Untitled

Otago Witness, Volume 15, Issue 1487, 15 May 1880, Page 8

i!^

A PECULIAR ACCIDENT. The New 2ea.ij.ud Times of tae 2fih iosr. gives th»> folio wiug account of a t-omwimt ■curious Kctideu'c :—•'* While a ycaug Inly residing in Acthui 1 streei w«ri work lag a wring* machine yesterday ru'ii'Mug, the /leed'e nv3- , denly broke < ff ansl s .ruck htv close under the ©ye with bijou fw«<3 that s'te fell iiaok ineneible. Her uiofckf r, who was near her at the time, tan tj b»r assiutence, aud. finding that uhfc appeared lifeless, seat for Dr Tripe. After a can ful search a small punctured wound was found oa th© lower eyelid, bu'/ no conclusion could 1)6 drawn from its existence until the young lady recovered, aad stated that aomathing had Struck hoi 1 in that part of the face. TJpon examining thacewiug-m tchine the needle was fouhd to hay.) be>-n broken. Dr Trips was tmaKltt <o prob<s (he wound yesterday owing to the excessive pain from which the patient waa suffering, bu« ha frars that; the pars of the needle bai c -nvletely buri'd il8«lf iv (ha flesh, No tl»'« •will, bow«ver, bo 10-.t ia a^cf-r'aiuing the exact n.v»ute of the injury, especially as there to bo pome *eason to fear that; the eyeball imb been g'aaid," A NEW EL-RCXIIIC LAMP. A new form of lamp tor tho eltcwio light has lenently b°ou invented by Mr Oh&rl-s Scewi-rfc, M.A. Tfcis lamp, which is of (simple construe tion, is Be;l.r'."g«lftUflg aud capable of burning for a "very loay \iiuo without aUeini m. A. carbon rci of ujesUcrable length descends ve*tically through, xhe centre of a m-.tal tube formed iati) the shape ot ft liny, a pitce of lat.ula.ted carbon placed beneath the cirtwm r.ul preventing the lattgr from lailtag. The electric arc is formed between tbe maid* edge of the smg electrode an'l tbe lower end of the oarfcoa rod. There is a flow of water through the metal tube to keep the tatte.' cool. Th<s lamp ia lighted automatically by an electro m«gn?fc, bringing the metal electrode momentarily into Contact wiih the cavbinrod. The Telegraphic Journal aud Electrical Iteviewof March lift contains a lull description of My Suswarfc's inveation, ajdobfceiv«a that the principle of hits lamp pofffSEs points of novelty wMch setm highly advaut&geous. THE FRENCII JJSWjELS. Some lime ago there w«s tome talk about aallinte the magnificent colltcli'm of diam< nils forming pwt of the Fiench Grown jewels, valued at 40,000,000 francß. Loth to oirpevno a collection of such artistic value, yet anxious to conciliate tboßo li-publicuns who wish the crown to he auld beouse they do not want anyone to wear it, the Government have decided npon the following course. The Grown dia woods will \m divided into three ctasses:— l. The heraldic ones, baviog home artistic or historical interact. Those will be deported in the Apollo Gallery of the Louvre, and among them the famous Regent, 2, Toe diamonds having a special minefdogioal value will be sens to the Mueeum of Natural History. 3. Those which may be considered mere jewll«ry, atsd of whica the value in esiitnated^s 3,000,000 franca, will bo Bold for tbe benefit oi the museum funds. REVEKSIKG A. POPULAR NOTION. If you are apt fco feel chilly (says an English contemporary), dress warmly at home. A wadded coat will enable the chilly man to sit and work anywheie indwra, aud bo will an extra suit of thin flannel worn during the whole of the active day. Just let anyone who doubts what we say try the very simple expedient, when the ohillneaa b&comex unbearable, of putting on hia dressing gown over his ordinary clothing, and in five minutes he will be perfectly comfortable and ready for work, while ho will not suffer as he fancteo he will, when he goes out of <Joois. The popular notion npon tha'o aubj?c% is a mere delusion. You are not strengthem'iLfVr outdoor woifc by shivering indows, but ratbur wfcaknued; habitual w&rmth, if no*, t>o s?reat, henuj? one of the best vreseiv.