The programme, which will be found in our advertising columns, is more, than usually attractive. Bankruptcy. — The estates of James Clarke, Richard Knowles Parkerson, and William Henderson Meikleham, were declared to be vested in the provisional trustee, the meetings of creditors having lapsed yesterday. Gold from the Waiho. — Our Timaru contemporary of July 28 has a paragraph relative to the above, which is substantially the same as that which appeared in our Wednesday's issue. Our contemporary says: —The specimen was of a milky-white appearance, with blue veins running through it, aud contained, as far as could be judged, about fifty per cent of gold. From itsappearance, it looked as ii it had not been carried far from a reef. Leithfield. — An inquest was held at Paget's Leithfield Hotel, on July 27, before M. Morris, Esq., Coroner, on the body of Geo. G. Milner, an infant nine months old. Mr Melville Walker was foreman. It appears that the child beame suddenly ill on the 23rd inst., and expired on the 25th, no medical man having been applied to. Mary Milner (the mother) and a Mrs Topp were examined, and although they admitted the child seemed poorly, they did not apprehend any immediate danger. A verdict of i " Died from natural causes " was returned, i

Canterbury Railways. — A Provincial Gazette, published yesterday, contains the i traffic returns for the month ending June 30. The total receipts on the Lyttelton and Christchurch line were .£3106 13s ld, as conparedwith £2182 lis 3d in the corresponding month of 1868. The total receipts on the Great South line were £550 7s sd, as compared with £709 Os 2d in the corresponding month of 1868. Tlie total receipts for June were thus £3657 Os 6d. T*"Grey River Coal Company. — Our Grey"mouth contemporary of July 26 states: — We are reliably informed that the capital already subscribed in Christchurch for forming a new company to work the Grey coal mine, and constructing a railway to the Arnold, amounts to over £16,000. Shares representing an additional £2000 have been taken up in Greymouth. Should the terms of the new lease to be granted by the County Council prove satisfactory there is every probability of the company being successfully floated. Accident. —The Timaru local journal of July 28 has the following : —We are sorry to hear of an accident which happened to Dr Fisher of Timaru on Saturday last. Dr Fisher was riding near to Mr Archer's residence, when his horse shied at a bullock which was lying on the bank bordering the road. The horse shied so violently as to come against a low bank on the other side of the road, and fell with his rider underneath. When taken up, Dr Fisher was found to have two ribs broken, and one of his legs considerably bruised. We were glad to see the Doctor about the town yesterday, and to know that no worse consequences than the above have ensued from the above accident. Gold. — The information which we gave yesterday respecting gold beiag found on the beach, near Leithfield, has on further enquiry proved to be correct ; but it is not likely that the precious metal will be found in payable quantities in this particular locality. Mr Miles, the driver for Messrs Sansom and Co., between Christchurch and Leithfield is our informant. He states, that with two other gentlemen he washed out a quantity.of black sand procured a few inches below the ordinary surface sand of tho beach, and obtained from Bto 50 grains per tin dish. It is of a very fine scaly nature, and water worn. The strata of sand in which it exists is, however, but half-an-inch deep at the most, and consequently would not pay for working. What may be obtained higher up the streams emptying themselves into the sea at this point, is a matter evidently worthy of testing, for we are informed that two of the Prospecting Company's parties have gone into the hills to examine the vicinity of the head waters. A New Rcsn on TnE West Coast. — Nelson papers report the discovery of new auriferous ground on the West Coast. One says : — Some rich ground has been opened on a river about twenty miles south of West Wanganui, and wliich has attracted about seventy miners. It is said that a party of four men obtaiued 140 ounces of rough gold in four days. This intelligence, when it reached Collingwood, caused so much excitement that something like a rush took place to the new field, which could be reached by way of Pawakau and West Wanganui. Another Nelson journal says : — Accounts were received Jatc last night that more finds of gold have been made in the district of West Wanganui. We understand that a vessel has been chartered and despatched from Nelson with all the necessaries for setting up a store at the scene of action, by a gentleman who has full confidence in the payable nature of the new goldfield. Several persons intended starting from Westport for West Wanganui. Among the parties already at work there, there are a few who were for some time at work in the neighbourhood of