Odds and Ends.

Western Star, Issue 242, 27 April 1878, Page 7

Odds and Ends.

The AustraMans play their first match in England against Nottingham on Mav 20th. Tiie ship Ivanhoe, with 171 emigrants for Sydney, New South Wales, sailed from New Turk on February 2-1. The emigrants are forwarded under thu supervision of the Australian G-ovemment Agent. ■Regulations are gazetted under the Fish Protection Act, 1877, imposing restrictions as to che manner in which fish may be caught. People fishing with nets am required to take out a license. The

licenses are to be obtained from the Col-

lector of Customs at the different ports, and the fee is 20s.

At Wellington a barmaid smashed a water-jug over the head of a man who had spoken disrespectfully to her. Mr Crawford, R.M., said it served him right, and mulcted the young woman in costs only. Sbe created some amusement iu Court by telling the defendant’s counsel that she was not modest—but respectable. The annual death Tate in San Francisco is s'per cent of the total population. With a population of 300,000, the burials in the San Francisco cemeteries during 1877 numbered nearly 7,000. The champion of Ereneh-Canadian Protestantism - the Reverend Father Chiniquy—has, at the invitation of Protestants iu Australia, consented to visit New South Wales and Victoria, and his passage money has been already all but subscribed. Mr Chiniquy will leave San Francisco for Sydney by September mail steamer. Father Chiuiquy’s converts now number from 7,000 to 10,000. A little boy named Barwell was burned to death on his father’s farm near Lowburn recently. Three of Barwell’s children went to seo a fire he had lighted, and the two eldest left this boy about two years old, who, it is supposed, attempted to play with the flames, and in so doing his clothes became ignited. When found he was badly burnt, and died after suffering severe agony for a short time. We (Morning Herald) believe that the Government intend to close the lighthouse buildings at Preservation Inlet when completed. The coastal navigation is so small that no light is required in this position, nor is it likely to be wanted tor some years. This place would be a pleasant summer residence for invalids, abundance of the finest fish existing in the Sound. Should the Government think of making an asylum for the victims of drink, no more suitable place could be found. Beautiful scenery and magnificent fishing and boating would restore the most advanced drunkard to a healthy condition, The very name seems suitable for the purpose, A telegram from Sydney in the Melbourne Herald says ;—Another development of the scandal in high fife, telegraphed a few days since, was made public this morning. It will be remembered that the daughter of the Governor of one of the Colonies received attentions from two Cabinet Ministers, when it was discovered that the favoured on© was already married to his servant, and the other declined after that to consent to his attentions being regarded as serious,. This gentleman (the Honorable George Thorne, the then Premier of Queensland)* subsequently married Miss Uniacke, the daughter of a Melbourne merchant. He subsequently resigned the Premiership* and announced his intention to leave for England in the Lusitania with his bride. Pursuant to this announcement Mr and; Mrs Thorne went on board the steamer in question ou the day appointed for herto sail from Sydney. There was a great crowd of persons on board seeing their friends off. The ex-Premier of Queensland and his wife were accompanied by a large number of acquaintance of both sexes. Just as Mr Thorne stepped on board, Supreme Court Bailiff Thomas made known his presence, and politely intimated that he was there to execute a writ at the suit of Kate Keenan* barmaid at Lennon’s Hotel* Brisbane, who, had instituted an action against tEe hon A gentleman for breach of promise of marriage. The writ was intended to prevent the departure of Mr Thorne. His arrest created quite a flutter on board, especially among the ladies. Fortunately, Mr Thorne’s friends were with him, and there was no difficulty in obtaining the necessary bonds that he would meet the suit. They entered into bonds Cor costa and damages, and Mr Thorne was then released and proceeded on his voyage. The principal object of interest now in South Kensington Museum is Dr Schlieman’s collection of Trojan antiquities. Dr Scblieman began life as a poor b »y iu Berlin, and early possessed with the idea of making a fortune with which to explore the ruins of Trov. In holb these objects be has succeeded in a wonderful manner after years of hard work, as the collection of South Kensington shows. The articles found have been dug from a depth or three to sixty feet, m >st of them are prehistoric, and show marks of fire. They consist of flint and s t o,ne itnple ments, stone jars, and vases of all shapes and sizesjgold and silver cups and ornaments, human sculls and a few sculptures. Five enormous stone jars Bft in h igly. placed side by side, were discovered. They probably had b en us d as a cellar. One of these is in the Muse tin in a perfect state of pre ervation. There art' numerous jars having the neck carved as the owl head of the go Ideas Minerva A large treasure was found in a box supposed to have been hidden. The silver articles are of course varnishe.

