Correspondence.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 10, Issue 630, 25 July 1866, Page 2

Correspondence.

A CORRECTION. Wanganui, July 23, 1866. TO THE EDITOR OR THE WANGANUI CHRONICLE.

Sir, — In the case in the Resident Magistrate’s Court of “ The Wanganui Steam Navigation Company,” in your paper of Saturday last, there is a slight inaccuracy in your report that I should feel obliged by'your correcting. In it you make me say “ the outstanding debts as iii the balance sheet are L 177, but from the hooks they should be L4oo.lnstead of this I said the outstanding debts as in the balance, sheet are L 775, but from the hooks as far as I can as yet tell L4somore. —I am, &c., E. Churton. The ‘ Lyttelton Times,’ speaking of Acclimatisation, says : —“ The toad lately received and placed in the Society’s Gardens, and which has attracted so much attention as being the first imported into the Province, has, we hear, been stolen, perhaps by some one appreciating its use for the destruction of insects in a cucumber frame. It is to be hoped, however, that the possessor of the ill-gotten booty may be induced to take fair means to obtain an increase, and not again to' cheat the society of the pleasure of conferring a favour on those who are deserving. The ‘ Westland Observer’ informs us that the monotony of the scene which has been common to spectators on the Okarita strand for a week past was., relieved'on Thursday by an incident. It appears that five cattle were being driven across tbe -river. With the perverseness of their kind they would not swim straight across, but performed a variety of evolutions from an apparently natural desire to spite the stockmen, to afford work to the watermen, and to advertise to the inhabitants that a fresh supply of beef, which was very much wanted, had just arrived. They, however, carried the execution of this desire of theirs a little too far. They omitted to notice that-at the same time the swollen stream was carrying out a design against them—in fact, carrying them out to sea. No amount of rude persuasion at the hands of stockmen and boatmen could convince them of their danger. Down the channel and out towards the bar they ■vent, making the largest numbers of departures from the harbour of Okarita that has yet taken place in one day.-■ The circumstances, however, were not favourable to their reaching a safe offing. In addition to a very heavy fresh in the river, there was a heavy surf on the bar ; their ability to steer a straight course was considerably interfered witli inconsequence, and for a time there seemed every chance of us having to chronicle a series of marine disasters. Getting fairly among the breakers, they were stem on, stern on, broadside. on, on their beam ends, all aback, etc., &c., all w.thin the space of a few seconds ; and at length, after a hard struggle with the elements, during which their total loss seemed several times imminent, they were fairly stranded at different points along the beach within a mile from the river mouth, and wore again congregated and driven over, looking much move in the condition of corned beef than good fresh meat.,