Hokitika, and these are understood to have done fairly on the new diggings. The locality is one of which Dr Hector expressed a highly favourable opinion. Prospecting the Ranges. — A correspondent, who signs himself " A miner," makes the following suggestion in the columns of a Hokitika contemporary : — Prospecting parties supplied with an outfit have generally proved a failure. The following are my proposals : — Ascertain the most likely place to be prospected, cut a track for a packhorse, build a rough store, stock it with provisions for, say fifty men for one month, put a sto-ekeeper in it for the same time, at a salary to compel him to sell at Hokitika prices ; if at that time the prospects are good, expend the proceeds in improving the track, bridges, &c. ; if bad, bring the balance back, sell it by auction, the proceeds to be handed over to the hospital ; whole cost to be £300. Ido not pretend to say what the cost of cutting a temporary track would be, but I should think £100 ought to cover it ; the provisions would not cost more than £125; the packing, would probably be £25 for one ton, which would be as much goods as would be required for the time. Make it known among the diggers, and there would be plenty of the right sort of men to spend a month and their own money, when they knew that they could obtain provisions at town prices. At present, if a party of men take a prospecting tour in the interior, by tbe time they arrive at the place where their labours ought to commence, the small quantity of provisions they have carried with them are running short, and it is time for them to return. Now, to raise the funds — say £100 to be raised by subscription, I would apply to the County Council for a subsidy of £200, which, I have no doubt, they would grant, as two-thirds would find its way back in the shape of improving the track, or to the hospital. P.S. — The following are the stores required, and their cost : —Half ton flour, £8 ; 50 sheep, £25 ; 200 lbs sugar, £5 ; 1 chest tea, £9 ; 200 lbs butter, £10; 50 lbs; tobacco, £7 10s; 100 lbs onions, £2 ; 1 case sardines, £5 ; 1 box can lies, £1 10s ; sundries, £5 ; cover for store, and fly, £10 ; men's salary, £10 ; packing 1 ton, £25.

Reserves. — The following reserves are notified in a Provincial Gazette issuedyesterday, " for a tramway and other purposes :" No. 1080, in red. — Three hundred and ten acres, more or less, situate in the Oxford district, commencing at a point on the Forest road, the same being sixty-nine chnins fifty links distant frora, aud north-east of Trig. Station O 36, thence westerly at an angle of 41 deg. with the said road, a distance ef one hundred and two chaius to tbe northern bank of the Waimakariri, thence southerly and easterly following tbe said bank to the road before mentioned, and from thence returning along the road to the commencing point. Subject, nevertheless, to sections 7735, 6766, and 3599. No. 1081, iu red.— All that strip of land, three chaius wide, situate in the Oxford district, lying west of and adjoining the Forest road, being bounded on the south by the Waimakariri, and on the north by section No. 12,828. No. 10S2, in red. — All that strip of land, three chains wide, situate in tbe Malvern district, being bounded on the east by section 3713, on the north and west by the road leading through the before-mentioned section 3713, to the Porter's Pass Road, and by the southern bank of the Kiver Kowai, and on the south and east by lines parallel to and three chains distant from the said road. No. 1083, in red. — All that strip of land, three chains wide, situate in the Malvern district, bounded on the east by the road leading through section 3713 to the Porter's Pass Road, on the west by I.P.R.A. on run 230, and by a stream running into the Kowai, on the north by a branch of the River Kowai, and on the south by a line three chains distant from the before-mentioned river and . stream. No. 1084, in red. — Twenty acres, more or less, situate in the Malvern district, commencing at a point on the Coal road, the same being six chains seventy links east of its intersection by the Tramway Reserve, thence northerly at a right single a distance of sixteen chains fifty links, thence westerly at a right angle a distance of about twenty-eight chaius to the Tramway Reserve before mentioned, and frora thence returning southerly ! and easterly along the same to the commencing point. Kaiapoi Winter Entertainment. — j Another success rewarded the efforts of the Kaiapoi Winter Entertainment Committee on Tuesday evening last. The attendance was larger than on the previous occasion, and the programme decidedly good, a noticeable improvement in this being the introduction of some poetical readings, which were highly appreciated. The audience also was good humoured, thoroughly co-operating with the committee in keeping order. The programme was opened with a pianoforte piece " Je pense a' toi," followed by a reading, "Tbe Bashful Man," by