Miscellenea

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 1, Issue 29, 10 April 1858, Page 8

Miscellenea

Balloon Ascent in Victoria. — The first balloon ascent in Victoria, and indeed *n Australia, "came off ' with entire success a few weeks ago, at Cremorne Gardens. The balloon was filled early in the morning at the Melbourne Gas Works, and transported by means of ropes attached to a heavy dray from thence to Cremorne, a distance of two miles and a half, before the good folks of Melbourne were out of their beds, lt was then made secure and left ■until the appointed time for the ascent. Mr. Brown, the constructor of the balloon, and W. Dean, an aeronaut of great experience, were to have made the ascent together, but owing to some neglect of the valve, a large quantity of gas had been.permitted to escape and it w r as found impracticable for more than one to be taken up. Mr. Dean eventually took his place in the car, and the huge machine ascended gradually above the heads of the few hundred spectators in the gardens, amidst deafening cheering from the thousands outside. About twenty minutes afterwards it was a mere speck in the distance. As soon as Mr. Dean found the country becoming sludded with few r er homesteads, he commenced his descent, and alighted once more on mother earth about seven miles from Melbourne, on the Plenty Road. Those who had never had an opportunity of seeing an ascent, especially Anglo-Australians, were delighted beyond measure, and youth of all sizes were to be seen riding across the country to be "in at the fall." From the Evening Mail of the following day we take the following additional particulars of the interesting event. — "Once clear of the buildings in the gardens, and having discharged a bag of ballast, the balloon arose with some rapidity, and I had barely time to acknowledge the cheers of the crowd below, before I had attained an elevation at which they almost became inaudible. But at times I could catch a sort of hum or murmur, and, looking down, I saw thousands of upturned faces in every street and road surrounding the place from which I had taken my departure. After emptying some more sandbags, I attained a sufficient elevation to enable me to command an extensive field of vision without altogether losing points of detail. Nothing could be easier than the motion of the balloon or pleasanter than the temperature of the atmosphere at that height ; and persons unaccustomed to such excursions would have been thrown into raptures of delight by the magnificent spectacle which I witnessed, below me, of the setting sun and rising moon at opposite ends of the globe, both luminaries looming through the haze, the one like an enormous copper warming pan, and the other like a shield of gold 1 once saw at Windsor Castle. What chiefly struck me besides the difference in the feel of the atmosphere, was the different colour ofthe earth's surface as compared with what I had been accustomed to see in making balloon ascents at home. There, in the very height of summer the face ofthe country looked as green as a billiard table, though variegated with patches of yellow corn. Here it assumes a dirty buff colour, mottled with greenish brown wherever trees abound. 1 could make out the rectilinear outline of Melbourne very well, the streets, running north and south, being particularly well defined owing to the strong shadows cast from the houses by the setting sun. But the most beautiful terrestrial objects seen from the elevation at which I then was, were the Bay, and the ranges of mountains lying to the east and north-east of the city. The Bay resembled a turquoise in colour, and the curvature of the shores at that height resolved itself into the most graceful and undulating lines imaginable. The mountains on that side of them which w ere not opposed to the setting sun were of a rich purple colour, while there were fissures in them which were perfectly black, and also great masses of sombre shadow, which I suppose were caused by the forests which in some places completely covered the slopes to the very summits. I saw bush fires burning in several directions — very little flame, but a good deal of smoke being visible. I must not forget to mention another circumstance which struck me very much — the extraordinary circuitous course of the River Yarra. Anything more fantastic or erratic than the meanderings of this stream I never saw ; and not having previously seen it depicted on a map, I was the more amazed when I surveyed all its turns and windings and sinuosities from my observatory in the car. As Mr. Coplin had expressed considerable anxiety that I should return to the Gardens and report the