-.tivod of c;Jistif.uti^n-jl Btreugth. Alwaya try to remain moderately and healthfully warm. A XEW USB FOB MfOB. Hitherto (saystho "Monthly Homoeopathic Heview ") thero has b?en no remedy which could boregarded as spcolficf or tetonns. At last, however, an ingenidUß Frecch pnysician ha« apparently hit u^on a remedy before which tetanno yields as readily a 8 toothache yicldu to tbe dentist's forceps, and which will, of •' course. superßede curare ami all other inferior remf diea. The Fsunch doctor ia question w«s called in to attend a lady suifering from tetauaH. In bis report he eaye that sue was a married woaiau of 31 years of ago, and tbat }.reviona to hi*) •visit her family physician had tried every known remedy for tetanus, including cm-are, without producing any < ff eot. Tbe patient was lying on her back, wit.i her jaws tightly closed, and the muscles of htr chest; and threat were so rigid that Rb« was unable to utter a sound. The doctor at once went oat and procured a live mouse of the umal size tmd voracity, to the tail of whichhe attached aßtron(<horpeluh\ Placii.gt.he Mouse at the foot of the bed. he permitted it to walk the entire length of tho pAtionfc's body. No sootier did Ihe patient notice the naome than she sprang up, l<uidly calling to the attendants to take it off, and denouncing the doctor as a horrid heart! jas wretch, who ought to be ashamed of himself and guillotined on the Bpot. There waa no jecumnca of tho symptoms of tfitanus. Ia fsc'i, thb doctor adds that the lady'B jaws were so thoroughly and per. nanentiy utiloc):ed that tbe husband, who is, t {course, i(.«oraut of law, has threatened to begin an action for damages against him. THE COUNT AND THE PffIASANT. My friend Mr ITolingsby^ the painter (wr'tes iEglep," in the Australasian), has translated me a letter written by the veteran Yon Moltke to a working man living in a village near Liebstadt, a<nd wpich letter has not, I think, appeared in English journals. This poor peasant had written to the hero of so many battle-fields, asking him to use bio influence with the Emperor to reduce the army of Germany. Bumly occupied as the great typical modern soldier must be, he did not neglect to reply to Mb humble correspondent, and thus :— Honoured Sir,— Who would not wish from the bottom of his heart to Bee lightened the heavy burden of our armies, which Germany ig obliged to maintain from her geographical position in the midst of such powerful neighbours. Naither the rulers nor the administrations ignore these facts. But more fortun»te circumstances are only possible when all nations arrive at the conclusion that every war, even though crowned with, victory, is a great national misfortune. To bring about ] this conviction is beyond the power even of out ! Emperor, and ifc can only be brought abouf through a higher moral and religious education of the whole world, the fruit ox hundreds of years of Jevelopment and progress in the world's history, which we both shall not live to see. With friendly compli. menta-^MoLTKß.— Berlin, February 28th." The letter is intertsting < ia more than one respect :—(1): — (1) The warrior's conviction that even victorious wav is a misfortune j (2) tb« feudal faith shown in the relucltmce to admit that there i.» one thing beyond the power " even of our Emperor;" and (3), tho noble courtesy dis\»ls,yed towards the simple countryman »hn had in good faith and with confidence invoked bis aid.