Mr C. E. Dudley, amusingly delivered. Miss Hookham then played a fantasia from " Martha," being loudly applauded. Mr Johnson gave in capital style a selection from " Pogrnoor Almanack." Mr Funston sang "Beautiful Isle of the. Sea;" an encore being loudly demanded, he repeated it at another part of the evening. Mr Newnham gave great satisfaction by his excellent delivery of " The Husband's Boat," followed by '* Edward and Warwick" by Mr Funston, exceedingly well read and received. Miss Hookham now played a mazurka on the piano. Mr Hewlings read two poems, " King John and the Abbott of Canterbury," and ''For the King," the audience evidently regarding both as a treat. Mr H. Feldwick sang " The Village Blacksmith," followed by a reading in negro character, by Mr Billens, entitled " Julius Caesar Hannibal's lecture on the Toad." This created great merriment among the audience, aud especially among the juveniles. Capt Morton, "an American stranger," now addressed the audience, after a few prefatory remarks, reading "An affectiug episode in the life of Geo. Washington," and a chapter ou " American statesmen," which were given iv a most amusing and true American style; being encored he gave " The Jumping Frog." Mr C. J. Merton presided at tbe piano during the evening. Dr Dudley returned thanks to the performers for their services amidst loud applause; he announced that the next entertainment would take place on Tuesday week. " The shepherd's Song," played by Miss Hookham iv her usnal first-class style, concluded one of the best entertainments it has been our lot to witness in Kaiapoi. I Lecture at Springston. : — The Rev. T.I Buddie delivered a lecture in the Wesleyan Chapel at Springston on Monday evening, the subject being '• Christianity amongst the Maoris." The Rev. J. Campbell occupied the chair, and, after singing and prayer, introduced the rev lecturer with some appropriate remarks. Mr Buddie commenced by j showing how Christianity had spread amongst the nations of the earth, and that it was winning its way quite, if not more, rapidly now than in the days of its infancy. He referred to the prophesy uttered by God to Noah immediately after the flood—" God shall enlarge Japheth, and He shall dwell ia the tents of Shem. ' We had only to look at the history of the world to see how this prophecy is being fulfilled, how the descendants of Japheth were colonising the earth, and how the Gospel was spreading amongst the savage children of Shem. With regard to the Maori race, some were of opinion that they were of Malay descent, others that they were of Mexican. He inclined to the former, as there was in many cases great similarity of language 'Ihe place whence they came to New Zealand is supposed to be either the Sandwich or Navigator Islands, the latter more probably, as one of their traditions stated that they came over in seven days, wliich they could not have done from the former. Wars and family quarrels were the reasons which caused them to leave their native country. It is supposed that they came in several different parties, landing at various places along the coast. The date of this emigration is a matter of conjecture. The first missionary who came to New Zealand was the Rev. Samuel Marsden, who

came over from Sydney and preached his first sermon on Christmas day, 1814, from the text, " Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy." The early troubles of the missionaries were referable to the difficulties of the ! anguage, the law of "tapu," and the great barrier to the advancement of religion by many of the chiefs which the practice of polygamy presented. It was sometimes the fate of the missionary to see a war party returning from the fight with baskets of human flesh prepared for cooking, to see prisoners kept for the same purpose, and human heads stuck upon poles about the pahs. The Maoris were very revengeful, and bequeathed their vengeance, to be carried out by their children. Infanticide was very common, and the women used to say, speaking of their female children, " They will be an encumbrance when fleeing from our enemies." " Strangle them," was the reply of their lords, and strangled they were accordingly. These old barbarous customs had all disappeared. Christianity had brought this about. Beciuse some fanatics had arisen amongst the natives, who had perpetrated barbarities, it was not fair to assert, as some did, that Christianity had failed amongst them. Were the people in Sheffield all called Thugs because men had been murdered there by trade societies ? Were the Irish people a nation of murderers because of the Fenians ? Surely not. Many very grave mistakes had been made with regard to the management of the natives. The treaty of Waitangi was signed by many without its being properly explained to them. Only a part of the tribes signed it, and yet the Government expected it to be binding upon all. The late Maori King did not sign it. When Governor Grey left the colony he left