RANDOM SHOTS.

[Bt.Zabuel.]

flwne -write, a neighbour's namo to lash, Bane write—vain thought!—for needful cash, Home write to please tho country clash, And raise a div. For D 2"?, an aim I never fash— I write for tun.

3Foa a " Comic " Opera Company to propose Riving a " sacred " concert had at tho very ©utect a suggestion of incongruity, and it is not to bo wondered at that tho carrying Out of the idea led not only to a " derange ment of epitaphs," but also to undoubted humorous developments. I do not allude to the laughable association^ that might be Aroused by hearing tho drunken Rip Van Winkle, the libertine Boccaccio, or the clownish "General" sing in tho character Of Moses, Elijah,. or some other highly re spectable personage; but to the actual drol lerieaovolved bythecourseof events. Firstof all, it was rather funny that tho police, who had winked at the Sabbath evening "free and easy " meetings of the Rationalists, to which admission mons|/ was charged, should have taken umbrage at a proposal to hold a sacred concert in the Opera House. Only the other Sunday night, I am told, a crowded meeting of rational beings in the Lome-street Hall joined lustily in the chorus of that fine old but docidedly far from "sacred" song, "The Bay of Biscay, 0 !" yet no virtuous policeman appeared on the scene to forbid the performance, or pro vent the exaction of an admission foe. To forbid the "Messiah" and pormit "The Bay of Biscay" is a bit of adminis trative! r.onsisteccy highly characteristic of "the force," and may bo accepted as the moot exquisite joke of tho soason. Then how laughable it was to note tho noble response mado to that appeal to "tho generosity of the public." How the generous public "rolled up" when it was known there was to be a free show—no need to advertise that fact; and how the slrirt buttons and tin-tacks dropped into the collection boxes that were handed round ! Many of those present would have hesita'e > in fearful awe before dropping a button Into the " plate " at a church oollection, but the "sicred" character of the cjneert did not prevent them from playing off the pious fraud on the operatic artistes. Again, what a humorous turn the irony of Fate took in excluding Sammy Coombes, (he enlightened patron of Sunday recrea tion, from his six " reserved " seats.

The culurinatUg joke, however, is that of the patron of tlie pit, -who thougkt to take "his bob's worth' out of Mr Hallifax, tho agent of the Opera Company. This inci dent I prefer giving in the inspired language of the printer's d ,—I mean imp—who has embalmed it in immoital verse, thus:—

THE SACRED CONCERT.

A Ciupt.hr ov Profane History.

For the concert colled "sacred" ho bought a pil

ticket , • (Not the pit without bottom where bad Bplnts dwoll. But the place where the " geds" make perpetual

But thn root jumped his claim, and ho though! ■ it a " Bell."

Ha went to the Dean and he went to the Abbott (Twos a " sacred" affair this of which I would But these gentlemen told him, according to If he wanted his "bob" he had best go to— Halllfaxl

This pntrqn of music first thought they were fanninff. But cm caimor rofloetion ho ro«eoned thus— "weil, As Urn dunning, and H is tho agtnt for I've a soft thing on hand if I walk into—Hali fax!"

To HaUifax went he with aspect commanding, Said—'" Wii»t I thought n purchase I find is a sell; ■I'm aliul nut of tho pit, nnd my rights I'm de manding !" And «« Blruok out at II with demoniac ■ yell!

He struck at his jrtt, but tho agent was rcsdy- Llke a "broiser" he fights, thousn he looks likea"swoll;" Two blows ho delivered, both speedy and steady; Criodtlic patron of music—"Hold on! Gee, woo, Neddy, You'd moke me believe I had landed in—

I cbaerve that the prohibition of the cmcert has given my old friend W.C., President, and factotum of the Apostles of P.eason, a chance of airing himself in the newspapers ; let me express a hope that my little say on the subject will not throw tae nationalistic bantam into hysterics and put him to the expense of a new batch of unprofitable leaflets a»d pamphlet litera ture. It id notablo, however, that those who hnve taken up the cudgels for the promoters of this business and condemn the action of thepolice, pretend that thequestion at issne is whether sacred concerts are per missible as Sunday gatherings. _ A very adroit way of drawing a, red herring across tlia scent, no doubt, but hardly good cough to lead astray any but greenhorns. The real point isjust this : Shall a travelling company of professional artistes be allowed to carry on their entertainments on seven day 3 instead of six? The "sacred " part of tiie business is just so much bunkum ; it mjans dollars pure and simple; and, l-.fce the "highly' moral plays" which pumpkin • headed parsons sometimes advertise gratuitously, the thing is more objectionable because of its diegusting hyp»crisy. Personally, I have nat the least /objeeMon to the per formance on Sunday of those master pieces of melody which treat of sacred themes, if they are given in a right spirit. I. believe the influence would be for good. I ,ils» favour very strongly the opening of museums, public libraries, and other in stitutions which afford wholesome recreation and instruction to people on Sunday, with out entailing a great amount of labeur upon any particular class; but I have a very strong objection to the inauguration of Sunday recreations by professional snowmen for : money-making purposes. Admit the right of these people to carry on their business as a "sacred concert," and.there will be Som9 trouble in preventing them from following in the wake of their particular batrbipß and champions, the disciples of W.C., with comic, songs or tiioee other highly-spiced diebes which are aarved up with special approval at the weekly feast !of Reason in Lome-street. Notwithstanding the individual noisiness 6/ these stray intellectual lights in a dark worM, the perceptions of the masses of the people, even the most ignorant of them, ace a little too keen to stand the turning of the English day of rest into the secularised continental Sunday, with its open theatre for the few, and its never-closed business premises and workshops for tie many. Mr Superintendent Thomson deserves thY public thanks—and especially the thanks o£ working men—for nipping this Sunday show business in the bud.

Mr Allan W. O'NoiH, Mr Tole's "friend by Act of Parliament "and defeated candi date for Eden by the will of the electors, mude not a bad. point in one of his apeeches •when he paid that while Sir Geo. Grey was called the "grand old man," Mr Mont gomery might be described as the "grand old -woman." As a comparative estimate of the relative merits of the two rival leader? of tho. Opposition, this is both vero c ben trovalo. To fully appreciate this it is ne ' cesairy to glance at an electioneering ad dress dolivered to his constituents by the member for Akaroa. Sir Geo. Grey's ml rtmtnconliani appeal to the Auckland electors*™* to send him to Wellington "with his tail between bis legs" 18 by comparison with Mr Montgomery's piteous waif, manly, independent, and self reliant. The Knight of the Kawau was at all events, consistent in sticking to his political creed, but the member for Akaroa l la his insane fear that he would lose his seat at last election, seemed ready to recant every article hejhad formerly sworn to., Ho declared himself an earnest advocate of the unity of the colony, and averred that he had never advocated>Separation; while as to a 11 banting up " land tax, which he formerly '■'■':'-i championed, he" explained, that he did not •^.meanto enforce it except in the case of men 7 who owned 50,000 acres of land which they :'wouli neither pell nor cultivate. Then, ac " '■ It this double-faced attitude was not suffi ciently abject, he went down on his marrow bones (metaphorically speaking) to the ; electors and implored them to give an old man another chance, and not "wipe him out as a politician." He further " appealed to their sense of justice not to turn him out iustwhen his party was coming into power." If he had. said his party was just being annihilated, he would have been nearer the truth; but let that pass, .He was not so i much concerned about his party as aboat himself, and did not seem to care whether he had a "tail" or not. As a final and clinching aigumont, and one which could not fail to "fetch" the free and "independent voters, the g.o.vr. told them that ne had always spent" every shilling of 'Ma honorarium "among <<hem<. TheA*aroa ii electors Vrouldnot hava^gen^)'"-''

they resisted this nppeal, and so they havo returned Mr Montgomery to tho Houso once more ; but if they did so on tho score that " his party was coming into power," 1 fear they arc the victims of false protences.

When n man Ims got worsted in a fight, lie is said to havo "got his gruel.' ft phrase whoso origin I will not attempt to elucidate, but to turn it into colonial par lance, I may be allowed to pay that a certain Professor who lately undertook a bit of scholarly criticism in the columns of your contemporary has "got his tucker." Into the morits of tlio controversy I do not wish to drag your reader.-, It was all about a water-flea, and Mr Pond, and it middlo-aged schoolboy, and Horace, and Dr. Purchas; but whether tlio ilea was in the pond, or whether it was Horace or the schoolboy or the other man that the doctor purchased, is a matter of no moment. The outstanding fact —and it ia a deplorablo one is that a nowspaper which claims to be the leading one in the colony devoted several columns of its space to discussing the morits and demerits of a crude attempt at Latin versification by a boy of fourteen. And this, be it remembered, not in tho "silly season," when big gooseberry and sea serpent stories mako their appearance, but In the very heat and bustlo of a general election, when earnest men wore engaged in ono of the most important duties of life. I will not dilate, lest I wax indignant, but will close by giving, from the pen of "Noli mo Tangere, tho following

ArosTuoriiE to the New Zealand "HeRAIiD."

From crave to say, from Politics to Fleas, Tho " Herald " wanders, careless sn vc to squeeze From each and any source, some meagre news, As meagre as a Highlander's old trows. Horace played outsuenrests a. kindred tlionir, Forthwith tho "Horiild" stumps to iicudeiue. branding (scholastic censor) through the town [ueonipotence, not hist or least its own.

" De to, inututo noinine," my frieml,— Critic of oiliers, thine own marmora moml. And when your views rashly abroad you llout II • sure you ktiow that which you writs about: "I'is not, I he editorial pen or chair Thai gives onimscicnco ; "Herald," have a Cttro, Anci if honor-forth yo,u wish a life of fuse, •triclly confine yourself to u-nto- IK-ns.

