LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3178, 20 April 1871, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Matthew Gludhill Antky, Esq., Paymaster R.N., died on board H.M.S. Challenger on the passage to England, on January 28th, 1871, after an illness of somo duration. MrAntey entered the Royal Navy in 1849, as assistant clerk, was promoted to assistant-pay-master in 1855, and to the rar.k of paymaster in 1858. He served in her Majesty's ships Scourge, Arethusa, Britannia, Royal Albert, Rodney, Raleigh, Racer, Forte, Magicienne, and Challenger. He was feecretary to the present Admiral, the Hon. Sir Henry Keppel, X.C.8., on three occasions — in the Na*al Brigade before Sebastopol, on tho China station, and on tho Cape and Brazilian stations. He had received for his services the following decorations : — English Crimean medal, with two clasps ; Turkish Order of the Medjidie ; Turkish Crimean medal ; Sardinian Crimean medal ; English China medal, with one clasp. Mr Antey was well known to a large circle of acquaintances in many parts of the world, as well ns to a great number of naval officers, and his loss will bo much rogretted.

Acclimatisation. — The first step towards the formation of an Acclimatisation Society in this city was taken yesterday afternoon, when n number of gentlemen met with that object in the Maori House, Colonial Museum. J. C. Crawford, Esq, R.M., was called to the chair. Mr T. L. Travers, who is perhaps the j fittest, man amongst ua to explain the various advantages to be derived from such an ir.atitution, and who has the merit of having first j taken the matter in hand, said a more favor- ! able opportunity for the establishment oi' such j a society could not be desired. After somo discussion, in the courseof whichsoveral gentlemen complimented Mr 'J'ravera for bringing i the matter forward, tho more practical part of | the business was gone into, and the following provisions agreed upon : — The qualification for life membership was fixed at £10 ; annual membership, £2 2s for the first year and £1 Is per annum afterwards. Messrs Travorß, J. C. Crawford, Dr Hector, R. J. Duncan, Dr Grace, Dr Johnston, E. Pearce, Wm Banna tyno, Izard, J. R. George, Palmer, and G. Bennett, were appointed a committee to prepare draft rules, and to see the governors of the Botanical Gardens as to tho possibility of obtaining a portion of thosogardens for acclimatisation purposes. A meeting of thecommittee is to be held at the same place on Monday next at 4 o'clock, and the first general meeting ut an early date in May. By that time it is hoped the sociony will bo in a position to takeadvantage of the opportunity afforded by tho contemplated visit to Eugland on Acclimatisation matters of Mr Bills to secure a suppiy of insectiverous birds. Mr Bills will also act in a similar way for the society of Otngo. It was resolved to invite his Excellency tho Governor to become a patron of the society. Benevolent. — At a meeting of tho Wellington Benevolent Society, held on Tuesday, the lollowing sums were paid in by the Chairman — Mr Croft, 7s 6d ; proceeds of Amateur Dramatic Pcrformauce of H.M.S. Virago, £27 9s 2d. Citt Council. — The usual fortnightly meeting of the Council will be held on Friday afternoon, at 4 o'clock. Charles O'Neill, EBq.,M.G.A., according to Auckland papers, has resigned his appointment of Provincial Engineer. City Mission. — Mr Hall, the City Missionary, thankfully acknowledges tho receipt of tho following contributions in aid during March:— Mrs A. Turner, 2s 6d; Mrs Collins, 2s 6d ; Mrs P. 2s Od ; A. and J". ss ; J. W. 19s ; W. W. Taylor, 10s ;R. J. Duncan, 10s ; John Murtin, £1 ; A friend, 53 ; Mrs H., 5s ; Mrs Rhodes, 10s ;Mr P., ss ; J. D. 8., 10s ; C. H. Create, 10s. Wellington Christy's.— A full rehearsal of the programme to be offered by this Amateur Company on Tuesday next, took place at tho Hall last evening, and from tho manner in which tho songs and choruses were performed, togethpv with the sparkling humor of the whimsicalities of the cornermen, we may safely anticipate for the public a pleasant evening' 6 entertainment. Railway, — A wooden railway has been undortaken for connecting tho district of Lako St. John with Quebec. Tho length of the lino will bo about 150 miles, of which 26 miles have been complolod, at an actual cost of 5,000 dollars per mile. The tolal cost of the whole line from Luke St John, including rolling stock, stationp, telegraphs, &<,-, (estimated on tho actual cost of the 26 miles already constructed), is set. down at 1 000,000 dols. The lino will pass through nearly 100 miles of the public domain, on which consideration the Government ia expected by tho company that have built tho first 2G miles to tnke stock equal to ono-half of tho cost of the extension, pnynblo in debentures bearing 6 per cent, to bo issued as the work progresses. As the city of Quebec is also expected to ben. 'fir, tho council is to be asked to tuke. stock to the amount of 150,000 dol. The line will open a largo tract of good agricultural and heavily timbered land, and will induce rapid nettlemerit, The peculiarity of construction of this line is its cheapness, from tho fact, that, not n particle of iron is used, tho whole material beitig wood. Tho rails are of maple-wood, fastened in notched sleepers with maple wodges ; the wood is obtained on the line and sawn by machinery. Tho carriages, springs, wheels, and other parts of the rolling Btock are made in Quebec, while tho locomotives uro imported. The whole distance (150 miles) will be performed in fc.velve hours, and this wooden railway is tho firat of tho. kind undertaken in the Dominion.

