LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XX, Issue 2221, 20 June 1865, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Atiiejt/euai..— Wc havo been rcqusted by the Committee of tbe Athenaium to call attention to tho advertisement which appears in another column, requesting all books to be returned at once. Members are particularly requested to do so, ns tho committee are preparing a new catalogue. Tke Manawatu.— We understand that His Honor Dr. Featherston has made preparations for the survey of tho Manawatu country. Tho survey party is to consist of the district Surveyor in charge, Messrs John Knowles, Thompson, and Morgan Carkeek, who accompanied by Mr Hamlin the government interpreter, will leave town this morning. G-enkbat, Government Sale or Boxes. — Wo notice in our advertising columns that the General Government have instructed Mr A. A. Barnett to sell by public auction tomorrow, all tho empty boxes and cases lately used in conveying the General Government records from Auckland. The packages, we understand arc in good condition, and have accumulated in number considerably over 200. Theatre Eoyal.— On Saturday evening Mr Tom Fawcett appeared as Eob Roy* in the grand operatic spectacle of that name. Tbe gallery and pit, we were glad to see, were very full, but we noticed a number of empty stalls. Most persons havo read Sir Walter Scott's novels. Those who have nofc, we advise to do so, but those that have, of course know tho story of the bold outlaw. Tbo drama is adaptd from the well-known novel, and minutely carries out tho generally preconcieved notions of the dramitis persona. The greatScottish Cateran, we always pictured as rather a noble sort of fellow, " not quite a felon yet, but half a knight," and on Saturday wo found Mr Tom Fawcett did nofc destroy the delusion. To Miss Marian Dunn was assigned the part of the rollicking, dashing Die Vernon, and sho sustained it in her usually natural aud unaffected manner. Miss Dunn's petite figure hardly gives one the idea of a strong-minded, hard-riding cross country belle. She looks as if she would be more at home in a boudoir than in the hunting field. Bailie Niohol Jarvie was, of course, represented by John Dunn, who did ample justice to the eccentricities of tho " canny auld Scot." John Dunn managed the Glasgowwcgian accent vory well, and did nofc mar Ids part by an absurd and unnatural imitation. Ifc is an old, old, saying, that none but a son of the Emerald Isle, can manage, it dolve lingua, vulgo. tho brogue ; and it is equally true that (.he harsh accent of the North is not easily to be picked up. A Scotchman could tell thafc John Dunn was "na frae the north o' the Tweed," but to our English cars the imitation sounded very real. Francis Osbaldistono had lifctlo to do beyond looking a gentlemen, and that is not the easiest thing possible to many persons. iMr Balson did it, and gained loud applause for the exquisite manner in whioh he sang one or two solos, tn tho duetts sung by him and Miss Dunn, there was a little harshness, which shewed that this gentlemen's fine voice had not been trained to sing second treble. Frank Towers' get up as Major Galbraith was remarkably good, and his idea of the testy old field ofiicer was very natural. Last night, Doix Caesar de Bay. an was produced for the first time, but owing to the lateness of the hour we must reserve our critique till another time. This evening the Odd Fellows' Hall is given up for the ball to the Ministry and new arrivals, but on Wednesday it will again open as the Theatre Eoyal. We believe ifc is the intention of tbe lessees to produce Eichard 111., Othello, and other well-known selections from the " divino William," and we have heard thafc Mr Fawcett excels in the parts of tbe Monarch and the Moor. Death of Piuscilla Panepane.— From the Canterbury Press of the 15th, we republish the following notice respecting the death of Priscilla Panepane, a native woman of rank among the tribe residing at Kaiapoi :-— " Kaiapoi, 29 Mci, 18G5. " E hoa ma, Ida roko Koutou, kua mate a Pirihira Panepane, ho wahine rakatira no roto i to hapu i a Tuahuriri, no roto i a Tuteahuka, no roto i a Maru. Na, c hoa ma, kia roko Koutou ki tana kupu poroporoki i ponei i kona ra c koro ma, c kui ma, o tama ma, o hino ma, i kona ra ri to ao, kia atawhni hold i to ao nei ki to fcafcou taoka nui ko tc pakeha. Ka mutu tana poroporoki." [translation.] " Kaiapoi, May 29, 18C5. " Lcb all our friends ho informed that Priscilla Panepane is dead. She was a woman of rank of the family of Tuahuriri, which is related to Tuteahuka and descended from Maru. Hear, friends, her last words, which were these : — ' Farewell all °f yo"; ye mothers, yo brothers, ye sisters ; I leave you in the world ; be ye obliging towards om 1 great source of riches, the white people.' Thus ended her words."