SERVING A WBIT IN IRELAND. # < A story is told by the Home News, which ' w 'ul.l h.'<vo fortued a Kplt-ndirt incident fur one of L^vtr'u novels :■— An Irish, M.P., appannOy in lhat coiidiiiou kn»wn as " Imum up," re- ' ceive.i a l&t er, d>to.i fivtn a remote corner of i hu constituency fmi duly id^ued, announcing ' tha 1 ; a meeting hud be«n twld with intent t.o encourage him in hid patriotic obstruction of the Smcod, and rhat a deputation had ht en, ap- j pointed to wait upon him with rpsolntione. j Wh-ra and wh»u might they be received ? The M.P. promptly taking up vis pen, nu.de »v »ppoiutmenli for an emly day. atid renewing his ir> junction about tho bailiff, g%ve ordwa that tri* deputation wan to be admitted. With the hour cam** the honest voters, ivt-ariop green ribbons imd hvimful of loyalty. The M.P. received them ia a private room, aud holding out his hftod to receive from the Hpok> stnan the resolrittouu agreed upon f»t the meeting of hi* j condiments, had plac*! in ie— a wr'ii ! The m&'tirg, the deputation, the green riobon", and tha o py of tuc-i resolutions w«nj a»l a device oi au astute firm of Dabliu bolici'ore. TKEB PLANTING AT THE MAURITIUS. Sir George lion at* (iv-maik.3 the U'H« Times) is making laudable eff.-m t<> impre s upon vhs rnii^dß of the Msauiiius p««ple the noce^sity of fcmo-i >lanSmi', upon the prtv edition ami oxt.-n-eiou ot its fo/Htuß iirps"iilnig she prosperiiy or ruin of thu country a f "l W> ii^e or death ot its inhabitants. And he U a man of dr e la us wbll as of words. A Urgo portum of* tha domain at R'daiv lias b*©n appropriated by him «vi a nursery for tb^ cultivation ot metul treosj and plunts. Al'tady, tindor Sir Cuoix-j Bowen'ri rti.vniie-f, 15,0(iO tct'ta h«.va been raised in this arboretum cii-tfly from aeetls or v. nefi'S of fcho eucalyptus brought by i.'im from Australia. MfhUi-niug thin iacfc in a recent address to ihe Ideal Soci"ty of Ann and yci»n«Kß, ha ea'd :— •' It will be rt collected th»s i.l'uitations of this tree l.avo beeu found mutb « ffectivn m checking tho spread «>f nia'a'itt )'a Italy, m Gieoce, ia A.Ueria, and in othsc f«v-«r-,striclien couutriec. Ig it* intavidid al^o to raise afc Hndnit f'u- distribution ihrwg iout t>i>< O.uony other valuable ti-' c-, fuch f-s th« chin conn. f»oin which qu'nine 5< niul. , the kauri (Dammara) o* A»,str6lia an-'l New Zealand, whi«!> is inynly prized for its timber, U gf ther wifii many other traes of re muaerativd growth." Ph-io/iul govfrnmenl; is not without ifcß advantages, EOSSILS AT THE DtfNKDIN'GMSWORXS. PorticuiH ot tlm »k»lot.i>R «-f ». very Wge fi.'Sh have beeu discovered 14 feet" bflov? the i-urface of the ground nt ths Gasworks. Tae faimatson of the ground thereabouts consists of blue clay, inter»p»>r«ed with oy«t>'i! aud cockle shells to the depth of aft it>aat 30 feet. In this bod fish remains are of ton found, but thoso recently j discovered are of a neculiarly interesting chsracI ter. The vertebrae of a whale were found <>n I tbe Flvt about afvoa y^ars oifo, when the old i gasholder was Bet, and those recently brought to ; lissht wvr« found in tho exoavation which is \ now be?s\g nia'l« for the n»w gasholder. Tao | banes ar« tlusa of an enormous swordfiab. | The sword-bone ia about four foefc in length, and is four inches in breadth at the wide end. The tail fia has also been found, and is of proportionately l\t'£& dimensions. A number of tbe vertebfro and portions of the fins as well m other pwoes of bone have bean got out, and are in o. capital Rtate of pKsarvation. It is roughly c-stimated that th« fish, must have been 18 feet lonsr, so that should th« ci.tire skeleton | be obtained it. will be a very interesting spscii men. FACING DEATH COOLY. The