MISCELLANEOUS.

Evening Star, Issue 2943, 25 July 1872, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

From various quarters in England complaints are received that the Australian preB®rved meats are over-cooked. The purchase of the Fitzroy iron mines by an English company has been definitely concluded. The manner in which the late Victorian Ministry provided for their friends, after their virtual expulsion from pflice, continues to be exoosed. On the 4th of June, after Mr Duffy had tendered his resignation of himself and his co leagues, a lease of an ares if la Ir 14p was granted for seven years on the south side of the Yarra, to the Langlands Foundry Company. The company in this transaction was represented by the Hon. 0. J. Jenncr. As an instance of the strict probity which characterises witnesses in Wardens’ Courts, a correspondent of the C hark dun Jleraki reports a conversation occurring rt t the door of the Courthouse there i—C'laimholder : “ Why did you not swear so and so Wagesman (with up-turned eyes ami pitiful look): “Swear. Why, I thank Heaven that I got out without getting two yours for what 1 did say.” Claimholder ; “I’ve lost my claim through you, and have a mind to kick you.” () trmpora! We understand that a son of Mr Could, farmer, near Pleasant Point, in the Timaru

district, whilst employed digging in the garden, which is swampy soil, turned up a very lai’ge and perfect moa’s egg, blit Unfortunately, from an ignorance of its value, broke it. The egg was the largest ever found, and quite perfect, and the loss to science is very great, as may he gathered from the fact that there is only one real egg known to bo in existence, and that is in a European museum, for which, although partly broken, it was purchased at a cost of LI 15. Dr Haasthas written to Mr Could with a view to procuring the pieces of the broken egg and re-unitfng them. It is to be hoped that ho will be successful. — Lyttelton Times , June 28. By the last mail Mr Tomkinson, manager of the Bank of Australasia, received a draft for L3O as conscience money from some anonymous person.