MISCELLANEA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume III, Issue 129, 25 June 1853, Page 11

MISCELLANEA.

Virginian Plantation.—-I lately visited the quarters of a Virginian plantation, which belonged to a Democratic Christian. The huts were crowded together, and seemed so entirely destitute of an appearance of comfort, that I wondered how any one could exist there. I .entered one of them. It had but one room, if room it could be called, no chimney, no window^ and a mud floor. Its furniture consisted of-a parcel of filthy straw for a bed, a bundle of rags for a pillow, a piece of negro cloth for a blanket, and an old iron pot in which to boil their corn. . There were five children in it, between the ages of one and eight years, all of whom were in a state of perfect nudity; and, as I was informed, were being raised for the market. The rags of the mother were insufficient to hide the scars which the whip had left upon her back, the letter M was burned upon her left cheek, and she showed me where the bloodhounds had torn her flesh. Mother and children were equally destitute. The husband and the father, who was a runaway, I was informed, had been recently killed by a man* who received 100 dollars for the legal murder. No description can convey an idea of their misery. The inmates of the slave quarter were all alike wretched. None of them possessed the least property and were forbidden by law to acquire any. They were compelled to work for the proprietor, who claimed them as his property, and disposed of them-by. gift, barter,,nr, sale, whenever he saw fit. No schools were provided for them or their children, and educating them was made a penal offence.— A. S. Angle.

" The Colossus of the North. —The increase of the territorial sway of Russia and of its population, since 1689, may be thus summed up: Inhabitants—At the accession of Peter 1., in 1689,15,000,000; at the accession of Catherine 11., in 1762, 25,000,000 ; at her death, in 1796,36,000,000; at the death of Alexander, in 1825, 58,000,000. Her acquisitions from Sweden are greater than what remains of that kingdom. Her acquisitions from Poland are nearly equal to the Austrian Empire. Her acquisitions from Turkey in Europe are of greater extent than the Prussian dominions, exclusive of the Rhenish provinces. Her acquisitions from Turkey in Asia are nearly equal in dimensions to, the whole of the smaller states of Germany. Her acquisitions from Persia are equal in extent to England. Her acquisitions in Tartary have an area not inferior to that of Turkey in Europe, Greece, Italy, arid Spain. The acquisitions she has made within the last 64 years are equal in extent and importance to the whole empire she had in Europe before that time. The Russian frontier has been advanced towards Berlin, Dresden, Munich, Vienna, and Paris, about 700 miles; towards Constantinople, 500 miles ; towards Stockholm, §30 miles ; towards Teheran, 1000 miles. It is to be borne in mind that the Russian tariff of exclusion has been extended to all those acquisitions where formerly British merchandise was freely sent. — Tait's Magazine,

A Royal Botanist.—There is one King in Europe who is a good .practical botanist, and who must look back upon the hours spent in the arrangement of his fine herbarium with far more pleasure than upon those wasted in a vain and retrograde course of politics. The monarch in question is his Majesty of Saxony, who, in his scientific career at least, has gained honour and respect. Many is the story told by his subjects of their ruler's adventures when following his favourite and harmless hobby; —how, more than once, astray from his yawning courtiers, he had wandered in search of some vegetable rarity across the frontier of his legitimate .dominions, and on attempting to return was .•locked up by his own guards as a spy or a smuggler, since he could produce no passport,

nor give any more probable account of himself than the preposterous assertion that he was their king. Fifteen years ago he made a famous excursion to the stony and piratical little Republic of Monte Negro. It was literally a voyage of botanical discovery, and the potentate sailed down the Adriatic in a steamer, fitted out with all the appliances of scientific investigation. On its deck he might be seen busily engaged in laying out his plans, ably and zealously assisted by his equerries and aides-de-camp, and guided by the advice of eminent botanists, who accompanied him as members of his suite. Such a kingly progress had surely neyer been seen before, unless Alexander the Great may have relieved the monotony of conquering by making occasional natural history excursions with his quondam tutor Aristotle. The Monte-Negroites, on ordinary occasions very troublesome and by no means trustworthy people—folks who still keep many of the worst habits of the old Scottish highlanders—were mystified into tranquillity by the peculiar proceedings of their royal visitor and his noble attendants. : Resolved, however, to render due honour to so distinguished aud unusual a guest, they furnished a guard of state to accompany him in his all peregrinations, and whenever his botanical Majesty stooped to gather a new or rare species the soldiers halted, and with much ceremony presented arms. — Westminster Revieio.

Torturing in America. —A shocking affair has occurred at Lodi. A man named H. B. Smith, a trader of Covington, Kentucky, suspected a young man in his employ, named Cochran, of appropriating the sum of 2800 dollars. Smith, who had demanded of Cochran where the money was, seemed satisfied with the explanation, and continued to employ him. But it now appears that Smith only feigned to be satisfied. In company with a steersman and a driver, he took one of his boats and started for Lodi, under pretence of getting a load. When near the place he made an excuse for sending the driver back to Covington, telling him to return the following morning. He then went into the boat, drew a revolver on Cochran, and commanded him to tell where the money was or he would kill him ; he now had him in his power, and unless he confessed he would take his life. Cochran said he could not tell him, for he did not know, and repeated the explanation formerly given. A struggle ensued, and the steersman coming to Smith's assistance, tied Cochran's hands behind him. Smith then placed a run^ ning noose round Cochran's neck, and passing the rope ever a hook in a joist, drew him up until he stood upon tip-toe. In this situation he was kept from two o'clock in the afternoon until the next morning, Smith in the meantime venting his anger in oaths and abuse. Fearing he would be discovered should the packet pass, he let the young man down. He was in such an exhausted condition that he immediately fell upon the floor, unable to rise. They then returned to Covingtoii. Smith has been compelled to give bond in the sum of 500 dollars for his appearance at Court. The steersman has escaped. — Louisville paper.

A Tale of a Proselyte.—A case has just occurred in this neighbourhood, showing how good intentions and religious zeal may at times be imposed on. A gentleman, who takes more than ordinary interest in the spiritual welfare of the Jewish race, fell in with one of the wanderers from Canaan, aud began to angle for a convert, texts being thrown at him as tenderly as a fisherman . flings his artifical fly before a rising trout. The son of Israel fairly began to nibble, till at interview after interview he appeared to be fairly caught. He listened with an attentive ear, and a solemn face, and at last the good man proposed that he should be formally received into the Christian church, preparatory to his producing him at the next anniversary meeting as a live Jew, converted by his eloquence. This was agreed to; but first he had some worldly gear that encumbered him, a little lot of jewellery worth £60, that he must convert into cash to seek a fresh mode of life after embracing his new faith; and out of pure benevolence, and as some return for the interest taken in his welfare, he offered it to his patron for £40. At first there was some hesitation, but at length the work was completed—the £40 was paid, and the stumbling-block removed. The denouement may be easily divined. The jewellery looks delicious by candlelight, but its worth at the utmost is about £10, and the Jew has fled unbaptised.— Chelmsford Chronicle.