recent, hangiojr oc Swift Runner, an Indian murderer, af; Ssskatohevan, Canada, took place with ft temperature 40 degrees bdow zero. A gallows hftd been built out of tfiK>rrt bo that the Indiana could see the execution, but when the officer* and prisoner arrivod at; Hu^i Bnot if. waa i^md that pact of the soiffi Id hod beea wed u>r firewood by the hoAf.froz-sti crowed. Swift Kunner complacsntly warmed hi«.!B. 1£ »t the fn« while tuo gallows i was r<?p'4roa. Whun everything elae was i ready, *»h« nervous hanfjruan sxii ho bad for aottcij to brirg a strap to fa e teo the prisoner's arms and le&\ Th-i orisAier off-red to save further trouble by killing himseit with ;<. toma. hn.wk, bv.n his profositu>n w«8 rejected, and he ato a l>eacty meal "f prnuuican -with tha noose round bin neck whiL) n mesi<enger was fatching «, BUap. A vc'usb aUemoUsd to give him o^iii'unl consolation, but he b*W. that the w'ukt> Kif«i'tf vi'hisky h.^d mined him, and so he could net t ( in tho white man's God. He jaeferu'd i\ de i*h-(l%CB by his own people, and uhile they were petforming it he v/as hnnyed. THE NEW AND MYSTERIOUS DIVING APPARATUS* One of the most astounding announcements of modern t.jrnta is made in «ev«ral Eogliah papers for Ft-bruvry by Dr Richardson, v/ho giv*)H an ocoount <>f a. diver who, tquippad Jin a diviuj? drfigp, could go do«-n into .deep water and stay there an hour without any supply of aJr f Mm above. This remarkable personage, Mr ]?ltusj, i-i deEcribecl as «n EnglUbman, of the mot chant aervic?, and who has discovered a way by which bribing can b-i carded on underwater. Dr Richardson Htates thut in the first dip at which he wa3 present. Mr Fleus3 reminned under water 20 miuut- a, and came out free from oppwe-iiiai, hk pub>e steady, his breathing free, and hia cotrip'exion naturnl A. subsequent dip in 12 feet, of water lasted an hour, during which Mr "Gldusa tooved about, picked up small objects, and reclined on tbe floor of the tank. When ho came up his pulse wa» beali? g »e»rly double tho natural rate ; bni. hi» faci was clear of my sign of asphyxia, and, a« in tie former ense, the breathing was free. Though it has been burmfced tbaf; Mr Ek-iUHS hu» «oudcn»ed aiv concealed about his pe*S'<n, the precise tnean« by which hekerps hitnseif alivo under wa'er ia a secret ; b\it tbat endeavours v'A\ bo madfl to turn ie to account may be taken for granted. To be able to take long walks in a river or at the bottom of the sea, independent of air- pumping from above, opens a wide sphere of usefulness for divers. And if life can bo maintained under water, so c\n it also in a noxious atmosphere, and Fleas*' apparatus may render good service in dangerous caal-Eoines and in burning houses. THE SEA SERPENT OUTDONE, We do no*, know Me Q. Wright, bu* w publish the following account of ono of hi adventures, supolied by the Akaco»c.'rre BB pOll.p 011 . d«Qt of tbe Clmstchurch T?r*a* :— " Mv George WristhK who wrh ou^aida ihe Hoads fiahiyg O n Thursday la^fc, g«»t fa^i; to a monnter, whioa he succeeded Jn brinfjing to the surface, but owi^g to his enormou«! size ho had to cut Ibe li ne> He A* acribes the fish a* being about 24 f'-et long ; his head wa r « aomethmi? the shape of a shark'?, quite smooth oji tho top, but hia back was j covered with small spike 3 about 2 inche,s or 3 : inches Ion?. He had two lhr,?e fins on the back, which v/aa ntriped something Hk^ a gurnet:, blua and red skin. The tail was abmt 4 feet from fin to fin. "When hauled rip fiiMt ha camo open-H'.ouibed pt tho boat »nd efcruck it on tha i.tfe, almost cftpsiKinsib. Tho of its open au\uth wou'dhe nearly 3 feet. The above acconwt can ho ralied on, a3 Mr Wright is wall known hfre, and has been fishing from a boy, but says that he never saw anything of this description before,"

