Untitled

Otago Daily Times, Issue 408, 11 April 1863, Page 6

Sir Roderick Murchison has recsived a letter from Dr Livingstone, dated the lOt'li of October last, from wliif.ii appears that, the g eat African traveUer.had, at that time, desertPd the exploration of the Zambesi river, for that of tbe rivers wliich descend to the coist fora the opposite ends of the great Lake Nyassa. At the time of writino1 he had proceeded iv his boat to a point some hundred miles from the mouth of the Kovuma. The country was pleasant, we!l-wooded, and well-cultivated. Although th« deadly insect called the tsetse prevented the inhabitants from having' cattle, there were numerous villages, built on sandbanks, but the inhabitants seemed to dread the intruder.*. As they passed up the stream they were followed from one village by a hand of river pilots, armed with bows and muskets, to a spot where the stream passed by a narrow channel under high banks. There the natives discharged a shower of arrows upon them. The party were no f, however daunted. They expostulated with their assailants, explained to them how easily they could drive them off with their rifles, and presented them with thirty yards of calico in proof of friendship; A reconciliation seemed to have been effected, but the black? had no sooner got to a safe distance than they turned and discharge') a volley of arrows "and musket balls upon the travellers. Luckily, no harm was done; beyond thfi perforation of a few imllet-holes in the seat of the boat. They evidently expected that t tie boat woull make off. In this they were disappointed, and a return fire from the rifles of the D. ctor and his companions quickly dispersed them. The hostility of the nntive tiihes on this river compelled'the party to return to the Laka Nyavsa in the meantime ; but they believe that when Knglish trade is established on ihe banks of this great sheet of water, the river liovuma will become the trade route to England, as it passes through Arab and not Portuguese territory, and may thus be navigated without the payment of heary dues.

A Sapient Jimr. —A jury was empannelled at the Surrey Kessions to try a man charged with having houscbreaki g implements in his possession, with intent to commit a felony. The foreman delivered the intelligent, verdict, ' We find the prisoner guilty, with the benefit of a doubt." Of course the presiding; magistrate refrisei to receive such a verdict, whereupon the foreman explained that there was a doubt among them, hut they thought, the prisoner was guilty. Tins explanation did not make niatt2rs Clearer, and th« doubtinsr jury were sent back to coo-ider1 the evidence again, 'i'hev failed to agree, an J.were discharged, the prisoner being remanded to the nisxt sessions, to be then tried. ;