Varieties.

Otago Witness, Issue 918, 3 July 1869, Page 16

Varieties.

Outward BouND—books, A Bap OMBN—to owe men money. The New Back-gammon.— -The Grecian Bend' What time by the clock is best for a pun ? A joke takes best when It strikes one. • On a child being told that he must be broken off a bad habit, he replied, "Papa, hadn't I better be mended. If you wish to recollect a man's name, become security for him. For keeping your memory fresh there is nothing like it. In New York it has been discovered that oysters are adulterated by soaking them in a solution of soda, which swells them to a very tempting size. A mttoe girl wanted to say that she had! a fan, but had forgotten what it was called ; so she described it as a " thing to brush the warm all off you with."

" Where shall I put this paper, so as to be sure of seeing it to-morrow," inquired Mary Jane of her husband. "On the looking' glass," was the reply. A ladt in Connecticut wears on her hat » stuffed bird ao exceedingly natural and lifelike to appearance that a cat sprang at it and damaged it recently. Aw Irish girl told her forbidden lover that she was longing to possess his portrait, antf intended to obtain it. "But what if your friends see it ? " Ah, but I'll tell tho artist not to make it like you, so they won't know it. The Duchess of Burgundy said one day to Madame Maintenon, — "Do you know why tho queens of England govern better than the kings ? It is because the queens govern by the advice of men, and kings by tho advice of women," Two young ladies and an Irishman were conversing on age, when one of them put tho homo question :— " Which of us do you think ii the cMer, Mr H. ? " «Snre, M replied tho gallant Hibernian, "you both look younger than each other." A wiTHEM in a late divorce suit kept saying that the wife had a vory retaliating deposition —that she " retaliated for every little thing." " Did you ever see her husband kiss her P '* asked tho wife's counsel. "Yea, sir, often.'* " Well, what did she do on such an occasion ? " *' She always retaliated, sir." "Julia, my dear," said old Professor HHr, r the other day, to hU young and pretty wjfo, " Whon I die you will be rich ? but if you: ever so far forget me as to marry again, I will come from tho grave to your bridal couch. Mid put my cold hands upon you." " Ah r do not fear, my dear husband," replied she; playfully, "you »iU never live to Me that." M I am delighted to hear yon say to, my love," replied the oW man abstractedly. • LAUASTiiniAWPADVB&TniRo.— ThoFrencb paper* attribute a mot to Latnartine, for which had ho boen still alive they wonM scarcely, we ihould think, have liked to maker him responsible. Somo ono asked the poet whether ho was not spending too much money in advertising his publications. " No," he is reported to have answered j " advertisements are absolutely necessary, Kven Divine worship needs advertista*. Other, wiw what U the rasmaijif of chweb balls f"

,"I +J/Tne,J /Tne , Argos>;is -inforaed sby l Mr'.Firiner < ' secretary oi thejPolynesia .Company, that I new, consul has-been appointed to succeec ■ the present, British vioe-conaui in Fiji. J ' J ' * i During: the 1 ; last -three months 1 , since th( " new Land Act came into operation SnJSoutl: . Australia, only 5470 acres of lanjd, out, oJ 400,000 open for selection,, have taen takes up under the' deferred' payment i arrangements, >' • - ■"' ." ><'*\ ■" , hs i ( " \ , An attempt' is about being madeto estab. lishin Melbourne a St. Andrew's Society, pi the basis of the one at "present in existence in Sandhurst. It will combine all the advantages of a benefit or friendly > society, besides forming a bond of union amongsl Scotchmen and the descendants of Scotch' men, and the perpetuation of the national gamea and pastimes). " | The Rockhampton Bulletin announces thai another great goldfieid* in the North hoc been proclaimed. , The testimony of, the Government geologist, Mr Daintree, which is given with a freedom' from exaggeration marking his other reports, leaves no, room to doubt the' existence of an extensive goldfield on the Gilbert Ranged. A rush from the other goldfields has already set in. By t the Jokhua Bates, which cleared out at Melbourne on the sthinßt.', a large number of Celestials will return to their native land. The majority of the passer gera woikld seem to have been successful during their temporary exile here, in amassing what, ;to their humble ideas, must prove a competency. The sums in gold and speoie credited to each in the ship's manifest vary from JL2OO to L3ooo— the former sum quite a provision for life to a Chinaman, the latter a princely fortune. '" ' A company for the cultivation of flax has been formed at Willunga. South Australia, and we learn from the Adelaide papers that in the, neighbourhood of Noariuuga, Aldinga, and Willunga, , and the country between these towns, the farmers, believing that a market will readily be obtainable for both flax seed and straw, are sowing a less area than usual with wheat, and many are determined upon trying the experiment of flax cultivation, believing it to be one which can be brought to a successful issue in suitable localities. Sticking-up oases are becoming very frequent round Melbourne of late. On Wednesday, another attempt was made in the neighbourhood of the JFitzroy -gardens. Whi c Signor Martelli was speaking to a lady at the corner of Spring-street and the Richmond road, a man suddenly sprang upon him from behind. However, much to the fellow's astonishment, the Signor, who is an exmilitary officer, turned on him and administered two well-direoted blows in his face ; this being anything but what he had looked for, the fellow made off. I Some of the passengers by the Nightingale appear to have been hoaxing the Natal Times. That journal, on the 7th of April, Bays r— "It appears the Nightingale would have brought u« a larger number of passengers had not the telegraph wires between Melbourne and New Zealand been out of order. If we are to credit the news we .receive by this vessel, we shall have some hundreds, if not thousands, of Australians arriving here within the next few months." We have never heard of any telegraph between Australia and New Zealand, nor has there ever been any indication of such an alarming exodus to South Africa.