A BOYAL BANKRUPT. I The Oonstaotiuoplo correspondent of the Jcorual de Genove gives som<3 curious details resp^utin-^ the expenditure of tha Sultan Thw bankrupt, who cau pay neither his creditors nor his civil employee?, and whose soldiers are literally hturviug, manages to waita L 2,400,000 per annum oa LiuißC-lf and tiie cunucha, eultana 1 !, and courtier* that reside in his palace. lie ha* 300 cooks, 200 attendants to carry food from the kitchen to the table, 10 table-masters to atratige th« service, and 10 stewards to draw up thrt daily menus. There are 10 employceß to unfold the carpet on which he prays, 10 cofFaeroaaters to make hia coffee, 10 servants to clean his pipeß, 20 valets to look aftsr hia clothes, eight persons to light hia chandeliers, eight ottuTß to clean his aviaries, 100 boatmen to row his beat if h« malrea an excursion on tha Bosi^hoius, five armourers, two hairdressers, aud 250 gvoonu. Altogether 4000 psraons live at i bis expenae. SLEEP IN WINTER. Dr Richardson, lecturing on " Golden Laws of Health," at Croydon recently, speaking of Blejp, says :— k< Tha fewer hours after dark that are spent ia artificial light tha better, aad the sooner they went to re^fc after dark the better. They required ia the cold season of winter, whoa the nights were lone, much move sleep than thpy did in the rammw. Oa tha longest day in the year (.even hours of sleep were sufficiiiiat foe ino&fc meti and women in the prime of iifw ; on the shortest day nine houis was not, overmuch, and for persons who aro weakly 10 or 12 hours might be taken with much advantage. In winter children should all have 10 or 12 hours' sleep. It was not idleness to indulge to that; extent, but an actual saving, a storage up of iaugorated existence for the future. Such rebt could be obtained by going to bed vary twrly— say at half-past Bor 9. It; was wrong at ciie present season t»at they should ba ai. that meeting robbing themselves of sleep. It waa wrong as over it could be that our Legislature should oftan be sitting up a3lhey<3id, ni B 'ht aft«v night, trying ag.tiusfc life to legislate for Me. Ifi was foolish, too, that public writers aud editors Bhould be callad on to exer'oise their craft at a time whan all thsir na'jure was culling out to tbem, c Best 1' "He mi^hfi ba acoufced of folly m saying these things, but he w&b standing by Nature, and spaakiug under her direction." WRECKAGE EXTRAORDINARY. A part of the ill-fated train which went down with the Tay Bridge in December laat has, ii jseema, turned up at Norway. While some fishermen were engaged in February last in hauling up their nets, an extraordinary objtct met their eyes. The superstitious fears of sea monstera which have been written a great deal about lately held them back for sometime, but their curiosity made them approach the supposed nea monstor, and, to their great _ surprise, they found that it was something like a building. As the sea was calm they imme- | diately commenced to tow it to shore, where it • was hauled up on the beach, and was then i found to be a damaged railway waggon. The wheels were off, the windows smashed, and one door hanging on its hinges. By the name on i it, " Edinburgh aud Glasgow Railway," it was at once surmised that it must have been one of j the waggons separated from the train which ! met with tho disaster on the Tay Bridge. In the carriage waa a portmanteau containing ! garments, Home of them marktd " P. 8." Tho [ waggon was tent on to Hangesund, to ba forwarded thence to Bergen. i HOME EROM THE GRAVK. Artists, especially foreigners, are generally superstitious, and an arauning instance of the fact; occurred outsiiJe Messrs Allan and Co. 