MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 407, 10 April 1863, Page 6

MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

A TIiiELT Washing. — Connubial felicity has many phases, and little delicate surprises that are truly delicious. One of the latter we will relate, as unfortunately (bai g n>i dr. trop) we were present at its occurrence. A youthful couple had just returned from getting their first bahy cliristene.l, and afrer the mother had erabr.c^d it- again and again, tilling it that it belonged to its own ' papsy waj>sy,' and imparting t*i it a irrear, wiiiuy other vt-y interesting pieces of information, I hey p'occod&l to that highly impressive ceremony'Of recording the birth in the Bible. Tne gentleman, with his sex's usual utter disregard of probabilities, commenced to write in the middle of that page, so invitingly blank, w'ei Maria! peepiiig over liig shoulder, cried cv; i ian|agouy of apprehension, ' Stop, otup. my dear, or you will leave no room for the others' We were instantly seized with a desire to see, the state of the weather, but were in a few seconds, overtaken by our more fortunate friend, who, pde, with his hat cock,d fiercely over his brow, asked v-» in a mild anl deprtcating tone whether he would join him in a nobble. — O. tfc M. Advertiser.

Tjie Floods in Gipps Land.— Among the other losses by the late floods, we regret to hear that Mr M'Quilkin,:Messrs M'Nanghtbn, and Mr H. Jones, have been heavy losers of sheep. From what we can at present glean from these gentlemen, the loss must have been considerably over Ll,0!)0 between them. We are sa ly afraid that as yet we have only heard" of the smallest portions of the lossen occasioned by the inundation, as almost.every day brings us news of individual losses by small holders, who could ill spare to l"se any poition of the few cattle and horses which they possessed.— Gipps Land Timea, March lotll*

Something New.—We had 'brought tr> our office on Monday portions of a very singular, and, as far a« • we can learn, hitherto undescribed, fungus, fnu.id growing beneath a dead and fallen tree on the farm of Mr O'Connor, at Uanearee. The fungus is of a bright pink hue, thick flesh, succulent, and ffivinir forth a most offensive odour. At first sight it reminds one _of the strange marine animal designated the star-fish, but a second glance is sufficient to satisfy that the .object occupies.a position equally low > in the vegetable world as the starfish do?s in the animal. The fungus has been submitted to several of our most experienced horticulturists, and they uniformly state that the species has nev^r before b°en brought under their notice. Ballarat Star. March 17th. . ■ '

I'm? Bromlerr/cr Zeitnng reports that the fire in the coalpits in the neighborhood cf Buetoen, which lias loner been rasing, has extended to such a degree that it is ilanecrous to pass over the grounds in some districts. Thus, some days a<?o a vehicle, drawn by two horses, was suddenly swallowed up, together with, the driver, not far from the village of Laurahutte. The country is so undermined that in som3 spots the fiery abyss is covered with a thin crust, which' nives way beneath an object of any weight, precipitating1 it as in the case mentioned, into the burning catity, where nothing can save it iroai destruction. The lovers of a cheroot will be glad to learn, on the authority of the Vice-Consul of Spain, in Melbourne, that " the export of AlauiDa cigars will shortly be resumed."

The famous Can federate staamer Surnter.when sold_ at Gibraltar, fetched: 19,500 dollars, alter a spiiited competition, in which a Liverpool merchant and some Cadiz merchants took thfi lead, the former being declared'the purcliasir. The Chippewnand TilscarOra, two Federal corvettes are in wait foFthe Pumter, now called the Gibraltar ; but it is alleged that the sale By the Confederates was justified by international law, and thar. two British men-itf-war, the London find the Mars, will give their protection to the lit.ile craft which Gapt. Semmes once made bo formidable. '