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New Zealand Herald, Volume III, Issue 896, 27 September 1866, Page 5

Interesting Discovert.—A discovery of at leaßt as vital importance for Egyptology as tijo celebrated Kosetta stone itaelf, was made abaut three weeks ago by a party of four German explorers—Keinisch, Hosier, Lepsius, and Wei ;enbach—at a place callod dane, the whilom Tanis, the principal sc,qno of Hameses IT.'s enormous architectura.l undertakings. A stone with Greek characters upon it Wa3 found protruding from the ground, and when fully excavated prove to oontain a bilingual inscription in no less than thirty-seven )ine3 of hieroglyphics and. seventy-six lines of Greek, in the most perfect state of preservation, and dating from the time of the third. Ptolemy, Euregetea 1., in i'3B'n.c' The sKnq - surea 2 metres 42 centimetres in length; auJ "„ rae ,*" metrft3 in width, and is completely *' i ulu inscriptions. Their first Otto- \ ', °?.™ rfld *' . the portant insoripttgn l 7 t a , ?t ? o *. edl . tln « " 9 turned to th» -wing failed, the travellers r«tumea M to,, gpotj and daring a stay of two dayg> the —nd.and 23rd of April, copied the inscription more carefully, took " squeezes," and photographed it three times.'

Mrs. David Cuddick, wife of a grocer in Langhamstreet, Kirkdale, sent for sixpennyworth of essence almonds the other day to flavour custard. No caution was given by the druggist who served the messenger, nor was the bottle labellod " poison." The essence was taken home, and some tune afterwards Mrs. Oaddick wss found in a dying state, the odour of almonds being detected in her expirations. The usual remedies wore applied, but she died. At the inquest the druggist stated that it was not usual, to mark essence of almonds " poison," but he told tho little girl who camo for it not to open it. The deceased was said to be very fond of tho flavour of the essence of almonds. The jurv returned a vordict of " Accidental death," the foreman remarking that the jury thought more caution ought to be used in sale of these essences, and they ought all to be labelled ' poison." The coroner observed, that many of the essences sold for flavnuving tarts and confectionary, such as tho flavour, although they bore eppoioua names, wero really poison, amd none of them ought to bo sold without having their description fully marked upon them. To Stakt a Baulky Horse—The Ohio Fanner says , —" Fill his mouth with dirt or gravel from the road, and he'll go. Now don't laugh at this, but try it. The plain philosophy of the thing is, it gives him Bon.ething else to think, about. We have seen it tried a hundred times, and It has never failed." Cookb and Eeu hle's Blundee.—Cooke, after rehearsing the "Gamester" with Mr. Cooper, in Amorica, said to Mr. Dunlop, his manager, and after wards biographer, " I'll tell you what, Tom and I wero not very clear at rehearsal this morning. J hope we shall not do to-night as Kemble and I did in this same play. We played a scene in the . third in the second. I was frightened out of my wits. ' We're wrong,'said I. 'Goon,' said he; and wo went through it, When we came off I oxclaimed, ' Do you know what we have done P We have played a scone of the third act.'—' I know it," snid John, verycooly. ' And what shall we do in the third act ?'—' Play the second,' ho replied. And so wo did. But the best of the joke was, that tho papers never found it out."

Very Like !—An Irishman tho other day, coming to Washington with a load of wood, saw a military officer, followed at a re-ipoetful distance by two orderlies in full gallop. "By tho powers!" said ho, " haven't they caught him yet ? I was here about three weeks ago, and they was a-runnin' after him then."

