RANDOM SHOTS.

o [BY ZAMIEK]

Some write, a neighbours name to lash. Some write-valn thonghte-for needful cash, Seine write to please the countr^clash,

For me an aim I never fash—

I write for fun.

In touching recently upon the question of eradicating crime, I spoke'with commenda tion of a proposition that persons of knoM'n criminal taint should be prevented from multiplying their kind. While that proposal is all very good in theory, there are diffi culties in the way of its practical applica tion ; but a more serious matter is that the putting of it into practice would not strike at the root of crime. There are cases in which the criminal taint is not traceable in parents, and yet it appears most decidedly m their offspring. In other cases there ap pears for generations an absence of criminal tendencies, then they suddenly break forth in a way that bailies all ideas of heredity. Of course allowance must be made for the effects of intermixing blood by marriage. Women are so closely protected against committing crime, that criminal tendencies may lie latent in their blood through several generations without giving the slightest sign (if its presence, and the evil strain may appear in their offspring. After making every allowance for such cases, however, it is plain that the criminal tendency would bo minimised by adopting the system pro posed.

One of those battling cases of criminality has just been before the Supreme Court at Wellington —that of Henry Crossley, who has been sentenced to five years' penal servitude for larceny. £Thi» notorious thief and blackguard is the son of an excellent clergyman and of good family. (By the way, is it not curious how many sons of clergymen and of good families go wrong ?) He has splendid abili ties, and his friends have done all for him that influence and patronage could accom plish ; but he is utterly locking in moral stamina, or the love of crime is so strong in bin. that ho has said with Satan—" Evil, be thou my good !" Eleven years ago, I read, he forged his reverend father's name to a cheque and got eighteen months in Mount Eden Gaol for the offence. Since thon he has been a thorough gaol-bird, committing fresh crimes as soon as he is at liberty. This, 1 fancy, is clearly a case of Criminal mania, and ho should not only bo prevented from propagating his kind, but should be kept under constant watch and wiiriL

The question " Why do so many minis ter*' sons go to the bad ?" is one of those questions that any fool might ask, but no wise man can satisfactorily answer. A Freethinker of my acquaintance attributes it to their thoologico-moral training, which ho contends is destructive of the moral sense ; but with that I don't agree, else we should find church members the greatest criminals, which is not the ca.se. My own view is that it is due to the natural revolt against constraint—the in variable re-action from too rigid require tnenti in the matter of regulation of con duct. There are some who hold that there is a certain occult influence for evil associ ated with the Church, as expressed in the Scutch Baying —" The nearer the kirk the farther from grace," and the Spanish pro- Ti;rb --" It is by the priest's skirts the du\il climbs into the belfry." I am forced to confess that my opposition to this view met with a sudden check when I read iv an English paper lately a letter over the startling signature : " One with five uncles in the Chinch, three of whom have proved themselves to be domestic repro bates." If further demonstration were re quired of the truth that extremes of good and c.'il meet, is it not to be found in the Police Court- records this week, wherein I find that a fellow bearing the classical name of '" l.'hadband" has been sent to gaol for playing "under and over" on Ellerslie racecourse.

Tho detection of crime, which to many people is a more fascinating pursuit than its prevention, in now engaging consider able attention in Paris. Medical men there are once more advancing the claims of mesmerism as an agency of justice, con tending that it may greatly help legal pro cedure, inasmuch as by sending criminals to sleep, and dragging their secret from them while under hypnotic influence, there would be little fear of judges condemning tho innocent for the guilty. A theft in the hospital was found out in this way by Dr. Marie. The subject refused at first to tell where the stolen object was concealed, After a little diplomacy, however, on the part of the young doctor, who told the sleeping girl he was the young man from whom the card case had been taken, and not to fear telling him where it was, she gave the detailed account of having stolen it, a?)d told where the card case was to be found. 1 >r. Marie immediately went to the spot indicated, where, sure enough, the stolen article was found. That is an eminently French method of doing justice ; but English ideas run on totally different lineu. Which is right I will not pretend to say.

