SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

rORT OF LYTTELTON. ARRIVKI). May io—Taiaroa, s.s., from South. May io—Wakatipu, s.s., from Wellington. May io—Western Monarch, ship, from Dunedin. May io—Southern Cross, barque, from New castle.

Saii.kd.

May io—Taiaroa, s.s., for North. May io—Wakatipu, s.s., for South May io—St. Kilda, s.s. for North.

POST OFFICE NOTICES.

Mails at the Ashburton Post Office close as follows :—•

For Christchurch and North at 10.20 a.m., 4 p. m., and 7.30 p.m., daily. For Chertsey at 10.20 a. 111. daily. UNCLAIMED LETTERS. The following letters are advertised at the I’ost Office, as having been received from places beyond the Colony, during the month of February, and remaining unclaimed on the Ist May, 1878 : Gooch, George C. Gray, George Hayward, Wm. Inkster, Wm. Judkins, Lucas

Letters originating in New Zealand are not now advertised, but are sent to the Dead Letter Office, after having lain for two clear months.

COMMERCIAL TELEGRAMS.

Wei.i.i noton, Friday

Mr. Thomas reports produce prices as fol lows :—Flour, Adelaide, £\G ; Colonial, to lOS ; oats, 4 s 3d ; bran, is ; wheat, 3s iod ; hams, yd ; bacon. Sd ; cheese, 7 jkd ; maize, 6s 6d ; potatoes, £3 15s ; pollard, £7 ; butter, is..

Dun hi UN, Thursday,

Bank of New Zealand, £24 5s ; Colonial Bank, £2 ; National Bank, £4 16s ; Union Insurance, 14s yd; Standard Insurance, £1 3s; New Zealand Insurance, £4 10s; National Insurance, £1 ys ; Guthrie and I.arnach’s Factories, £2 10s.

The Evening Echo. FIRDAY, MAY 10, 1878.

The Sons of Temperance meet to night in the Library Hall.

Owners of horses intended to com pete for the Ashburton Handicap of 30 sovs., are reminded that the entries for the race in question should be made to the Secretary not later than to-morrow evening at nine o’clock, at the Somerset Hotel.

The Yeomanry Cavalry are settling down to work. To-day, the corps par aded on foot, and beaded by the band, marched through the town, and after wards were put through the manual and platoon exercise by Sergeant-Instructor Lewis, the corps being under the com mand of Lieutenant Slater. At half past two, the troop formed and rode to the drill ground, where, in command of Captain Strouts, they were put through various movements in mounted drill. To-night, we hear, a meeting is to be held to arrange for a series ol cavalry races to come off before the disband ment, and to-morrow there is a proba bility of a football match coming off between sides chosen from the troop.

For distempers to which cattle are liable try oatmeal water. One case in which it was used with success is worth relating. A neighbor, while assisting another, seeing a cow that was appar ently dying of what was supposed to be a milk fever, remarked that oatmeal water was a fine thing for sick cattle ; but no one dreamed of trying it but the farmer’s wife. She had to hold the

head up with her knee while she poured the liquid out of a bottle, two or three j times a day, down the animal’s throat, j covering the cow every night with j blankets. After three days the cow ! commenced to eat out of tin hand bits J of clover or cornsuckers, and within a 1 fortnight she was on her legs again, j and lived on, showing no signs ol dis- j ease until old age put an end to her > course. On being opened, small gritty j particles were found in the ducts of the j liver, closely resembling petrified fluke, j

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Today—Before A. I.E G. CAMPBELL,) Esq., R.M. Patrick Dunn, charged with drunken ness on the 6th of May, failed to appear, and forfeited a bail of ££ r. Donald Forbes pleaded guilty to a similar charge on die same date, and was fined 10s.

John Robinson admitted being drunk and disorderly on the 6th May, and paid jQ 1 fine. Patrick Fitzgerald failed to appear to answer to the same charge, and for feited his bail.

Patrick Costigan, drunk in charge of a horse, was mulct in 10s. Daniel bean, drunk and disorderly, was dismissed with a caution, having been already locked up for 24 hours.

William Thomas was also dismissed with an admonition against drunken ness, as was likewise Edward Donnelly. Henry Rook had been arrested by Constable M‘Kay at 9.30 last night— very drunk ; according to Constable Darcy, incapably so, and had a brandy bottle in his pocket. He was fined ss. it being a first offence. James baker admitted his charge of drunkenness, and was admonished.

James Finlay was charged with being a rogue and a vagabond. This man had been loaiing about the Timvald Hotel, and the constables gave him a character for hanging about hotels asking for drink. When taken to the station, he said he would be better locked up for the winter, and as he had been a frequent offender, he was sent to prison for three months.