It was unfortunnto for churches and oiiapels when threepenny pieces were coined. .i.= they Jiavo had a consumptive financial effect on Sunday collections. A late citizen was wont to pay, "Jly religion is a most oxponsive affair ; it is continually directing my hand to my pocket." There aro feiv persons so liberal as ono Auskiand gentlo man who invariably, in all kinds of woather, puts a one-pound note on to the plate. The continued begcing in our churches tends, methinks, to destroy vital religion. However impressivo tho preacher's sermon may be, tho jingle of silver and threepenny pieces seems to drive from the mind aerioHS thoughts, and induces a ftcl ing of worldliness. The proacher, more over, must feel n sense of degradation in boing oompolled Sunday after Sunday to remind his congregation that larger nnd more liberal contributions are necessary for the good of the cause. Mr Brown, who has just left Auckland, rarely appealed to his congregation for pecuniary support, find at the close of an eloquent discourso some time since I noticed that 100 persons passed out of the hall, nnd only three contributed small coins amounting to nincponcs. No wondor that tho Treasurer, at tho closo of the session, discovered a deficiency of 1150. Tlie celebrated preacher of Weigh ITouso Chapel, London, the Rev. Thomas Biniioy, endeavoured, some twenty years ago. to establish a systematic religous aid society, showing that, in order to keep sqnaro, every person should feel it his duty to give so much per cent, per annum upon hia ascertained income. The project was approved, but it fell through ; every one thought it wns hia neighbour's business and noi his own, and the pious tax was con sidered too hoary for rich men to bear. A similar project was recently suggested by a popular Presbyterian minister in this «jty, and steps have been taken in that direction for the purpose of clearing off tlie debt on tho church . The rev. gentleman did not make a long and moving appeal to his congregation, but simply reminded them of the incubus which, like a dead weight, hung over the church, and that as Chris tians they should endeavour to obey the command, "owe no man anything." Tho congregation, by no means a large one, liberally responded, and one-third of tho people have promised regular systematic donations amounting to£St) a year. Should the remaining two-thirds act with equal liberality, the sum per annum would be £240, and in the course of four years the £1,000 debt would bo nearly liquidated, Of course, where stained glass windows and all sorts of expensive decorations are sup posed to be needed, churches nover are out of dett, and nover likely to be. A plain church, however, ostensibly erected for divine worship, may live modestly, like a honest man, within its means.

"Zamiel" wishes it to be distinctly under stood that he did not get the materials of the following paragraph at first hand. Some weeks ago two fair Hebes, growing tired of the dull routine of drawing long beers and handing down the Johnny Walker, deter mined to become exponents of the lyric drama, and as limbs of the Mulligan heifer order are desiderata, i,n the expounding of the lyric drama, tho young women secured engagements. For three or four weeks they appeared on the stage as flower-girls, soldiers, pages,' etc.,etc.,and were as happy as butterflies. But even chorus-singer girls •annotlire on air, so one " treasury"—a pay day it is called in the theatrical profession — they modestly went to the manager and asked for their- salaries. " Well," said Mr Blank, "we have decided to give you £1 a week." " What ?" said •no of the erstwhile concocters of beverages, " Only £la week, and got to pay thirty bob for our board '! It's a lump off. Aggie, darling, we'll go back and jerk beor." And thoy went, and tkat is how these talented young novices were lost to the profession.

Under the sunny skies and amid the balmy zephyrs of the. far North, the amenities of life seem to be refined into a sublimated politeness to which Lord Chesterfield's code bears about as much relation as an Afrioan tom-tom to. a first-class orchestral band. In this Elysian. region the pro prieties -of life of life are rigidly observed, the vocabulary of übu.se ia almost wholly unknown, ami the inhabitants have pushed to its tiUima Thule the lex non scripta of re ciprocal courtesy. Even tlie harsh disson ance of electoral strife is powerless to ruffle the tranquil current of, life, in these Arcadian retreats, of to surprise for an in stant the imperturbable suavity of the people. The incidents of a recent tri angular duel for tho honour of Representing the Beat in Parliament fully attest the fact. It ia unnecessary to rehearse par ticulars. One. circumstance will suffice both to point my moral and adorn my tale. Let the turbulent sons of toil who give fi, name and electioneering reputation to City West lend me their ears.

Of the three candidates, for the distinguished hoHOur of representing in Parliament the terrestrial paradise to which I have referred one had some connection, distant or immediate, with the Caxtonian art. Despite that powerful recommendation^, he was unpopular. -Highly so, indeed.., Still, the unfailing courtesy of the people buoyed up his hopes to sush an extent that, up till the hour of bin defeat be was sure he would obtain 50 per cent, of the votes. 'One evening, in the course of his stumping tour, he found him self in a village where he had rendered him self co exceedingly unpopular that, with Gity West feeling in the ascendancy, he might have counted on a reception to which, in point of temperature, Mr Swan son's would have boon frigidity itself However, the people were true to their characteristics. They assembled in full strength, and accorded a fair and patient hearing to the man for whom not onejlof them would vote. The candidate, at the close of his address, resumed his seat in hope and doubt as to the nature of the im pression he had made.

Fora brief space complete silence held sway. Then, to his enraptured gaze, slowly rose the great map of the place—the village bakor—rand with a dignified stride moved sedately towards the platform. The candidate caught the advancing mag nate's eye as ho mountod the stage. and at onco felt sure that he, oould con template nothing less than the proposi tion of a vote of confidence. This being so, he proceeded to reflect how he should most effectively acknowledge the compliment. To his amazement, however, the man of dough, instead of facing the audi ence upon reaching the.platformi advanced deliberatelytowardshim,and then producing a large bunch of;plethoric parrot* from his interior vestments,. gracefully deposited] them, with a profound bow, upon the can didate's knee. To quote an expressive colloquialism, this individual was " struck all of a heap," and when ho recovered his composure the amused doctors were fast filing out of the hall. In the subsequent election the plaoe assigned him was at the ■*--* nithe jpoll. ..;; ;/. .. ,• .

GERALD MASSEY.

By "Ono Who Knew Him."

[Wkittkn roll THE Auckland "Evesino

Stab."]

This Chartist struggle which terminated with the eventful year 1848 waß indiroctly of immenso advantage to tho working people of England, and especially in a social and educational light. It sot thou sands of men thinking, and from its turbulent agitation many aroso to eminence, ■md distinguished, themselves in journalism and literature; and conspicuous among the successful poots and speakers of that period was Gerald Massoy, tho Tring Boat man's son. By the mail steamer Zcalundia, Mnssey touched these shores on his passage to Australia, where he intonds to deliver a Bourse of varied lectures, and .possibly on his return lio will appear boforo an Auck land audience in one of our public halls. Wo understand that such is his intention. Gerald Thomas Mossoy was born in tho spring of 18(28, in the village of Tring, Hertfordshire; ho is therefore in his fifty seventh year. The circumstances of his birth were ungenial. His father followed his daily occupation upon tho little river which winds through the skirts of his native place for 10s n weok, out of which ho paid Is for tho rent of the chilly stone hut whoro Hie family resided. Massoy's school education was limited to mono syllables and simple addition sums: ho lived upon the meanest faro. Masgoy's re collections of his childhood awakon but one fond memory, tho memory of his mother, who was a remarkablo woman for ono in hoi" humble sphere of life. At a very early ngo, Massey was sent to labour in a silk tutil for the wretched pittance of Is a week. At length, on a dreary winter night, tlio mill was binned to the ground. Massoy and other mill-boys danced in tho mud and slush, rejoicing over tho inevitable destruc tion of what they deemed a prison. Hence \l;issoy wreto in after years : " Having had to earn my own dear bro:id by tho clieapon v ig of flosh and blood thus early, I never know what childhood meant; I hod no .liildhood. Ever since I con remember, I have had the aching fear of want throbbing in heart and brow. Thocurronts of my lifs uoreoarly poisoned,and few.methinks, would pass unscathed through the eeenea and cir •iiinstances iv wbjcb I havo liv»d : none, if they were as curious and prococious as I was." Subsequently Ma-aoy went to the sub -tnntiul town of Uxbridgo, and obtained employment ai an errand-boy at a draper's .-hop. Hero Massoy delighted in the iHuuit.iful sivtiti-v .if this pnrt of Middlesex. The rambles through the parks und by tho Uiver Colno, ih« sweet nir.of country freedom, the poets which he rend, and ths ew literary <<>mpanions »i th« tewn, kindled tho Miirit of yong within him. He ['erring to this ptftiod of kin lif«, ke wrote : ■'As an erranil-li-iy 1 hud. of coarso, many Hardships to tiiid'erun, und to bear ijith much tyranny, und that led me Into reasoning upon men and things, the causes of misery, tli'd imomulics of our societary state, polities, etc., aud tuo circle of my being rapidly outsurgod. New power name to mo with all that I saw, and thought, uid r«u). 1 studied political works such as Payne, Volney, Howitt, Loulb Blanc, etc., which gave mo another element to mould into my verse." Massoy, Leuo, and one or two others mot and discussed the political questions of tho day, held meet ings in the town, and both Massoy and Leno became excellent speakers Leno, author of "King Labour's Songs," wttßanrinter.and the young politicians mustered their re sources, and brought ont a monthly publication entitled "The Uxbridge Spirit of Freedom," in which appeared talented papers and somo of the :no?t liery of Massey's political lyrics.