The Gulnare has bronght to Adelaide from tho Northern Territory, a large and choice collection of natural history specimens, including the leaves of 254 different olasses of plants. Among the stuffed birds, says the South Australian Register, there are some gorgeous representatives of the parrot tribes, mostly small, and few, if any, known to other portions of Australasia. In pigeons there are two sorts that will net all the small boys and birdfanoiers dreaming. Something like 120 distinct samples of the feathered race, 500 specimens of interest to conchologists, and nearly 1,000 insects of all sizes, shapes, and hues, have been obtained.

The publication of the weights for the Melbourno Cap caused » considerable improvement in the betting market on the 18th, and a large amount of business was trans* acted. The horse that met with most support was Sheet Anohor, about whose ohanoo many people appeared to bo par* tioularly enthusiastic. He was backed to win something Hike LIO.OOO, at prices ranging from 1000 to 30 to 1000 to 50. Deteohve was backed at 100 to 6 : The Earl at 100 to 5 : Marksman and Manuka at 100 to 4 eaoh ; BarboUo at 100 to 3 ; Froetrador at 100 to three ; Borwon and Shenandoah at 1000 to 20 eaoh: and Btrop, Cymba, Phosphorus, and Salom Souddor at 600 to 10 eaoh. The -telegraph line from Cape Sohanok to the Flinders is now completed, and the line connecting Australia with Tasmania direct wa* yesterday opened to tho publlo for tho first time Messages to and from Lannoeston and Hobarfc Town can now bo sent with tho aamo celerity as between Melbourne and Adelaide or Sydney. The rate for messages tho same as before ; but it is understood that Mr Blackott, tho manager for the Cable Company, has sent «noh representations home to his dirootora that a reduction is likely to be made in the ooorse of the next threo months. It is also probable that the oompany will agree to transmit shipping arrival* and do* parturee, so that Tasmantan vessels may be posted in Helbourno in the same way as the shipping of tho other Australian oolonles is now exhibited for the general benefit of the public

dheerg and_ laughtef from all>ide« :pfj;fehe!H<toaeV the fbflb^&ig notice toftraptibn was 1 last' t ni"£hl t ';giv'en';by lit Lonbmbre s^ ,M That, on? Tueadavrnext, he'f would 'move that a select committee! bet appointed to 'in-' quire ( into and report oh the v&ludbf {presents, and .-when^ andto whom made, .by J&R..H. Prince Alfred whilat in Victoria, with the/view that' this, House should resolve itself , into a committee of the whole to consider the propriety of; presenting 'an address 1 'to Hie Excellency the Governor, praying that a sum of money be placed on- an additional estimate to recoup the Imperial Government! ' all or so much of the sum of L 3500 as was expended in Viotoria by. His Royal Bighneßs in the making of presents; such committee to consist of Mr Blair, Mr B. Cope. Mr Maoartney, Mr Maogregor. Mr M'Kean, Mr M'Lellan, Mr Riohardson; Mr G. P. Smith, and the mover, three to form a quorum, with power to call for persons and papers.' 1 The Gulnare has arrived at Adelaide, from the Northern Territory, after a passage of only thirty days. Her arrival was quite unlooked for at this early date. The news she brings is of a very favourable character. The captain confirms the favourable report of the excellence of the harbour at Port Darwin. He states the entrance is two miles broad, and that the water is deep enough to enable a line-of-batt!e" ship to beat up as far. as the site chosen for the chief township. ■ The " survey party were all in good 1 health, and working amicably. One-half of the work had been accomplished; three townships had been laid out, and 43,000 acres surveyed. Mr Goyder, the sur-veyor-general, was confident of being able to complete his task by October next, and proposes sending back a portion of the party by the next trip of the Gulnare. A Malay proa had been wrecked at Escape Cliffs, and out of a crew of 43, only two had been saved, 12 having been murdered by the natives, the rest perishing in the sea. The two saved have been brought on here by the Gulnara.