PHKABANT3.— The " Southern Crops' 1 says : Wo huvo received a letter from Mr J. Jones, Big Muddy Creek, in roply to Mr Murphy, Mangapai, on the operations of the Acclimatisation Society. Mr Jones concludes hio letter as follows :— " We may know, or fancy wo do, one little harm done by pheasants, bub who

can tell the great amount of good done by them ? One thing is certain— and which all may know by examining the crops of the birds, without which a hasty or selfish opinion is not worth the society's or any ouo else's noticethat they live on insects when they are to bo had, and it is only a fair supposition that they are always in search of them. But, like the mole m the old country searching for the wire-worm, they may lift up or destroy some corn, and which if they eat they would have a perfect right to, as they are its great protectors, as anyone that has ovor had a viait of the caterpillar knows it to be fatal, and cannot bo kept off advantageously but by the birds, which may be kept off as in othor countries. Mr Murphy requires patent birds of purity that will do only what he requires, and the society also. I will repeat, as often as it comes befove my notice, that the introduction of anything for mere sport, which I have mentioned before respecting hares, will subject the society to censure, and I will now ask them with all courtesy to explain what benefit wo who are to support tho hares are to expect ; or you may expect their destruction." A Beautiful Phenomenon.-— lt is said that a new description of lava is being thrown from the crater of Vesuvius since the la9t eruption, consisting of crystallised Bait. This beautiful phenomenon has hitherto been unknown in volcanic natural history.

Co- of mutton.— Wo take from Tickell's Trado Report:— The co-operative principle has now had a good trial, and tho success of tho two great Civil Service stores, which were started some five years since, may bo regarded as established — these, it must be borne in mind, have been managed by amateurs ; and yet, so thoroughly has the " small profits and quick returns" principle been worked, that tho members havo been able to obtain a superior class of goods at a considerable reduction on shop prices; and after paying very liberal salaries to an efficient stuff of assistants, the directors find a large resorve fund accumulating. There can be no doubt but that many retail houaes have suffered loss, owing to their wealthy customers patronising tho stores, and the selected discount tradesmen, for ready cash, in preference to allowing tho usual west-end yearly accounts to be run up at exhorbitant charges. Consequently wo find that during the past month, at a meeting of the vestry of the parish of St. Mary-le-Strand, it was resolved, " That tho practice of retail tradesmen ehargiug to members of co-operative associations different prices for their goods to those charged to tho general public, is an injustice in trado and ought to be suppressed." This will, however, have no practical effect, as so long as a clear ten per cent can bo obtained for prompt cash, the favored " List" houses are not likely to decline tho orders of some 30,000 members.

Seasoning- Wood.— Pr Hartig, of Munich, has recently made experiments on various kinds of woods. Ho says treos generally contain, during the winter months, about an average of 507 per cent of moisture, which decreases to about 48 per ceut in summer. Air-dried wood (timber) contains from 20 per cent to 25 per cent of water, and never less than 10 per cent. Wood, which by being artificially dried has been deprived of all moisture, is thereby entirely altered as regards its cohesive strength — it becomes brittle, and loses its elasticity and flexibility. In order to dry timber by artificial meaiiß, so as to preserve the essential physical structure, and thereby the good properties of the wood, the drying should bo effected slowly, and tho temperature to whioh the timber is submitted should bo moderate to begin with, and care taken not to eliminate all the water. He also states that small pieces of wood, such as are intended for joiners and furniture makers, may readily and efficiently bo dried by being placed in dry sand, and then heated to 100. The sand acts in the manner of an absorber of the moisture, as well as a diffuser of the heat.

