Untitled

Lyttelton Times, Volume XVII, Issue 971, 1 March 1862, Page 5

Louis Napoleon.—Among many talents which the Emperor possesses, he is probably unsurpassed as a judge of horses. As a rider, I never saw his equal, unles it was the late King of Holland. Insignificant on foot, he is superb on horseback. From the length of his body he looks like a tall man when mounted, and he and his steed compose a perfect centaur. To see him galloping at a review with the cent gardes at his heels is a magnificent spectacle. It is not very often you see him in a carriage. Occasionally he gets himself up in gorgeous attire and accompanies the Empress. And sometimes of a morning you meet him driving himself a pair of bays up the Champs Elysees, accompanied by a single groom Avho sits behind him. But he goes mostly on horseback. At the time I am speaking of, he used to wear habitually, when riding for pleasure, an old blue frock coat, the seams of which were Avhite, and he indulged in a particular pair of old linen or cotton gloves which it was distressing to behold.— Harper's Magazine. Different Piiasks of Fekung.—•Wife (very indignantly): "Ah! there's the doctor's boy, at last, my dear, with your physic. It's too bad ! Keeping the house up to this hour of the night! What right has he to come so late as ten o'clock? " —Servant (who has answered the door); "If you please mum, the milliner has called with- your new dress, and Avishes to knoAv if you will try it on? " — Wife (in quite another tone): "Certainly, Susan. Show her into the dining room, and say I will come to her directly."— Punch. OI'.KN CONFKSSION IS GoOl> FOR THB SoUJu.—A young man who was about being married presented himself to the priest for confession. He appeared rather embarrassed, and did not seem to know how to enumerate his errors. " Come," said the father kindly, "do you ever tell falsehoods ?" " Father, I am not a lawyer," proudly replied the young man. " Did you \ivor steal ?" " Father, I am not a merchant." "You have not committed murder?" "I am a doctor," conscientiously replied the penitent, casting down his eyes. A man who had been a commissary in the West Indies returned to the neighbourhood of Inverness, and assumed more consequential airs than could be well brooked by the honest natives. One day, being somewhat on his high horse, lie called himself the representative of her Majesty. " Hoot, you represent her Majesty!" was retorted in true Doric. " Her Majesty, God bless her, honest woman, ia muckle better represented on a bawbee."

The Clerk of tub Weather.—We learn that the Central Weather Office in London is enabled, by; means of the telegraph, to feel the pulse of thej weather at any moment all along the Atlantic sea-1 board. The result of information thus gained is, whenever necessary, telegraphed to the coasts and; signalled to the shipping; but as yet the use of. suitable signals for night time is only just being; considered. During the day no trouble has been, felt in communicating the knowledge of coming; storms to seamen off the coast, but sometimes the weather office obtains its intelligence of a threaten- l ing change late in the evening, and then, as in aj recent instance, it does not become known to masters of vessels until the storm has arrived and done all its mischief. To remedy this, coloured lights ot a suitable kind are about to be introduced as storm signals for night-time, and other improvements will doubtless be discovered as the operations of the weather office are extended. One result of the sys - ; tern is already to be observed in the columns of the morning newspapers, where weather tables appear every Monday informing the public what will be the state of the atmosphere during the ensuing week. The 'Daily News,' in drawing attention to this novelty, says:—"By learning what winds are blowing within a circuit reaching from Aberdeen to Lisbon, from Valentia to Copenhagen, and what are the simultaneous indications yielded by the barometer and thermometer respecting their continuance at each of these stations, we are able to construct a chart which represents with some approach to certainty the weather we shall ourselves experience for some days to come." The writer gives instances of the accuracy with which changes in the weather are thus foretold; and as experiments continue, vast benefits are anticipated to result from this new application of science. Without the telegraph, no acquaintance with the laws of meteorology could, we need hardly say, have thus reduced to immediate and to practical use, observations made by great numbers of persons over an immense extent of sea and land. It is the power of instant communication which gives so much value to the information collected, and which has now made tha,t hitherto mythical personage, the "Clerk of the Weather," an official of real importance and of high standing. To Great Britain, with her exposed coast on every side, and with her fleets of shipping constantly passing to and fro, the labours of Admiral Fitzroy must be especially valuable. But all communities are interested in knowing as much as possible about changes of weather. Their business and their pleasure are both largely affected by such matters ; and with regard to this country, whether it be a hot wind from the north or a hurricane from the south, there is no colonist but would be obliged to Mr. Todd if he could foretell us at what time these phenomena would make their appearance.— S.,A. Register. Knowing the Time of Day.—" Halloa!" ejaculated a guardian to his pretty niece, as he entered, the parlour, and saw her in the arms of a swain, who had just popped the question and sealed it; with a kiss,—" What's the time of day now?" " I should think it was about half-past twelve," was the cool reply of the blushing damsel; "you see we are almost one!"