The conversion of hides into leather is a branch of industry which appears to be very flourishing in the south-east. The Gipps Land Times states that from the one small tannery of the olden time struggling for an existence, this industry has marvellously grown in South Gipps Land. There are now four establishments in full working order, all getting their principal supplies from Melbourne. The steamer may be seen regularly discharging green hides, and taking in manufactured leather for return cargo. The heavy description of this local manufacture is mostly disposed of in the colonial market, and the lighter kinds are shipped to England direct. The same paper adds that a new industry is about to be coated, which should be of great benefit to the community generally. We understand that Messrs Pearson, English, and Peck are empowered to engage with our farmers to grow any quantitvof rye for distilling purposes.

A delightful watering-place, Norman River, Queensland, must be. judging from this telegram in the Brisbane Courier :—": — " Bower, 3rd June.— News to the 27th April has been received from the Norman River township. Great excitement concerning the reported gold discoveries on the Clonourry existed there. Two Chinamen had come in, reporting that they had been robbed of their gold and driven off the Gilbert diggings by Europeans. Allotments at Norman Town were sold at £150 eaoh, and for some L2OO had been refused. At a meeting to get up races, £150 was subscribed. Towns and Co. are erecting a large store. The alligators in the Norman were numerous and daring, hardly moving out of tbo way of the steamers. A Kanaka, belonging to one of the steamers, was standing on the bank untying a rope, when he was seized by a largo alligator. A number of men laid hold of the Kanaka, and the captain striking the alligator on the head with an axe, made it let go its hold, but it charged up the bank again, and was with some difficulty driven off. The Kanaka died of his injuries shortly after." The trial of Hugo Levinger, for the 01. leged murder of throe Polynesian natives at the Island of Paamma, in October last, was resumed on the 18th inst., at the Supreme Court, Melbourno. Three or four natives of the South Sea Islands were ex1 amined for the proseoution. They seemed extremely intelligent, one of them speaking the English language very correctly, and all of them being able to read. Mr Justice Williams summed up the evidonoe in a manner somewhat favourable to the pris. oner. He stated that manelaughtor was out of tho question, and that the jury would havo to decide as to whether the prisoner was gui'ty or otherwise of murdor. As tho Attorney-General, however, took exception to this ruling, bis Honour left tho question of manslaughter to the jury, reserving the question as to whether thero was evidonce to go to tho jury either of manslaughter or' murdor. The jury retired about six o'clock, and shortly beforo ten o'clock returned with a verdict of manslaughter. His Honour stated that ho would not pronouueo sontonoe until the full Court had decided if the jury could give a verdict of manslaughter on tho oridenoo. Ho would grant bail in two suraties of LI, OOO each, and the prisoner himself in L2,Q00. Despatches were received yesterday by the Polynesia, Company from their agents in Lovuka, Ovstfau. Fiji. Mr Pinner, the secretary, has furnished us (Argcs) with the following particulars in respeot to the move* ment of theoompany'a staff sent down by tho Alfred, tho pioneer vessel, dospatohed on bohalf of tho oompany to the islands, together with some other Interoiting particulars t—-

GMettn? Wtttt^ed; fsm,; Siiva 'on I ! Wednesday,* ; the ,14tih 'April,',' and having /formed his' survey p>rty,'lefs there on the'2lß"t, intending as tio6n _as he Had started the> survey to return in time to write peV Magellan Cloudl. A -public .meeting' was held in the Levuka Reading-room on the 20th April, for the purpose of discussing the labour question. A committee was appointed for the purpose of drawing up a memorial to the Sydney Government for placing the importation of labour on a proper and a legal footing. 'The memorial „was only - signed by the planters and others who were then in Levuka, there not being time to send it round to other places for signature. , Several new stores and houses were being erected at Levuka by arrivals from Melbourne and New Zealand. King Thakombau, his queen, and sons, were well. Native matters were in a peaceful state. The general health of the settlers was good, and business prospering."

