ECHOES FROM EVERYWHERE.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9126, 10 June 1895, Page 4

ECHOES FROM EVERYWHERE.

HOW COLONEL BATTYE DIED. ThoCorps of Guides attachod to theSeoorto Brigade crossed the PaDJiiora, on April 12th in order to dislodge some of the enemy's sharpshooteis. When they had destroyed the villages and cleared tha neighbouring hills tho Guides were to return to the river aud protect the bridge-head on the right bank. Daring the night, however, a number of logs and tree trunks came drifting down the stream and completely broke ag the bridge of rafts. The reault was that when morning broke the Panjkora flowed impassable between the camp of the Guides and their supports. Colonel Battye led out his men at an early hour and, going first down stream, demolished a village or two. Ha then moved away from the river towards the hills on the road to Miankalai, ' Towards midday (sayb a spesial telegram through Router) Colonel Battye signalled that two large bodies of hostile tribesmen were advancing towards him. Genorai Watetneid signalled back that the Guides should at once retire. Shortly afterwards the news came in th-4) the Guides were falling back, closely prenod by the enemy. Grder3 were immediately given for a covering force to move ou to the river while the General and hia staff, wit's a number of other officer., took up a petition from which they could watch t_t operations. The 4th Sikhs, the Scottish Borderers and the Gordon Highlanders moved up to the banks of the Pauj-ora, while Capt. Peebles got two Maxims and the mountain battery into position to covet the retreat of the Guides, who were by this time clearly seen slowly retiring down tha spura of the hill- followed by a orowd of tribesmen who kept up a continuous, though insffeuUve, tire from tho higher ridv*ea above. The retrett was accomplished in a masterly m«r*< her. When the Guidua reached the foe) of the hills they had to croaa a stretch m open plain to the river, and herr matters began to assume a somewhat eerioae aspect. Two largo bodies of the tribesmen had joined together and were moyiog rapidly in hot pursuit, evidently dtketttiiata to cut off, if possible, the retiring iufanprv. In the open the fire from our aid.'of the river had to alaeken down, to there wm* danger of hitting our own retreutleg men, and the Guides had to depend upon them* selves. Colonel Battye could be aeen giving orders, and his men moved with absolute order and regularity. Words of admiration broke from all the offioera who were looking oh, and a general cry of regret a_d concern was uttered when Colonel B*ttyo was seen to fall j list as the Guides Were within hail of the shelter of their camp. The enemy were now compelled to give way before the furious fire which was poured into them, and they suffered Very heavily, tt w*e soon learned that Colonel Battye was dead, having been killed instantaneously by a bullet.

AN INTERESTING EXPEDITION , Ffom Stockholm comes a notice of m soiett fciflo expedition into Mekioo and Southern California, made by Br. Eieen, member of the Academy of Sciences ia S*u francleoe, and the naturalist, Mr Frank Builit. TheM gentlemen collected, it is said, 40 003 ineeote of aft kinds, among which are 3000 nevirgp* ole*. 'Staying iv Southern California, icr one month, they discovered sixty newspeoies of beetles. Ou a journey to L& Paz they dilcovered now mountains, two peaks morethftS 3000 ft high, oue of which they named Mount Motera, and the other greyer Peals, . ' after members of the Saa Franoisoo Ac* demy. Iα the Tepee mountains they found strange animals, among them being a «oof« - pion lin long, whose sting was deadly if dot - at once treated with antidotes. Tina soot* - pion is called "alacran," and the natiVM: say that once about sixty soldiers wfceji. camped near a colony of the oreUurea w«»y~' attacked by them, and not a single m&a , escaped death (?) Another nasty Croatia* < is a minute insect, thin enough to creep, through a needle's eye, whoso bite cau«*»~~ - t;reat swellings. Spiders more than 2ltt ong, with hairy feet, wore the de*troyeff of butterflies and other insects. They* .-> weave nets from oue .tree to another, catch* - jog thousands of insects. In the interior of . Mexico the half civilised Indians are M* - quaiuted with irrigation, leading waierfrota? ' the mountain brooks into their land, The V travellers praise Southern California, e»llf ■ ing it an earthly paradise. , A NEW CAPITAL FOB BRAZIL. It appears that the Brazilians are sot satisfied with their present capital, Riode Janeiro, which is not central, not very healthy, and perhaps not roomy enough. - They are about to build themselves a brad new capital, embodying, aa the projectors would say, every modern improvement. This news was given to the French Acs* demy of Sciences by one of its members; , M. Faye. Thia noted »9tronoauwr . ha» ' just received a communioatiou »eeat -_ : the flew capital from Senhor Orule, who appends to hie name the substantial title of President of tb* Brazilian Committee of Preliminary Inveitt* gatioa for the Removal of the Capital of Brazil to the Centre of the atatea of the Confederation. Senbor Cruls states that the new federal capital will be built on the central plateau of Brazil, in a rectangle of . about twenty-rive miles long and MV«a broad—quite a city of magnificent distance?, equal to anything in the Um'ted States. What is more important, the site will be a healthy one, and notwithstanding the ne&raeu of the new capital to the equator, the climate will be comparatively mild by reason of the altitude. A STORY "oFdAUDET. The Paris correspondent of the Chroniek tells an amusing story about Alphonfl* Daudet. A certain American offered to take Daudet, with bis wife and family. i» bis yacht from the Seine to the gates of tne Chicago Exhibition. Afterwards, however, the same gentleman rather spoiled n"* l *** by promising the lump sum of 150,0001 W the distinguished novelist if he would coo* tent to dedicate his latest work, " La Petite Paroiese," to him. "It was really *«ry tempting," said Daudet, " but somehow tn* , book slipped out with no dedication.' A»» r theii he added, in hia own sly, twwkuog way, "I mentioned the fact to Soaad-sO,; . who is a big noveUst in his way, and tfte • , rascal wrote to mc on the morrow e*«W» ,; for the eccentric individual , * address, as •. , matter of simple curiosity, of coots*-

A N IRISH REPARTEE. An EogH«l» inw, ' who, under the guidance ofa native Irishman, ha, recently been adLing the ecenery on the other side of St. " Xe ' c Channel, idle a correspondent of a ManobeSter paper a pood story of Hibernian «n»rtee. The \ ieitor an I iiia guide were E«I liillV dwtricl in tlio South ai Ireland, lj, ( Jlhe«ui<l«»P oiuli:, S toa hl « k - hll! » eai ' :l SaMt was known locally by the name of "'Hie I>l'V« ">* 'I'uble." An.»Llicr, and less lof lv hill close by, was known he sai-l. as '•Tiifi Dovil'e Chair." "IntleeJ, , remivrked the Knc!»hnian, "the devil seems to have a Mod deal of property in these parts." " Yes, ifr rejoined the Irishman ; " but he is an »b«eutee landlord, and he lives in Eugland." ••OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABES. A story ia told in the Record of a lady and her observant littlo son, who were present it an Easter service when the offertory was for the vicar. After the service was over the lady ™ &s * a l ' ee P conversation with a number of the leading members of the coDcregation, when one of them asked her, » Well, what did you think of the sermon ?'' •'I thought it was poor, very poor." Then the little boy chimed iv, " But, oh 1 mother, what could you expect for a ha'penuy ?"