Here is a practical hint, however, which our New Zealand legislators and executive officers might profit by. lam told that the principal difficulty that tlie police have to contend with in tracing petty larcenies is tlie practice of thieves of disposing of them to second-hand dealers. While pawn brokers are compelled by law to keep a strict record of all goods pledged with them or purchased by them, second-hand dealers can make purchases without restriction. It would be of great assistance to the police were such dealers compelled to keep re cords of second-hands goods purchased similar to those kept by pawnbrokers. In a great many instances the property alleged to have been stolen by the sneak thief now in custody in Auckland, was found to have been disposed of|by him to dealers. I would hope that a law may soon bo introduced to compel the keeping of a register by all such dealers. Have not the City Council i' .1 power to secure this by a by-law ?

In connection with Mr Dowio's visit, and his theory of miracles, it has struck me that one little matter is unexplained. Among the " signs " which were to follow those who believed it was promised that they should h'mdle noxious reptiles and eat of poisonous articles without suffering any of the usual consequences. This "sign" is no more miraculous than that having reference to healing, and I suppose Mr Dowio will agree that faith and prayer will be as efficacious in tlie one matter as in the other. It is re corded of Paul that he was bitten by a viper and suffered no injury, and the snake charming so prevalent in India is probably a survival of a superstitious belief in the miracu Icuß powers of those who could safely handle 1 hose loathsome and deadly reptiles. But v.'ould Mr Dowie take a carpet snake or •""•■> snake into his bosom? Or, again,

they succumbed to sue bably | m beefcteak pw •Th „ bufcThomaa ! call me a because he had was none the less ?, v h fchat SrfTa "°f U S Jlacy aso l newhe l -e" unless Sole question., are cleared up. V **» V While the volunteers were in camp at Eg perpetrated the most stupid, as w&l Ecamp and .Jut some of hta comrades to the Hospital tent to inform the Am balance Corps that a mar.had just sustained a serious fracture of the_£S a"° lay awaiting their attention. The hour was late and the men were tired ™ *J«* day's exertions, but they cheerfully obeyed the summons nevertheless. Unfortunately only one stretcher was available and it was occupied by Seaman Ward of the Ponsonby ' Navals, who had broken his leg that morn ing The poor fellow generously con ! sented to be moved in order to permit of [ the stretcher being used for the sup posed new case, and at the expense ot ; considerable pain he was shifted. The other "case" was then brought in ; and a doctor sent for. When the hoax at I last stood revealed, disgust and astonish ment prevailed throughout the camp, and the man was promptly and deservedly placed under arrest. Such heartless joking merits severe treatment. It's a poor heart ' that never rejoices ; but it's a poorer one 3 that makes its fun dependent upon the ? suffering of others.

An instructive symptom of the hard times has just been brought under my notice, and it shows in a bold light the straits to which working men may be re duced when the supply of labour is in ex oess of tho demand for it. In a certain large factory, in which machinery and boys are" largely employed to compete with artisan labour, the whole of the "hands" received notice last week that they would bo " required " to sign a new form of agree ment. On pay-day this agreement was submitted, and was found to contain a clauso by which those signing it promised not to take advantage of the Employers' Liability Act. The men grinned hard, but they had to submit, for in these dull times men are glad to earn bread and shelter for their wives and little ones, without being particular about their legal rights. The boys, who probably did not understand what they were doing, also signed tho paper, and thus in the factory in question the Employers, Liability Act is presumed to have beceme a dead letter. I opine, however, that the signatures of boys are of *o arail, and can in no way deprive them them of the protection extended fco them by the Legislature, so that if any of them are disabled or maimed by the machinery, they will still have a claim for damages. Tho action of the employers shows, plainly, that the capitalist is fuHy alive to tho interests of Number One, and will not hesitate to secure those interests " by every wile that's justified by honour " —and even by some wily tricks that do not answer to that definition. The working man's turn will come round once more, and then tho present incident will not be for gotten ! It is occurrences like these that tend to keep up the perpetual war be tween Labour and Capital.