Respecting the discovery of the Gilbert Range Goldfield, the Maryborough Chroniole writes very hopefully, believing that it will lead to the settlement of a large population on the central watershed' of Northern Queensland. It remarks : — " Another Gympie placed half-way between the Baeific and the Carpentaria Gulf would undoubtedly stimulate in a prodigious degree the nascent trade of suoh settlements as Cardwell, Burketown, and Norman River. But its influence would hardly stop short at this. There is no reason for concluding that the auriferous deposits in that direction are confined to the particular • oomplexus of gullies and ranges now being worked. The ascertained existence of the precious metal on the Upper CloncurryJ far away to the Bouth-west, and on the same axis of elevation, aa well as in the great island of New Guinea, to the northward, points to the probability of the whole southern and 'eastern watershed of the Gulf eventually turning out auriferous in places. The great peninsula of Tape York has as yet been only superficially examined, and until its geological structure is more accurately known it is impossible for anybody to fix definitely the northern limit of our gold-bearing rocks ; The mpafc powerful stimulus to exploration — gold, is now supplied, and population, the most perfeot agency for effecting it, will not be slow to follow. It seems as though we were on the eve of one of those great and sudden developments, necessitating comprehensive political changes, whioh have been bo common since the era of the first gold discoveries in California." On the other hand, a Townsville telegram, published in the Argus, reports thab there are quite aa many diggers at the Gilbert goldfields as can find claims, and the number is amply sufficient to thoroughly try the ground. Water is getting scarce, and a good deal of sicknesß prevails.

" Now am 1 in Arden," cries Touchstone, in "As You Like It." " The more fool I. When I was at home I was in a better place." Th« sentiments of the moralising jester seems to be eohoed by some of the pastoral settlers in Queensland, and the wife of one of them, writing from the Upper Burdekin to a fri«nd at Pleasant Creek, conveys a dreary picture of lifo in that remote Arcadia. "If," she says, "we could Only sell for a quarter, or even half that, of what we have spent, we would joyfully give it up, and not reßt till we had seen the last of Queensland. There seem to be no people in thecouHtry, only those who, like ourselves, are obliged to stay. The townspeople have the same cry as the bush people. Nothing doing and nothing new to try again at. Those of tho squatters who oan afford to lose what thoy have spent are giving up their runs, and leaving all improvements. One man, who had 60(> square miles of country, and first-class improvements, has left 90.000 Bheep to run wild in the bush, if they like, besides hones and cattle. He has gone utterly ruined— could not pay his men's wages. One of our neighbours, who has spent over £30,000 in four years, sold last week 40,000 sheep at 2s per head —they oost in the first place from 25s to 30s ; the rest of his flock they are driving to tho boiling-down establishment. His run and improvement are left to ruin. There are others gathering their flocks and Bonding them to the boilingdown, hoping to realise enough to pay their shophords, and tako themselves away to begin anew elsewhere. Tho climate wears out pooplo so fast, and tho continued anxiety and depression all havo their effect upon even tbo strongest. Wo are doing nothing ; a strange face has not passed for nearly a month."

To turn a curse into s> blessing is to accomplish a remarkable feat, and it is an instanoo of our local industrial energy, that while the oaroaso of tho rabbit is successfully hawked throughout tho city and suburb*, a demand for rabbit-fur is likoly to anno. It is perhaps not ponerally known that the soft, silky undergrowth of hair on the rabbit's back is tho chief material of whioh the light grey folts used by hatters is oomposod ; and the increase of rabbits in Victoria has turnod attention to the subioot of hat-felt manufacture, whioh the Melbourne hatmakurs havo very much at heart. There are many things to favour suoh *n ent«rprise. The "down" from the Victorian rabbit is dodared by experts to bo docidodly j aaperior to that obtained in Franoo, England, or Araorica ; its price is lo 4d per lb, as against the English prioo of 8s por lb, and finally there is, of oourse, the "protection " afforded by customs duties, froight, *o, These facts oomo to tho surface in oonneotton with tho present attempt to establish a felt manufactory by Mr John Gray, of 164 Little Collins street oast, who spent the bost part of his lifo in tho manufacture of this felt, both on his own