rbil publication lived through twelve number?, attracted much attention, and inspired feelings of droad among tlie towns ■ people, who apprehended dan ger. Tho promoters of this Httlo journal not only PHirerod pecuniary loss, but wore persecuted an infidols, and denounced by Mi* pulpit. Tho journal died, and both Ma.«s»y and Lono wcr» compelled to leave Uxbridgo with rogrot and seek "pastures new," if not no graen atid beautiful as the fields and daisy-slutted commons of Middlesex, They sought tho busy streets of London, and vigorously con tinued the titrii?jrl« for an existence. While looking for *..ii..h!e employment. Mn»».y haunted riilW-!n»i'i«o* tad penny read ing room" H'ii«rn lie conned the current im».'« v. iih w >»derful nvidity. ■Tho fai", i-iuiiiuy yi-nth. »ith his bright, lii."-, i-q»iring «»cs *-a* wen al most daily twining; over » »rcond hand bookstalleitlieiin ILnway-stieet, Holborn, Chancery Lane, or i« ot'i«t* parts of tie metropolis, "t»re«tly indjb'ftl," he said to Mr Smilec, "wKS 1 tn the book-Rtail, where I bnvo read a gre it deal, often fold ing a leaf in n book and returning the next day to continue tho subject, but sometimes tho book was gone, and thon great woi my grief. When out "fa eituation I hare often gone without a meal to purchase a book." Ho say* further, with Mb Uxbridge recollections upon him, " I always loved tho birds and flowers, the woods and stun. I felt delight in being alone in a summer wood, rvitii song, like a cpirit, in the trees, and tlie golden sunburst* glinting through the verdurous roof, and was conscious of ft mysterious creeping of the blood and tingling of the nerves when standing alono in the midnight. But until I began to rhyme I cared nothing for written poetry." Massoy for some time was a mesnonjer in the houso of Schoibred and Company, drapors and furnishers, of Tettenham Court Road. Ho lost this and several other situations in consequence of his political and radical proclivities. Massey gained popularity by his nddressee at political meetings, at whiehhe gave utterance to the wildest democratic views, some of which were incorporated in a milder form in his republican songs. He sympathised with the Polish refugees, and becamo honorary secretary fo their eeolety. All this In mo he was cdutating himself And remedying as far as possible the deficiences of a very meagre education. We next fi»d him acting as clerk in the firm of Chapman Brothers, booksellers (now Keg«n, Paul, and Co.), cccasionally issuing » sony, such as " The British Lion," whicn wa» popular at concert rooms for « time. He sub sequently arrested the notice of the Rev. C. Kingslej, the noble-hearted clergy man of Eversley, Professor Maurice, and other liberal-minded and earnest workers of the period. Themas Cooper was also a sincere friemd — indeed, one of the truest friends of Masaey—and other aspiring young men, including the wrifcor of this sketch. A Co-operative Association was projected and started by the Christian Socialists,asthey woretermed,and through the kindness of these gentlemen— for such they were—Gerald Massey was ap pointed secretary, and the struggles of Massey and Walter Cooper, a tailor and in tellectual Scotchman, formed the character of " Alton Locke, Tailor and Poet," a work which won for its author the soubriquet of " The Chartist Clergyman." Through the influence of these fue.ids, Massey found a publisher for his first volume of poems, en titled " The Ballad of Babe Christabel," and other poems. The volume was published by Mr Bogue in 1854, and contains «ome of the most beautiful things Massey ever penned, such as "The World is full of Beauty," "Heaven hath ks Crown of Stars, the Earth its glory, robe of flowers," and other sweet " lyrics of love," as he termed them, which will be read when his poetio invectives are forgotten. Massey's poetic brochure met a ready sale, chiefly in America, where 3,000 copies were sold to 1,000 in tho poet's native land. Massey was favourably noticed, and through the influence of MrHepworth Dixon he waa en gaged for a short time as a reviewer on the " Athenreum," a literary journal started by Mr Silk Buckingham, and successfully carried out by Wentworth Dilke.

Massey wrote a poem for the Burns cen tenary, and was sadly disappointed in not winning the prize, which was carried off by the young Scotchwoman, Isa Craig (Mrs Knox). His fame was now established, and the dread of poverty had passed away ; lie found friends and admirers in erery direc tion, and was the happy recipient of » pension from the hands of the friend of risingpoets, LordPalmerston. Hctravelled throughout England, was feted at Edin burgh, and w;is n guest at Craigcroek Castle, the seat of Sir William Stirling Maxwell, whose garden rows nriginnredtno'itl? nfUfns eey'ssecond volume of verse. About this time he was engaged by Horace Greeley, the eminent journalist, as correspondent to the " New York Tribune."

Masaoy has since published " Havelock's March" and a "Tale of Eternity." He also wroto a volume on Shakspere'e eonnetf!, and has appeared for a number of years as a public lecturer on literary men and on specalative and abstruse subjects. The writer remembers hearing Museoy on some of these themes nearly thirty years ago, especsally hia lectures on Lamb, Hood, and "Old England's Sea-Kinga." The poet was attracted to the United States after the death of Ins1 wife, and nin«e his bereavement w» believe he has resided in the intellectual city of Boston,

SPORTING.

PRINCIPAL RACING FIXTURES.

Now Zealand,

Qeraldine R.C. Siiring 9optomber 25, 2« Hawko's Hay J.C. Spring October G, 7 Canterbury J.C. Metropolitan....Nov. 11, 13,11

Australia,

ITawkosbury R.C. Spring August 21. 23 A..T.C. Spring August 30-; Soptombor 2,1. (5 V.X.C. Spring Novoniber 1, i, G, 8

To Correspondents.

C. li.—The threo placed horses in tho Auckland Cup of 1830 were Foul Plar, Maid of Honour, and Ariel.

[NiJUIREIt (Newton).—Tremando is by Tester from ARitition, by Orest from F.motion, by Alarm. Salvo is by Muribynong from Stella, by Kingston (imp.).

NBWMAttKIST.-The larsrot wnjjcr over laid In Au-tralia «aB by Mr K. K. Jonos, viz., £50,000 to £250 Navigator for tho V.U.C. Derby and Gudarz for tho Melbourne Clip. Navigator won the Derby and Qudarz ran third in the Cup.

A. H.—Phil At hoi Ia nominated for the Mol bourno Derby under the V.11.0. Rules, which declare him to be a three-year-old on tho Ist of August, although in reality some lour or flvo months short of that hko. having boen foaled in Eu K land, where tho Ist January is tho oflleial day to dato from. Ho 13, thdroforo, legally eligible, but would run under a great disadvantage if sent to tho post.

NOTES BY HIPPONA.

The annual mooting of tho Auckland Racing Club takes place on Monday noxt at two o'clock, when tho usual balanco sheet will bo brought up, and six mombera of Committee elected in place of those retir ing. I understand tho balance-sheet to bo submitted is of a satisfactory nature, but had there not boon so much bungling over tho working of tho totulisator during tho season, there would have beon a far larger balance on tho right sido of tho ledger. At tho conclusion of the busmen*, a general meeting of members will bo hold for tho purposo of passing tho now ruloa.

Tho Now Zealand Stud Company have had a bit of bad luck thlawoek, for on Mon- , day last tho highly-bred matron Stoppo (half-sister to Hormit) dropped a colt foal to Musket. This ia greatly to bo regretted, for the youngster will now rank as' a year ling, and thus bo precluded from taking part in tUo many rich juvenile stake* and Dorbiea throughout Australia and Now Zealand. Captain Walmrtey av«iyj that he ia ono of tho finest foals ho has yot seen. Mr NY. Walter* has also had a similar mis fortune, his maro Yatterimi (dam of Libeller and Fiuilicr), having dropped a filly foal to Lcollnus early lout Saturday morning. . All doubts concarning Nelson being taken to Christchurch for tlie Canterbury Jockey Club Metropolitan Meeting in November ne:x,t, aro now set at rost, for on Thursday last Major Goorgo aeooptod from tho local pencillera 1,000 to 25, Nelson for tho Now Zealand Cup, and Krupp for tho Derby. Harry Harrison I understand is about to saver his co.-inoction with tho stable ai trainer, and report hatb. it that both Nelsjn and Wapiti wllrbo prepared for tho meet ing at tho hands of Ted Outts. A matter frequently disciiMed in I'nku ranga Hunt Club circles in tho severe natuio of tlie course over which the annual stouple nliasea are proposed to bo run. Many of the members aro of the opinion that it should bo altered, and two or threo of the jumps lowered, and I quite agree with them, for if Clarence with a horseman like Lunn in tho saddlo makes mistake* over tUo.cour.-iO—instanco the Steeplechase at our last Summer Meoct inj;-how can wo expect half• trained hunters and amateur ridtirs to got over it Wheu the tinm arrives for the Com initteu to frame tho progwnmr, it is to be hoped they will carefully consider tho matter, for tho sport eau bo made quite as interesting with v lean difficult couno, and the spectators spared tho unpleasant night o.' severe croppers or brokou e:l'»r bouos. 1 regret to learn thai Mr KobertaonV mars Mitraillome has mot with on accidont at I'apakura. She was lot out in one of the paddock* for a ran. when by some means or other her near hind log got •ntnngled in a chain attached to m plough, and cut it so severely that she hIM beun unable to put it to tho ground oror sinco. Training operations are now in full swing at Kaudft'ick, but of course nothing sensa tional has yet boon dono. AH of the Hon. J. White's team aro in groat form, and it in stated that Martini-Henry is ok woll ai h[« best friends coulJ wUb. Our old friend Sir Modred is also reported to bo himself again, and among those reported to be going and shaping woll aro First Demon, Bristol. Wallang:«, Battailous, and the V.R.O. Derby candidates King's Own «nd Buckingham. Recovery, who has been backed at long prices for a roundish sum to win the Melbourne Cup, is B»id to bo very much " on tho big side." Speculation still continues dull in Aus tralia on tho big Spring ev/nts. The only business to record of any note has been tho backing of Tho Broker for tho V.R.C. Derby and Cup at 100 to 2 to win £ 5000, and tho supporting of Skipper for the Melbourno Cup at 1000 to 80 to the oxtent of £7000. Skipper is a flro-yewr-old be longing to Mr J. Whitehead, and was got by Boatman from Topsy. Ho has tho light, impost of fist. 111b., and has won noTcrnl racos at up-country meetings in Victoria. From n matter of curiosity, I h»ve run over tho hotwea entered fer tho Melbonrno Cup to see how many of each Kgo wore nominated. The result is as follows :— Three-year-olds, 45 J four-year-olds, 40; five-year-olds, 22 ; fix and aged, 28. The Cup has been won seven times by « three-year-old, feur times by a four year-old, six times by » flve-yonr old, four times by a six-year-old, and twise by an aged horse. Last year's winner—Marlini-Henry—hat the honour of having carried tho highest weight of any of the winning threo-yoar-olds, viz , 7st. Sib., and he ran the two miles in the fastest time yet rocwded in Australia. Last week we wore informed by cablo that Stockwoll, who ran such a gamo and unexpected second for the Melbourno Op in The Assyrian's year was dead, and I now learn that the cause of his death was in flaroation of the lnngs. Stockwell was full brother to the now famous Malua, and bid fair in his early career to make as big a name as the Newmarket Handicap and Adelaide Cup winner, bnt ho neTor ro coTered being raced out of condition at tho V.R.C. Spring Meeting of 1882. At the V.R.C. Steeplechase Meeting, the winners of the rarious events started at tho following well-paying prices to thofewwho chanced to havo invested on them, vik :— Maiden Hurdle Race, 8 to 1 Gasalior; Maiden Steeplechase, 7 to 1 Kingston ; Grand National Hurdle Katie, 3 to 1 Don Quixote; Grand National Steeplechase, 10 to 1 Chipponham ; Flat Handicap, 8 to 1 Bonny Bee. In the principal race of tho day, the " big sticks, not a single horse that had helda prominent place i» the bet ting market obtained evon a place. All the English sporting scribes seem to be unanimous in the opinion that tho three year-old colt, St. Simon is the best horse that has beon in England over any distance forthe last forty yen re Ho has never been beaten, nnd 1»: won tho firo two-year old races that he .started for in a very easy fashion. Hi? lir.'t. appearance this season was in a "lovo" match wi»h Tristan over a mile and n-hnlf, when ho beat him easily, and he hgs since proved that the victory was no lluke hy galloping over the English crack in tho AfKOt (Jold Cup. St. Finnin, who was got by Oalopin from St. Angela, is the property of the Duke of PoriTnml. Imt owing to tho death of Prinne Batiliy.ny, his breeder and nominator, he lian buen debarred from com peting in any of the more important races this yenr. Tho Stimuli balance-sheet, of tho Victoria Racing Club shown th.it on tho last Spring Meeting there was a not profit of £10,4f>5 ; on Hiti Winter Steeplechase Meeting last year a loss of i'ft'H ; on the Now Year's Day Meeting a loss of £(523 ; a»d on the past Autumn Meeting a !o "of i' 2,"4."). The sum df £24 891 has boon paid for racconreo im provement." uud for fill mni:itPnnncn ac count during the yoitr fli'ded Jnjie, JBB4, and there hnvebeen in-vived from (he book makers for legistnition 12,264, "Angur" nax c included his analysis of the Melbourne Cup ouli'lidatOß, and con filers tho fo lowing ns tho best 30 upon pip t: |.n f-Jrnnd, I'.'ungir, Sweet VViliiam, Warwick, Bristol, Deepnt, First Demon, Odilield, Hu^n. Verjry. Nod o: tho Hills, Win/, VVa l.m;;ia, '1 ho Broker, Bonnio 800, Pagmini, I'lau^iblo, Siynor, Shoot Anchor, Tha.Ajjnil, Rufus, The Maid, Too Too, Mentiii'iro. Cupola, Bend Or, Anchorite, LivfM'UOol, Srahorse, and Tomboy.