success of the experiment (of which neither he, I, nor Mr Brown had ever entertained a doubt) on the same evening ; and as I am as yet imperfectly acquainted with this country, I prepared to descend after having been travelling steadily onward in a northwesterly direction for almost five-and-twen-ty minutes, and accordingly commenced discharging gas. On nearing the earth I perceived that plenty of assistance and numerous vehicles were at hand, and having effected a safe landing near what I was informed was the Plenty Road, between seven and eight miles from Melbourne, I returned to town with my machine in perfect safety and hope to have an early opportunity of becoming better acquainted with Victoria from a bird's eye point of view. Horrible Spectacle in the Sunken Russian Man-of-War. — Towards the end of last month, by order of the Russian Government, the Russian vessel of the line, Lefort, of whose foundering in the Gulf of Finland, with 1400 men on board, we had a report at the time, was searched for, found, and examined by English divers, brought thither for the purpose. According to a narrative in a Danish paper, the divers found 1100 corpses in the interior of the vessel, so that 300 seem to have been on deck when the frightful accident happened. The corpses were mostly found embracing each other, or clinging to portions of the cabin. Decomposition had already set in. So horrible was the spectacle that offered itself to the divers as they went over the lower decks and cabins, that one of them felt himself for some time quite unable to make his report, and refused to go down any more, preferring to leave again for England. The livid faces of the corpses with their eyes open and fixed, look all the more frightful, as the glass in the diving bell and the diving helmets is so constructed as to magnify and consequently to distort the object examined through it. Attempts to raise the vessel will probably not be made before next year. Russian War -Trophies. — Some gentlemen in London connected with the Australian colonies having expressed to the Secretary at War a desire that some of tho Trophies taken in the late war should be reserved for the colonies, a r^ply was received from the War Office to the following effect . — "Lord Panmure desires me to acquaint you, in reply, that he has already informed the Secretary of State for the Colonies that he is prepared to present on behalf of her Majesty, to each of the colonies, New South Wales and Victoria, two guns captured from the Russians in the late war. lam to add, that a certain number, in addition, have been set apart, and that, should the inhabitants of other colonies be desirous of having these trophies presented to them application should be made through the Governor, to the Secretary of State for the Colonies." Power of Orthography and Punctuation. — The husband of a pious woman having recently occasion to make a voyage, his wife sent a written request to the clergyman of the parish, which, instead of spelling and pointing properly, viz, "A person having gone to sea, his wife desires the prayers of the congregation" — she spelled and pointed as follows : "A person having gone to see his wife, desires the prayers of the congregation." Nature teaches us that we are all dependent — that we are like cog wheels, pushing each other along by filling up mntnal voids. Pain itself is not without its alleviations. It may be \iolent and frequent, but is seldom both violent and long continued ; and its pauses and intermissions become positive pleasures. It has the power of shedding a satisfaction over intervals of ease which, I believe, few enjoyments exceed. — Pa ley. To Young Men. — How, after the. duties of the day are over, do you employ your evenings ? This is a question of importance. If you have no regular employment, no fixed pursuits to engross your attention and operate as a stimulus to the mind when unemployed, you must of necessity, have many leisure and unoccupied hours — intervals when time will hang heavily on your hands, and suggest the necessity of some means to relieve it of its weight. The very time which is dissipated in idleness would, if devoted to study, enable many a young man to obtain eminence and distinction in some useful art. — Christian News. Scottish Square Measure. — A public dinner in Edinburgh had dwindled away to two guests, an Englishman and a Highland gentleman who were each trj ing to prove the

superiority of their native countries. Of course, at an argument of thiskind a Scotchman possesses from constant practise, overwhelming advantages. The Highlander's logic was so good that he beat his opponent upon every point. At last the Englishman put a poser, — "You will," he said, "at least admit that England is larger in ex - tent than Scotland ?" "Certainly not," was the confident reply. "You see, Sir, ours is a mountainous, youts is a flat country. Now if all our hills were rolled out flat, we should beat you by hundreds of square miles. Melancholy Death of Mr. John Stirrat. — It is with much pain we have to record the premature and melancholy decease of this gentleman, for several years a resident in Auckland, and deservedly respected and esteemed by those who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. We copy the following details of the sad catastrophe from the Glasgow Herald of the 14th December : — "An American paper (Aurora Republican) records at great length the ' death, under most affecting circumstances, of Mr. John Stirrat, formerly residing in Glasgow, and well known in this city It appears that Mr. Stirrat arrived in Aurora about five weeks previous to his decease. For about five years he had been in New Zealand and Australia. After paying a short visit to his parents in Glasgow, Scotland, he started for the United States whither, during his absence, his betrothed had journeyed with her parents. He found them located in Aurora as he expected. Having succeeded in laying the foundation of a comfortable competence, and rested himself after a toilsome journey, including nearly half the circumference of the world, he seemed to be on the realisation of the hopes of long years of toil and privation, and his wedding day was fixed. On Tuesday afternoon, 10th ultimo, he had been spending an hour or two with a Scotch friend, and was returning by way of the railroad bridge to take tea with the Messes Stuart. A portion of the plank had recently been cut away in some repairs the crossing had received and, it being dusk, he probably miscalculated the distance and fell, striking his forehead about the place where he should have stepped and, falling in the river below. A German, returning home from his work about this time, heard a splash in the water but, without knowing the occasion of it, he passed on a little further and found a hat. The failure of Mr. Stirrat to return home gave rise to a great deal of uneasiness, but no clue was found to the mystery until the discovery of the hat, when a party of men commenced dragging the river, and, after an hour or two the corpse was discovered. The works have been commenced at Constantinople for the construction of the monument which is to be erected on the burial-ground at Scutari to the memory of the English soldiers who died during the war in the East. M. Marochetti who is charged with the erection of this monument, had left for Europe, after having made all the necessary arrangements. Two out of the four statues, representing Glory and Renown, which are to be placed at either corner of a lofty pyramid, are already terminated. Returning Thanks. — When Canning's health was drank at the Ministers' Blackwall dinner, he replied : "Gentlemen, this is a fish dinner ; so, after sincerely thanking you for your good wishes, I do not see that we can do better than follow the example of the fishes, who drink a good deal, but never speak." "I cannot imagine," said an alderman, "why my whiskers should turn grey so much sooner than the hair of my head." "Because," observed a wag, "you have worked much harder with your jaws than with your brains." It was a good saying of Philip 11. of Spain — "Time and I will challenge any other two." Want is little to be dreaded, when a man has but a short time left to be miserable. Of all poverty, that of the mind is most deplorable. Contentment is only to be found with ourselves. A man that is content with a little has enough ; he that complains has too much. Gyges, the rich King of Lydia, inquired of the oracle — Who was happier than himself ? The oracle answered, "Aglaius, who was a poor Arcadian, contented with a little." There are disguised falsehoods so like truth, that it would be judging ill not to be deceived. — Rochefoucault.

