Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 723, 16 September 1870, Page 2

Local and General.

+ _ The European War. — An advertisement in another column invites the attendance of Germans at a meeting to be held on Tuesday evening next, at Barrett's Hotel, at 7.30. Winter Headings. — Thenext of the series will take place in the Colonists' Hall this evening. An attractive programme has been issued. The Sam Francisco Mail. —The Southern portion of the above mail, which arrived at Nelson last night, will no doubt be brought on without delay, but we can hardly expect our portion before to-morrow. The Gourlays. — These talented and favourite performers are now giving a series of farewell performances prior to their departure for America, in the chief towns of the several provinces. They were advertised to appear in Nelson on Monday evening last. Acclimatisation. — The ship Aboukir, which recently arrived at Auckland from London, brought out a number of rooks for the local Acclimatisation Society. An Auckland contemporary of a recent date has the following: — Some of the young trout at the Acclimatisation Society's Gardens were hatched on August 18. On that day some . 20 young fish had made their appearance, and a large number of the ova appeared on the point of bursting. In some with the naked eye, but in most of the ova witb the aid of a glass, the motions of the imprisoned tiny fish were quite discernible. Of the 991 ova placed in the hatching troughs, but a small percentage has become bad, and Mr Ear J, under whose management and direction all operations hitherto have been carried on, conjectures that about 900 will prove good, ancl be hatched. Thk Railways. — The following returns exhibit particulars of the traffic for the month of August. Lyttelton and Christchurch line: — Passengers 8381, £485 10s 8d; annual and monthly tickets 7, £23 16s; parcels, £30 14s; merchandise 1829 tons, flax, 97_ do, £674 7s sd; coals 2104 J do, £631 7s 3d; timber 100 feet, 4551_, £227 lis 6d; firewood 198 cords, £59 8s; wat^r, £12 6s Id; wool 406 bales, £47 Os 4d; grain, wheat, &c, 30,078 bushels, £250 13s 3d; oats, 22,410 do, £140 Os 3d; flour, 298_ tons, £89 10s 9d; wharfage, £344 4s 3d; total, £3016 9s 9d; corresponding month, 1869, £2223 13s sd. Great South Line: — Passengers 4110_, £435 5s 3d; parcels, £16 6s ; merchandise 274} tons, flax 13J do, £122 19s sd; coals 99 do. £30 !5s 2d; timber 100 feet, 560, £47 13s Id; grain, wheat, &c, 13,230 bushels, £78 12s 9d; oats, 6165 do, £26 17s; labour, £6 12s 9d; total, £765 Is sd; corresponding month, 1869. £625 23 2d. -- Coal Discovery. — Mr Francis Gribbin, a groom in the employment of Messrs Cobb and Co., writes as follows to Mr W. R. Mitchell, from the Messrs Enys' Btation, Castle Hill, under date Sept. 14:—" On the llth I made a discovery of a large seam of coal on the Thomas Creek. It is about 3_f t. wide, and about fifty yards from the first seam there is another seam 2£ft. wide. The larger seam I only took the surface of 3ft. wide. It has got the appearance of a very large seam. I send you down a sample of the coal taken from the surface of the large seam. I suppose the discovery is not worth auything, it is so far from town. If it was • :-near town it is a fortune." A small portion of the coal was tried yesterday by Mr W. R. Mitchell, but being only from the surface, or what is better known as " croppings," the test can scarcely be considered a fair one, or one upon which any conclusive report can be based. So far as it went, however, the result was certainly encouraging, aud will assuredly justify the outlay of a sum sufficient to get iL'.rth'jr i :;!.■• the seam.