Telegraphy. — A. telegraphic system has been commenced in Western Australia. On the 14th February Governor Weld inaugurated telegraphs in the colony by performing the ceremony of raising the first post of a private lino of telegraph between Perth and Albany. Theathica.li. — The " News of the World" Ba y ß .—The long-looked for wanderers from Australia— Mr and Mrs 0. Matthews and Herr Bandmann, arrived two days ago from Australia. Mr Matthowß is already engaged at thia theatre, and will make his first appearance in "Married for Money," and "Patter versus Clatter." Very considerable curiosity is manifested respecting him, and there is no doubt but that his engagement, which is limited to ten nights, will be highly satisfactory to himself and the management. Mrs Matthews is not announced, but it is probable that nhe will join her husband in somo of the old comedies during their too bripf stuy amongst us. — Miss Rose Evans has played an engagement in Sacramento, *.nd is now delighting the good people of Virginia, Nevaria. She has justly established herself us a favorite, and confirmed the good opinion held of her by the public of San Francisco. — Amnigoinerts have been made by which Herr Bundmiuin, the tragedian, will appear at Maguiro's Opera House, under direction of Mr John M'Oullough.

A Telbgham, published in the " News of fcbo World, under date New York, March 7th, 31l y g: — The mail contract by flail's lino ends this mouth. Yogel sails for London in the steamer Russia to-morrow.

The New English Gun. — The London "Standard" thu9 refers to tho new English five ton gun : — " This unmistakably magnificent naval gun passed, at tho butts at Woolwich Arsenal, what is understood to bo its final proof, with the utmost success tho most sanguine could have expected or desired. The enormous charge of 130 pounds of powder, propelling a bolt of 700 pounds in weight, at a velocity of 1,34-8 feet per second, was endured without tho slightest ayinprom* whatever of strain, or the remotest oppearance of any distress, either in the metal or the parts of the gun. There is no doubt at all of its being, by a long way, tho most formidable weapon in the world, and no such enormous chargo was erer before burnt inside of a cannon. In power, the projectiles are more than equal to any duty they could be Culled upon to perform afloat. The water-line belt of tho Hercules would be pierced by them at a thousand yards, and tho Konig Wilholm penetrated completely ut very considerably more than twico that range. Tho new gun has now fired eight rounds of high charges, beginning with 75 pounds and ranging up to 130 pounds ; the highest velocity, 1,370 feet per second, having been attained with 120 pounds, thus clearly showing that this is the utmost quantity that can properly be consumed in the bore, and that the firing of any higher charge would be superfluous. The velocities attained wilh the lower charges of 75 pounds and 100 pounds of powder, were respectively 1,100 und I,'JaO feet ; the penetrative power of the projectiles with even the latter charge be.insr so great that an armour plato of thirteen itwhes in thickness would only just suflico to arrest tlu'in at close quarters."

ScurorcAO.—Thu Chines nso n composition, h. 'iii-inn the iihove title, which lias the property of milking wood and other subsinnees perfectly water-tight. A yetitleman writing hom.'fn'nn I'ekinsays he has s. on wooden chests covered with it that had been to St. Petersburgh and Imck. and which were in no way injured. The Chinese u-e it largely for covering straw baskets which are afterwards employed in carrying oil (or long distances. Cardboard, when covered with it, becomes as hard as wood j and most wooden buildings in Pekin have a coating of it. Sehioicao, it is stilted, h composed of three parts blood deprived of its (ibrine, four of lime, and a little ulnm.

To Kekp Down TnrsTMJS.— As a means of keeping down thistles', a correspondent of Iho " Aut-tnilivsiivn" suggests the introduction of largo numbers of small birds, such as goldfinches and linimis, into the colonies. These birds, he siiys, keep the thistle in check in Great Hriluin by living almost exclusively on its seed, so thatin somo parts of the country they are called thistle finches.

The PbeSS Dramatic Company, we understand have obtained tho assistance of a young lady in this city who gives promise of no common histrionic ability. As no piece presented without a female character could prove much of a succoss, so no company without some femalo talent can expect to receive much favor, we must congratulate tho company on 'their acquisition, and hope iho young lady may prove to be all her most sanguine admirers represent her to bo. The Thames Gold Fields.— The yield of gold from the Thames during the month of March, is the highest ever produced by the field during any similar period, being 45,200 ounces 11 pennyweights 3 grains. This quantity of gold has boon taken from 8,790 tons 13 hundredwoight 9 pounds quartz, showing an average on the whole quantity crushed during the month of March, of 5 ozß 2 pennyweights 20 grains to the ton. Tho yield of gold for February was 30,749 ounces, therefore during March there has been an increase of 14,450 ounces.

Expobt op Gold. — The " Herald" of tho 15th says that the Bank of New Zealand has shipped by tho Queen Bee seven boxes of gold, containing 10,128 ounces, valued at £42.000 ; and 24 boxea silver, containing 25,012 ounces, valued at £6575. Including tho above, tho Bank of New Zealand has shipped during the paßt fortnight one and a quarter tons bullion. The Queen Bee also takes 1793 ounces, valued at £7000, and shipped by tho Bank of Aubtralasia.