It would appear that the Sanitary In spector has too much on his hands now, to attend to another of his too numerous duties—that of Registrar of Dogs. Curs of all degrees, of mangy hide, and mournful countenance, are carrying their unregistered - collared necks in safety about our streets, to the annoy ance of those owners of well-bred animals, who have rendered unto the Council the proper registration fee. No doubt now that the "cold nip " is restoring Auckland to her usual salubrious condition, Mr Goldie will be able to devote some time to the canine pestß of the city. The grand British privilege of " growling " at public servants may in the meantime be suspended in the case of one who does the work of half-a -dozen inspectors for the pay of one. I fancy I hear some John Bull give the part ing- growl—" And nobody but a Scotchman would do it !"

While an old gentleman down South the other day was so anxious to get placed on the jury that he urged the Justices to place him on in spite of his being ■ disqualified, there are numbers of old and young gentle moii in Auckland who have been racking their brains for excuses to get taken off the list. The other day a juror who was sum moned at tho Supreme Court made a most original claim to exemption. He had declined to appear, and he put in a plea to be excused the fine of 40e for non-appearance on the ground that h could not " sit down and think," which b considered it necessary for a juror to d> He further explained that he was lately froi the United States, "of which he wasa citizen," and had been a glass-blower, fe had pains in his head when he sat dc?n and read or thought. His Honor see>ed surprised that anyone should conside it necessary for a juryman to do either of ftese latter things, and told the appellan he must fetch a doctor's certificate, whi"l he did later on, and waa excused aecorditfly.

There is treuble in the suburban istrict known as '' sleepy hollow." It arose-husly. A good church deacon, who has evf had a decided penchant for fine horses., has at length been caught napping. It sems that some time ago he bought a little r£er, and has more than once ran him, but, ?ark you, not in his own name. And hereiihe erred, for secrecy naturally suggests « uneasy conscience. This ruse succeede f°r some time, but, alas, in the most prdy manner possible, the whole thing was c-posed. A übiquitous press representative merely made the mistake of putting down th right name of the owner of the hor? and then the game was up. Some sharp - eyed church member, who must fidently have been reading the sinful rJulg column, noticed the patronymic ap]Jlati°n °f one of the deacons of his chu'h. Of course he was scandalised and Je matter was told to Smith, Brown, .Pcs, and Robin son, who also retailed itt° their friends in strictest confidence. Rapidly the plot thickened, andultimafceryhe racing deacon was awakened from hi'dreams of bliss ful security by a ca*i°n to appear and answer to the charges preferred against him. In fcher words, ho was "skull dragged' before his fellow- Christians. He admi-ed- tike a man, that he did own the obn"ous racehorse, and defended his action. The question was discussed in 'sole'n conclave for a lengthened period, nd the result of the deliberations was t^t the erring brother was offered the al'rnative of either sur rendering his horf or his church. But how shall I find ords to relate his de

outraged late fellow rank him amongst those who though lapsed, are not yet lost.

THE GARDEN.

Calendar of Operations. April 16th.

[By Hobtus],

[Hortus is willing to an^% any quejies. Oor respondents must give thaw full nanis aim dresses, though not for publication.]

T^r y o U^^p?sHwl» WMWA HmSS —only a small pinch. . Stiff Son. (Amateur). -(1) I have always found the foil wing the best.plan to bring -stiO soita keen doing so as long as the neat WUH™ mmm turned over. r ■„,?" The best time to afo°u r t C th^e- /of MfaT t3The incutt^ Should America the growers bend down the old plants three week I earlier by this mettod than ssed lines Cuttings struok and p anted out early in spring also Bive fruit muck earlier than seedlings

Urine fok Mandbe (" ?a erjfi"»r n T^ n.ukes a capital manunal agent, but it ou(?ht not to be applied in a fresh tote, or used in full strength. When used asa liquid it should l,e allowed to stand expose! to the air for about four days, and when urng add one part of urine to three parts of wafer. WTien not re qoired as a liquid it shouU be put over the Pubbiah in the rot hep. Itivill cause the heap to decay quick r and the .-übbish will retain all its manurial properties

Fruit in Cool Storage.

