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Marlborough Express, Volume VI, Issue 294, 27 May 1871, Page 6

Since February 6th, the Caledonian claim, at the Thames, has paid £208,780. — Southern Cross.

An Awkward Fix. —On Wednesday morning last, whilst crossing the ford in the Hntt river, below Valentine’s Aglionby Arms, Mr M ‘Laggan, with his trap, bringing vegetables into town, got stuck midway. His predicament having been observed, a horse was sent to his relief, and being yoked on to M'Laggan’s horse, fairly pulled him out of his harness, leaving the owner in his cart in the centre of the river. He was soon, however, relieved from his perilous position, and landed on terra firma, when he proceeded on his journey to Wellington. Having sold his vegetables he returned to the Hutt, passing through the toll-bar at about halfpast eleven at night, reaching the Hutt river at his usual time—about one or two o’clock in the morning. He again attempted the ford, and again stuck in the centre of the stream hard and fast, and there he had to remain for upwards of four hours, until rescued by the boatmen at about seven o’clock in the morning. He was sitting up to his thighs in water for the whole time, and was almost perished with exhaustion when taken from the cart. This mishap may excite a smile of levity from the unthinking, who may see in it a good joke since it proved no worse ; but moie serious reflection will show the urgent necessity of pushing on the construction of the bridge. Had there been the slightest fresh during the four hours Mr M ‘Laggan was chilled to the marrow in his watery prison we might have been at this moment speculating as to his fate, and the Hutt river would have added another victim to the already too long list of persons drowned In New Zealand rivers.— lndependent.

I? A Modern Byzantium.—The following curious passages from the letter of “ an officer of rank, who commanded one of the forts before Paris ” are published by the Cologne Gazette : On the Ist and 2nd of March the fate of Paris hung by a silken thread. If the attitude of the population had been only a little more unbecoming than it was Paris would have been reduced to ashes. The artillery of all the forts around Paris was already in position; we were only waiting for the first touch of the telegraph to convert with our 800 guns this haunt of arrogance, vice, and madness into a sea of ruins. Instructions were given, in case the bombardment should be ordered, which clearly showed a resolution to carry out the deserved punishment ruthlessly and to its extreme consequence. It is certainly not the Parisians, but the Germans in Paris who preserved the town from the fate which the Germans outside Paris were ready to inflict upon her. . . . Never in history have victors conquered with such glory, never have victors risen to such an immeasurable height of culture, or shown such benevolent humanity towards the conquered, as the Germans did towards the Parisians. Paris has as yet not suffered the punishment she deserves, though it seems her punishment is inevitable. . . . But history has always found a way of chastening cities when they have sunk so low as Paris has. This is shown by Babel and Jerusalem, Rome and Byzantium ; and our generation will perhaps see Paris share the same fate— Paris to whom the goodness of heaven and of the Germans has given an opportunity of entering Upon a new life of which she will probably not avail herself.”