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Oamaru Mail, Volume XXI, Issue 6695, 22 September 1896, Page 3

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President Kruger, at the Fete Nationale given recently by the members of the French colony in Pretoria, said that it was a pleasant sight for him to see that the French were increasing in the Republic. He was not blind, and he saw the advantages springing from folk of other nations settling there, no matter of what nationality, to benefit the country. It showed that the Great Powers had an interest in the Republic. The Transvaal had much sympathy with France, because of the French blood which flowed in many burghers' veins, and because France was a Republic. The foundering of the German gunboat litis, in the China Sea, involving the loss of 77 lives, was recently reported by cable from London. News received in Sydney from the East states that the litis was on her way from Chefoo to Nagasaki, when she fell in with a typhoon, and struck on a small island. She quickly broke in half and only the fore Dart remained above water. From this, two days later, eleven men were taken off. The survivors had a thrilling experience on the wreck. The scene of the disaster was Flat Rocky Point, which is the southernmost point of Shangkao Bay, in the Shangtung Promontory, and about 60 miles from Chefoo. A cyclist was in a Scotch village inn bragging about his abilities as a rider to such an extent that the publican ventured to make a bet with him. " 1 say, mister," said the man, " I'll bet you half-a-crown that you can't ride up and down this road till the church clock strikes four." " Done," shouted the cyclist, and the next moment he was speeding up and down the road. After about threequarters of an hour's hard riding up and down the cyclist asked one of the bystanders if the church clock had yet struck four. "Struck four ? No fear," was the blunt reply, "our church clock never strikes."