How to eat wisely. — Dr. Hall in his journal, gives the following advice: — "1. Never sit down to a table with an anxious or disturbed mind ; better a hundredfold intermit that meal, for there will then be that much more food in the world for hungrier stomachs than yours ; and besides, eating under such circumstances can only, and will always, prolong and aggravate the condition of things. 2. Never sit down to a meal after any intense mental effort, for physical and mental injury are inevitable, and no man has a right to deliberately injure body, mind, or estate. 3. Never go to a full table during bodily exhaustion — designated by some as being worn out, tired to death, used up, done over, and the like. The wisest thing you can do under such circumstances is to take a cracker and a cup of warm tea, either black or green, and no more. In ten minutes you will feel a degree of refreshment and liveliness which will be pleasantly surprising to you ; not of the transient kind which a glass of liquor affords, but permanent ; for the tea gives present stimulus and a little strength, and before it subsides nutriment begins to be drawn from the sugar and cream, and bread, thus allowing the body gradually, and by safe degrees to regain its usual vigour. Then, in a couple of hours, you may take a full meal, provided it does not bring it later than two hours before sundown ; if later, then take nothing that day in addition to the cracker and tea, and the next day you wil find a freshness and vigour not recently known. No reader will require to be advised a second time who will make a trial as above, whilst it is a fact of no unusual observation among intelligent physicians that eating heartily, and under bodily exhaustion, is not unfrequently the cause of alarming and painful illness, and sometimes sudden death. These things being so, let every family make it a point to assemble around the family board with kindly feelings, with a cheerful humour and courteous spirit; and let that member of it be sent from it in disgrace who presumes to mar the ought-to-be blest «reunijn, by sullen silence, or impatient look or angry tone, or complaining tongue. Eat in thankful gladness or away with you, to the kitchen, you graceless churl, you ungrateful pestilent lout that you are. There was a grand and good philosophy in the old time custom of having a buffoon or music at the dinner table. Valuable Discovery. — Captain Griffith Morris, a Welchman, who has been for several years in command of an iron steamer employed in the service ofthe Boston underwriters, has, by dint of application, shrewdness, and indomitable perseverance, succeeded in discovering a method by which he entirely neutralizes that local magnetic attraction of the compass which has proved so great a stumbling-block in modern steam navigation. Without touching the instrument itself, he surrounds it with an imaginary circle, outside which he cuts off, by means known only to himself, the local attraction wherever it manifests its presence. His operations, extending over an interval of several years, have been uniformly successful, and he has regulated the compasses of some half a dozen United States Government vessels, besides fifteen or twenty other craft. So accurate had his practice become, that, although a man singularly unpretending and reserved, he affirms that he would have no difficulty in regulating a compass placed even in the midst of a machine shop. The immense value of this discovery is manifest to every one who considers the loss of life and property annually occurring on shipboard from compasses rendered defective by the influence of local over polar attraction. — Boston Correspondent of Morning Post. Telegraphic communication was suddenly stopped on the lines near Elmira, New. York, lately, and, on search being instituted, it was discovered that, at a point where the auxiliary lines run only six inches apart, the spiders had woven their webs from one wire to the other, and the constant dropping of the water from the dews and fogs through the different threads of the webs to the lines below formed a complete circuit for the electricity, rendering the efforts of the operator to communicate powerless. The tiny threads of the spiders being removed, and the lines spread further apart, telegraphic communication was immediately resumed. It sometimes requires as much ability to follow good council as to judge wisely oneself. — Rochefoucault.