NOTES FROM LYTTELTON.

Globe, 30 December 1876, Page 3

NOTES FROM LYTTELTON.

I see from a letter in Thursday’s Star that we are to have rural sports on New Year’s Day in Lyttelton. Now, this is news; how can rural sports be held in London street ? I would bet a considerable sum that few members of the committee would be able to call them truly rural sports on the afternoon of New Year’s Day. ‘‘The programme now issued by the Committeesays the letter, “ mill reduce any jealousy on the part of the 'mouthers of the regatta committee, that it will attract from them their full share of an appreciating publio to witness their water contests .” Now, Mr Morgan, this is unkind ! You pretend to be an advocate for the land sports, and yet dig in to them like this, saying the programme is so unattractive that it will not entice people away from the water sports; but you are wrong sir, wrong; as long as Lyttelton exists there will always be many who will show the greatest antipathy to water. The letter goes on to say that the committee are known to be men of assiduity, and proof against a great amount of fatigue, and I understand this is quite true, and that, what one of them can get through in a single night is something astonishing, while Tor assiduous attention at the R. M. Court (as a spectator) another “ beats Banagher.” The letter concludes by saying that “their programme may be expected to be carried out in its entirity, and to the satisfaction of all who may be pleased to share in its enjoyments.” Whose enjoyment? Why its enjoyment; the programme’s enjoyment to be sure. Now, Mr Morgan, how can you expect a programme to enjoy itself; the only way I know to get over the difficulty would be to lay the programme on the counter of a public house, and let the drippings from the glasses and pots fall on it till it got soaked through and through. Would not some of the spectators envy the programme then I But apart from fun I do hope the land sports will meet with the success they deserve ; a certain section of the community don’t care a rap about the regatta, and I really do not see why they should not enjoy themselves in their own way ; so success to the shore sports, always provided they are properly carried out. I I can assure Mr Morgan, in conclusion, that to the jealousy of the promoters the Hon Edward are in

In a very short time, perhaps before this is made public, the Gazelle will have started again on her search for the hidden treasure. The Auckland Islands lie about 230 miles to the southward of the Bluff, and consist of one large island called Auckland Island, and several small ones, amongst which Enderby’s and Adam’s Isles are the principal. Theselatter are situated at opposite ends of Auckland Island, and there are secure harbors in the straits which divide them from their more considerable neighbor. It was nearly midway between these harbors that the ‘ ‘General Grant ” was wrecked. She approached the inhospitable shore during thick weather, and mistook a small islet called aptly “ Disappointment ” for Adam’s Island, the fog being so intense that the iron bound coast (in which, for forty miles, there is no break) was invisible though distant only a few hundred yards. Impelled by the heavy swell, which, for many mouths in the year, rolls with perpetual thunder against the barren coast, the doomed ship was swiftly borne into the breakers, and struck heavily on a rocky point, but floated again, and was driven across to another arm of the land, which, with the one where she first struck, form a sort of bay at the shore end of which the beating of the sea has hollowed out three great caves in the sandstone rock. After striking the second point, the ship, which was making water rapidly, “ sagged’, (to speak nautically), by degrees, nearer and nearer to the caves. Those who were saved had at this time left the vessel, and were in a boat, but before they went an effort had been made to save the gold. The General Grant was an American-built ship, with a house on deck, and the gold was kept in a cabin on the starboard side. When all thoughts of saving the vessel had been given up, the gold, which was as usual in small boxes, was taken out of the berth and placed on the main deck, just forward of the house ; the vessel, however, settled so fast, that a rush for dear life was made, and the treasure abandoned —not an instant too soon. After leaving the ship the boat approached her again, in the hope of saving the captain, who was in the mizen top, but he waved them back, knowing that he was beyond the reach of human aid. It must have been a grand and terriblej sight to see that gallant ship, impelled by the irresisible fury of the surges, bearing to inevitable destruction that gallant man whose will had so long controlled her movements. Fancy the gloomy sky, the shrieks of the innumerable sea birds whose home is on these barren shores, the giant cliffs frowing heavily overhead, and more supremely hideous than all, the yawning jaws of the infernal cave, like the mouth of some weird monster whose filthy maw yearned to devour the doomed ship. Imagine the shriek of the wind, the roar of the waves and the sharp crash of the spars, as one by one the masts were dashed against the roof of the cavern; she gives one heavy drunken roll and then bids farewell to the earth and sky, and sinks with her gallant captain eight fathoms below the surface of the ocean—and there she lies still, untouched ; with her stern just outside the cavern, and the yellow gold lying on her deck, waiting for some adventurous hand to come and compel the sea to give up its prey. Several expeditions have been made to recover the treasure, but all have failed, principally owing to the heavy surf that dashes into the cave. That the Gazelle may have better luck is my sincere wish : and, being a steamer, she will have great advantages. The idea is to anchor her outside the cavern, and let her gradually drop astern till her stem is over that of the sunken ship ; the divers can then go down, and, once on the deck of the General Grant, the rest is easy, as even if she is covered with kelp it can be easily cat away. Suppose _ bad weather comes on, the Gazelle can either steam to Chanley’s Harbour, fifteen miles to the eastward, or to Ross Harbour (or Sarah’s bosom, as it is sometimes called), which is twenty-five miles to the westward. In either of these havens she can lie safely till the storm is past and it is time to renew her work. Taken altogether, I think there is a fair prospect of success. Nothing is now talked of in Lyttelton but the regatta. The entries close to-night, and I fancy there will be a goodly number— Auckland, Dunedin, the West Coast, Timaru, Akaroa, Kaiapoi, Christchurch, and Pigeon Bay, all send vessels to compete. The Champion Whaleboat Race will be between Timaru, Akaroa, Hokitika, and Lyttelton crews, and should be a good one ; but it is will win as much as the as my tip. will be

the Spray close up, always supposing the latter is in good trim. For the small yacht race, there will be Mr Allwright’s yacht, the Ariel from Kaiapoi, the Scud from Akaroa, and several others. Of course if the owners of the Venture elect to enter her for this race instead of the big one, it will be all Lombard street to a China orange that she takes it, if not I rather fancy the Scud will have a very good show. The Dauntless is my tip for the open boat sailing race, though the Erskine’s boat will give her enough to do. If the latter goes in the ships boat race, it will be a moral in anything under a gale, but if it does blow with a vengeance, that big boat of the Rangitikei’s ought to give an account of herself. In the Ships’ Boat’s Pulling race, I believe Captain Smith’s boat, the winner last year, will be first past the post; if her crew are anything like equal to those in the other boats, she ought to win in a canter. The Pair-oar race and Youths’ Four-oar will both be well competed for, but it is almost impossible to spot the winner as yet. Christmas is supposed to be a time of universal rejoicing, but here in Lyttelton we try hard to make it a period of gloom and woe; earnest policemen, anxious to gain kudos by exceeding their duty patrol the streets sternly repressing any hilarity, and anxious publicans’ serve furtively the unlawful drink, in constant dread of fines and forfeiture of license. In this town there were hundreds of people on Chrismas day who had no home in which to make merry—wanderers on the sea in whose hard life an oasis is indeed rare ; no mercy was shown to them ; harmless conviviality was forbidden, whilst the law-makers feasted. Some gentleman who arrived from Auckland were refused admittance to the principal hotel, and had to go to the other end of the town before they were allowed entry. They did not think Bauch of our Lyttelton regulations— do you 7 PORTONIAN.