SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.

PORT OF LYTTELTON. ARRIVED. April 6—Malacca, barque, from Londod. April 6 Planter, barque, from Hobart Town. April B. Hawea, s.s., from Southern Ports. April B.—Wakatipu, s.s., from Southern Ports. Sailed. April 7 —Hawea, s.s., for Northern Ports.

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.m. daily. For Rakaia at 10.20 a.m., and 4 p.m. daily. For Ashburton South, Winslow, Hinds, Coldstream, Rangitata, Orari, Winchester, and Geraldine at 10.30 a.m. daily. For Ashton, Waterton, and Longbcach at 2.45 p.m. daily. For Greenstreet, Ashburton Forks, Mount Somers, and Ashburton Gorge on Tuesdays and Fridays at 10,30 a.m. For Temuka, Timaru and South at 10.30 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily. UNCLAIMED LETTERS. The following letters are advertised at the Post Office, as having been received from places beyond the Colony, during the month of January, and remaining unclaimed on the Ist April, 1878 : Cadle, W. C. Doorman, John Durham, Robert Hearn (2) Elliott, Wm. Flanigan, Daniel Handasyde, John J. McLoughlin, Denis Miller, T. Parsons, James (3) Smith, Robt. Letters originating in New Zealand are not now advertised, but arc sent to the Dead Letter Office, after having lain for two clear months.

The Evening Echo. MONDAY, APRIL 8, 1878.

Last evening a case of pilfering occurred at the premises of a local drapery establishment. A piece of cloth, measuring ten yards, had been laid out for shrinking, previous to being worked up into garments by the tailors, on the establishment. When wanted by the workmen it was nowhere to be found. No clue as has yet been found to the thief, but the police have the matter in hand.

Mr. Stephen Massett, who is to give one of his very superior entertainments here to-morrow evening in the Library Hall, has been performing at the Theatre Royal, Christchurch. On Saturday evening, the house was crowded, and the city papers speak of Mr. Massett’s appearance as a very suc cessful one.

At the Magistrate’s Court to-day, Dr. Trevor had to deal with three cases. John Kelly, who pleaded so hard last Court-day to have one more chance, and got it, was met on Satur day morning by a brother whom he had not had the felicity of seeing for five years. When he encountered this dear relative, he had just “humped his swag” to fulfil his promise to the Magistrate, but his brotherly love over came his sense of duty, and he returned to have a drink with the near and dear one. He took too much—Constable Lonergan took him up—and the Magis trate sent him to meditate for fourteen days in Addington gaol. Wm. Chodah a foreigner, was cautioned against get ting drunk and disorderly again. Stephen Green, who was accused of “ behaving in a threatening manner ” in town, was remanded for eight days. A rumor was abroad on Saturday to the effect that this individual had been threatening a woman’s life, brandishing an open knife, and so forth. At a meeting on Friday evening, at the Road Board office, the Ashburton Steeplechase Committee resolved upon four events for the 29th of May, to be entered for only by horses belonging to

residents in the County. The events are—Farmers’ Plate, Maiden Steeple chase, Ashburton Hunt Cup, and County Handicap Steeplechase. The railway exchequer must be fattening just now, if we may judge by the heavy passenger trains that are at present running into Christchurch. On Saturday, between Ashburton and the City, it was difficult to find a seat, and between the City and the Port the trains were not only unusually long but exceptionally full, while those to and from the North were also crowded. The greater part of this rush is doubt less caused by the attractions of the circus, and will cease when the attrac tion is withdrawn, but we look upon it as a strong argument in favor of the return ticket system, which we advo cated in these columns some days ago. If a return ticket, available till Monday following could be taken every Satur day for the City at a cost of say five shillings from Ashburton, and a pro portionately low figure from other stations on either side, it is quite safe to predict a rush ot passengers every week, and a very large number of people would be induced to travel who now stay at home. The increased business would of course bring in creased returns, and we think the line would have no cause for regret. Complaints are rife of the want of horse and cattle feed, caused by the re cent hot dry weather, which has had a serious effect upon the grass, and the change of to-day is, we fear, too late to be of real service. With the scarcity of ground feed, and oats at 4s. a bushel, carters do not have a hopeful outlook. On Thursday evening a fire of a very extensive character occurred at Acton Station, South Rakaia, by which a woolshed, containing a large amount of wheat, oats, and grass seed, and other goods was destroyed. The manager of the station, Mr. Neil Mac Lean, is of opinion that the fire was caused by matches lying about being ignited by the heat of the sun, and is certain the fire was quite accidental. The total value of property destroyed is about of which was insured in the National—the remainder unin sured.