'a music warehoupe on Saturday afternoon (says a late Melbourne paper). When he went Home some three years ago ia search of talent, Mr R, S. Smythe visited Pam, and during his utay opened negotiations with Madame Oarlotta Pafcfci, with whom bo bad several interviews. But there waa a difference of some L2OOO between th^ lowest sum which the gruab voonlist would consent to take for 100 concerts, and the highc-st that the agent was willing to guarantee her, and the affair dropped. The idea of reaping a golden hnrrest Jn the Southern Colonies, wheio her friend Arabella Goddard (who had recommended Mr Smythe to her) had amassed a fortune, was not, however, abandoned by Madame Patti, and she decided to visit AuHti alia. On reaching Melbourne, she inquired abnufc that droll manager who, in her in age ifiouiitly- furnisher! apartment ia Paris, had painttd iv such glowing colours the pleasures and profits of an Aus* kalian tour, assuring her that the costly presents with which the tablets of her boudoir were covered were »h uothiog compared with fche splendid fcek^a of ( their enthusiastic admiration of he-r brilliant tal-nts which the tquatters and oth-ir wealthy colonisiw would shower at her fee I.1 '. But in answer to her kind inquiries about her antipodean visitor, Bhe wua told that ne v/m dead— an announcement which Madbme Patti, wbo is poss«psed of considerable dramatic talent, affected to hoar with some regret. Imagine tho lady's asroniahmesit then, when, as htsr carriage drove up to Allan's oa Saturday, Mr Siuyihe advanced to meet the Diva. He had only just returned from a long tour the previous night, and so looked suporahimdantly healthy and lively. Uttering a siiriek which attracted the attention of the d./ers o? the block, ininy uf whom had a ever heard the famcus Binder before, Mndauia exclaimed, " Mon Dim I They told ran you were dead. You huvrt not been dead?" — "Think you, I'm all right up to now," leplied the imperturbable manager. Having, by shaking hands with him, satisfied herHelf thai; the supposed deceased was still in the flesh, the gifted lady expressed her pleasure on renewing the acquaintance of the courteous manager. THB BAKONESS BUBDETT-COUTIS AND THE IRISH FAMINE. A lot of melancholy rubbish has of late been written and reprinted in Colonial newspapers about Baronet Burdett- Coutts giving half a million sterling for distribution in Ireland. In relati >n to tho subject the following appears in the Northampton Mercury of Penruw-y 25th, the pat agraph being written by tbe Mercury's London correspondent :— " lam able to Btate on the higheat authority tlnal; thure ia no truth in the persistent report of the Freeman's Journal tha"; tho Barone-sa Burdetfi-Coiittrf is abous to expend L 500.000 in improving the condition of th« peasantry iv the Wesft of Iroland. It is much to be regretted tbat a statement so extravagant should have been pertinaciously put forward. Lady Burdett-Coutta ia perfectly awara that tha Irish peasantry will not be noglected by the sympathy of England, and for hewelt she has taken the opportunity of Mr Ashmead Bartletl'a willii!gntsoH to visit Ireland in order to understand in wJiat way her intended contribution (a very small sum in comparison with that mentioned ) can b3 beHtowed. It has been wyew y e metib of Lady Burdetc- Gouts' charitable efforts that they have always had a practical direction, and I bFlievo »,i»at one aim wi'ich the Baro>\e^> had in view hus b-s^a mot hyt.be xupid progress of JVlnj-a- No3au'<s Seed Potatoes Bill, it is understood thai, Lady Burdett-Covufcs' aqeiu iv. Ireland has made particular representations to hnr upon fcho necessity oi providing ssed for the distressed tenant favmers.

