MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 567, 11 October 1862, Page 6

MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

TfEW ZeAr/VXD Experibkcks.— The following extrac f . from :i lettir written by a gentleman Intely in t le (jtovp "nineufc service here, to .a. fiioad in Sandhurst, will b ■ read wit'i some interest :— " Dunedin is a mo-t wonderful pl.ice. You must lirp either on a hill, where you are blown to small fra'xmo'it-', o; 1 in a swampy, low place, where th=j drain ige is ineffective, and j oil arc fairly &fcun!- out : as for mud it is fearful. The jettijs are perfectly dry at low water, while b iats can bar Uy u'dt up, and the whole town looks as if it were built of match boxes, elegantly got up. If there was a fire, there would be a good-bye old Ofago. Nothing could savo the whole place. There are two theatres got up in the slight cardboard and. gilt style. Any quantity of cdieo and paper, hu f no stability or cmifort. To the Criterion Hotel is attache l" tho Royal, un'er the joint ampices of Clarouce Holt and Ma lame Durtt, whore they are pro hieing most violent tr^gidies and sensation dr.imas. At the Provincial (Jones') the old Princess Theatre was built in the tfor»e Uazair, which was screened nft'at ni^ht for a theatre (not rnovinu- the horses). I -,vh much reminded of Ast'ey's when I went in the first time. The stab'.r-3 and horses, however, have beea banished, an I a pretty new thuatre built undei tlie lesseeship of Tom F.iwcett and his brother, whose stir is Charles Young. Every other house in Duncim is a public or arestuuant, and commend me to the old Seot'-h residents (s'aujrly called the " Old ideutHy ") for being fie be=t sly grog-sellers under the sun. I believ.. 1 in the country to a certain extent, and also that some irood gold wid be obtained this summer, but [ do not pin any faith in the place ad a lasting settlement. Speculation his been "too fearfully abused, and you will .see how we stand when I tell you that last Monday over 400 writs had been issued for the Supreme Court to be holden on the 20th. No wonder lawyers do well, perhaps you may say. It is a horrible country to live in— no firewool, and any quantity of water. Just imagine the following- scjne at Tunpeka : — \ wretched tent with six stretchers, made mostly of native flix. : a chimney of sods, with a large saucepan, but no fire; a loaf of bread on a soedy td>!o, sevsn or eight l;vge rats punishing the bread. Time, i 3D p.m. ; one di_,'t>-er inside, win has been preparing the grub, and who should, but could not, have procured so.ne firewood. Enter five digs'ers, wi Ji blue noses, and covered with snow. Together live diga^rs : What, Bill, no fire, old man ; wiiat's up ] Bill : Could not get, any wood. What luck have you had ? 1-t Digger: None; tried three paddo?ks, but could not work for the snow— could not raise the d — el color. Bill: What have you bping doi-ig-all day ? 2nd Digarer : Trying to get some wood, but cnild not. The snow is three feet deep, and could not, sea a single stick above ground anywhere. 3rdDigjer: Have you got a drink 1 Who's «ot money for a bottle of square? Dismal chorus :No one. Ist Digger : Nevermind, boys; let's have a smoke, and turn ia for a warm. The six coUl dig-»on at once tur.i in sujiperless and smoke. Fact, indeed, and Ido not think tins is by any nr-ans a solitary instance. — /?«/{- di'jo Adxeri'scr, September 20.

A Rouoe DErEorou.— lt vras lately remarked that nn excecdinuly brillimt auditory simoiigst which were many elegantly div.ssed ladies, attended at Berlin a lecture on chemistry, delivered by one of the most celebrated rhemists'of theage. AlW. witnessing a number of beautiful experiments, and hearing of the marvels of science, a >oung lady grew fa'igued, and requ-sfed her husband to load her from ihe hall, —"My love," said the gentleman, on reaching the landing-place outside, " wips your check, there's a large blue spot upon it.' 1 The lady much surprised, turned to look at her reflection in the mirrored windowof a shop they were passing, and was almost petrified to ohsci vj that the rouce on her c l ieeks had become blue, in consequence of the chemical doaomposifion oeoio.ied by this gas tho proPssor hnl u»ed iv making his experiment. She quickly wiped hpr face, and stifhd her vexation in the thought that she should find he-elf amply ranged upon the other lalies in the hall. In reality the lecture c'o.siog at this moment, tli3 audience began to dispose, and tho geiitlfiiian and his wifa.a'mist burst with laughter at th" sicht, of cheeks of yellow, bhu>, b'e.c\, yiolet, and o'her colors wl iuh now made their .appenrance in the street. iSome of the ladies -who had manufactured for themselves ivory complexions, iosv cheeks, coral lips, and ?bony cyeiinws, were so transformed that they would have excited the envy of a peacock. It is whispered that a lecture from the professor would produce similar effects in other cities brides Berlin. That ch.-mtst would be warmly welcomed should he visit Pans — Paris Paper.

PnoftUKSs o? the Suez Canal — \ccording to accounts received from Mr. D. A. La-ige, the Suez Canal works continue to be pushed tvith visor. The breakwater at Port Snil, which presented sorm difficulties, is now completed, and vessels are able to discharge their cargoes in all weathers. The js'ty is being continued. Between the breakwater and the show there remain about I.SOO yard-, to fill up, aud the ca-goes of large stone blocks" daily sunk in the sea from the quarries at Alex are senuWy diminishing this (iistnnc. On land the proscivjss in exowitinsrtho onnnl is alleged to be greater than is ge'iera'ly imagined. Twenty-five thousand men are engaged along the line, and the ave>-age quantity of earth removed is about •1.'J0.000 cubic yards per month It is exppcted, therefore, that tlie works will be soon sufficiently advanced to allow the waters of the Meliferranean to flow into the basin of Laka Tirasnli.