Sheep. — The Provincial Gazette of Sept. 15 contains the usual monthly -return by the sheep inspector, fron which it appears that in the month of August the sheep in all the districts were free from scab. The Mackenzie Country.— A Timaru contemporary of Sept. 14 has the following : — From the Mackenzie Country we learn that a shepherd named John Brown, in the employ of Messrs Dark Brothers, was found dead on their run on Sunday week last. — Clowes, Esq., J.P., held an inquest on the body on the following Tuesday, when, in the absence of any proof as to cause of death, an open verdict was returned. Sudden Death.— A Timaru contemporary of Sept. 14 has the following : — By private telegram received by Mr Dyson, we learn that an old resident of Temuka and neighbourhood, Mr George White, has died rather suddenly, at the Rakaia hotel, on his returning from Christchurch, where he had been partly on business and partly on pleasure. It appears that deceased left town on Friday morning, and arrived at the Rakaia the same night and seemed to have been indulging rather freely. During the night he had a fit, never rallied afterwards, and died either late on Sunday night or early on Monday morning. Dr. Christy was in attendance, and the cause of death was apoplexy. Mr White was a quiet unassuming man, always ready to lend a helping hand, and was generally respected. The War in Europe. — The Wellington even : ng paper of . v ept. 13 has the following : — The German residents in Wellington held a meeting last night at the Empire Hotel, for the purpose of taking steps to raise subscriptions for the relief of those Germans who will be sufferers by the war between France and Prussia. The attendance was not large, but the sum of £16 was subscribed at once, and lists were drawn out to be left at various places. Mr Hirschburg, a well-known resident of Greytown, not knowing what steps had been taken here, wrote to Mr Krull, urging him to take steps for procuring subscriptions, and forwarding a donation of five pounds. The enthusiasm with which the cause of Germany is taken up by her sons abroad may be gathered from the following circular, issued by the German Consul at Bombay : — " Germans ! The French tyrant has, with unheard of insolence, thrown down the gauntlet to our people. They, like one man, will take it up, and conscious of drawing the sword for their country's honour, will stake their all on chastising the overbearing foe, and — God willing — will free the world of this firebrand. We Germans, far from home, to whom, alas ! it is not given to take part in this holy war, must prove to our brethren in our native land, who spring with joy to arms, that we with faithful hearts still cling to Fatherland, and in thought are with them on their march to victory. Let us, then, all send home with speed gifts to our brave wounded brethren ! Let us do this at once, at the very commencement of the bloody strife and thus prove to our Fatherland that we, too, are filled with enthusiasm for the just cause. War, alas ! will but too surely claim its cruel cacrifices ; but we, who cannot shed our blood, may still help to mitigate its attendant horrors. To all Germans in India this appeal is addressed: — Contribute according to your means, to soothe the wounds, which will be many ! Be true to Fatherland ! Contributions of money will be received by tbe undersigned, as also by all German Consuls, and will he transmitted to the Chancellor of the Confederation, to be made over to Associations for the succour of the wounded. God be with our Fatherland I A. C. Gumpert, Consul for the North German Confederation. Bombay, 16th July 1870." The Chatham Islands.— A correspondent of a Hawke's Bay contemporary writes from the Chathams as follows, on July 20.: — During the last few years the public has become considerably enlightened with regard to our island ; a place which, under ordinary circumstances, would have attracted but little notice. For a time we sedulously strove to keep our little rushlight burning ; unfortunately, it became rudely extinguished, leaving a most unpleasant odour behind. Since the escape of the Hau-hau prisoners, we have been comparatively secluded from the world, for, with the exception of a cattle vessel which has visited us at long intervals, not a friendly sail has cheered our sight. As may be supposed, we have, in consequence, suffered some slight privations ; our small stores have become exhausted, and not only articles of luxury, but those of necessity, were not to be procured ; even our hotel bars have been hermetically closed, and thirsty topers have become involuntary members of a temperance society. In fact we have been reduced to a state of siege-like embarrassment, our usual supply vessel having been three months overdue. On the 15th June, however, the booming of a large gun announced an arrival, which proved to be the Government schooner Edith, having on board Government officials — Messrs Rogan and Grey, Judge and Recorder of the Native Land Court, and Mr White, native interpreter, who were delegated by the Government to adjudicate on the native land claims. Sixteen Maoris, formerly influential inhabitants of this island and principal claimants , also arrived from Taranaki, and were passengers in the same vessel from Auckland. The business of the Court was conducted in the Karakia, and first and fore* most amongst the claimants were the Morioris, or aboriginal inhabitants, who urged their claim vehemently, ignoring the Maori title in toto, raking up many horrible tales of oppression and cruelty, and contending that they, and they only, were the rightful owners of the soil. Of course such claims : could not be entertained, but they were most fairly dealt with. It was decreed that from i 6000 to 6000 acres should be reserved for them during their lives, and then revert tc the Maoris. With this decision they expressed themselves perfectly satisfied. The I number of Morioris living is from 50 to 60