Writes our London correspondent under date June I!!: —Wlipn two doar old chums ' from Muovilnti'i —one n Christchurch man, the other nn Aiickiiinder- looked me up last Saturday w»iek, and proposed that we should "do ' Asc.nt together, I must stay I felt it extremely hurd to have to say "No." Royal Afoot, like Christmas, oomc*< but once v year, and for depraved persons of " your own correspondent's " kidney, who iove good racing, great korges, gaily div*«d women, and a champagne lunch, there is no niectuig to equal it in the whole world. Duty, however, prevented my upending a week away from town and our

Maori monarch just then, so I bado the two " boys " a sorrowful fatewoll, nnd wishing thorn " heaps of luck " prepared to drown all recollections of the classic heath in a whirl of dissipation with Xawhiao. But now Ascot is over, I can Inolc back on my disappointment with equanimity. It was an awful week. Tho Royal meoting is proverbial for surprises, but for twenty years no pitch series of "turn-ups" havo been known as took place on the three first days, and tho faces of tho poor " punters " remained us long jis ladders. -They could do nofhiiiK right. On Thursday a noble lord who had backed 20 losers hi snecrmion loft, tho eourso before tho race Cor the Cup, announcing that ho meant to "tako to bod for tho rnst of tho week, while ta-uiy usually successful backers stopped hotting alto gether. The ready-money "bookmakers" drank "fizz" in pewters, and filled pocket after pocket with bank notes,but In Tatter sail's thero was silence.

A Melbourne sporting scribe, who ia pay ing his first visit to England*, wan at Epsom on the Dorby Day. He says:—Woll pleased with tho novel experienced' tho divy, I reached London in good timo for dinner, and whilst thoroughly realising tho im mensity of tho Epsom show ns a show, my thoughts instinctively turned to a far dis tant scono wliere I had witnessed anothor famous dcad-licat a quarter of a century back, nnd whore, sinco that time, I havo soon tho champions of tho Now South Wales and Victcrian turf fighting o'er their yearly battle, with tho assistance of South Australia nnd sometimes Tasmania and Now Zealand ; and aa I thought of oozy, comfortablo, woll-managecl Fleming ton, I really almost entered into the feelings of tho Scotchman who, having done the Continent, exclaimed to a friend on his ro turn, " Aye, Paris is ft roiil tino city, but gie mo Peebles for pleasure."

CONDENSED ITEMS.

Fitzhorcules is for aale, Mr K. E. Isaacs has purchased King Don. for hunting purposes. Tho first forfeit for (.ho Melbourne Cup is duo on Monday next. Progress is advertised to stand thoiwaeou at tho fsimll foj of 10 guinea!'. No less than .'1,500 wires were nont from tho Epsam racecourse on the last DorDy Day. Sir Goo. Chotwynd, has named his three year-old colt by Hermit out of Suiter to Adelaide, Gordon. Whon tJio mail left, Scot Free wasfarour ito for tho Doncastor St. Lcgor. Tho raoo takos plaixj on the 10th of September. lSy tho victory of Gasalier in tho V.U.C. Maiden Hurdle Race tho Hon. William Pearson is said to have nottcd £-1,000.

Anothor addition has been made to our jumpers in tho shape of Exchange, who has been brought up from Wanganui by Mr J. Chadwick. It is stated that the owners of Dirk Hatteroick nnd Tho Israelite aro very «or« at their horses receiving no much weight In tho Cnulflcld Cup. Bonnio Beo won tho Flat Uaoo at tho V.U.C. Steoplechaco Meeting. Sixteen others started, including Irontmator, who \ias> ridden by George Williams. Georgo Fordham \» still Horiously indis posed, and it is moat probable thut tho famous English jockey will not don nilk

thii? season. IjO Grand hs».'< beon icratchcd for tho Great Metropolitan Stakes, nnd Mr Wullaco has run tho pon through ('alma's n'auio for both tho ("ruiltiakl nnd Melbourne Cups. Mr.l. I'ilbrrtw'g colt Ugly Bih:U, who cut such an inglorious figure when pitted aguinet Trenton, Krtij>j>, ami Co. ut our Summer Meoting, is said to havo gruatly improved of late. Jntho " Auntralnsian" of tho 19th July appear* it lengthy description oi tho New Zealand Stud Company* utalliorn and matrons at Sylvia i'ark. Tin- article in from the pen of " Sir Uuncolot." The two LoolimiH youngsters bulon'Mng to Mr C. Jl. liunhlojfton, and wbo hnvo been learning tho rudiments of thoir pro fiweion nt tho hands of tho KnglUli trainer, W. Wood, aro to bo located at Elleralis shortly. , , , " Bull's Lifo" iaya 11. Luk« bos »o pected a lucrative oiler to ride in AN»tnili», and will leave England for tho Colonies at the end of tho present season, whon his encngemont with the Duko of Hamilton terminate!*. The committee of t.bn South Auitrnllan Jockey Club mot reccutly, and docided to carry ou operation!* for another twelve months, trusting that during tho interval tho present obnosious Totalizator Act may bo repealed. Prnne, ridden by Cbnigan, earned tho eorrfidenco cif the clever Bullurat division in tho V.X.C. Ste«i)le<;hun.-, but ho uot hIIDK up on n fence at an uarly > ■tago of tho race, and rumained thoro until pursuit of th» leiftors wiih hopeless. Tho Victorian Watorloi) Cup resulted In tho victory of Mr Robert Chirnsidft'n im [)ortcd doj/, .Molfort. the runner-up bfing tho Hon. Wm-MeCulloch'Kclevor Monsoon, whoa few weeks ago appropriated the New South Wnlfs Waterloo. Mr Baird, vho paid tho large sum of £S SOO for tho tfirce-yoar-old filly Dtuybwly at' Lord Falnumth'a mle, ii mild t» lie enormously vroulthy, nnd will at tho ««8 of 2.T havii something Hk« tlu trifle of £250,000 a year coming in. KildufF h«s ridden tho winner of Mie V.X.C. Grand N»tion»l Steoplochaso two yearn in succession, and on each occasion hin mount has gone out at ton to one^— thoso odds being nn oiler ngainst Black thorn last year nnd Chippouham this. The Unworn " Star" state* that Mr Jerris George, of Toranaki, liik jmrchased from Messrs Harrison and Jackson, of U'nngannl, the racohorso Buzzard. Hur.zard w«« got by Day Dawn from Zillah, and ran s«cond for tho Wanganni Cup in King Quail'a Ailiioc-year-oUI colt oallod Lnllington, got by Sco Saw from Nolly Mooro (the property of tho N.Z. Stud Oomnany) had boon (mowing a bit of form in England. At tho Epsom Spring Meeting, ho placed both tho Soiling Wolter Handicap and AValton Stake* to his credit. In an exhibition billiard match nt Cam bridge recently between Poall and Mitcnell, tho formor mado tho largo break of 1089, including five hundred a»d forty oightconseouttve spot-strokes. The previous best on record w»s 1889, mado by Mitoholl, at Brighton, on September 27, 1880. On tho strength of Bonnie Bse'a win in tho Flat Raco at tho V.R.C. Steeplechase Meeting, he has boen supported at 100 to ■ 4 to win tho Hawkesbury Grand Handicap, in which ho is weighted at 7st 51b., and was backed at 1,000 to 15 forthe Melbourno Cup, in which ho carrios 7st. Bonnio Beo is an aged gelding, by Bonnie Carlisle- Miss Wasp, and owned by Mr A. McDonald.

