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Waka Maori, Volume 11, Issue 8, 20 April 1875, Page 89

It is generally supposed that there are no snakes in New Zealand, but the following paragraph from the Bay of Plenty Times would point to a different con-clusion:-Captain Bluett, Armed Constabulary, informs us that as some of his men were sawing timber at Oruatewehi, a place about two miles from Fort Galatea, they discovered a snake between three and four feet in length, holding on to a weta (native spider.) The natives, who have an intense hatred and dread of snakes, unfortunately chopped it up there and then into mince-meat. Fortunately, Sergeant Hall, of the Armed Constabulary, who\vas in charge of the sawing party, saw the snake before its destruction, so that there can be no doubt as to the authenticity of the statement "We understand that this description of snake is occasionally to be met with up North, but believe it is the first seen in the Bay of Plenty. —Evening Post. The following interesting anecdote of a dog's affection for its master, is related by the Adelaide Observer: —A few days since a lad of Mr. John Kennedy's, of Sweet Home, saw his dog watching a hollow log and barking, and on going up he attempted to thrust his arm into the log with the idea of pulling out an opossum ; but the dog jumped between him and the hole, laid hold of his sleeve, and pulled it. The lad caught him by the collar, and threw him back, and again attempted to thrust his arm into the hollow

timber, when the dog again sprang to the hole, and entered it, at-the same time seizing a snake, unfortunately by the tail. In an instant the venomous reptile had fastened its fangs in the dog's lip, from which the poor, faithful animal died in about an hour—died in doing more than even many a man would do for his brother, being with him equally aware of the probable deadly issue of the conflict.— 'Evening Post. , A fatal accident occurred on the 31st March, by which a Native youth, aged 16 years, lost his lifeThe deceased, and another, were on their way home from Waiohiki to Moteo with a cartload of watermelons, when one of the wheels went into a hole, and threw the deceased off—he was sitting on the cart. The wheel passed over his head, causing instantaneous death. The deceased was buried at Moteo, at 3 p.m. on the Ist instant.—Haivke's Bay Herald. ' The number of people who travelled on the Auckland and Onehunga railway dnring January was 19,906, and in February, 11,350. The goods carried during January amounted to 534 tons, which in February had increased to 665 tons. The receipts in January were £Bll 15s. 2d., and those in February £593 17s. sd. The races and New Year's sports, no doubt, tended to increase the number of passengers in January.—Auckland Weekly News. LoifDOir, February 22.—Advices from Zanzibar report that a fleet ox British men-of-war have bombarded and captured Fort Mombazique, on the island of Mombaz, off the east coast of Africa. The engagement lasted five hours. Seventeen of the garrison were killed, and fifty wounded. Two slave ships were captared with 300 slaves on board. The public subscription raised for the relief of the dependent relatives of the sufferers by the steamer " Gothenburg," which was wrecked on the Great Barrier !Reef, on the coast of Australia, on the night of the 24th of February last, has now reached the sum of £6,000. (For an account of the wreck of the " Gothenburg," see Wafca, No. 6.) . "War medals were presented, on the 27th of March, to Major Kemp, at Wanganui, and other Maoris who distinguished themselves in the war. A young Burmese native gentleman is about to proceed to England to study for the Bar. He will be the first Burmese barrister.