West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1878.

West Coast Times, Issue 2773, 20 February 1878, Page 2

West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1878.

It is peculiarly annoying that the cable should break down just at the moment when news from Home is most eagerly looked for. This, unfortunately, is now the case, for we are told that the Port Darwin line is again interrupted, this time at a spot about 1400 miles from Adelaide. The growing wealth and importance of these Colonies demand a second cable. It is at such junctures as the present. European crisis, that delays in communication may prove disastrous to the Colonies. It is absurd that with England, perhaps on the eve of war, there should be a possibility of momentous intelligence being delayed for quite a fortnight. And that there is every chance of war being declared it is impossible to deny. Earl Derby has, in effect, intimated to the Russian Ambassador in London, that any attempt to cut off British communication with Constantinople would be followed by serious consequences, that is to say, by war. On this occasion at all events, it is easy to see that Earl Derby does not mean to convey an empty threat. " The attitude of England is at last decided, and probably Austria will endorse her action. Both countries will be serious sufferers if the Russian advance be not checked, Austria obviously enough, and England by having one of the roads to India practically in the hands of Russia. Such journals as the Pall Mall Gazette utill maintain that the eyes of the Czar are fixed covetously on the " brightest jewel of the British Crown." And it is not so much the question of adding another Russian road to India as of closing one to England. The only hope of peace now lies in the off chance that Russia will be dismayed at the prospect of a long struggle, and exhausted by her efforts against Turkey, will see fit to accede to the British demand. Probably, flushed with success, and contemptuously indifferent to the interference of Great Britain, the action of whose rulers has certainly appeared indecisive hitherto, Russia- will pursue her course, with the certain result that war will ensue.