Tns Panaha Hotel. — All the host houses of j entertainment seem to be creeping up in To Aro, and the Thorndon end of the City remains blessed | with its ancient hostelries. Among the best of; the many new houses, we notice with great j pleasure the Panama Hotel, which is "situated afc '• the corner of Ingestre and Taranaki streets. The j Panama was built by Mr John Martin, and has been opened regardless of expense by Mr Ban- * nister, late steward of fhe Wellington Ciub. The commercial room is one of the most comfortable, and homely little rooms wo have met with in the colony. When the " lamps are lighted in these cold and wintery days," with drawn curtains and a blazing lire, this snug room will compare favorably with any in Wellington. The bed rooms and refectory are scrupulously clean, tho cuisine excellent, and tho yards and outhouses the picture of neatness. At present we should imagine " mine host" is nofc driving a very lively trade, as the locality is quiet, but when the town extends still further Te Arowards, as it is doing I day by day, there is no doubt but that his houso j will be a favorite. We wish Mr Bannister every 1 success, arid trust that the Panama Hotel will be as great a success as its management deserves. Choral Society. — We understand the members of the above Society will hold their next concert of the season on Thursday the 29th inst. Those who had the pleasure of attending the last musical entertainment, expressed themselves highly gratified at the progress made by the amateurs, and since then, the rehearsals which have taken place every week, have been regularly ; attended. I Tns Ratple. — On Saturday evening a very I large number of persons assembled at the Empire j Hotel, to stand their chance of winning Mr Osgood's phoeton and handsome pair of chestnuts. The regulations of the raffle were tho usual ones. Three throws with three die, tho highest throw to win. Two hundred and twenty-five one guinea tiokets were taken, and at 8 o'clock the throwing began, and was sustained until near midnight, amid a firo of champagne, claret, and good humour. Fickle fortune divided her favors bej tween tlu-ee gentlemen, namely, Mr Smith, Mr Morton, and Mr Osgood, each of whom threw i 41-. The latter gentleman, not wishing to win his ' own property in ease of ill-natured remarks, after j the last throw informed the company of hisreadii ness to sell his chance, an offer that was immci din tely jumped at by Mr John Martin, who offered him £30 lor it, an offer which was much below the real value, but one which Mr Osgood accepted. Mr Morton disposed of his chance for a trifle to Mr Rowlands, consequently the turn-out is now a party concern, owned by Messrs Martin, Smith, and Rowlands. Whether they intend to throw olf, drive it in turns, or sell and divide the profits is j not known, but we understand thafc one of the | fortunate gentlemen intends buying his mates j out. The trap is in excellent condition, and all I who have witnessed the stepping of the nags enI dorse our opinion as to their beauty, action, and speed. We understand that Mr Osgood's only motive for disposing of his trap was pressure of business which compels his constant attendance in his house, and which quite bars his enjoying a drive even one day a week. Consequently, the horses were eating their heads off, and were kept at a great expense Public Meeting-. — Afc a public meeting of the landowners and inhabitants of Wade's Town, which was numerously attended, held on Friday evening last, at the Queen's Head Inn, Thorndon Flat, Mr S. Woodward in the chair, it was resolved unanimously, thafc a requisition be forwarded to J. Woodward, Esq., J.P., requesting him to call a public meeting of all persons interested in the district, for the purpose of forming a Roard of Wardens, in order to make a good and practicable road into the district. Captain Rhodes exhibited a plan, drawn by an able surveyor, shewing clearly that, although it appeared to be a road leading to a very small district, ifc must eventually supersede the present dangerous and expensive Nghaurangha road, and become the main trunk line to the West Coast. The following gentlemen were appointed a Committee to carry out the objects of the meeting : — Captain Rhodes, J. P., Mr