Dr. Somerville, the evangelist, has been adressing large audiences in Nel son, and has proceeded to Hokitika. At Motueka, last week, a man named Fry was shot in the back by the acci dental discharge of a friend’s gun, while they were both out duck-shooting. The wound is likely to prove fatal. Sir George Grey thus acknowledges the receipt of a volume of poems written by Willie Hogg, the Nelson poet : “My Dear Sir—l delayed for some time replying to your note until I could read many of your poems. These travellings prevented me from writing. Now I wish to say that I have read many of your poems with great interest, and feel grateful to you for the pleasure you have afforded me. I trust the pub lication will have the success to which its merit undoubtedly entitles it. I en close a cheque for the work, with my best wishes, and the hope that we shall again soon meet. —Truly yours, G. Grey’.”

A touching instance of ignorance of Court proceedings occurred the other day in the Auckland Police Court.. A lady applied to the magistrate for a pro tection order under the Married Wo men’s Protection Act, but as the Court orderly was absent the Clerk proceeded to administer the necessary oath before giving evidence, and told the applicant to kiss the book. The applicant, evi dently misunderstanding the words, made an attempt to kiss the clerk, which was prudently resisted. The lady seeing her mistake, apologised •blushingly, and performed her proper duty by kissing the Bible.

Jerrold and Leman Blanchard were strolling together about London, dis cussing passionately a plan for joining Byron in Greece. Jerrold telling the story many years after, said, “But a shower of rain came on, and washed all the Greece out of us.”

A Nevada woman recently knocked down seven burglars, one after another. Her husband watched her from the top of the stairs, and felt so brimful of bat tle that he couldn’t cool off until he had jerked his eight-year old boy out of bed and “ whaled ” him soundly for npt getting up and helping his mother. An atrocious murder has just been committed in the Avenue de Neuilly, where, at No. 64, resided Madame Cre mineux, a widow in good circumstances, 77 years of age, a cousin of the senator of that name. She lived alone in the apartment, the porter’s wife doing her household work. She received many visits and went out frequently. The other morning, at ten o’clock, the por tress took up the water, as usual, and noticed sitting in an arm chair by the stove, a young man of 26 or ,27. She paid no attention at the time, but, about five o’clock, not having seen any thing of her lodger, she went up stairs and was horrified to find Madame Cre mineux lying dead, strangled with a silk handkerchief. The whole of the fur niture had been ransacked, and a large quantity of jewellery, plate and securi ties to bearer had been carried off. Hopes are entertained that the descrip tion given by the portress of the un known visitor may lead to the arrest of the murderer.

It is somewhat satisfactory to learn that the practice of “ waking ” the dead is at length to receive a check. It is stated that the Roman Catholic hier archy, in consequence of the many in stances of demoralisation which occur at “ wakes,” have directed that in future no one is to attend them except imme diate relatives of the deceased, and no spirituous or intoxicating liquors are to be used on pain of deprivation of the services of the priests of the Church. An extraordinary occurrence has taken place at North Shields. About four one Sunday morning, a young man named Wm. Matthews, journeyman plumber, was discovered underneath the bed of a married couple in a house in Church Street, when a severe struggle took place between Matthews and the husband and wife. Being worsted, Matthews in desperation jumped out of the window, three storeys high, into the street below, where he was found moan ing by a policeman, who obtained a stretcher and conveyed him to another house, where Matthews, on being ex amined by a doctor, was found to be seriously injured, his leg being broken in three places, and his back and arms badly injured. He lies in a critical condition. Sir Edwin Landseer’s fame as a painter of animals is world-wide. He asked Sydney Smith to sit for his por trait. The witty divine replied, “Is thy servant a dog that he should do this thing?” Sir Edwin being intro duced to one of the numerous tribe of German princes, the distinguished for eigner politely remarked, “ I have heard much of your talent, Sir Edwin, and am glad to make your acquaintance. lam very fond of beasts. How is it that our charming girls grow up so scornful of the kitchen and nursery ? It is very deplorable to re flect, as we watch the blushing bride quitting the rose-strewn path from the altar to the church door to encounter the outer world with the sole com panion of her choice, that so vulgar a thing as a leg of mutton may first create dissension between those two ; or that the bridegroom will never partake •of pudding at the fair hands of his wife without suffering an infernal nightmare; or that those gastronomic laches will give him a pretext for frequenting the bar parlor more than the home parlor. No social circle is so high that it can affect to despise these matters. There fore, forget not, oh sweet girl graduates, or divine daughters of song—that to a hungry man greens are better than Greek —sausages than sonatas —soup than Sanscrit.