THE CAREER OF GEN; BENEDEK. 'Frist among ; tlie generals of Austria stands .Lours, OrLudwig, von Benedik, a genuine H WKanau, and. yet trusted alike by Austrian ™f,'#«> Raiser and peasant, He was born 1-VIBOJ, at Qedenburg (Hungary), and was the son Q f a medical professor. He manifested a bent for a mditary career at a very early are, and.Reived a. suitable education at the Imperial iifihtary Academy ofNeustadt. He quitted th.s iifc 18, and joined the army as a cadet, had : his -firstcommission in 1831, was promoted to be : second lieutenant, placed on the staff, and sent, to Italy. In 1835 he was a caotain, five years alter he was advanced to the rank of adjutantmajor, and left Italy for Poland. His conduct in that unhappy country was characterised Ly so much tact and intelligence that even there he avoided hatred, while both commendation and reward were bestowed, on him by the authorities at Vienna. He. passed the grade of lieutenantcolonel, and in IBid was made full colonel. At this juncture the insurrection in G'alicia broke : out, and the position of the Austrian troops was not only dangerous, but difficult. The peasants ; rose to a man with the object of exterminating the landed proprietors, and but for the successful result of General Collin's attack on Cracow, and the decisive advantage obtained by Benedek. at Gdow, the social conflagration would have lasted milch longer. For this Benedek received the. Cross of the Order of Leopold, and was intrusted with the task, of re-establishing order in. the East. The Archduke Ferdinand d'Esto at ouco discerned and appreciated by its real value the military capacity shown by the Huugariau colonel, and recommended him so earnestly at Court that the regiment of GyuTai Lancers was placed under his command, and he was despatched to the army in Italy. Here he highly distinguished himself. The retreat from Milan to Verona was conducted by him, and at the attack of Curratone his troops sustained, a fire of artillery from either side, and finally, by a brilliant bayonet, charge, decided the fortune of the day.. For this he was honourably mentioned by Radetsky, and recommended for the Order of Marie Theresa, the highest distinction which Austria accords for military services. It was during this campaign that an extraordinary piece of good fortune rewarded his brilliant courage. Two days before Novara the Piedmontese.nndor the command of Burando and Victor Emmanuel (then Duke of Savoy), had I retreated and posted themselves, to the number of 2-1,000, in the small town of Mortara, about which hung the Austriatis, numbering only 15,000 and *1S cannon. Benedek now made a proposal which, after some demnr he was allowed ' t? '•arry out. Accordingly with one division <■'■ ■ irehcnding his ownregiment, and supported I-.', ro companies of riflemeh under the cover >f an unusually dark night, he threw himself ilto the principal streets of Mortara, by way Of liie Porta JVlila.nO, chased the troops before him Until he reached the Porte Viceili, the opposite gate of the town, and here barricaded himself with broken carriages, dead horses, and anything else which served the purpose, when suddenly he heard the Piedmontese march sound full on them- He was, of course, separated from the outside body of Austrian troops, and, thus taken in the rear, resolved on a desperate move. Heading his handful of men, as though they were . the main body entering the town l>y the gate near which they had barricaded themselves, lie charged, and cried to the enemy to surrender. The Italians,, in the darkness, believing themselves surrounded, gave up their arms, and before they could recover their mistake the Austrians eih mwiite entered the town from the other end, and the result of that night's work was the capture ,of six cannon, Gti oll'eers, and 2000 men, with many horses and much baggage, some of which belonged to the Uuko of tiavoy. When peace was restored, Benedek was rewarded by being made major-general of the Heynau Bridge, and soon after gained, fresh laurels in Hungary. Both in that country and in Poland his name from the necessity of his duty, became linked with many proceedings little in accordance with his real nature. But though he was most exact in obeying orders once received, his voice in the council chamber was always heard in favour of conciliation and mercy. Though the war of ISoi) ended disastrously for : Austria, Benedek mado himself both known and dread.od by the French and Italian troops, and it is on him that the hopes of the Austrians rest. ■■' Ho is beloved by his oilkers, for his blunt and kindly frankness, by the soldiers for tho almosttender and fatherly Care with which ho watches over their comfort. Tho prejudice of birth is not entirely eradicated from Austrian society, and it is said that some of the aristocracy still treat Benedek with hauteur, which is as senseless as contemptible. ; But as a military chief ho commands the respect of the most perve.rso and foolish, and the Emperor in particular follows his advice and treats him with marked favour and confidence. When lately he assumed the command o£ tho army in the north, he instantly stipulated that the archduke should bo placed at the head of the troops in tn,o south, and that, with regard tc, his, staff appf 1 *" ments, he should have entire liherty e ,- ".' n ' in such matters it is no, see-rot ' v t i" c 01 r e ' n i r ilr '" • ..uat he prefers *}hA * m T n T * Germans. He has established his Pard . ujbitZi m •Bohemia, a tQH , n containmg a f eudal castle, . q a secluded situation. It is aim o t D ..noffn, and unfrequented by all save the aristocratic families of Vienna, the members of which are attached to field sports. The fine plains which lie around abound in game, and afford excellent hunting ground, and Pardubitz has thus become a kind of Bohemian MeltOn, and the members of a certain, sporting club meet there every autumn, with their horses, dogs, servants, &c, for the pursuit of this amusement. The strategical advantages which this little town possesses have not escaped the . eye of Benedek. It is situated at the junction .of two main lines of railway, the one from Vienna to Dresden, the other from Vienna to Silesia, and so gives direct aud easy transport into Saxony on the one hand and into Prussia on the other. In person, General von Benedek is of the middle height, spare, wiry, and ex- ; ceediugly active, of upright and military bearing, with finely sharp-cut features, and a high aquiline nose, and, like most of the continental officers, much shorn and shaven with the exception of a pair of thick moustaches. He lias quick, penetrating eyes, and his manner is distinguished hy the courtesy and attractive mixture of gentleness, high courage, and gaiety which used to be. the mark of the Old school. He boasts of being every inch a Hungarian, and his sorupulous honour, both in his private and public character, has never been even called in question.