Telegraphic mails for the Australian colonies, per Ringarooma, close at the Bluff on Thursday, the 21st instant, at 10 a.m. The installation of officers in the Pacific Lodge of Freemasons took place yesterday, at tho lodge-room. Brother Lizar, D.G-.M., officiated in his usual able manner as Installing Master, assisted by D.D.G.M. Bevan .md the other officers of the Graud Lodge. The following officers were installed for the ensuing year : — G. Benninir, W.M.; Jame« Bcvan, S.W.; 11. llyams, J.W.; W. H. James, Treasurer; J. Peake, Secretary; G. fipping, S.D.; R. Thompson, J.D.; W. lliley, 1.G.; and 11. Wales, O.G. In the evening a substantial banquet was provided ')y Brother Hudson in the lodge-rooi'i, when i. most pleasant evening was spent. At the installation meeting of the Pacific Lodge of Freemasons yesterday, a very handsome presentation was made to the LodgG by Mr Haigh, photographer. It consisted of a life-size crayon portrait of Mr John Lazar, D.G.M. of Westland. Mr Bevan, on behalf of Mr Haigh, handed over l)he gift to the fraternity. There were present ,ibout forty members of the order, including ■.evera! officers of the Graud Lodge, the masters and officers of the " Totara Lodge," md the " Lazar Lodge" of Kumara. The presentation called forth terms of the highest praise to the artist who executed and oresented the work, and the veteran brother whose likeness was pourtrayeJ on the wall if the lodge room expressed himself with much feeling in appreciation of the complinent paid him. The drawing of Mr D. Lynch's £2000 •*weep on the Dunedin Cup will positively •ake place on Saturday evening next, at ■ight o'clock at the Rechabite Hall. Only a r'ew tickets remain unsold, and early application by iutending investors is necessary. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, before Mr M. Price, R.M., Richard itopforth pleaded guilty to allowing his >;lumney to catch lire, and was fined ten ■■hillings and costs. Richard Campbell was charged with assaulting William Satchell by •.eizing him by the throat and holdiug a whip »ver his head. Mr Purkiss for complainant, tnd Mr Button for defendant. The evidence -.liowed that a dispute had arisen between the parties respecting possession of the key of a cottage the property o f defendant. Defendant, who did not dispute the charge, was iined ten shillings, and costs, fourteen .shillings. On the application of Mr Purkiss, v married woman's protection order was granted to Mrs Ann Murphy. Robeit Wright was charged by the Clerk of the Kauiori Road Board, with encroaching on (lie Vrahura Road Reserve. Mr Button for |)ldintif£, and Mr Purkiss for defendant. After hearing a considerable amount of vidence, the defendant was fined sixpence .vith co>ts. Wright v. Riley, £20. This was a claim for damages for trespass. Defendant, who is a contractor to the County Council, was ordered to pull down a fcsic e which plaintiff had erected partially on a road reserve. In doing so defendant trespassed a few links on plaintiff's land. Judgment for sixpence with costs, hi each of the following debt cases, judgmeut was »iven by default for the amount claimed : — Pi^zey and Co. v. Butler, £15 12s; Todd v. Baxter, £2 11s 6(1; Paterson v. Lewis, £6 Is 6d; Kcclesfield v. Masciniui, £7 10s. There was no other business. There will be a meeting of Waste Lands Board at two p.m. to-day. A special meeting of the County Council will be held at two p.m. to-day, to make arrangements for the reception of the Miuisters now on their way to Ilokitika. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, Grey mouth, on Monday, a miner named Timothy O'Leary was committed for trial, for shooting and unlawfully wounding a cow, the property of Michael Maloney. The amount of amalgam collected at the batteries of tho Wealth of Natious Quartz Mining Co., for the week ending Saturday, the 16th iust, was3osoz dwts. An inquest was held at Piper's Flat, on Monday, by Dr Dermott, J.P., on the body of a child named Glasson. The jury returned a verdict of " death from accidental drowning by falling in a tail race." A patient in Sea Vi«w Asylum, named Edward Forge, a native of France, died yesterday. An iuquest on the body will be held at the fAsylum to-day by Mr R. C. Reid, J.P. An extraordinary meeting of the Hibernian and New Ri\er Water-race Companies will be held at Russell and Edwards's store, Marsden, on Thursday, March 14th. Two hundred Chinamen arrived at Wellington recently from Hong Kong, via Sydney. They were bound for the Otago diggings . Twelve hundred salmon fry have been liberated in the Ilutt river, With regard to tho betting on the forthcoming races at Dnnedin, a contemporary says: — "A commission came from Mr Redwood's stable to back Orange Lightning for the Dunedin Cup to win £6000. Bets in this respect have been laid as follows: £2000 to £60, £500 to £10, £1000 to £20, £500 to £20, £200 to £10, £1000 to £10, £500 to £5, £300 to £12, £200 to £8. For the Dunedin races the following doubles have been laid taking Trump Card for the Derby, and Orange Lightuing for the Cup; £500 to £4, £200 to £3, £300 to £6, £1000 to £10. Pungawerewere is backed in the Cup to ■«?«! £4000. Mr Stephen Massett, otherwise known as " Jeems Pipes of Pipcsville," who is about to visit Ilokitika, is thus spoken of by the London Post: — " The second series of entertainments at the Belvedere Public Hall took place on Friday evening, when Colonel Jeems Pipes of Pipesville, California — the far famed American song writer, reader, and elocutionist — achieved a complete success. The hall was crowded to its utmost capacity with a fashionable audience, and the talented performer was most enthusiastically received. His recital of ' The Cripple's Story, 3 and 1 The Tragedy,' were masterpieces of elocution and touchingly rendered ; while the quaint little story of • Betsy and I are out,' and the way they • Made it up' produced a sensation. We have never heard the ' Death of Poor Joe' so pathetically given ; and many an eye was moistened as the speaker with wonderful tenacity gave the death tones of the dying poor street-sweeper. The,, humorous portion of the entertainment created the greatest merriment, while lub