ftoooilnt at Southampton; and in the crie* , brated- London ■ faotoWes ,of JTpwnend,: rinlaine Street, aijid Entciiard in Stamford streets Hitherto there has been s no scope in Victoria: for the 'exercise of his, skill; but, taking advantage of present circumstances, he now proposes to supply the colonial market with the desired material, A visit paid to his modest factory a day or two since, showed that something definite has been done. With a hand "bow," the most iinEortant implement employed in the work, c has already produced felt for several hats, , which prove xnoref than sufficiently that the main difficulties , have been overcome; and he professes to be able to supply the same article at 2s 6d, which is fimported from England and France at 3s 6d. Had he the proper machinery, the price could be brought down to 2b, and one bowing machine would consume 100,000 rabbits ■ per anaum. Tho whole of tho machinery requisite would not cost more than LSO or L6O; but such an outlay appears to be too much for Mr Gray, who has also to encounter a minor obstacle, ie. f the difficulty of getting merino wool of the longest staple; With affairs at this stage, it would appear that a very little effort on the part of the Melbourne hatters and soft-goods men would establish a new manufacture, which would command the colonial markets-

A new method of making gas for lighting purposes has been largely applied in New York ; and inasmuch as the only material used in its manufacture is one whioh ia found in considerable quantities in Australia* the subject is one whioh possesses several claims on tho attention of gas-producers here. The object of making common air combustible, by adding to it the necessary quantity of hydro-carbon, has for some time been pursued by experimenters in America, and the end seems to have been effeotually reached by Mr A. C. Rand, who has taken out a patent for his discovery of a means for making what he calls "pneumatic gas." The method is a very simple one. Atmospherio air is made to pass in fine streams through a tank containing crude petroleum heated by steam, and in, its passage the air takes up the warm vapours of the petroleum, together with a permanent; gas which is alwajra evolved by the petroleum when heat is applied in the ordinary process of distillation. The gaseous mixture thus obtained is treated by a condensing process which abstracts the petroleum vapour, leaving a permanent non-condenßible gas, fit for use. Tho cost is said to be less than one-half the cost of manufacturing coal gas where the petroleum and the coal are of about equal accessibility. One great advantage is the simplicity of the means employed in the manufacture, by which the retort-houses, ground for storing coal, and other requirements of tfce present system, become unnecessary. To adapt the new process to a common gas manufactory but little change is required. The new apparatus would have to be connected with the .gasholders, and all is done. It is a high tribute to tho success of Mr Rand's invention that the extensive Metropolitan Gas Com* panyof New York has purchased his -patent, after submitting tho process to a series of very severe tests. Tho great object was to test thoroughly the non-condensibility of the CR3, and its capability of travelling for long distances without losing its illuminating power ; and the results appear to have been strongly in favour of tho new invention. The advantages claimed for the process are — the production of a gas more uniform in quality than that made in any other mode, the dispensing with machinery and consequent freedom from, any liability of the works getting out of order; the impossibility of accident, no fire being required for its manufacture;" the simplicity of the prooeos. making skill in the operators quite unnecessary ; and, in addition, the great cheapness at whioh a gas of high illuminating power in made. Our main reason for referring to this process arises from the fact that we have in this and the adjoining colony of New South Wales doposits of shale from whioh tho crude petroleum necessary for the production oould be obtained. So far as the manufacture of oil hug gone here, it appears that the cost of producing tho oil approaches so near to its market price as hardly to leave sufficient margin to make tho undertaking remunerative. This ariies to a great extent, we believe, from tho expenses attending the refining process ; and if the crude product could bo utilised as in tho mode adopted in Mr Rand's gas-making process, it would pro* bably give a groat stimulus to tho Hartley works, and might ultimately load to tho developiriont of richer deposits than those ye* opened. Altogether, in its various aspoctr,' the subjeot sooms an important one, and, as we before said, it is desorvingof the attention and enquiry of those interested in the supply of light to tho oommunity ,

In an article oommonting on the lots of tho Blao Jacket, tho Lyttelton Times says t— - An impression prevails vory generally that it is to bo attributed to tho flax sho had on board. Though wo oan understand how this impression arose, we aro at ft loss to aoconnt for tho ready oredence it roooived among men whoso experience and natural intelli- . genco ought to haro made them pause, at lea«t, before arriving at such a conclusion. In Captain Wbito's narrativo no oonjeoture is hazarded as to tho origin of tho fire, and tho remark that it is supposed to hare arista from damp wool is likoly enough to be trus> when we tako all tho oironmstanoes into consideration. At all events, prudonoe suggests that tbo public should wait for further intelligenoo before they attribute the fire to tho (lax whioh the iU.fatod vostel oarriod. ■*

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