The following is extrasted from a Califor nian paper : —California fruit-growers who shipped pears east lait fall and received therefor but little n»ro than enough to pay cost of picking and shipping, will doubtless be highly (ratified to learn that their fruit was put iito cold storage there, and has been held uniil recently. The New York " Evening Pent" of a week ago says that California Easfer Beurre pears are now being taken from old storage, where they have been held uifcil other pears were out of the market. Tiey are sold for $1.50 to $2 a dozen, and ar< sound and rich flavoured. The producers of shis fine fruit did not re ceive as much f>r an entire box as is now being paid for a Angle dozen, but they will doubtless be glai to learn that the products of theirorchardtare at all events appreciated, even though th) middle-men do reap all the profit. The questioi at once suggests itself, if such enormoui profits are made by keeping fresh fruit? ircold storage in America, why cannot the sane be done here ? The Auck land Freezing Company have surely ample accommodaton to store in large quantities. Why shouldnot the grower store pears and apples for afew months so as to bo able to keep up a tetter supply of those delicious fruits durhg the late winter and early Hprino- ? Tiere is no reason in the world why this canno be done all over New Zealand. Instead o having the fruit sent to market, where it Jmost fetches nothing, during the autumn.if the fruit were stored in quantity by thegowers they would then have a chance to reap ome of the benefit from the labour and ca]ital invested in their orchards. At a third o the prices given above, the fruit growe' and the storage companies would make»handsome profit. Layering. Asthis is the proper season for propagat ing i large number of hard-wooded plants by is called layering, a few lines may be i use to some of our amateurs. Plants sue* as the camellias, azaleas, &c., are hard to strip from cuttings, but are easily managed if layered in good sandy soil at tits season. Layering is simply the bend ig down of the side shoots of a plant, iking each shoot singly and making an neision into the wood, cutting about half ;hrough, then giving the knife an upward Inovement and splitting the shoot for a : distance of about two inches. The shoot is then bent down Into the ground, the cut portion being buried from two to three inches deep. If the branch is very stiff and strong, it should be pegged down with a forked stick, and staked and tied so aa to keep it steady and prevent the wind waving it. The best period of the year for •layering plants is during April, before the bark becomes quite hardened by the cold weather. At the same time there is a down ward flow of sap at this season that causes the wounded or split portion of the wood to Gicatrise at once, and more readily throw out roots next spring. The bestcondition of shoots for layering purposes is when the bark is somewhat soft and not too ripe. On the other hand, the worst shoots are those which are stunted in growth or with a hard dry bark. These take much; longer time to root, and the plants obtained from then i are not likely to produce such free healthy growth. But still all shoots if not actually diseased will root if sufficient time be given. Shoots that have been layered should be allowed to remain in the ground for at least about twelve months, when they can be lifted. Plants which were layered last autumn should be ready for lifting now—that is to say, where they can be potted or shaded and watered for a few weeks. Where the layered plants are simply to be lifted and planted in another situation the lifting would be better delayed till the soil gets moister and cooler. In the layering of hard-wooded plants it gives a great advan tage over trying to propagate from cuttings, from the fact that while the roots are being formed the shoot is continually receiving nourishment from the parent plant. Another important consideration in favour of layer ing some plants is that they cannot easily be increased from cuttings, and even with great difficulty by budding or grafting but may be readily thus propagated. A moist humid season is the most favourable one to the rooting of layers, as it causes a softer bark and a better flow of sap. Suckers may be regarded as spontaneous layers, the new shoots being sent up from the buds or the roots, or portions of the stem below the surface of the ground. Stock raised from suckers as a rule is best avoided, as stock of this class on some plants is prone to repro duce sucker growth, which in most situations is very objectionable.