and encrusted, but the gold cups and ornaments are as bright as if made yesterday. There are two splendid gold head-dresses, formed of hundreds of chains, each ending in a tiny idol of Minerva. It was worn on the forehead hanging down like the present fashionable fringe and is continued each side of the face to the shoulder. Justices’justice has again been strikingly exemplified in Victoria’s capital. An unfortunate girl who had been turned from her uncle’s door, on making applications for admittance with her child in her arms, and who there in her anguish and passion broke a window and struck tbe apprehending constable on the face, was fined five shillings for the damage done and sent to prison for three months for the assault. She besought the justices not to brand her baby with infamy ; but she was immediately removed from the Court by force. The uncle and the magistrate must be men of tender hearts. The Melbourne press comment very strongly on the case. The Priuce of Wales’s sons are already, like the children of plebeians, displaying a degree of playfulness which gives some trouble. During a recent journey in a train they amused themselves by shooting pens at an unfortunate porter, who shook his fist at them, exclaiming, “ 111 screw off your ears for you, you young rascals.”

A methodist parson called to preach in an out-of-the-way town in California was informed, before entering the pulpit that he must be careful, as many of the assembled congregation were “ roughs,’ 1 and would not hesitate to disturb him if his remarks didn’t suit. The holy man made no reply, but having reached the desk he took from his pockets two revolvers, and placing one on each side of the Bible, gave a sharp glance round the house and said—l et us pray.” Report says that a more orderly service never was conducted.

There resides in Canterbury, where he has been settled a good many years, one of the survivors of Waterloo. Dugald* Macfarlaue, as a lieutenant of the Doth Light Infantry Rifle Corps* now the Rifle Brigade, took part in the resistance the. “ thin red line ’* offered to theimpjtuous; charge of the French Imperial Guard under Ney, which decided the fate of* Europe; and led the advance guard of’ British troops into Paris, The w Lyttek ton Times,” in ending hs chronicle of this fine old man’s military deeds, says : —“.lt is gratifying to. us to learn that the officers of the 3rd battalion of the Rifle Brigade of to-day are stirring in the matter, en-. deavouring to get Macfarlane a retired* captain’s rank and pay for the rest of his, life. His photograph and a brief account of his services, of which this is a brieftranscript, has been placed on permanent tbe archives of the battalion,, which, one of its. distinguished officers adds, ‘ will be read with pride by many future riflemen, who will also see with pleasure, how the memory of having served in the. regiment has through, life, been cherished.’ ”

A supplement to the y N., Z. Gazette,”'" published on April 11th, is filled with.the* annual report of the Chief Inspector* of' Stock in, the Otago District., The pe-. turns show a total of 3,928,500,, being an, increase of 20,152 upon last year’s re-. turns, against 55,000 for year previous.. 1,401,310 are depastured on freehold! property,. 2,494,579. on, runs, 22,875,' on hundreds, and 9736 on goldfield com-, monages., 569, stud sheep,, merinos only,, have been imported during the last twelve* months, and these from Victoria, against 498 for year previous. 88,000* sheep, were passed through the different establishments for either preserved meats or* tallow.. Owing, to the severe drought in the spring, followed by bad weather* during the lambing season, the losses in some localities.have been very great, andl as a whole the lambing will not be up to the usual average. Another source of' loss, where rabbits are uumer us, is un-. mistakably attributable to this » uisance; not only is the pasture destroyed by them,, but the constant disturbance the stock are subjected to in the destruction of the* pests teds severely against both increase* and clip- The inspector asserts that in, some localities;an annual decrease in the number* of sboep.is taking place .from theabove cause,. life can still report all sheep, within the district oh ©tago as,.; free from, scab and generally healthy-. The returns show a total of 47,933 head of cattle: of these, 38,907 are depastured on freehold, and 882.8 on Crown lands. It bemg the first year that a re-. tnrn of cattle lias been collected, and as there arc many who are cattle owners w t'mut owning sheep,, the number shown on the return cannot represent the total number within the district,, but he is of opinion ihev can approximately be estimated at 53,000. The number of cattle introduced from-foreign ports during thayear amounted to 34, being sfrom Great Britain and 29 from Victoria. Noneh <ve been exported outside New Zealand,