ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

North Otago Times, Volume XI, Issue 348, 22 September 1868, Page 3

ITEMS BY THE MAIL.

A ghastly spectacle was recently witnessed near St. Louis, which sent a thrill of horror through the city, and makes ail Christendom stand aghast. About ono hundred coffins were seen floating and dancing, gleaming and swamping on the bosom "of (lie Mibsissippi. This solemn voyage of death and awful procession of the dead over the glassy waters of the treacherous river of death, was explained by the fact that the graves of the cholera victims at Arsenal Island had been invaded by the current of the river, and the graves opened, allowing the cofiin3 and uncollincd dead to ilont away towards Dixio. None of them reached Memphis, tib il is supposed tho colHus were caught at Cairo to sea what was in them. — Memphis Avalanche. The Emperor of the French, wishing to civiliee his people, has introduced bull lights into .France. A grand spectacle of the kind was witnessed at Havre on Saturday, tho 4th July, at which twelve bulls, tortured with burning darts and spear thrusts, but with horng covered w ith iudiarubbcr balk, were encouraged to rush at " matadors," " picadors," "ehulos," and tho rest of the performers ior whom civihs- d Enropc has not evon names. Bloodshed was carefully avoided, the only attractions being torture to tho beasts and risk of life to the men ; but all the correspondents report that after a bull or two had been led away the spectators bega?; to hunger for slaughter. It is not believed that tho Emperor intends to reintroriuce combats of gladiators, as that miyht imolve a loas of subjects who would make good soldiers. The following beats all tho stories of remarkable escapes which wo remember ever to have seen: — " I'n the pabba^e of the ship Anaxander, from Now Orleans to New York, a young lad, about fourteen years of ago, irom a naturally irolicsomo and mischievous disposition, became so troublesome in his pranks, that ho was threatened by the captain, if they were continued, that he would confine him in a water cask. Our youngster took no heed, however ; and, at his next oilence, was put in a cask, which was headed up, leaving a large bun^-hole, for the admission of air. That night tho bhip encountered a violent storm, and, in a budden luich, the cask containing tho boy rolled over into the sea. Fortunately, the cask stiuck bung up, and floated about 30 hours, when it was thrown upon tho beach at St. Bias. Here the boy made desperate efforts to extiicate himself from his prison, but without success, p,nd in despair, gave it up to die. Some cows, howover, strolling on the beach, weio attracted to tho cask, and, m walking around it, one of them — it being fly lime — switched her tail into the bung-holo, which tho lad grasped with a desperate resolution. The cow bellowed, and set off for life, and ufter running eorno two hundred yards with the cask, struck it against a log on the beach, and knocked it to smash. The boy was disscoverod by some fishermen on tho Point, and taken into Appalachicola, where a small collection being made, ho was enabled to proceed north by way of Columbus." Among tho petitions to the Houso of Commons to be found in tho latest report, is one of an extraordinary character, presented by Mr Denman. It is tho potitiou of John Pursops, a convict under sentence in Pentoiwillo Prison. In 185 1, the petitioner states, lie was convicted at the Birmingham Sessions of housebrcaking, and was sentenced to transportation for fifteen years. Ho served the first three years of his tnno in England, and was then taken to Western Australia, where he served four years nnd-a-half. Ho then received a ticket-of-leavc, and, after working as o domestic servant foi two years and-a-half more, he obtained a pardon for the remainder of his term. He had lost the document containing his pardon, but belu/ris it contained a condition that he might go to any part of Her Majesty's dominions except the United Kingdom untill the expiration of his sentence. Ho accordingly went to Adelaide, whero ho was recognised by tho police as a pardoned convict, and ordeicd to leave tho city, on pain of being sent to prison for three years. He produced his pardon, but w is told by one of the magistrates that it was of no use to him there, and was recommended to go back to England. JKnowing this would only exposo him to greater danger, he tried to ship to Melbourne but no captain would have him on board, as there was a penalty of L100 for taking convicts to that city. _ Tho only vessel leaving the port was bound for Singapore. He went to Singapore, whero, on landim.', he was told by the police that being a discharged convict he had no right to come there, and he could not remain. He then took ship for England, went to Birmingham, and finally to Worcester, in which city he was arrested on a charge of being illegally at large, tried, convicted, and sent back to penal scmtudo for five years, which he is now serving. Ho narrated all the preceding circuuiptances to the judge who tried him, and the judge reserved certain technical points in his favor, which were, however, overruled. Ho vainly petitioned Mr Walpole, when Secretary of State, for a remission of sentence ; ho now petitions tho House of Commons. The Paris journal " Lo Pays" has published a somewhat remarkable article— remarkable because of tho position the paper fills a3 an indirect organ of tho Imperial Government, subsidised from tho Imperial exchequer. Tho " Pays" has learnt, it seems, from a Belgian newspaper, th.it, at a meeting of refugees said to have been recently held in London, the Emperor Napoleon was placed beyond the pale of the law, and hia assassination recommended. It theroupon attacks England and Belgium for allowing such " orgies" to bo perpetrated The Queen of Englaud and the King of the Belgians aro warned that they must take care. The latter is told that he had a brother-in-law that fell beneath the bullets of assassins, and that ho hits a sister who is now a " new royal Ophelia;" whilo Her Majesty is reminded of the recent attempt upon Prince Alfred's life by O'Farrell. ' "* il < 1 < 1 "> °^ fc^° -^°'g ian8 anc l Queen of Ergland," says tho "Pays," m couclusion, " Providence melees you! Bewaro!" J b J