S. Woodward, Dr A. Johnson, Mr J. Wilton, Mr A. Knowles, and Mr C. Rcttcr. Sporting. — Nofc very long ago we mentioned that a few brace of pheasants had been placed on an estate in the Wanganui district, and that they were thriving. In tho Province of Auckland, we believe, there are regular preserves, and thafc the shooting season is eagerly looked forward to. We dare say that before long the whole of the covers of New Zealand will be full of game, and thafc Joe Manton's will be as much in request during the : season as they are in tho old country. In Victoria battues often take place. We take the following account of one irom the Geelong Advertiser .- — " A battue at Bay won Park, the second of the season, took placo on Wednesday, when the weather, having softened down its late l'oughness, was everything that a sportsman could desire. The party included eight guns, and the sport was excellent, 23 pheasants (cocks of course) and 110 rabbits, being the reward of tho day's work. There was the usual wind-up in the evening, in the true old English style ; and when at a late hour tho company broke up, renovated by a day's pleasure, undimmed by a cloud, and cheered by the genial hospitality which has so long been associated with the place and its worthy owner, each one felt that it had been a sportsman's genuino ' red-letter day.' " Enormous Sheep. — Tho Southern Cross says .- —" Mr Dudley, butcher, Q.ueen-strcet, recently had in his shop a four-year-old sheep of aldcrmanic proportions, which shows the extraordinary size to which these animals, by good management, may be brought in this province. Ifc is a cross between the Leicester and Lincoln breeds, was bred and led by 11. Hnyr, Esq., on the rich pastures of Mount Albert. Ifc weighed, when alive, 106 lbs, and now 60 lbs, and has somewhere about; four inches of fat over its ribs. We arc informed that amongst the flock from which this sheep was taken are several others of equal or nearly equal size." L.vxn Guants to Rebels wno it ate SttrRENDEREV). — "We understand," says the Nem Zealand TTuratd, " that the quantity of land to be given fo Te Oriori, as an acknowledgment of his submission, is 500 acres. It is situated at Tamahere, between Hamilton and Cambridge, and it does nofc encroach upon any military settlement — in fact, ifc has not yet been surveyed. 20,000 acres at Whangapc, opposite Rangiriri, and on the proper left bank of the river, arc to bo set apart for rebels who have surrendered and taken tho oath of allegiance, but it will, of course, bo confined to those to whom the confiscated block belonged. William Thompson has lost but little land by confiscation, and Rewi loses none, ifc is snid. It is understood that there was a sort of joint proprietorship, between these men, and that tbe proclamation expiring on tho 4th of Juno next has beeu mainly instrumental in bringing at least one of them to a sense of tho danger of delay." The Telegrath. — Tho Lyttelton Times of tho 14th instant, says : — " On Monday tho Provincial Lino of Telegraph between Christchurch and Lyttelton was handed over to the representative ofthe General Government, and a new scale of charges adopted. For tho future no telegrams for tho information of the public will bo transmitted free, and any information desired as to the arrival or sailing of vessels from Lyttelton will bo paid for. The old plan of posting shipping news at the Telegraph Oflice will be discontinued, and for the present the public need nofc look for their ■accustomed information from tho flagstaff in front of tho Lyttelton Times office." Hall tue Bushranger. — Tho Sydney Morning Herald gives the following account of tho distribution of tho £1000 reward for tho capture of Hall: — "£l5O to Sub-Inspector Davidson, £150 to Sergeant Condell, £80 each to the four troopers of the party, £60 to one black trapper, and £20 to another. Mr Davidson has also been appointed an inspector, and Sergeant Condell has been raised to the rank of sub-inspector. The : bushranger Dunn was seen alone noar Forbes, on the 6th, and there is reason to believe since the death of Hall that the gang havo separated/!^