Meanwhile, a town is hems; constructed at Titnsah, and workmen are employed in laying down fie foundations for the quays intended for vessels to load and unload. The ialanl port of Timsn'a is ti servo as a c<ia!iug and watering station for vp^pls pissing th-ough the can.a. a!so for re -vie' na!) in ». repairing, and carre'itng. The .stores a'on^ tin different stations contain sufnVwii- provisi «w to fe^d 50,000 men. Lately a recul ir direct line of s'ram°ra has K'O-i o g'Uri^e'l Vetwe 'n Alexandria, Port Sri" 1, ,ard MaisoilL's. The ftr-t tri d to-,k p!:\Ci on fie 22nd of Juno b/ the st>attit;r Bi'/.uit'm, and she un'oiled l.") 0 tons of merihnndi'e at Port S.u'l in tw-lve hour-}, iilthivijrh t,h n wi ather «as boisterous. — Times. Tin: Prkskvt and Future op Npay Zr.vi.and. — • A gentleman holding a high position in New Zealand, writing to n f.-iond in Sydney on tin 25r,h ultimo, as to the prcent state and future prospects of that colony, remarks:— "The rntive que-ti > i i-s fclw qu;>stion of :he d»y with us. Sir Georire G-ev. I have no doubt, is capable of grnpplinc with th> diiH-'nlty, but hisp'f'icy, ns yet, has been quite a f;iiliiro. I foretold 50 from the first. His appointments in th? native department were very ohj actionable, but at the same

lime unavoiilab'e. I may l>> wronif, but I feir flufc a spirited war alone will save the colony from anarchy, .•Mid the natives extinct-'on. Thenathes npne.ar to be

do'n<r their best to brina; it fo that issue. Nooneean rogi-et unre than my-e'fthe present state of tilings, brought about by blundering and incinaeity. 1 have no fear, however, of our northern natives ; they know whii'h is the winning side.

The Croi'S.— The farmers in tho immediatu neighborhood of town have taken advantage of the finn weafher whioli lm« prevailed durinpf ho !a s t formighl, and those lauds wliie.h hnd been submerged by rain wnter have been ploughed and soy, n with spring wheat, whilst thoss portions of their crops whfeii bad perished from the loiitr-continued rain all, have been aspiin ploughed over and reson n with barley or with spring wheat, We are plsd to sny tb it those crops which have escaped drstruclion by too ranch moisture (owing to sroo 1 drainage and sl.vpinsr land) cou'd not possibly look better than they do at tho present time. We hnve known wheat sown as late as the month of September, to yield more than the average rnte in the nei«hborine- eolcnv of Tasmania; anl, with a tolerably moist spring and cool weatlv r, we may anticipate the best results here. — Oei'long Chronicle. Thr ItiDLF.Y Rsapiso MAoniNn — The Times, in an article on the agricultural machinery at th« Grout Exhibition, snys:— 'In tho Australian court we. found a Victorian reaper from Melbourne, tho original from which those of Messrs. Han^ome and Sor-s and Samuehou are taken and improved. But in South Australia the fine climate, ripening the whf;it crops evenly and thoroughly, enab'e* the farmer to thrash and reap all at once. A machine is exhibited resembling the ancient Roman reaper. A box upon a pair of wheels is propelled hj hows and a pole at the side ; the forward end is avme I with an. iron comb which dors not,, how i vit, snap off the fnrs of the standing crop, but holds them while the rapidlyrevolving beaters of a drum, like that of n hraihirgmacliine, strips out the kernels of ripn grain The box rtc-ives the corn ; sometimes a fai (driven like the drum, by wheels and a strap, by the rotation of the cnrriage-wi.opls) winnow 3 away the chaff, and the produce is thu.s collected ready for the niaikot. Our British seasons are too showery, our sunshine too partial, our crops too frequently inwn instead of dead ripe, to permit of such harvesting in this • mntry." A ItnMAN Lady's Toilet.— Tm toi'ei of a Rouu n lady involved an elaborate nnd very costly process. It commenced at nishr, when ho f ice, supposed to have been tnrniahel by exposure, was overlaid with a poultice composed of boiled or moibtened tlmr, spread on with the fi'isers Poppacm unguents sealed the lips, and the lady was profusely rubbed with Cerona ointment. In the morning, the poultice and unguents we-e wa«he'l off, a bath of asse3* milk imparted a delicate whiteness to the skin, and the pale face was freshened and revived with enamel. The full eyelids, which the Roiunn lady still knows so well how to use, now suddenly raising them to reveal a glance of surprise, or of melting tenderness, now letting them drop like a veil over the lustrous eyes.— the full lounded eyelids were colored within, and a needle, dipped in jetty dye, gave length and sphei icity to the eyebrows. The for. head was encircled by a. wreath, or fillet, fastened in the luxuriant hair, which rose in front in a pyramidal pile, formed of succesBive ranges or curls, and giving the appcrnnee of more than ordinary height. Care of Linen. — When linen is well dried nnd laid by for use, nothing pore is ne'eessnry than to secure it from damp and insects ; the latter may be agreeably performed by a judicious mixture of aromatic shrubs and flowers, cut up and sewed up in silken bags, to be instersoersed among the drawers and shelves. These ingredients may consist of lavender, thyme, roses, cedar-shavings, powdered sassafras, cassia lignia, etc., into which a few drops of otto of roses, or other etrong-ecented perfume, may be thrown.