Messrs Alcock and Co. have announced that they will present one of their match billiard tables, valued at 150 guineas, as a trophy in a billiard match for the champion ship of Australia, to bo played in Mel bourno during tho Caulfield Cup weok. Tho game will be 1,000 up, and open_to B layers who have rosidod in tho Australian olonies, New Zealand, or Tasmania for twelve months prior to tho match.

Victoria Racing Club Steeplechase Meeting.

Tho following are tho details of the run ning for the two principal ovonts of the abovo meoting :—

Grand National Hcjudlk Rack, a handicap 1 sweepstakes of 10=ovs each, I! ft. with SOOaddod. Second BO and third 25 soys out of the stakos. About 3 miles.

D. S. Wallace's b g Don Quixote, by Don Giovanni-Quickstep, Syrs, list 181b (Mr W. GlnsscdcU) 1 J O ln'.'lis'slirg Sundownor, aged, lOat 31b (Mr.l n. inclis) 2 11. It. Falkinoi's b g Ringwood, fiyrs, 12st 71b (deohU) 3

S. G. Cook's. 1» B Joker, Syrs, list 21b (Kinc); A. F. Sullivan's brh Ontario, 5-^rs, lOet 81b (Batty); W. H. Cortis'B oh g Flamborough, fiyrs, lOst olb (Homsworth): W. NeiVp. br m "^arroc. fiyrs.lOst.'ilb (MoLeod); J. McGrade's b; h Tantalisor, Syrs, fist 111b (Hill); and J. Sim ton's br h Sinking Fund, iyrs, flst (Hunt), also started. BPtting: 3 to 1 against Ringwood, 4 to 1 Don Quixote and Ontario, 5 to 1 Tho Joker.

Yarree, Sundowner, and Ontario formed the van, Don Quixote, Bingwood, and Flamborough tho rear at the early part of the journey, and then Tantaliser showed in front, Don. Quixote closing tho gap rapidly. Passing tho stand, after tho first round, Sundowner led, Flamborough and Ring wood still last. On the opposite aide of the course Sundowner still showed in advance, Tho Jokor coming to grief after rushing ;ip to him, Ontario, Don Quixote, Sinking Fund, and Ringwood now being in the first division. Ontario then ran by his hurdle, and Don Quixote challenged Mr Inglis's Sundowner, Ringwood joining in. These three came well together to about the distance post, when Sundowner seemed to tire, and Dou Quixote came in winning by a good three lengths, Kingwood a poor third, Tantaliser fourth, Sinking Fund fifth, Yarree sixth, and the Now South Wales horse Flamborough (seventh. Time, smins, 4^socs.

Grand National SthhpleciiaßH. a handicap Bvvoepatakoa ol iosovs eaoh, 4 ft, with 400 added. The second horse to receive 50aova and tho

third 2550V8 out. of the stakes. AljoutS inilos. W. Neil's g g Clrippenham, by Lanorooat, aged, list (Kilduff).. ..I W. E. Power's b g Kriondlcsa, Syrs, 9st 121b (Batty) i J. McGrade's br g Moonlischt, aged, lOat 71b (Hill) , i 3

J. Harbottle's br g Blaokthorn, aged, 12stri2 b (MoLood); K. Wooks's bin Lißattp, aßod, list 51b Crec); A. Taylor's bs General Jaokuon, aged, ltßt2lb(MoOowati|; K. Wilson's b g Katunt'a, SjTB, lOrt lOib (Scobie); M. IjonghHn'sb R tamo, llvre, lOstillb (Oorrlgan); T. Jones's b g Austra lian Court, (ivrs, lost 7lb (Butler); J. llorners br g All Bercno. aged, lQulSlb (Floyd); U. Howios br X Union, atred, lOdtSlb (Dclany); A. Howling mha Hands Down, liyr.-t, !)st mil), including :ilb over (AlcJjuughlan), also started. Belting: Bto 1 aKainst Fiimo,-t to I Lizetio, b to 1 each Katunga and Fru-ndlese, 5 to 1 Ulack th»rn, 10 to 1 each Chlppenluvm, Moonlight, and General Jackson.

There was a very oven start, but All Serene soon established a load, Blackthorn and Kutuiign bcinj; hard hold behind. On reaching tho 'first fenco by the rivor, General Jackson showed tho way over, but Fame got hung up. Lizotte und Chippon ham then took second and third, Black thorn, Mooulight, Friendless and Katunga coming next, but Li/.etto replacing General Jackson at the training ground fences. At tho doubles, opposite the lawn and stand tho order was Lizette, Moonlight, Chippon ham, Ooneral Jackson,. Blackthorn, nnd Katunga, tho leap beiny taken magnifi cently, and not a homo making a mistake, Along the rivor aido, and to the Abbatoirs, Lizotto maintained her advantage, Moon light next, then (iendral Jackson nnd Chippenhain, followed by Australian Court, Blaokthorn and Friendlopn, Moonlight passed Lizetto before reaching tho scraping sheds, Gonoral Jacksoif appearing to havo had enough of it, and soon falling, whilst Chipponham, Friondlens, and Blackthorn wore each going woll. Chippcnham'n colours led along tho training ground, and lookod a certainty until uljout half-way up tho railn, when FriondlesH collared him for nn instant, but wuh slmlten oil' by uljout il length aftor a determined Het-to, Moonlight being tho Hamodistancu behind Friendloss, -with n bad t'oarth, Blackthorn fifth, Australian Court sixth, Katunga Horonth, and the ro«t Btr«ggliiig in. Timo,

7 miiiH.

FIELD SPORTS AND AQUATICS.

(BY ACIMCON.)

FOOTBALL FIXTUItES,

Auoklaad RuKby Uuioa Frosrainmo.

Angjunt '-' — Auckland v. I'onsonby, North Slioro v. Albstt, Grafton v. tlordon.

Amjiistß— Audclnnfl t. Oo'ilon, i'onaonby y. Or»ftoii. North Hhoro v. Newton.

August IS—AuuklHiidT. Oral ton, Ponsonby v Nowkon, Gordon v. Albert.

Aui?u*t2X-Gruftou r. Nortli Shore, Ponsouby T. Alburl,, Uordon v. Albert. A«uuat3o— Hujit. o—Club tlun.

CRICKET FIXTURES. The Australian Eleven.

A uguiit 4—Canterbury, Australians t. Kont. AiiKUnt 7—Clifton, Australians v. Gloucester- Bill re.

Aiiifust 11—Oval. Australianu v. All Knifland. AuKUSt 18—Clieltonham, Australians v. Olou cc«terßhtro.

Autuat '21— NottlDifhain. AtmtrullaDH V. Notts. August 25—Urlifbton, Aubtraliaoa v. Piiat and Present gf Cauibridgc.

AuKU»t iS-firaTeseud, AiiHtriiliuits V. Mouth Of Kiitfluwd.

Sentouiber I — Nottliiifhum, AUHtrallans v. Nartli of England. 3«vtoeubor t— acarlwrout'h, Australians v. I aiDgurl,

B«uh)inb«r U-Oval, Auatrallaiu y. All Ei* land.

Is England, Mr J. 11, Adams rccontly completed bis (self-imposed tusk of riding from Laud'y Uud to John o' Urouts, a dis taiicu of 1)30 luilen, wlii«h ho covered in (j day* 'JBi hours, which gavo a daily averago of clobu on 133 inilud,

i'rofessar Millar ie reported to be gradually throwing off his limp, and no doubt will soon bo again heurd of in tho athletic w»rld.

W. O. Georgo, tho English phenomenal amateur, broke no icconln in the four ratios recently won by him in un afternoon, but tho fcut of running half a mile in 2min, a milu in 4min 32uuc, four mlloa in 21min ri3oc, and v one und a hulf milo stccplo' chu«o iv 7 mln '23 '25-th sec in a single aftoruoon.ie ono thut would havo ojwned the oyos of tho old-time spoi'te.—" Bulletin."

Hacoa for the aquatic championship of Australia aro on tho tapis between Mr W, O. Brett, the present holder, and Mr FUtes, of Molbourno; Mr Sharlnnd, of TuHimunu, and Mr O'Bullivan, of Brinbano. Mr Drott will only row on tho Parnimatta Chainpluu courto, and for a trophy of tho value of i'loo.

Queensland and New South Wales Rugby touum played the hint football match of tho season on the Association cricket ground, Mooro Park, on July 19, Queensland played in a vory determined manner, but thiir opponents were Miperior, and when timo ivnj* called tho result stnod---Now Sonth Walow, points i,-nir,«t nil.

Dr. Carter Moffat and the Ammoniaphone.