Rewi and TnE King. — An Auckland journal says : — " It appears thafc Rewi and the Maori King are living in perfect repose at a settlement between Kawhia and Waipa. They sent Aporo, of Gorst notoriety, down to A nckland to consult with the Governor ; and inasmuch as ifc would have been an easy enterprise t-o have captured these two ringleaders of the rebellion, thoir quiet and undisturbed residence there for so long goes to prove tbat his Excellency and liis Government consider it better to let tli^m go at large. The arrangement with Thompson will, of course, be no exception. Tho other reb-'ls will be treated in an equally liberal spirit; ;...d Maori occupation will, so far as the assent of the Governor is concerned, be once more established in the Waikato. The Waikato regiments are, however, tobe dealt with. We trust that these men will hold on to their lands. The Government must either keep faith with them, or grant them Crown titleß, if they continue in the district. The time cannot bo long put off when fchis question will be settled one way or the other." The'Fiest Native. — The West Coast Times chronicled the first birth which had taken place at Hokitika, as " Mrs T. McCarthy, late of Pieton, of a daughter." The honor of giving birth to the first child born of European parents on the Wesfc Coast is disputed, and is claimed by a Mrs Smith, who was confined a week previously. Good Shooting. — A Tasmanian journal records a rather remarkable event in rifle shooting, the hero of which was a gunner of the Volunteer Artillery, named Pratt : — " Some most extraordinary firing was made at the Cornelian Bay target on the 19th, by gunner Pratt, of the Artillery, wliile practising at the 400, 500, and 600 yards range, with a small bore rifle, having made the astonishing number of 70 points in 21 shots, seven at each range. The marking was correctly done by Mr Meager, one of the members of the Rifle Asso« sociation. At the 400 yards Pratt made four bull's eyes, tliree centres, and a miss. The firing surpasses that of the English crack shots, and requires an amazing amount of nerve to keep up. Mr Pratt is one of the members who will fire on Thursday next, at the samo ranges, and with tho same rifle." The City op Dunedin. — The Daily Times of the 13th inst. gives the names of the crew of the above ill-fated steamer. Ifc says : — " The following is a correct list of the ill-fated officers and crew of this fine steamer, as entered on the shipping books of the owners : — James Parker Boyd, captain ; George M'William, mate ; Neill Nataal, 2nd mate ; Daniel M'Donald lst engineer ; Robt. Douglas, 2nd engineer ; W. Anderson, Ephraim Burns, Hugh Graham, firemen ; Ronald MTntyre, John Harper, Alex. M'Donald, trimmers ; Alexander Campbell, carpenter ; John King, Neil , Thomas Wilson, stewards ; Thomas , Bichard lloskins, cooks ; Miss Mackay, stewardess ; Nicholas Cowbray, Joe , John G-ar-ratt, Alex. Trellis, Alex. Gibson, Daniel Lamont, George Johnson, seamen ; in all — twenty-five." The same paper saj-s : — " In compliance with a requisition signed by members of some ofthe most respectable firms in the City, the Superintendent has appointed a public meeting, to be held in tho Princess Theatre, to-morrow, Friday, at thre© o'clock in the afternoon, for the purpose of considering what steps should be taken for the relief of those who have been deprived of the means of support by the loss of friends in the steamship City of Dunedin." A Returned Explorer. — One of the last of the stragglers of the Burke and Wills expedition (says the JRinerine Herald) has afc length found its way back into Victoria. A dromedary, supposed to have been lost by the contingent party under Mr Wright, having for some time been known to have been knocking about the Barwon river, one of the head tributaries of the Darling. Mr Michette, who accompanied Mr Huxley's store cattle for Victoria from the station of the latter gentleman on the Moonie river, a tributary of the Barwon, instituted a search for him, and succeeded in securing him and bringing him into the party. Mr Michette has brought the dromedary, which has been named "Barwon" by Mm, down to Eehuca. He is under the impression thafc he isa camel lost by Burke and Wills on their return to Cooper's Creek. But this cannot be the case, since we find, from the jommals of both Burke and Wills, and from King's narrative, that they had only