I 'n niCTwn— i . ,- "- ri.nl in ii-ii ii i. i. According to the last advices, the next little war will be in South America between the Republics of Chili and Peru, and as the contest will be decided by sea, and as the engaged represent various descriptions of ironclads, the result of the sea fight will be looked on with some interest. Chili and Peru both possess ironclads, and the contest for the superiority at sea will decide which of the two will be enabled to detroy the commerce of the other and blockade her few ports- a matter of considerable interest to all concerned in the staple commodities of either country. Chili, according to the Statesman' 3 Handbook, possesses at least two very formidable ironcladd, the Almirante, Cockrane and the Valparaiso} designed by' Mr E. J. Reid and built at Hull. The armor at the water-line, consisting of nine-inch plates and a ten-inch teak backing, is fastened into the skin platings and supported by angle iron frames inside and longitudinal angle iron girders outside, while a heavy armament of three guns on each side is so disposed as to cover every point of the compass. Both these vessels are 2200 tons and 2500 horse-power. Peru, on the other hand, | has the Clyde-built monitor Huascar, of which Admiral de Horsey gave a good account some two years ago, and the American monitor Atahaulpa, as well as the very powerful ram iudependica> built on the Thames in 1865 In announcing the winning of the One Thousand Guineas Stakes by Lord Falmouth's filly Wheel of Fortune, the Star says :— The extraordinary run of luck which has followed Lord Falmouth and his jockey (Archer) since Silvio's Derby in 1877 still slicks to them persistently. In 1877 they won both the Derby and St. Leger ; in 1878, Oaks, St. Leger, aud Champion Stakes, and now they have carried off the two first great races of the 1879 season. Wheel of Fortune, a bay filly by Adventurer out of Queen Bertha (winner of the Oaks in 1863), was bred at Mereworth, and ran six times as a two-year-old without suffering defeat. Her victories included the Uiehmond Stakes at Goodwood, worth £1980; the Prince of Wales' Stakes at York, worth £1530; the Newmarket Buckenham Stakes of £1050, and the Dewhurst Plate of £2040. Altogether, the filly's winnings as a two-year-old amonuted to £7665. A resident in Dunedin, having an idle half-hour upon his hands, reso'.ved to spend it in visiting a number of bakers' shops, and purchasing in each a- 41b loaf. His idle curiosity prompted him further to weigh the bread. He was, of course, greatly surprised to find that not one of the loaves was of the nominal weight. The lightest was nine ounces, and the heaviest two ounces, short of 4lbs. The G. B. Argus of a recent date says:— Among the passengers by the Wallabi was a well-known RM. en route to Taranaki. Connected with this gentleman's departure a slight "scene "occurred just prior to leaving, and while his lares et penates were lying o n the wharf, he was interviewed by two wellknown citizens of Greymouth, who took* possession of them at the suit of some troublesome creditor, who would not be satisfied with the worthy R.M.'a promises to pay, nor would they rest satisfied with the explanation that the goods belonged to a third party. Steam was getting up, and the worthy skipper had departed to receive his final instructions, and the passengers were hurrying on board, yet still those terrible " bums " would not be "charmed by the voice of the charmer, though he charmeth ever so sweetly," till at | last tbe County Chairman's assistance was , sought, and, he having woven a golden spell, the guardians relaxed their vigilance, the | luggage was conveyed on board, and the worthy R.M. went on his way, a wiser but a poorer man. The Mormons have commenced business in New Zealand, as the following advertisement in the Lyttelton Herald shows .-— "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.— Elijah F. Pearce and George Batt, elders from tbe Salt Lake City, will preach in the Oddfellows' Hall, Lyttelton, on Sunday next, May 4, 1879, at 230 p.m. AH are invited. Admission free and no collection." Pvegarding the Maori census, Mr Thomas Jackson writes from the Papakura district : — " There are three principal causes accounting for a decrease of native population. Ist. Their love of drink. 2nd. Sacrifice of the females to prostitution, often when very young. 