an Act in operation which prevented the natives from getting arms and ammunition. This Act was revoked by Governor Browne, and in about two years the Maoris spent upwards of £GO,OOO in these articles. It was a very false step to send the troops to the Waitara. Many who knew the native race well protested against this, but they were pooh-poohed, and told that a sound thrashing would do the Maoris good. " Yes," they replied, " but you will never be able to give them that sound thrashing." Many of the colonists in the South Island said bitter and unwarrantable things about the North Island settlers. The war had nearly ruined the North. Some few, it was true, got rich over it, but they were only few. Had the South Island members been for peace, it would have been established long ago, before the Three Million Loan was borrowed. There was a very strong peace party ia the North. Had they beenjoined by the Southerners, they would have prevailed, but the Soutiiern men went up to Auckland and said, " fight, we will back you up." Those who clamoured so much about the cost of the war should remember this. At the termination of the lecture, cordial votes of thanks were tendered to both Mr Buddie and Mr Campbell. The attendance was very large, the chapel being crowded. The proceeds will be devoted to the enlargement of the library belonging to the Mutual Improvement Society of Springston. Silver tv vw. — The following iB from the Leisure Hour : — The curious effect of frost observed by W. J., Bushey Heath, although • not common in England, frequently occuts in other countries, such as in Canada and Newfoundland. Mr Goß9e, author of " The Romance of Natural History," describing bis residence in these regions, says (vol. i., p. 3): — " The phenomenon, familiarly called silverthaw, I have often seen in the woods. It is caused by rain descending when the stratum j of air nearest the earth is below 32 degrees of j Fahrenheit, aud consequently freezing the . instant it touches any object. The ice ac- ! cumulates with every drop of rain, till a glassy transparent coating is formed. On tbe shrubs and trees the effect is magical, and reminds one of the fairy scenes described in oriental fables. Every little twig, every branch, every leaf, every blade of grass is eushrined in crystal ; the whole forest is composed of sparkling transparent glass, even to the minute leaves of the pines and firs. The sun shines out. What a glitter of light I How the beams, broken r.s it were, into ten thousand fragments, sparklo and dance as they are reflected from the trees I Yet it is as fragile as beautiful. A slight shock from a rude hand is sufficient to destroy it. The air is filled with a descending shower of the glittering fragments, and the spell is broken at once ; the crystal pageant has vanished, and nothing remains but a brown leafless tree " Pauperism and Emigration.— The Daily News remarks that the emigration schemes wliich the House of Lords discussed the other night on Lord Houghton's motion, rest on an assumption which is demonstrably false. They assume that the cause of pauperism is over-population. They start from the belief that the national family is too big fdr the national income; that there ire more mouths than we can feed; more hands than we can employ; more labour than, there is capital to keep it going. Yet, while labour is being drafted away in one direction, capital is seeking outlets in other directions, so that there is capital enough and to spare, and the difficulty is to bring it into contact with labour. Lord Overatone's calculation is perhaps true now, though it bas not been equally true of the last six years ; but if it is only beginning to be true, how is it that there is not enough for all if the nation is saving a hundred aud fifty millions a year out of its income ? Then, too, wages are increasing, and not long since there was such a demand for labour in the great towns of the North, that deputations were sent to tbe agricultural districts to persuade families to migrate. Neither over-population, ncr deficiency of capital, nor want of trade, cao, then, be accepted as the true explanation of pauperism. There is now a temporary depression, but our trade is still elastic ; and if in our depression we send away the unemployed labour, what will be our prospects when the depression is past and » demand for l*bour it

heard again on every hand ? If the richest country in the world cannot do better, in a period of depression, than scatter its household to the four corners of the earth ; if. while it can sive and grow richer, its own children must go out to work or starve, then there is something rotten in its state, and the Conscript Fathers of the Commonwealth cannot better use their time, cannot more aobly improve their high position, than by probing the evil to its source, discovering its hidden cause ; and helping us to apply its proper remedy. mmammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmamm&i