two carncls with them on their return — Linda and Rajah ; Linda got bogged in tho creek, and had to be shot ; Rajah subsequently knocked up, and King says : — " The camel Rajah seemed very ill, and I told Mr Burke I thought he could not linger out more than four days ; and as on tho samo evening the poor brute was on the point of dying, Mr Burke ordered him to be shot. I did so, and we cut him up with two broken knives and a lancet." Barwon, therefore, is not one of those which crossed the continent. This poor brute has evidently, however, endured much suffering, showing marks of having been much cut by his pack on his back and sides, leading to the inference that when lostdic had his pack on, which he did not get rid of for some time. He was first found, more than twelve months since, by a Mr M'Mahon on the Barwon, to whom a reward for his recovery of £50 was offered by the police. After having him for some time, however, Barwon broke his hobbles, aud escaped. When found by MrMitchefcfce he was rather wild, and showed somo restiveness at being handled. Breach of Promise. — Ihe Guildford Chronicle says: — At the Manchester Assizes, an action waa brought for breach of promise of marriage, tho plaintiff being Miss Elizabeth Davies, the daughter of a gentleman who was formerly a coal-dealer in Manchester, and tho defendant being the nephew in the firm of Williams, Nephew & Co., woollencloth dealers in a largo way there. A short time before tho death of the plaintiff's father, which occurred in 185G, thcro was a family named Oldfield, with which the Davies family wero very intimate, -and one of the young Oldfields paid his addresses to the plaintiff and was accepted aa her suitor. He, however, took advantage of the intimacy to which he was thus admitted, and, under circumstances and by an artifice wliich the learned counsel was prevented from detailing in that Court, seduced Miss Davies, the result being the birth of a child ; but, although the defendant was perfectly aware of this circumstance when ho engaged himself to the plaintiff and overlooked it then, he now put a plea of immodesty and unchastity on the record. Immediately after tho seduction Oldfield had disappeared from the country, and none of the plaintiff's family had ever been able to discover him. Tho defendant had become acquainted with the plaintiff some time after her father's death through the close intimacy with her brother, they being members of the samo boating club and other societies together, and hence came the love engagements which was easily accounted for by the personal attractions of the plaintiff (of which the jury were given an opportunity of forming an opinion for themselves by the submission to them of her photograph) , and abundantly proved by many letters which were read in court. No accusation had been made by the defendant of the plaintiff at the time of breaking off* his engagement, nor any reason given, nor were any proofs adduced by his counsel in court of further acts of impropriety, or in support of tho plea, and the jury returned a rerdicfc for the plaintiff. — Damages, £650. A River Fish. — The Lyttelton Times says : — Mr Barnett, of the Hurunui Hotel, has forwarded for our inspection a handsomo fish, caught the day beforo yesterday in tho Hurunui, and stated by him to be the first of ita kind ever caught thero. The fish is of a very dull brown color and is marked with light blue and silvery elongated spots. Its length is between fourteen and fifteen inches, and tho greatest diameter of the body nearly thrco inches. In form it somewhat resembles the English trout. We have asked tho opinion of somo practical men concerning ifc, but the answers aye so various as to provo only the little real knowledge which exists on the subject. But fresh water fish aro notsoconmioniiiNewZealaudthataspecimen should pass altogether without notice. If, therefore, any scientific man, on reading the above outline of tho fish's appearance, thinks ifc worth further notice, he will find ib in the care of Mr Johnson, at the Acclimatization Society's garden, for the next day or two. We are nofc informed of the method of capture, whether by net, bait, or fly ; and as there are no marks to indicate this, we shall be glad to be further informed.