3rd. The change in the mode of their living and clothing. These are the usual reasons assigned, added to the reckless exposure of themselves to all weathers, their want of cleanliness, and the prevalence of diseases of the chest, partly due to sleepiug in densely crowded hovels. At present there I seems every prospect of the Maoris being | civilised off the face of the earth, bnt we hope that something may yet be done to check this mortality, wbich is largely due to ignorance of the most simple sanitary laws. Judging by the report on native schools, this ignorance may yet be dispelled by the good work being done in these schools, the report of which shows that there haa beeu an increase in (he attendance iv the South Island of 109. In the Bay of Plenty schools the average attendance has been about 250 during the half-year, about 450 names being on the books." "There recently arrived in Sydney" (says the Mail) a commercial traveller in the hardware line, despatched to see what could be done in the way of business here. He was accredited to a prosperous firm in bis own line, aud made an impression of the most favourable kind— especially upon the young aud blooming daughter of the firm. He has now completed his business, and returns to his employers, taking with him by way of results orders to the extent of about £17,000, a handsome wife— firm's daughter aforesaid — and her dowry of £10,000." j The versatile editor of the Lyell Argus J announces his intention of visiting the Sydney Exhibition, and offers his services to the Press of the Colony, as correspondent thereat. — Now then, newspaper proprietors, don't all speak at once. An interesting letter has been received by the Sydney Exhibition Committee from the great firm of Krupp and Company, applying for space to exhibit steel and iron plates, tires for locomotives and carriages, engine and carriage axles, different varieties of springs, and wheels, and other iron and steel goods.

The Freeman's Journal says .that transfusion of milk into the blood of a patient dying from exhaustion was performed at the Provident. In firmary, 11, Beresford Place, Dublin, on January 22, by Drs Meldon, and MacDonnell. Although apparently only having a few moments to live when the operation was undertaken, the patient has since recovered. About a pint of milk was taken from a cow lent for the occasion by Mr Moore, of South Anne street, and was directly injected into tbe vein. The Rev. Mr Buller writing to the New Zealand Wesleya* on the severity of the last English winter, says : — "We have had severe weather to the present time. Such a winter I never saw before, since I was a boy. "English people say they remember nothing like it for very many years. The heart sickens at the tales of distress which come from every quarter. The fountains of benevolence are flowing, and it is refreshing to think of the active efforts that are being I put forth on every hand for the relief of , those who are ' ready to perish.' The sufI ferings of the poor are due not only to the | rigour of the weather, but likewise to former improvidence, to the paralysis of trade, and the tyranny of trades' unions. The failures of ao many hanks have also scattered ruin over a large number of the middle and better classes. It is a fitting time for immigration agents to send forth an exodus to the wide wastes of New Zealand." " iEgles" iv the Australasian tenders the following information to impecunious bank managers :— " It is a painf nl fact that a former branch-bank manager lately stole a volume from the H.B. Railway bookstall — not impelled therelo by litterary appetite, but to secure immunity from physical hunger by achieving a month in the Hotel de Castieau. When this,came to the knowledge of another ex-banker who has for some years been battling with adversity, he exclaimed, ' How foolish an act. I managed much better. I induced a friend to whom I was really indebted to bring me up on a fraud summons — pleaded guilty — was committed to the debtors' ward — better quarters, better food than the prisoner for larceny— and, besides, secured two months.' And then he loftily added with the air of a philosopher, ' The law, I consider sir, was designed not merely to repress offences, but as a provision for the citizen !' " Says our Tauranga contemporary: — The proverbs that " it is not always safe to judge by appearances," and that " accidents will happen in the best regulated establishments" have just received striking exemplification. A short time ago a gentleman arrived in i Tauranga and presented himself at one of the principal hotels. Here he stayed for two or three days, till the landlord becoming uneasy about the bill requested payment, and finding that bis guest was short of ready cash, turned him out. The traveller then asked for accommodation at a leading boarding house, but the proprietor not liking his appearance, declared the place was full. Next morning the mysterious one proved to be a wealthy capitalist, and bought up the finest farm property in the district. The unfortunate hotel and boarding house keepers are tearing their hair with anguish, for the party is sure to become one of our leading county magnates, and the unlucky error may lead to a disastrous loss of custom.