Ox Holiday, in tlio Edinburgh Literary Inntitnte, Dr. Carttr Moflat gave a lecturo ova n»w inntrumuutwhichhe has invented, called kha " Ammoniaphono," by means of which It It claimed chomical science can be applied to tho Improvornont of yocal tone. The her. .Tamea Symington, Loadhllla Pariih Church, prwlded, and tiioro was n [nige audieuoe. The Chairman, in i»t:odioi»|{ Dr. Cartor Alolfat, ex plained that tho Doctor was well known in Edinburgh. Ho wan formerly demon • trator In chomifltry in tho Koyal CoUogeof Burgeons, and latterly I'rofcfwor of Chom latry in tho Vetorinury Uollogo, Glatgow. At the request of v London company, he hud Rone to Italy to bolvo porno intereHting chemical problems of industrial importancu, and hurt performed Ilia work so well that tho Italian Government hud voted him n diploma of honour and ({old medal. Whilo thore Dr. Carter Moilivt h&d mado Ins great discovery, and since then ho had resigned several luoratlvo appointments in order that he might bring it to por footion and introduce ifc to tho public. Dr. Carter Moffat, who was roceived with applause, explained tho circumstances nnder which his attention had beon turned to this subject While yet a boy ho con coived the ide* that tho boauty of tone of Italian singers was due to something in tho air of the country ; but though no had made many experiments, they had not been erowntd with tnecoas until he vMtcd Italy. Immediately on h's landing upon tho shores of the Adrlatle he Haw «t once, from tho yellow-greeti tints of the vegetation, that a □leaching action was going on. Ho was much strnek, too, with the soft voice* of the people. Within a few hours of his landing he set to work to discover tho agents in tho atmosphere which might account for this, and dis covered poroxido of hydrogon in the dow and in the air, and also a largo amount of free ammonia. Ho had paid a visit to the valley whore the celebrated tenor singor Giuglini was born, and found the afcmospWo bathed in peroxide of hydrogen and free ammonia. His in vention consisted in tho preparation of peroxide of hydrogen, ammonia, and certain fragrant oils, co as to produce an arfifioial condensed Italian air, by inhaling which, through the ammonia phone, ho claimed unhesitatingly that tho voice could bo strengthened and the vocal tono improved. His own voice was onco weak and thin ; now it was what they heard it—a robust tenor of consider able rnngo. The ammoniaphone, which was exhibited, consisted of a silver tubo 25] inches long, and about an inch in diameter. It is closed at each end, but by a turn of a scrow can bo slightly opened to admit air. In tho contro is a wick saturated with the preparation already roforred to, and thia is inhaled by fho mouth through a small uprighb tube in the middle of. the rod with a valvo opening. Some 4,000 of these instruments had beon already sold, and had been acknowledged a great success. In response to an invitation, about a dozen gontlemon and two ladies went up to tho platform for the purpose of giving illustra tions of their vocal powers before and aftor using tho ammoniaplione. This part of the programmo was productive of a good deal of amusement—none of the voca'iata being of greatmorit. Astheyflnished their songs each received an ammoniaphono.and immediately began to use it with moro or less vigour. At tho end of about half an hour of this ex hibition, the performor who sang first was expected to bo " charged" with the ammoniaphono, and repeated the song pre viously sung. Thore is no doubt that on the second occasion tho singing of most of the performers was much better than the first. It appeared as if the voices wore stronger,and thatmorofaeilifcy wasdisplaycd in their use, and this improvement the audience roadily acknowledged by their applause. Dr. Moft'at also sang several songs, and showed that he was possessed of a voice of good quality, great range, and capable of being used in a very sympa thetic manner. Mr Nichol, photographer, bore testimony to having known Dr. Carter Moffat many" years ago, whon ho had a " squeaky " voice. Aftor a long pull at tho "ammoniaphone," Mr Nichol, who had stated, Tvhon he first spoko, that ho was suffering from a bad cold, greatly amused tho audience, by himself breaking out into gang. After the lecture, which had an in gtruotlva and an amusing side, an oppor tunity, which was largely taken advantage or, was gfsen to inspect and test the ammoniaphone

THE GARDEN.

Calendar of Operations, August %

[By II out us.]

(HoiU'UH ia willing to answer any queries. Cor respondents must give their full names and ■ifldrofwes, tl ousrh not for publication.]

TO CORRBBPONBKNTB. Planting Shrubs (Shrubbery).—When plant ing shrubs always murk out tho ground for tho pormaiiont ulanls. Kslimatinp; what, hcli;ht itii't spread of foliage tlioy will have at maturity, arrange join1 pegs to unit., ditf this lioloh, and plant. Ah it late a long tune for tlie dilluniiit slirnbs to attain any size, it ifl butter to plant a number (if pinoa or'oj't.ressos to nursu tiicm and eivctliumu start, but whenever llieao Interfere in| tbo Blightofit with the pornuincnt plant the nurses must be pniiiod buck and ultimately come out altogether. The iiursus liaslen tbc Rrowth of tho shrubs by protrotinx and drawing them till they utiain a certain aizc, but if allowed to remain too long they would ultimately bo Bpoiled. SAI/nw; Asi'AllAfius Hkdh (As|)aragiiK). — Salt may bo unread on asparuKUS bods at any timo (luring the eciisun, but I think the best time is In the early spring, immediately after the Bnrhiß forking of the bed ; the plants will then n:e.:ive the full bmicflt of the manural quali ties from it. Tho salt will not only furnish lood, but will koop tho mirfaco soil moist during tho asparagus scuaon. At tho same time, fresh salt is a deadly enemy to all weeds. Colkus Oo'mNOS (M. A-. Kdon). — Your old plants will not make good specimens -noxt " soaHon. It is ulways better tostrikoa fresh batch of cuttlnKH every spring. The bint timo to lake y< ur uultinga od' i^ about tlu: end of thiflortho beginnliiK of next month. If you have liny artiiieiiil bent they could bo lakon iilf'ut one«, but if only tho window 1h taken tjll' now they might dam]) oil". The best composition to usu for striking in a mixture of one-third Hand one-third good loam, one-third Imtr-immlil. if it cun bo procured ; if not, well rotted stable manure will do. I agree with you that the colem i.s ono of the bust window plants you can grow. H^aKAi'nNCiOuiFiaTrTriKßKlH.A.).—Where f-ult trees lire found to In: unfruitful ;car afle:1 year, the viuiotios litliy be nnsiilled to the locality, oi- It, may nriH'jfruin ow.r-hixuri aiu-o (irfrom iillhji- ni\inuH. A good way lit1 root-prunins? fail«) of convorttnfi lhein Int'i hi.-nuilful treo; ni 10 cut tin! niitir-! head oil. and re-graft wit Imoinotruatwoiiliy vn vitily that HiiilHthuLnviluy. lly thiH incaim a healthy fruit.-lifiiring In-nd may nm b>: rn-;tbli.-iiied. Donble-Brafl-il ln:cs. iiS a nil.-, bloom more abuuiluutly Mian alnxlu-^raftpf] (nits n». owing to ovor-luxuriancu bi-iutf checked, Ilin «n«r gieu of thotrooa iippnur to I"1 inoru dlructed towards forming blodbom than wood. Pkuninq Hiikchs (P.A., Bdon).—Tho best tlmt to prune BhrubH, watch ure imiwn for bonuty of foliage Is linmedidtoty before the sap bogina to rl»e In the miring. Whan done Ihon the rising Bfip naiiKCs the buds loft to buret forth with vigour, produ«ing a strong growth of now wood, coiißtqueutly the foliage it also much improved. Tho aprig is also the best. Thin out shrubberies where the planta aro becoming too thiok. The new growth pro dueed will Boon hido ditagracnble blanks. I! thouo aru bare iiil up for one ueason with till growlnff annuals.

Kitchen Garden.

Tiik days aro beginning to lengthen per coptibly, showing thatthcreturn of thoplant iuK and sowing Benson will soon ba round again. Not much can be done yet on cold, stiff, and retentive soils. On theso it is botter to refrain from operating till the soafion gots a little further advanced, but on warm, light, dry soils a few operations might bo advanced. Plant a iow early potatoes, using bones for manure, also a few cubbagos und cuulillowors. Mustard cross and raditihus can rtlso be sown—only small patchou. Tho break of ground for sow ing the main crop of onions at the end of this month must aUo bo attended to. iluvo it lightly forked over only to th* depth of about three inched. Oniona like deep rich soil, o*j>ccially ashen a.s manure. Take care Bud only work the ground while it id in a dry state, us mout noils are liable loget cloggy if laboured in n wet state.

Flower Gardon.

Tho first favourable opportunity have all tho borders slightly forked over, If they hare boon heavily manured with littorloat autumn, they will not neod to bo manured tliia miring. If they hnvo not boon manurod, Ihoy would require some now. Well rotted mnnuro U tho best ; if that is not to bo piocurcd, givo plenty of bones. All box-edgings can now bo lifted and rolaid ; new edgings should also be mado now where required. Try nnd choose lino weathor when laying them. A few gladioli, liliuins, and amaryllis bulb« should now bo planted for early (lowering. Sow a few of the liardy annuals. Kohgi which aro wanted t> produce early flowers should now be pruned, cutting back all last year* wood with the exception of two or three eye*. Fork (ho grouud round thorn and mulch each plant with plenty of now manure if you can procure it. Urasfl edgings should receive the usual spring paring. Any edgings which are be coming too narrow from frequent parings, rrmko broader by re-turfing. Look to all patches of the lawn which havo become broken, cut turfs, make a placo for them,* put them down, beat them well, and bring them to tho came lovol as the lawn. Keop the grass short, and givo frequont rollings while tho lawn is moi."t.

Greenhouse

Still givo plenty of air on all favourable occasions. Do not try to incitogrowth yot. Ro pot early spring flowering plants.

Potatoes intended for eooi should be kept in a cool, dry pliico, xo that they will not sprout. Potatoes that have sprouted aro woaker and more inclined to disease than those that do not sprout until planted, Nover wait for crops of weods to bocomp largo and imposing bofore hoeing the ground. 1100 tho gonoral surface of tho garden frequently whenever there is the slightest appearance of weeds coming through. •I'ick out tho woeds from seed bed, Ac, whonevor distinguished; thus it will bo found loss troublesome and loss laborious to keop a gardon thoroughly clean than when allowed to get dirty.

