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Otago Daily Times, Issue 1050, 2 May 1865, Page 6

An llisi'ouic.vl Ai:m Cii.uk—An old arm-.chair h.ts just been disposed of at the sale-rooms in Paris, which possessed all the interest attaching to an historical relic. When row it. belonged to the grout Maria Theresa, mid occupied the po.it of lion- i;r in her boudoir. At her death it came into the posse.-sion of her unfortunate daughter, Marie Antoinette. Later it was one of the few articles of fiirniiure the royal captives in the Temple were i>. rmitted to retain. After the tragic death of the Queen and King, the latter *s valet, Clusy, was permitted to take it away. lie carried it over to England, where it successively passed into the hands of the l'rince l.'egent and the Duke of Cumberland. The latter took it with him to Berlin, where it was given to an upholsterer to repair. The workman engaged in the work of renovation discovered in the lining a diamond. l>rjoeh, a miniatvi.e, :tnd a collection of papers. He appropriated the jewel, and gave the portrait and the papers to a watchmaker. The latter discovered the miniature to be the likeness of the victim of the cobbler Simon, and the papers to be the secret instructions from .Louts XVI. to his son. On the strength of these he passed himself off as Louis XVII., and, after Mindry sulventures, died in the East Indies s.jinc ten years ago. The journeyman upholsterer revealed what he had discovered in the arm-chair on his death-bed ; the famous arm-chair was purchased by his relatives, hoping, probably, to lind something more in it. It then passed into the hands o£ a Frenchman, who brought it to Paris. Then it came into the possession of an old woman, ■who died in an almshouso ; and finally was disposed of the other day to an antiquary, to whom it was knocked down for five Irancs.— Paris Correspondent of the " Morning Herald."

The Latest Wonder.—Londoners are at present amused with the performances of an intelligent fish. His food (says the " Era") is fish, of which he consumes two stones weight per diem, and his predilection is a fresh herring. One great feature in the exhibition is the celerity in doing what he is ordered. There is no hesitation whatever, but upon being told to turn a somersault he rolls over in the most complacent manner. He paddles ■with the right or lefi fin, as indicated by his trainer, and most obediently taps a tin tambourine held out to him