THE SUEZ MAIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1630, 26 August 1871, Page 17

THE SUEZ MAIL.

! "We take the following items from tho Melbourne papers :—: — THE INTERXATIOVAL SOt'TJJTY. ; The International Society daringly active in the distribution of electoral manifestos. The Central Committee is reconstituted, and j Paris is placarded with the declaration that the insurrection is not over. Fire will continue tho work of destruction, and the old social system must and shall perish. London is the head-quarters of the association. The International Society proclaims vengeance. A European subscription has been commenced to promote its operations, which threaten an organised crusade against religion, property, family ties, hereditary rights, and national boundaries. It has ramifications everywhere. THE TjCKE OF IJMN-UUROH's F.LEFHANT. The Duke of Edinburgh brought homo with him from India a powerful elephant, which he purpoae-3 to iustal at Sandriugham as a present to his brother, tho Pi iuce of Wales. During the journey from Plymouth the beast became agitated and violent, and while trying to calm it, the keeper, William Patou, late corporal (whom the Duke had just bought out of the service), was seriously injured, and shortly afterwards died. The elephant was accompanied to its destination by an official and a keeper from the Zoological Gardens. The Duke visited the spot where the accident occurred, to make all needful inquiries, and was much affected at the melancholy occurrence. At the inquest held on the body, it was stated that the elephant had been treated to rum, which accounted for his restiveness. The two men who wore with the keeper both said that the elephant did not attack the poor fellow, but hurt him accidentally while trying to get out of the horse-box in which he wad riding. The jury found a verdict of accidental death. TRADE ATFAIP.S IX EXULAXD. The London correspondent of the Australasian writes :—: — Let us diverge a little from the more immediate London life, and inquire what the country generally is doing in the shape of trade, &c. There is undoubtedly an improvement in many trades, and especially that of iron, but, as usual in this ; happy land, it is no good to us, for the men j in all directions are striking, with a perversity which it is difficult to account for. Newcastle is almost entirely at a stand — the streets crowded with engineers, litters, mechanics, and others who have locked themselves out. In South Wales upwards of 12,000 colliers are doing the same thing, and it really seems as if this capital and labour question would never be settled in Cn<j;land. at least not in this generation. I should not be surprised to find that the International gentlemen had a linger in the pie, and were doing their best to play the devil, to whom they are .so near akin, Of course when trades like these are all agog, tlie railway interest suffers, and, as if not content with this unavoidable evil, tho directors must needs take the opportunity to quarrel amongst themselves. Thus, the Midland and the Great Northern Railways have for weeks been losing thousands a week because the one line persists in carrying coal to London cheaper than the other. Xobody is a bit the better, except the London coallnerehants, who, taking them as a body, are considerable adepts in lobbing the consumer. AUSTRALIAN MEATS AXD BITTER. The " Victorian in London " writes to the Age as follows :—: — ' ' Talking of Australian meats the other day with some dealers in the same, I found that from several causes the trade is just now much depressed. This is the consequence of several causes ; first, shipments have been excessive, the continental trade having almost wholly ceased since the termination of the war. Freshly killed meat is low at this season of the year, and can be sold almost as low us Australian tinned, for which the wholesale price is 7d. I am sorry to hear complaints of bad -weight, which certainly ought not; to applj- to this trade, and must not longer, if the sale of the meat in large quantities in this market is an object. Several favourable notices have appeared in the English press of late concerning this new trade, but you cannot expect this kind of support to continue in the face of so easily surmountable an objection, i regret also to say that the composition sold here as Australian butter is also highly damaging to the reputation of Australian provisions. This filth has lately been analysed by a wellknown, scientific man, who found it a horrible compound of bones and grease, coloured with anatto. Pray expose this swindle, for the sake of the character of the colonial trader. The following is the result of the analysis to which I have referred : — ' The so-called Australian butter, I find on examination is far more horribly nas>ty stuff than I anticipated. I refused to give an analysis or report to the provision merchant who brought it to me. I don't like to havo my name handed about in butter shops, bat I have examined It out of curiosity. It consists chietly of bone grease (old bones probably from horse knackers' yards, kitchen bones, &c.) and American lard, and probably contains not 10 per cent, of real "butter. It is full of gelatine, in consequence, no doubt, of the long boiling of bones and kitchen stuff from which the grease was obtained ; it is very salt, and, to give it greater consistency, it is mixed with some pipe-clay. It is too bad to sell such stuff as Australian butter.' So I am sure you will say."