ATHLETIC NOTES.

(By Action. )

IXTURHS.

AQUATICS

go, 1887.—Hanlan v. Gaudanr. United t , IJ7-Hanlan vTeemer. United States. J} lly'lf Beach v. Hanlan for the Champion- NoV- 2 khrp of Sic wo*d on the Paramatta.

ATHLETICS. April 30. -Bicycle road race from Onehunga to Parnell.

CRICKET.

Very little interest was taken in cricket last Saturday, the only match of any im portance being that between Holland and Auckland. The latter continued their in nings which closed for 216, and when they took the field, got rid of their opponents for a paltry 45. Tomlin made a splendid catch at point, and the Rev. I. Richards was noticeable for his smartness. Hawkins behind the wickets rendered a good account of himself. In the second innings of Hol land two wickets were down for 3:>. Auck land thus won the match and the Senior Cud I have no doubt that the best all round eleven won the trophy, and though they have been favoured with a good bit of luck they deserve their success. In the'Tressv. Stage" match on Good Fri day, one of the Stage bowlers sent down four' straight balls and then -four wides finishing up with a straight one. Speaking of wide?, a good yarn comes from Home which may be new to my readers. In a country cricket match a bowler was " send ing down " wide after wide—unchallenged, however, by the rustic umpire. At last, however, he delivered a ball which pitched at least a yard outside the crease, and the batsman turned to the umpire, and said, "Surely that, is a wide?" The umpire, w , l t t _ -nmoved, took his pipe from his lips, Sectoraied, ana f^id, "I seed a widerer." The question troubling the cricket-loving portion of the Australian public at the present time is "How to revive interest in cricket?" The Melbourne " Punch " pub lishes the following suggestion from " Old Buffer " : - " Let us go pack to tip azid run. I never enjoyed anything better than tip and run in my own backyard, with a couple of kerosene tins as wickets and a butter pat for a bat. Our innings were always over in five minutes, and then we would spend half an-hour in drinks and a smoke." "A Genius " suggests " that in order to shorten the innings the batsman play behind the wicket." "DunaScotus" comes it strong in this wise : "I think that if each bowler was prorided with and allowed to bowl two balls at once it would tend to increase the interest in cricket, and if the batsmen were compelled to play the bagpipes all the time they were batting it would shorten the in nings wonderfully." The Gordon C.C. failed to roll up to bat againsfc the United. This gives United second position for the past season. McPherson, one of the United C.C.'s bowlers, has been shifted to Mangawai. It is well he was not transferred there earlier, for he is one of the most difficult bowlers his Club possesses, and if he does not return by next season will leave a blank hard to fill.

I hear that the winners of the Junior Cup, the Parnell C.C., will, in all proba bility, rank as seniors next year—and quite right too, say I. R. Crowe, batting for the against the "Reps" on Good Friday, did some sensational hitting. If his hits had been run out he would have been credited with over 50 runs in a quarter of an hour. As it ■was, he walked 21.

The Sydney "Referee" says that " Briggs was the best all-round man of the English team, as he was almost perfection itself in fielding and bowling, and a rattling good batsman. Barnes proved himself of im mense service, but suffers greatly in the art of fielding by comparison." Barton and Testro head the batting averages of their respective clubs for the past season. C. White beat Crowe by a fraction for the same hoi our in the Parnell C.C.'s averages.

FOOTBALL.

The first fifteens of the Union and Poneke Clubs met at Newtown Park, Wellington, on last Saturday week, for the second time this season. A very exciting game, being witnessed by several hundreds of people, resulted in a win for the Unions by one point. Within five minutes of starting Jennings scored a try for the Unions. Little took the kick, and succeeded in plac ing a very neat goal. This was the only score made in the first spell. In the second spell both Gage and Moorhouse secured tries for the Poneke, but Mclntyre, who took the kicks, failed to increase the score. The Union were last Saturday and Monday beaten by the Merivale and Sydenham clubs at Christchurch.