Earthquakes in the SoL'Tn. — A short timo ago we published an account ofthe shock of an earthquake that had been felt in Dunedin, and we now see byfchc Daily Times of fche loth thafc another was felt at Wnnalca. The abovo paper publishes the following letter on the subject : — " Sir, — I beg to inform you that (he shock of an earthquake was fell, in this district by several parties on the morning of the 27th of May, at _ o'clock. There was no noise accompanying ifc. — I am, &c. — L. J. VrcKEits. Rojianttc Courtships and Marriage. — The Sunderland Times tells the following story. It Bays : — ■" Some time ago the mate of a Sunderland vessel, while afc a Chinese port, fell ill of fever, and subsequently died. An Englishman and his wife, living in the land of ' barbarians,' were kind to the dying man, and in his lust moments strove by their attentions to caso as far as they oould his passage from this troublesome world. Tbe kind- * ness shown to the suffering seaman came to the . knowledge of liis widow in Sunderland, and she, ■ in a letter to the Englishman and his wife, thanked them for what they had done, and begged | they woidd, in return, send her their cartes as a remembrance of the debt she owed them. After the lapse of some months, she received an answer from the Celestial Empire, from the Englishman, in which he conveyed the melancholy intelligence that shortly after "the departure of the vessel to which tho mate belonged he had the misfortune to lose his wife, who now lay interred by the side of his friend, the husband of the woman to whom he was writing. Acting upon the high encomiums he had heard of the character and qualities of his fair correspondent, he judged she was a suitable persbn to fill the placo of his departed partner, and afc once ' popped the question,' giving as a reason for his promptness that so long a time was j required for fche transmission of a letter and its answer, ifc would be half a year before he knew what her reply would be. Enclosed was his portrait, and ho begged a return of the favor. The letter, as may well be imagined, was a surprise to tho widow, but after weighing all the circumstances, she consented to bo 'wooed., The courtship thus strangely commenced, continued to progress until a few weeks ago, when the happy man who was to he the bridegroom arrived in England, was not long in finding his way to Sunderland, and the ' banns' were at once proclaimed in Bishop wear mo uth Church. Chinamen. — The Bendigo Advertiser is responsible for fche following paragraph, which if it be true, brings out a new phrase of Chinese Ufe in the colonies : — " Recently a Chinaman brought from the flowery land his wife accompanied by her maid-servant — two very fair specimens of the almond-eyed, small-footed feminine beauties of that country. The maid-servant having been purchased in China the Chinese husband thought on the arrival of the two ladies, that he might fairly, as well as justly dispense with the maid's services, and accordingly he put her up to auction and, if our information is truthful he realised £120 for what ho had paid only about £10 in China. The happy purchaser, on receiving delivery of his property, added the marriage rites of tho Chinese jos3-house to his legal rites and took home his newly-bought bride. We hear that tho lucky speculator, and others of bis countrymen, intend having further consignments of such tender goods from China. Lord Palmerston. — We learn from our English files that a short time since, Lord Palmerston had a dangerous all at the House of Commons. Ho was going through one of the doorways when some one on the other side pushed open fche spring door and knocked the nobie Lord down. He was however, quickly assisted up, found to be unhurt, marched into the house, fell asleep comfortably, and was nofc roused until it was time to close the debate. It is wonderful thafc the noble Lord escaped so well, considering his age and and that he fell upon a stone floor. The Wreck at Stewart's Island. — We take the following from fche Southland Nems with reference to the traces of wreck found on Stewart's Island : — " Our report of fhe discovery by Maoris of fragments of wreck, and a trunk of wearing apparel, on Mason's Beach, Stewart's Island, has given rise to considerable speculation as fo the vessel to which they might have belonged. It has been conjectured that they formed part of the Ivanhoe brigantine, which left harbor in the latter part of the year 1863, and has nofc since been heard of. To favor this supposition, ifc is said that the captain had his wife on board with him afc the time of leaving port. Another sur- j mise is, that the articles found formed part of the I deck cargo and sundries which were washed overboard from the Elizabeth Curie, in the heavy I seas she encountered off Stewart's Island on her ( way to Hokitika. We hope something may turn i up among the articles found, which mny lead to ( the solution of the mystery. Ifc will be remem- ; bered that private letters informed us that one of , the lady passengers by the Elizabeth Curie lost j the whole of her wearing apparel, &c , by the sea | which swept the decks. The ship Telegraph is also missing, and with equal reason the portions of the wreck may be assigned to her." LINES. — The following lines are extracted from an American paper, and we republish, only wishing the sentiments were true : — I wish I was an editor I really do ; indeed It seems to me that editors Get everything thoy need ; They get the biggest ancl the best Of every tiling that grows, And get in free to circuses And other kinds of shows. When a mammouth cheese is cut, They always get a slice, For saying Mrs Smitli knows how To make it very nice ! The biggest " bug" will speak to them, No matter how they dress — A shabby coat is nothing, if You own a printing press. Afc ladies' fairs they're almost hugged By pretty girls, you know That they will crack up everything, The ladies have to show ; And thus they get a blow out free Afc every parly feed — The reason is because they. write. And other people read. ■wn— m i " ■ ' ' "'"I ■ i