A Now Mexican' Grass.

' Pr. Sparks has a peculiar grass which, it i« said, will grow on tho driost ground wherovor Ihoic is an annunl rainfall of twolvo inclip.-i or moro. The roots sink into tho earth from four to so yon feet, thus se curing moro nourishment than ordinary grasses. Stock thrives well on it, even eat ing tho roots. It grows to a height of thirty inches, is very loafy, of rapid growth, and yiolds livo or six cuttings of hay a year. It is proof against hoat, drought, and flood.—Moro " County Pioneer." Orchardists should this spring toko more interest and unite in thoir offorts to pro rent tho increase of all insects injurious to fruit. Tho importanco of the fruit industry in tho future of Now Zealand will be a con siderable source of income to many farmers, and it must bo apparent to all engaged in this industry thai a united effort must be made bo as to keep at a minimum all insect pests, If such an effort was made it would give increased confidence to a great number who are engaged in this industry. It ia no uso for ono or two orchardists to make an effort to keep their treos free of insects if thoir neighbours go on in the old, careless, indifferent way, and tho consequonco would be a largo increase to tho business, Most assuredly, if proper precaution and vigilance are used, and no work in this direction is loft undone, fruit-growing hero will rank second to nn other branch of husbandry. A strong Fruit-growcra' Association, which would meet frequently and discuss these questions, Making their discussions public, would greatly advanco this and anumbor of other questions connected with the orchard, and bo of vast benefit to settlers.

Raising Stocks. (I'onlinucd from last week.)

Root cuttings, I may say, come next to soedlings for raising stock. The manner in which this is done is to lift tho trees and cut oft' the your.g roots, cut them in lengths of about six to nine inches, plant them out into nursery rows about two to three inches apart in tho row, the rows fifteen inches apart. When planting out, loavo the top of tho cutting peeping above tho surfaco of the ground. Those cuttings in tho spring will break out into bud and produce a nice stock during the summer. Tho best and strongest can bo budded the following autumn, and the balance will come in for grafting tho following spring. The stock for grafting apple? are usually raised from this means. Seedlings In their caso would hardly succeed well, as they would probably be too much subject to the blight; there-' fore we mnst raise from stock that is almost free from the influence of blight. Now, there are two varieties horo which aro used the Northern Spey and Magelin—bath first class stock as far as resisting the blipht i* concerned. As to which is tho best I will leave my readers to judge after describing from which tho best crops are usually ob tained Tho stocks, which nnturaly pro duct) large masses of lino fiborous root near tho surface of the ground nro tho best fruit-boarers. Any tree which has an abundance of rootlets is usually a good fruit producing trees ,md tho fruit is of a first-class quality, .stocks that produce long stringy roots or deep roots generally run to wood, the tree not fruiting t.ll it attains some ago. Tho fruit tlion is not of so high a flavour as that produced from tho finer rootfd stock. Now of the two stocks mentioned, tho Spey naturally produces a number of fir.o fibrous roots skimming along near the surface of tho ground, ana is the best in my estimation for- growing a fruit tree upon. Tho Magetin, on the other hand, is a stock which produoe9 a i numbo* of long stringy roots, travolltojg a long distanco for food. Roots of this class are nest adapted for growing timber,

Pear Stocks. —Thcso should bo produced from the seed of the pear. Tho seed should be saved wlijle using the fruit, and sown in tho spring. They will como up freely. Where seedlings cannot ba procured, root grafting will do, and by this means you can obtain each variety on its one root. Say you take a cutting of any variety, about 9 or 10 inches long ; make the cutting as you would make any other deck* us cutting,removing all tho buds or oyes which would bo under neath tho ground.. Then the cutting is placed in the earth. After making a num ber of those cuttings, get a .small pear root; then commence by taking one of the cuttings, making a slit in the bark similar to what you would do if budding. Tlie slit should be made about 3 inches from the bottom of tho cutting. Open up the bark with the bandlo of the knife, then take ono of the small roots, cut it with the knifo so that it can easily be inserted in tlie slit made in the bark of the cutting—insert, tic firmly with matting or cotton rag. Plant these out in nursery row. In tlie spring the root grafted to tho cutting will supply the cutting with sap. The sap will ascend the stem, burst into leaf, get elaborated, return down tho stem pa-*fc the root, and cause tho bottom or base of the cutting to burst out into root, and by 1 he next winter the cutting ought to be furnished with a largo number of roots of its own. When lifting the young plants, take the knife and slit off the root which was origisally grafted on to tho cutting. By tho above mGans you can obtain any fruit-tree on its own roots.

(Continued next weak.)

AMERICAN BRIDGES.

Notable Examples of Engineering Skill

In this Country.

Tho Aohtaijula Horror and tho Tay Olsostor.-Remarkable Wooden and Iron Blldßfß.-A Stono Structure.

" Ir there is anything in which the United 8(atoil can justly claim precedence ovor all ol'-er countries, it is for the simplicity, nitschunfea] construction, and boldness of design of their bridges." This romark was made to a."Times" reporter, and with ft i;ood deal of prido, by Mr Thomas C. Clnrke, of tiie Union Bridge Com pany, and one of the veteran bridge-builders of the Company. "The Brooklyn bridge," ho addea, " has the largest span, and is considered the largest bridge in tho world. But wo will have to yield the palm of having tho biggest bridge to another country. Tliero is now building over tho Frith of Forth, in Scotland, a bridge of two spans, each of which ia as long as tho Brooklyn bridge. Thi» is tho larg est bridge ever designed anywhere. We are up to nothing of thnt kind in America, and wo haven't money enough for It:1'

"No," remarked the listener, "taking tho way the estimated ooit of average bridges increases after eonutruction begins, such a bridge as that would swamp the whole country." " This increased cost," was Mr Clarke'i reply, "ie usually owing to tho fact that builders' ideas expand as the work goes on, and although there in always a growl about it, tho bridges aro greatly improved. A notable oxcoption to this rule was tho build ing of the cantilever bridge overtheNiagara, which was completed last year. That was built under contract, complete, in eight months — tho quickest piece of bridge building on record. The cantilever prin ciple in as old as tin world. Why, every bracket embraces it 1 I'ho difficulty in applying it was to put up staging. That was im])Ofltiible at Niagara, but with the solving of the difficulty by using what is piactically an overhanging crane, America reached the high-water mark in the science of bridge-building. Tho bridgo in Scotland ie being conntructed on tho cantilever prin ciple, and is entirely of steel."

"Steel is tho coming material fer all bridges, is it not?" " Yes, for by-and-by the price of steol will be low enough to make steel bridges as common as wooden bridges used to be. When I went into the business, in 186S, ttL-el rail* were worth §1 "75 in currency,, or £1 "25 in gold per pound. (?) Now they are 32 cents. A great deal of iron is used now, but it is gradually giving way to steel, a» wood is to iron. There aro probably 300 miles of iron bridges in tho country now, and perhaps in the neighbourhood of 70J miles of wooden bridges. I am speaking now of railway bridges. The construction of road bridges is quite a separate and distinct industry. It is the price of iron that regu latus tho cost of a bndgo ; tho cost of labour !>..« very Httlo to do with it. All the diffi cutties of manufacturing iron into steel Ikivo been overcome. Now let me say a word as a bridge-builder on the tariff. The immediate effect of a protective tariff adds die duty to the cost of importing tho material. In the beginning, that gives the profits to the manufacturers, and a great many go into the business. Then down oomes the prices, until the manufacturers are losing monoy. What then f Why, the manufacturers combine, as they have in other branches, and put the price up. If tho tariff is fixed at a reasonable rate, everything will be right; if too higto, it must be reduced. What we want, no matter what party is in power, ii a revision and reduction of the tariff. Tho question of the tariff is, at Daniel Webster paid, the question of tho day, as much so now as then. In Canada today they are importing steel plates and angles at two cent* per pouad. Here we pay a duty of 2J oonts on angles nud 2j cents on plates.

"To come back to bridges," continued Mr Clarke, "all, or nearly all, tho steel used in railway bridges is made hero; very little being imported. That new bridge at Roniout, on the West Shore, if built ten years ago, would have been the subject of a book. Now it is simply a railroad bridgo, and not ono traveller in ten even looks at it as ho goes ovor it. It is very light, vet perfectly «ocire. That is a great point where American engineers excel—in having lightness combined with perfect security, ] t is ft saving to the railways, too, forbridges are paid for by the pound. Now an order is given for a bridge jus* as it is for a loco motive—it is a mere matter of commercial manufacture. When I was in England some years ago I wanted to go and see tht Tny bridge, but tho civil engineers laid : 1 Oh, that's not muoh good j it's not worth ?oing to see.' I didn't see the bridge. But know its construction was so palpably orroneous that a common house carpenter could have seen its unsafe condition. Our American railway history shows nothing the equal of that great disaster,.though the Ashtatmla horror came near enough.1" " What was the cause of the disaster ?"

" There's no use in stirring that up lot it go. I can only cay that any practical builder would have pronounced the bridge unsafe; the connections were badly made. The bridge_ was built a good many years ago, and bridge construction was not under stood then in it is now. A recurrence of such a thing is well nigh impossible. The bridges built in the last five or six years are perfectly safe, unless two trains should meet or a train run off the edge. Both of these accidents are extremely im probable. The railroad companies allow no iron bridges, improperly constructed, to remain. There are, to be suro— or so I havo hoard—a good many unsafe vrooden bridges, probably hundreds of thorn. It will take some time for theße to be replaced by iron or steel ones. The great danger with wooden bridges is from cinders and sparks. These drop on the wood, char it a little, and weaken the structure until an unusually heary train or suddon jar causes a crash. There have been hundreds of accidents from this cause. So the wooden bridge must go. An iron bridge costs little more. The steel for the great Scotland cantilever. I may say, is being made right at the spot, works having been set up for that purpose." " How about stone bridges?" was asked of Mr Clarke.