Samuel barnes and William M'Guin ness were cautioned and dismissed. They were charged with being drunk and disorderly.

Bridge Offence. William 'Thomas was accused of driv ing on the wrong side when crossing the Ashburton bridge on the 23rd April. Robert Wake was driving a dray on the above date, and going along the bridge met accused, who was driving a six-horse waggon. 'The waggon held the middle of the bridge. Witness held the proper path. Called out to accused, but was not attended to, and a wheel of accused's waggon got locked in one of witness’s dray, which was upset, and the shafts broken, the mare being also badly injured. Accused struck witness’s horse with his whip, and then drove on. He appeared to be drunk. benjamin Smith corroborated Wake’s evidence, and the Magistrate lined Thomas with iSs. 6d. costs. Obstructing the Streets.

Samuel M‘Leary was dismissed with a caution against again allowing his horse and dray to wander in the streets. Neigi Ihours’ Quarrels. Two neighbours, residing at Long beaeh, having disagreed, came to Court to pour out their bad blood. The M‘lvors accused the Kennedys of using threatening and abusive language, and Mrs. Kennedy was called upon to show cause why she should not be bound over to keep the peace towards Mrs. M'lvor. The two families lived next door to each other, and Mrs. Ken nedy had. it was said, thrown stones at Mrs. M‘lvor’s fowls, and on being re monstrated with used language which was not delicate, and stoned M : lvor’s boy, also threw a pitchfork at his mo ther. Mrs. Kennedy was bound over in the sum of CSO to keep the peace against Mrs. M'lvor, and Hugh Kennedy in ££2o to be of good behaviour towards his neighbour John M'lvor. Mrs. Ken nedy was lined is. for assaulting Mrs. M'lvor.

Civn. Cases. Moss r. Sinclair. Claim Vi 9 13s. Sd. judgment for plaintiff for amount, with costs and solicitor's fees. Moss v. Greenhill. Claim 17s. 6d. Judgment for plaintiff. Moss7’. BettsN Co. Claim 1 2s. sc!. Judgment for plaintiff. Moss Betts. Claim £4 3s. 6d. Judgment for plaintiff. Brunton r l . Lancaster. —This was a rehearing of a case tried last Court day, in which judgment was given for plain tiff. Lancaster had telegraphed to an agent in Christchurch to engage a man for him, and brunton had been sent by

the agent. When Brunton arrived the place was filled, hence the action to recover wages. The witness for the defence, to produce whom the rehearing was granted, did not appear, and the former decision was affirmed and costs, including witness’s and solicitor’s fees.

Bradshaw v. M'Cammon.—Claim 2S. Bd. judgment for plaintiff, with costs.

SPIRITUALISM AND DOGS.

A gentleman named Romanes has been anxious to find out whether dogs are believers in ghosts and spiritualism, and has been making experiments ac cordingly with results for a knowledge of which the world is indebted to the Ncu> York Times. Mr. Romanes began his researches into these mysteries with a bone ; and this, the critic says of him, “is alone sufficient to show the heart less and irreverant charactei of the man. if there is anything which a dog holds

as peculiarly sacred, it is a bone. A terrier will submit to be deluded by false representations that there are eli gible cats in the coal scuttle, or that the piano is full of rats, but he feels that bones are too sacred to be made the subject of jest.” Mr. Romanes, how e\cr, took the bone, and tied round it a thin silken thread; and just as the little Scotch, terrier with which his investiga tions were conducted was in the act of seizing it, his master slowly drew it away. ’The poor dog regarded the moving bone with an amazement which found expression in erect ears and a tail gradually thrust between his hind

legs, and becoming convinced, as Mr. Romanes supposes, that it was but the ghost of a bone, incontinently fled, howling dismally. On the whole, the lYew York Times considers that the dog behaved much more sensibly than many

men would have done under a similar belief. “In all probability,” the journal says, “ had Mr. Romanes ever seen a piece of roast beef in the act of cruising unassisted around the table, he would instantly have asked it preposterous questions, and would subsequently have

let his hair grow long, and have become a confirmed spiritualist. His intelligent dog did none of these things, but as soon as he decided that he had seen a spiritual bone he refused to have any thing more to do with it, and continued to wear his hair of the usual length, and cling to that faith in which he was edu cated. Mr. Romanes was not yet satisfied, however. He took a pipe, got some soap and water, and began to blow bubbles along the floor. It took some time to convince the terrier that these airy nothings were not anew kind

of particularly dangerous rat, but pre sently he put his paw on one, and it of course collapsed. He tried a second, and it likewise vanished, and then, re collections of the ghostly bone over whelming him, again lie fled. Still Mr. Romanes was not satisfied, lie pro ceeded to “ make faces ” at his victim, and tile grimaces he made were so hideously ugly that we are told the dog mistook him for the worst ghost he had ever seen, whereupon he crept under the sola and tried to die. Lovers of dogs will sympathise with the poor little terrier; and if Mr. Romanes continues his investigations, will hardly regret to hear that he has had to deal with a larger dog, which pursues a more spirited policy with regard to ghosts.