Wellington football will suffer a severe loss this week in the departure of the well known player, Harry Roberts, for Christ church, where he intends taking up his residence. He has decided to Join the East Chriatchurch Football Club, but he wlii first take part in the matches which the Union Club of Wellington play with the Merivale and Sydenham Clubs in Christ church during this week. Harry Snodgrass, one of the Invercargill representatives of last season and an old Gordon 11. player; has returned, and will play for the Gordon F.C.

P. Mackie, the well-known three-quarter of the Waitemata F.C., leaves for Napier very shortly. He will be a great loss to his club, and will leave a blank not easily filled.

AQUATICS.

Messrs E. Bailey and W. Holmes, who left Auckland for Sydney a few weeks ago, are reported to be in a fair way towards making a paying boatbuilding business there. They have in hand i. boat for the manager of the Bank of New Zealand, and have tendered for the building of a gig for H.M.S. Nelson.

ATHLETICS.

Charlie Taylor, who is matched to fight Murphy to a finish, is a boxer of a type we very seldom see out here. In personal ap pearance he is of medium height, very straight, and of a strong and neat build. He- is _by no means as young as Murphy, and will toe the mark scaling a great many more pounds than his plucky little op ponent. For the past couple of years Taylor has established a reputation for him self in the States as a clever scientific boxer, an efficient and careful teacher and trainer, and a cool and reliable second. Jack Dempsey, the middle-weight champion of the world, has a very high opinion of Taylor's capabilities as a trainer and second, and always secured his services when possible. He taught Dempsey all he knows, and Dick Matthews, Mike and Tom Cleary, and a number of other noted pugilists owe all the science they possess to Charlie Taylor's teaching. The match be tween him and Murphy will come off in a fortnight's time, in the Agricultural Hall, when I expect to see a good contest, a large attendance, with no favour for either

STAGE AND STUDIO.