'' The best example of a stone bridge," he replied, " is High Bridge, over the Harlem, in our own city. We have this and the Brooklyn bridge ; in both we can take just pride. One of the remarkable wooden bridges of the country is that over the Supquehanua at Havre de Grace. It has twelve spans, and. is 3,271 feet lone. The bridge at St. Louis, with threo spans of 525 feet each, is another triumph of American engineering. Then there is the bridgo over the Schuylkill at Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, an important and massivo structure, a delight to the eye of an engineer, for it furnishes a study of conse quence."

"How is the bridge building industry nourishing."—" New York Times."

UNKNOWN.

[By EuTKr.ru.]

The gem of the sacred concert was Miss Loaf's rendering of "Angels Ever Bright and Fair" (Handel), She gave it with artistic taste and feeling. Mons. Loredan was particularly unhappy in his contribu tions from "The Creation," while tho choruses were rather so-so through in de cision on tho part of the female voices. Mr Edwards was heard to advantage in tho "Cujns Animam," but he should not have attempted tho D Hat in alto. Miss btaitntO!) was in capital voice,albeit a trifle nervous just at first.

The comic opera eenson closes on Wed • ncsday ovening next, on which occasion the enterprising impresario, Mi-A.T. Dun ning, will probabiy take a benefit. The company go South on Thursday, open for six nights at Wellington on the following; Monday, and then go on to Christchurch and Dunedin, playing for 12 nights int'..o former city. From New Zealand they pro ceed to Hobart and Melbourne, whore it is likely that an amalgamation will be effected with another operatic troupe.

The total receipts of the late sacred concert were £50.

Mr 6. E. Boyle has gone to Sydney tig secretary and assistant to Professor Caillfan.

Professor and Mrs Baldwin, clairvoyants and thought-readers,aro at Sydney with an entirely new entertainment.

Tho latest thing in journalism is a paper to be called "Orange Blossoms," end to deal with matrimonial affairs only.

Mr Sheridan, the tragedian, was return ing to 'Frisco when tho mail left. He meditates another Australian and New Zea land visit.

" Tlie Princess Alice " was to bo the sub ject of a paper by Miss Mary Gladstone in tho June number of the " Contemporary Ke view."

In the July number of tho "Cornhiil Magazine" there was to bo commenced v novol by Mr .Juinc-B Payn ontitled "Tho talk of tho Town."

Lady Wilde, Oscar Wilde's mother, has written ft volume of "Scandinavian Ad ventures," which Messrs Bentley will pub lish.

The first volume of the edition de Ivae of Poe's works has been issued by Messrs Put nam Sons, of Now York ; 315 copies are printed, of which 25 only are reserved for the English market. A large staß of Yale professors are en gaged upon the revision of Webster'^ Dic tionary, which will Boon appear. Many of them are also at work upon the Century Dictionary. , Signor Riccardi's benefit netted about £270, and besides this, M r Bowden, of the Club Houso Hotel, at which the boneficiaire has been staying through his illness, hand somely knocked £67 off his bill. Lillian Russell's " Billee Taylor " com pany, lately travelling on the continent of Europe, has come to tremendous grief. Its members are said to be patiently awaiting wsather warm enough to justify them in trying to swim home. . ~ "Fun on the Bristol "has also pleased the Sydney publicso much that it ia hard to say when it wi;i 1-c removed from the Gaiety Theatre stage. The company are continu ally introducing new songs and dances into it, so that the performance ciin be witnessed over nnd over again. The new novel of M. Georges Ohnet, the popular author of " Lo Maitre dcs Forges," &c, is published. It is said that 40,000 copies woro ordered in advance. The title it) •' Liso Fleuron," and the subject is the troubles and sjirows of a virtuous Parisian actress.

Loui.se Pomeroy, according to a New York journal, broke one leg in Brooklyn several years—perhaps a quarter of a century ago. She has just broken another In Oregon. It is lucky she isn't a quadru ped—for in that cose she would have an other pair of "props" to come to grief with.

Mr F. Pitman will publish a work for the übo of reporters of all systems of shorthand, entitled "The Reporter's Handbook and Vado Mecnm," with appendix by an ex perionced reporter. The work is intended to afford instructions for reporting all kinds of events. The whole of the work has b«en revised by Mr T. A. Keed.

A Yankee paper, remarking upon the fact that Alice Dunning visited ft lunatic asylum to get ideas for a part she recently played in London, eaya ;«-" If Alice had been cast for a character entailing.' the itnifcai ion of simple idiocy she need not have visited an asylum to get points ; mere as eociation with Villiam 'Oraco would have been sufficient."

" Macbeth" has attracted such large audiences to the Sydney Theatre Royal, that it is being run till further- orders. A Sydney paper says of Miss Genevieve Ware, " She has evidently studied the character of Lsdy Mcbeth in every minute detail, and ehe gives us the grandest impersonation, which the present generatjon of. English actresses has afforded, and one which it is, difficult to believe can be Buepassed. The opera season in London is profing very prosperous, and Albani has made a great impression by her appearance as Esle in the German original of "Lohengrin." Sembrich is also highly praised for her singing in the "Huguenots." Mme. Judie attracts fair houses to the Gaiety,, although the croakers do not fail to notice that sne has gone considerably off, and is getting much too stout for her favourite rdles.

Miss Qertrude Griswold, the niece of Bret Harte, who has made brilliant buc cesse* an a concert vocalist in Glasgow, Liverpool, and Manchester, and at tte Oy»tal Palace, London, was about to make her operatic ddbut at the Covent Garden Theatre when the mail left. She was to appear as "Marguerite" in "Faust," and Sir Julius Benedict an<l other musical authorities predict a great success for, too American soprano. Mr Lawrence Barrett has signed an en gagement with Mr Henry Irving to play at she Lyceum Theatre in London duringthe winter of 1885-86. The season war be opened with one of the new plays recently purchased by Mr Barrett, but the choice has not yet been made between Mr Robert Browaing's " Blot Upon the Escutcheon " and Mr Charles Oaborne's "Thomas a Beckett." Afterward there will be a series of grand Shakespearian revivals, with"'Mr Henry Irving, Mr Lawrence Barrett, and Mies Ellen Terry in the principal pirtd. ' A lodge of Mutual Imps has been.estab lished in Sydney, and already has a memb ership numbering seventy gentlemen! most of whom bolong to the dramatic pro fession. The order is principally for actori and Bohemians who have no home, but are wanderers up and down the face of'the, earth. Every Sunday evening the Imps meet at Compagnom's in Pitt-street, and an entertainment h given, the programme being contributed to by all the leading male artists in town. Similar societies ol press men and theatrical artists exist1 in Christchurch and Dunedin.

Three former members of Dunnirig's "f Opera Company are now rapidly rising in their profession in England. Miss Agnes ''■ Consuolo (tutor of Mr (Jeorge Dean and an accomplished contralto) was the original .; Sanchita in " Manola " on this side or.the line, and she is now playing laudry' in ,1 " Chilperic "at the New Empire Theatre, '-S London. It was produced in April, and.has ; been drawing i'3oo per night ever since, and is expected to run until October. Miss '■',';' fKate Chard (Miss Ivanova's predecessor as 1 prim a donna) occupies a lead position In '."•'" "Princess Jda" at the Opera Comique, -? and Mr Cecil Burt, a former tonorof the ';S Troupe,, is playing Mr Bracey's part in " "lolantho " with great success through the ■■■■• provinces The "Bulletin" wishes some influential persons in Sydney would follow the example 1 1 sot by the inhabitants of Berlin. They jj9 have presented a petition to the Govern- \j'M ment praying that pianoforte playing in M private houses be stopped or limited to M certain houses. We will sign our name in seven languages if this petition is brought to us. There is a young lady living next.'"., ij door to us who bangs the piano '':',& from dewy morn to stilly eve, while her mother is out in the back yard belting fire-1 wood with a blunt axe. It grieves US to |3B see a young person with arms like a prize- Sj| fighter, and afist as big ac a loaf, wasting the ,", j valuable timo she ought to employ in car- , ' pet-beating and scrubbing, in pounding a;: jiisery she calls music out of poor Mendelßv ! :i'l sohn and Beethoven. : «\ 9 Bandraann, the tragedian, is still in ""-J America. A dramatic paper there says „IB that he has the digestion of an ostrich. j§9 He can get away with a bottle, for instance, | quicker than any other man who ever lived . Perhaps this is a poetic and extravagant I HI way ot accusing him of an ability to swallow ga anything from an insult to a pill. Band- ~ mann, by the way, is accompanied by 0 ,'4 charming young red-headed "Australian tragedienne, Miss Louise Beaudet. Miss Tjouiso Beaudot, however, is not Australian. ; , Jlor mother, an estimable Fronch lady, let £-^ furnished rooms up to a recent date in ":. Seventeenth-stroefc, and Miss Louise went i ■ on the stage, in the "Little Duke," at Booth's Theatre, under the pjitronagje Joi ' >^ Leonard or Larry Jerome—one of the two, ■§ She afterwards sang with Aimee. ' , |

THE AUCKLAND EVENING STAtt, SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 1884



A Wise Deacon—"Deacon Wilder, I wart you to toll me how you kept yoursolf anil family co well the .past sooaon, when all thereat of us have beon sick bo much, and havo had the doc tors running to us bo of ton." " Brothor Taylor the answer is very easy. I used Hop Hitters In tuno, aud kept my family well, and saved large doctor's bills. Four shillings1 worth of it kept us[all woll and able to work ull the timo and I will warrant it has cost you and most of thp neighbours filO to filOO apiooo to koep sick the sumo tluio. I fanoy you'll take my modlolno "ROUGH ON {JOHNS.*-HUk ta Mtajw^Bawi) o» Ooiuu." Quick veli&f, comiueto, pen^uuojifc euro. Oariiis ivarlj, . '..rasa Kompthonw, l'ronot * Co., Jti/cah. Auckland.