HERBAGE POISONOUS TO SHEEP.

News from Quirindi in the Mi/swcll brook Times of a late date states that a mob of 6500 of Messrs. Nowland’s sheep were (after travelling for many months in search of feed during the drought) on their downward journey, in a market able and fat condition. The lot had reached a spot near the crossing of the new line extension something under a mile irom Burrabubula, having travelled without feed from live miles beyond Tam worth, a total distance ol about 30 miles. On reaching a knob, the site of the A. A. Company's mishap, the flock at once set to work ravenously to de molish a com non species ol weed that occupied the place of grass thereabouts. It seems that the entire flock, in their hunger, had commenced to graze in a body, and almost immediately after-

wards some of their number “furwelted”

(for the information of the uninitiated i.e. turned on their backs) and died at once in great pain. Upon seeing what was going on the drovers at once set the dogs to round the mob up ; but within the short space of five minutes, so quickly had the poisonous sap spread its influence, fully three hundred head were defunct. The drivers having

quickly run the mob to safer quarters, about half a mile further on, a muster was made, when 360 head were found to have dropped dead at the first halt ing place, and about 400 at the next— in all, fully Soo. The weed has a slim “stalky ” appearance, bearing a minute purple flower, and is well known for its slight seed pods, and absence of foliage. Having heard of the A. A. Company’s mishap, orders had been issued by Mr. Nowland that the drovers should par ticularly guard against a common weed —the one so well known, bearing a yellow flower—and thus the sheep had unluckily been permitted to take their fill upon a poisonous one. Owing to

the carcases being dropped in close con tiguity with the Government road, the owners, to make the best of their luck, handed them over to a speculator, who

for the consideration of their skins and flit, undertook their demolition. Stacks five and six feet of the bloated remains were formed, and the owners expressed their willingness to leave them thus and not add to their already heavy loss by

having to remove the nuisance. The sheep were in fine condition, and, being about the best sheep of the flock, were estimated at 10s. per head, a total loss to Messrs. Nowland of some ster ling. It is believed, that had the ani mals fed but sparingly on the weed, no ill-results would have followed, as sheep seem to be especially fond of the plant in question. A few years ago these gentlemen lost some fifty head of bul locks from the same cause.

TELEGRAPHIC.

AUSTRALIAN.

[By Submarine Cahi.k.]

Melbourne, May 9,

The Alhambra sailed to-day. The Tararua and Albion arrived on Tues day.

The Intercolonial 'Telegraph Confer ence met to-day. Mr. Berry was

chairman

Sir James McCulloch has retired from political life.

Sydney, May S.

The Bill defining the powers and privileges of Parliament was read a first time in the Assembly; when passed Parliament will be prorogued. Sailed —Rotorua.

(Per Wakatipu, via Wellington.)

Brtsi ane, May 3,

A meeting was he’d at Cooktown last night to petit ion the Government to take off taxes on the Chinese, and to pass a Bill prohibiting them working on new goldfields for three years. Melbourne, May 3.

At a trial of Wood’s brake, in a descent of 1 in 52, the train was stopped in 37 i/ x seconds in a distance of 2165 feet. The train was running at sixty six miles per hour. The will of the late Judge Fellowes was proved at and that of Mr. Wilson, of the Argus, at ,£23,000 in Victoria.

A deputation of booksellers waited on the Postmaster-General, with the view of obtaining a reduction of postage on magazines to neighboring colonies, and adoption of a uniform rate on papers. The Minister replied favorably. Adelaide, May 3.

The Queen has conferred the title of “ Honorable” on Mr. Colton, late Pre mier, and Mr. Carr, late Commissioner of Crown Lands.

By cable from London, dated April 29th, it was reported that the barque Cleopatra, bound for Melbourne, was stranded on March 22nd, near Pernam buco. Armed natives plundered the cargo. The crew were rescued and taken to Liverpool.

THE EVENING ECHO, FRIDAY. MAY 10, 1878



F iVE SHILLING PACKETS PICKS to be lm«l at the “ Echo of COP ” office.