(Bt Eutbrm.) ■ 1 Handel's oratorio, "Samson,"^j, duced by the Auckland Choral^ Tuesday evening, June 14. Aj3 start has been made with thej^ and under Herr Schmitt's careful successful results may be antici™y* solo parts have feeen allotted mS.' Soprano, Miss Culpan; contraw!, Saraggs and Mrs Geddia; tenor* Edwards ; baritone, Mr T. Chatu"- Mr Henry Brett. .A Herr Carl Schmitt(conductoro{t]un Society) received by last mailtlS an appointment as conductor of ti, and also of the orchestral concerts a! ft in Germany. It appears that 5 . written by Herr Schmitt to his brott?[ Schwerin, in which he stated ffi health has greatly improved, ga^lf the belief that he would return tottey! the summer. The letter contaßjCj offer referred to is couched kMI terms. Herr Schmitt, howeverfo' intention of leaving Auckland,^ pecially as he has within thd lij months purchased an estate^* South. It is said that, the new philology tionary, which is not yet coaapltttj letter 0, has no.v 4i)00,000 quofe^' Dr Murray (the editor) merely n»u through, it woull 'ake him 80,000 1{ or thirty years, at <iyht lunra ad,. course he has to trus' to his cub ediio^ A uumbor of leaJir.g artists havej^ cepted commi-Mons from the propriit, the " Graphic." to paint an imp-.rtut' of pictures illustrating the chliy characters of Shaksp .re Kach.Brj^f aa far as was possible, selected % subject It is rumoured that, M. Paul -Bert left behind him, in MS., a worifon'i and Tonquin. Ir, i- of a scientific^ x&, ai4^?^'?.^i^ tb?_9thqf>]ogi^| ties of the various ianes inhabitingtit Chinese peninsula tb-ir babite, tel observances, and hist< ry, "Le Bonheur Conjugal," ADgliajj | converted into a thoroughly corrected under the tide of " Modern Wives,"! ning with great buccewf io London. ' Edouin plays the part of a kindla old hatter, and Mr Morten Belted, visited Auckland with Miss Mario Dij is also in the cast. The Greville memoirs have elicitedi tradiction from the Queen HerKt through Sir Theodore Martin, hrij that one "anecdote" is entirelyij foundation. It is that in which MrGj declared that she personally besoasli aid of Portugal as an active ally div» Russian war. The tragedian, Henry Irving; haj £100 to the Hoskios Fand. Thedtfl actor was his tutor, and when the fa left England for Australia he gaveliiij a letter saying, "You will go Dp* stage. When you want an engifla present thi* letter, and you si',l Unit And that document was the m?aiud curing Irving an opening at the Ljs Theatre, Sunderland. Our old acquaintances Mr Max jig and Miss Alice Kees (Madame Ytigrjdi] concort-giving in New York.' Tbißiti the Mirror speaks of tho lady: -ThS pi from Wagner's " Tannhaueer " was a site'y sung by Madame Vogrieli, »l»| sesses a pure bright soprano of abok certain intonation, and a powerofcreas and diminuendo we have never, lead passed oven by the most renowned a ers A Russian poet, Mineki, has «ri|i singular, and. it is said. eisgaWJy bnil poem called " Tha Nigtt at Gethrek which the censor baa not allowed to twj liched. Manuscript copies, however,, been largely circulated aU over i Amongst the tortures of thatfearfulji the poet places before Jesus picts what, in course of age?, Christianity become, iv order to prove that hunoaii not worthy of Christ's great saorifios sees visiona of a banquet given by I Alexander VI., at which fear I poieons the guests ; the burning qfhjn by the Inquisition, and the crowning goddess ot Reason in Paris, also flbatbf him A momentary ireaknesa thmi! Christ, but it does not last, and Beg! meet the soldiers who have come to i Him. Tho Coghill Bros, with their Minstre Burlesque Company opened for S season at the Mechanics' Institute, 1 rat. The Company comprises: Alice 1 drige, fanny Savooy, Carrie Biltao, I Hogarth, Alice Davenport, Fannie I* Mabel Long, E Amery, Harry Sail Geo. P. Jones, St Clair Bros '■■ (ti artiet?,) Harry and Charlea Coghill aw Feullade as conductor. They W the Sydney Gaiety April 2nd. H Bnffalos are located at St. Jama" Sandhurst, and are doing good to We hear they proceed to New Zed* no distant date, also that BrongJ Boacicault'a Conspar-y travel fa:,*P bability to New Zoaland. The ooly of amu«ement at prasent in AdeWoi display of fireCPorirs «;iT? n n Pff?, n«s C. T. Bioch and Company on thai* Oval.

THE GREAT EASTERN

Purchased for the Ab»M Trade.

The " Liverpool Post " says ,:-iM Eastern, now lying in Dublin HarW largest ship afloat or ever known* been built, was on Thursday knocked* to the highest bidder at the poi*j hammer. Truly a very small mm weapon with which to..*?**, such a colossal structure, -WS sions of which seem to, _ m double that of Noah's ark, v» carrying power many times greater, obviously vastly inferior ins»«?r Considering the ill luck which M* the Great Eastern in almost all, fie? 1 performances, and the facttD°V not, otherwise than in buUc, m the American liners which sau ; the Mersey and Transatlantic F seems strange how much jw& tinuea to be centred in her., .■&■ however, much of that P°P°Wi from the various misfortunes .w*K» passed through, to the disadv^ almost all who have successively owj and from the belief which many,' that she is likely to prove a_ ffluWj^ to her possessors till tf?i?Li chapter. She is a craft which m herself difficult to manage a^sea. more diflicult to monoeuvre »W.^ lator's point of view, so as.» :^ pay. That problem was lasM^ cessfully solved by Messrs Lewft^ a perpetration of the '^^Ljjjil ■would have proved equallyj'v^jj, renrains reason to doubt;. ocean-going traffic for : wlucn, destined, after an overtoil, perhaps three times the amouß* chase money, her career with far more than ordinary U"*1

2

THE AUCKLAND EVENING STAK, SATTJKDAY, APRIL 16, 18*.