charming ballads — ' Suuset,' 'My Bud in ( Heaven,' ' Little Feet,' ' Open the Door,' and ' The Wife's Wish,' — were rapturously applauded. The uudienco seemed fairly electrified with his ' Charge of the Light Brigade,' which he chants with an enthusiasm, a, fire and fervor almost beyond histrionic display. We certainly think .this gentleman has v brilliant career before him in England." Mr Marshall Wood, fho eminent sculptor, is in Christchurch. Mr Wood is well known as the sculptor of the "Daphne," a replica of which was recently purchased by the trustees of the Victorian National Gallery for the sum of 1000 guineas. Besides this, lie has produced several statues of the Queen the last of which was recently unveiled in Calcutta, " The Reading Girl," «' The Song of the Shirt,'" and other well-known | works of ait. Mr Wood is now on his way to England, and has recently been with Sir G. Grey in the Waikato. lie inttuds to travel over the West Coast road, and pay a visit to the Sounds before taking his leave of New Zealand. Remarking on the advuntages of street railroads the Auckland Herald says: — Tbe street railroads in San Fraucisco are paying concerns, but as yet none of these conveniences have been supplied to the people of Auckland. From papers recently to hand we learn that the Clay street- Hill Railroad cost for the building and full equipment of the road only £12,000, they received as a gift or subsidy from the property-owners along the line some £7,600, and the whole cost of the line was not quite £20,000. The road earned before its late extension to Van Ness avenue, £45 to £46 per day, and its expenses were £24 a day leaving a vet daily profit of £20—600 a month, which pays 5 per cenr, interest a month on the net cost of £12,000. These earnings were obtained from 5 cent fares. Such a means of conveyance in Auckland and the suburbs would no doubt pay well. Tho Wellington Argus gives the following information with reference to the reported discovery of a new goldfield :— lt will be remembered that some time ago we drew attention to the departure of a prospecting party en route for the Wakamariua, in which locality, somewhere, a rich find of auriferous quartz was reported. We have now the satisfaction of announcing that tho chief party interested among those who left has relui tied, and reports very favorably of the locality he went, with clie others, to exploreThere are undoubted signs of auriferous country so far, with an abundant supply of water iv the vicinity, which is a condition by no means to be despised under the circumstances. Prospects of the most satisfactory character have been reported, and our reporter has been shown the reputed result of explorations, which, if genuine, gives hope of good results. We make the latter stipulation because we happen to have somn considerable knowledge of such subjects, and until wo have an opportunity of absolute verification, we shall reserve decided judgment. However, so far the reports that have reached us are satisfactory and we ..ope they may find ample confirmation." The Sultun received on 18th January the llussi'in ofiicur.-* captured at Elcua, und welcomed them cordially, and gave each two months' pay. Private soldiers also received a liberal donation, We loam from the English papers that the fashionable physicians in the West End of London have raised their ordinary consultation fee from one guinea to two guineas. One or two of the leading men among them took the initiative a few months ago, and their example has now been generally folio wed. A draft for £115 was forwarded last San Francisco mail, from Christchurch, to Messrs N. M. de Rothschild and Sons, the treasurers of the Turkish Sufferers' Fund iv London. The treasurer in Christchurch received last week a very handsome anonymous donation of £35 to this fund. Another draft will be transmitted by the next San Fraucisco mail. A correspondent of the Auckland Herald, in his description of the sights and curiosities of the late Native meeting, says: — "I saw one Maori curiosity few have seen, namely, an AlbinOjor, as the Maoris call them,Korako. The effect waß not pleasing. The young woman's parents were both full Maoris, and she was a full Maori in every feature, only she had a complexion like a fresh coloured European woman. Her hair was white, with a tiuge of yellow, but it was Maori hair. Her eyes were good, and Bhe seemed perfect in all her faculties. She came from Taranaki. The Maoris say the inhabitants which were In New Zealand before they came were all Albinos." Writes a correspondent to an Auckland paper: — " lam informed by a friend who has returned from the Waikato that they are accubtomed there to call members of the aristocracy ' jam tarts.' The reason is that on one occasion ' the swells' gave a ball, and owing to a financial difficulty, provided nothing for supper but jam and tarts. The name does not seem a bad one, but there is a curious sound about it when turned into a common noun. Thus my friend heard one young man say to another, ' I'll have none of your dainjaintartisin.' " A new Scottish society, called the " London John o'Groat Society, has been formed in London. In the English Court of Chancery there are some eight or nine estates which have beeu bequeathed by various testators to various branches of the Carpenter families in the United Slates, and to those of the Abells who intermarried with them. These unclaimed estates still looking for American heirs, range in value from £8000 sterling to several millions of pounds sterling, the oldest and largest bequest being that of William Carpenter, who died in England about the year 1700, at nearly 100 years of age. His estate is said to be of the value of of £40,000,000 sterling. " Nil desperanduui " is one of the best mottoes ever adopted. When acted on, it saves men from failure, from suicide, and from hopeless yielding to torturing maladies. The sick and suffering may now hope for restoration to health, for those invaluable and never-failing remedies known as " Ghollaii's Great Jxdian Ctißiss," completely cure and eradicate Bhcurnatisrn , Gout, Sciatica, Neuralgia, Lumbago, Liver Complaints, Biliousness, Intermittent Fevers &c, Ask for them at the Chemists' and read testimonials.