The Agricultural Gazette is convinced of the value of science to the farmer, and is unwilling to throw away results

arrived after long experience. “Tur nips,” it says, “ containing 90 per cent, of water, given at the temperature of ice to sheep and cattle, in large quantities, on an empty stomach, on a frosty morn ing, cannot commend itself to common sense. To waste straw in large yards, when it can command £4. per ton in the market, or can be converted into food as nutruitious as hay, seems an equally foolish system. Mr. Coleman informs us that yards can be covered at five shillings per square yard, and that, as a beast only wants 150 feet super ficies, per beast will give a per manent roof, the comfort of which can hardly be overpraised. The big barns meant to house the corn in the straw of the entire farm, have lost their signifi cance, now that we stack and thrash in the field. These are covered yards ready to hand, and should at once be turned to account as such. In them may be stationed the chaffcutter and the pulper. The more enterprising may erect a boiler, and with the assistance of their instruments fabricate mixtures of the most appetising description. Let us reflect upon the practical beauty of the scene. Cattle lying at ease with a roof over them, improving at the rate possibly per week (Mr. Coleman’s speech), straw economised, the manure doubled in value, and the pleasures of farming enhanced as it is brought into harmony with the teaching of science.

CAUGHT AT LAST.

Ferdinando Scarpati, the Italian bri gand, the last of the band of Phone, was arrested some time since. In 1861 he first made himself notorious by at tacking, together with seven other men, a rich merchant of Naples, whom he robbed, with threats of taking his life, of a large sum of money. Several cases of murder followed after. To escape the consequences of his crimes he fled to Rome, where he remained till 1870, when political changes compelled him to leave, and he returneu to Naples, defeating every attempt to lay hold of him. Singularly enough his chosen place of refuge was the country around Vesuvius, the centre of his former en terprises, and there has he lived for six years, says the Pungolo, “ feared and respected—even respected—by all the peasantry, not one of whom would have dared to denounce him to the carbineers or the police, who were every now and then on his traces.” At last, however, he has been run down, or rather, wearied of his mode of life, he has given himself up. Resina was first searched, but nothing being found there, the police went to a spot on Vesuvius called the “ Cava di Cegnacole,” where he gave himself up without resistance. Scarpati has several sons, and a mother, who is 104 years of age, and he made it a condition of his surrender that he should be allowed to see her before being imprisoned. The wish was gran ted, and Scarpati, before being brought into Naples, was taken to the little village of St. Sebastiane, which lies at the foot of the mountain, to see the old woman. No sooner was it known that “Maestro Ferdinando,” as he was called, had delivered himself up to justice, than all the inhabitants of the neighborhood gathered together to have a last look at the old criminal, whilst his two sons accompanied him to the doors of the prison, where they kissed his hand.. Scarpati has been arrested several times, but has always managed to escape. In 1771 he was sentenced in contumacy to twenty years’ hard labor, and since that time he has been nestling in the place of his birth.

THE ARMS OF THE BELLI GERENTS.

Much interest has been excited amongst gunmakers and others by the respective merits of the small arms used by the Russians and Turks in the. present war; and it has, says the Bir mingham Post, been thought useful to bring together in a special stand in the Birmingham Corporation Museum of Arms, not only these particular rifles, but as far as possible to add to them the rifles used in the armies of other European States. The Russian army has been mainly provided with the Krenka rifle, the Berdan rifle having been placed in the hands only of the

THE EVENING ECHO, MQNDAY, APRIL 8, 1878.