WATSONVILLE, SUMNER.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 51, 11 April 1890, Page 19

WATSONVILLE, SUMNER.

CFrom an occasional Correspondent.)

About two miles from Sumner proper, and opposite the rough-level tract of land, about forty-five acres in extent and known as Monck's Plat, there is a bay or broad flat valley tbafc contains close upon fifty acres. The estuary formed by the union of the river H9athcote and the river Avon fronts this vailey, and the hills on each side shade it completely from the east and south-west winds. The valley formeily formed one property and then belonged to the late Mr. Watson. But thirty -five acres were a year since subdivided into sections, and a township, known as WHtsonville, was formed. Mr. A. Johnson purchased the remaining fifteen acres on the south side of the valley. The town sections range from a quarter of an acre to three or four acres, and were mostly sold. The average piice of the land, which is generally good, though swampy in some places and sandy in others, was from fifteen to twenty pounds fora quarter-acre sec) ion. Mr. Watson's house and outbuildings, with two acres of land, foimed one allotment, and realised £250. During last winter the sections were, mostly fenced and ploughed, and were chiefly planted with potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries, and with fruit and other trees and shrubs The whole property also fronts on the Sumner road, and several B tree! B in the township have been formed and gravelled and drains made. Since the sale three small houses only have been erected, and these have been placed a little up on the hillsides. But why do purchasers hesitate to build ? Do they lack means or enterprise 1 Bumour runs that the effect on the sections of the coming winter's rains is awaited before further outlay.— The next valley towards Sumner belongs to Mr. Monck. Several months ago, when some men were getting stones for the roads from the face of a steep rock that is on Mr. Monck's property, and at the end of the spur that divides the two valleys, a cave consisting of two dome-shaped compartments, was suddenly and unexpectedly discovered. The apex of the outer cave, which now consists of but half a dome, is about eighteen feet high, and the apex of the inner cave is from eight to nine feet. The outer cave ia also about twenty feet long, and fifteen broad, while the inner cave is nigh forty-two feet long and twenty-four wide. To advance into the inner careinside of which it is so intensely dark that to see any thine a person must be provided with one or more candles — it was necessary to crawl on the knees, as the entrance is not more than two feet high. But Mr. Monck has cut a deep central trench, and there is now a walk from one end of ihe cave to the other. On the floor there was an accumulation of ashes and shells several yards in depth. This accumulation proves that the cave must have been a famous camping place for a very long time before the entrance to the ou'er cave was centuries ago accidentally covered and concealed by an earthquake or a landslip. The cave, like the larger one known as the Maori Point Cave, was originally simply an air bubble in a stream of lava, and it is very probable that there are several undiscovered caves at Sum Der. Many articles of interest, such as a canoe paddle, and a bailer fashioned from a solid block of wood were found in the caves. Sinkers, fishing-hooks, and spears, parts of wooden combs, knots of skinned native flax, greenstone chisels and axes and a variety of bones were also discovered. In one place a large quantity of beautiful black curled glossy, human hair was foucd. This hair seemed as perfect as hair recently cut from the head of some Maori. Mr. Monck was anxious to preserve the caves as when first found, but when their discovery became known a whole army of persons rushed from the ciiy of the plains, and these Cockney geologists soon destroyed what centuries Dad spared.

Dr. Hastings, a prominent Presbyterian minister of New York, has written to the New York Sun, objecting to the passages in the Presbyterian " confession of faith," which describe Catholics as ••infills and idolaters," and the Pope as "Anti-Christ." He is unwilling, he says, to accept the responsibility of applying such language to a great Churcb, which he regprd9 " as a Church of Jesus Christ." The report that the Bishop of Zululand was buried like a Kaffir is contradicted, though by bis wish he was interred without a coffin. We do not wonder at the choice. The wonder ia that the Bishop's choice was not universal long ago. A clergyman of the Church of England, named George Parkinson, is an inmate of the Bourne (Lincolnshire) Union Workhousj. He was formally chaplain of the workhouse in which he has now obtained pauper relief. An effort is being made to induce Sir Charles Rupsell to con'est the representation of Lkmsendale with Lord Hartington at the next general election. The Gladstonians require a strong candidate, and undoubtedly Sir Charles fulfils ell the qualifications if his consent can be secured .

The death of the so-called ' Patagonian pauper '—who was really a native of Tierra del Fuego— is a fitting commentary on such a disgusting exhibition as that of which she formed part. The exhibition was a disgrace to a community calling itself civilised and Christian. A group of partially clad savages — male and female — who were ruthlessly torn from their native land, was allowed to be shown in the heart of London, at the very centre of Christianity and civilisation, in all tbeir uncleauness. Equator, and barbarism, to every brutal creature who cared to pay a lew pence in order that he might feast his eyes on the delectab'e spectacle 1 The crowning attraction cf the show was seeing those miserable creatures tear raw and bloody meat, said to be horseflesh, which was flung to them at crtain hours, as meat is tossed to the carnivora in the Zoological Gardens at feedir g times. All this took place in a commuDity which did not heed the barbarity in tbeir midst, but which shuddered at hearing of human feet sticking out of the cooking pots of Tippoo Tib's savages in Central Africa. This was revolting, and was an amusing sight for a Londoner's holiday,— Church Bdh,