A MICE PLAGUE. The Sydney Daily Telegraph pu lishes the following account; from a corre ondent at; Denraan (New South Wales) of a plague oi mico which is at present, causing umch annoyance in that township. The writer saya :— " We n,ro suffering at present from a plsgue of mice. The field* are full of them, so that the horses' feet stick in the burrowed ground. They are racing over tho ground in hundreds ; 150 of a night is nothing unusual to catch, but there is no sensible diminution. They eat into drawingroom furniture, mattresses, i&c. I cannot sleep at night because every now and again I have to drive them froro my pillow. On awaking from an hour's sleep last night I saw no fo-,ver than five on the bed-cover, and they jumped to the flaor in all directions when I moved. The plftgue has come down tha country 50 miles, but, has uot yet extended to Muswellbrook, 15 milos from this. Cats ara of no use. They owa. eat half-a-dozwi whenever they choose to take th»m. Some persons think that, like a plague of locusts, they will pass on, but I cannot sco il; in that way. Is it uot strange? They will nibbla your best bounot, aud do all manner of mischief. Wh?,t is wotkb, txtay get into the pianos. Oao hundred aud fitVen were caught in one nigbx whh'^ut any p^opev appliances, and there is nothing special to attract them there." OBLIGING A PRIEND. Some people in thu world are wonderfully confiding (iays the New Z^aiaod Time")* judgivg from the etateuaHm ye-iioiday ma<le fry a bankrupt; who was being pratfiy severely croasoxamiued by his credit' us. According to thitf it would appear that tho bankrupt had backed a friend's bill for L 65 on the eva of that friend's departure for the North, Immediately puu\ hfAVover, to t,h« (ji.eatner ieavin?, the friojid oaiuo to the bankrupt, and stated that be had lost or mislaid tho hill, and asked thai; another of the s»ine amount should be backed in ifc-? stead, the firss to be canceled if it turned up. And th°n the bankrupt was ro gDoO as to do wh'ii; h ; waa r?quested ; bub as the boar, whs josfc gsiiing ucd.^r way there was no time to fill ia tae amount;, which waa accordingly left blank, aad was to have been filled in fry the friend. But the ameunfc which he filled ia was L3OO, thus making a splendid rise at tho expento of the bankrupt, who, on the Mil becoming dishonourod, had to pay the full amount to the bank, himself. Tha bankrupt; V /as yesterday asked where his "friend" was now, and he replied "in gaol for forgery." MR ABCHIBALT) FORBES AT OOBK, They are a smart people in Cork, but the laugh this time is not on their side. The other night, they vociferoucly refused to allow Mr Archibald JTorbaa to deliver his Zulu War lecture to them, on account of some old dating from tbe period of John Mitchell's can. didature for Tipperary. When they had accomplished their purpose, interspersing the proceedings with eggs heaved at the would-be lecturer, they sereneJy demanded to have their money returned to them, but th«sy did not get it ; and now, when they reflect that Mr Forbes has pocketed their money withottfe bavin? been pat to fine trouble of delivering his lecture, they begin dimly to recognise the truth of the gfograohical axiom that the Scot is too far north for the Irishman. GALLANT TARS KEEPING UP THEIR REPUTATION. The ironclad Invincible, Captain the Hon. Edmund Freemantle, C.8., was the other day ordered from Alexandria to Aboukir Bay,a passage which Ipjujs across the Nile mouths, in a shallow axid often turbulent sea. The ironclad was oteaming about oeven knots to tbe fanur, when one of the leadsmen fell into the rolih g waves. At oace the cry of " man overboard" rang through the ship, and all tbe necessary measures were taken which good discipline and raaritime knowle Ige prescribed. Tho engines wt-re slopped and reversed, the life buoys loosed irom fine bridge and taffrail, ivbiie tho boat-i were called away, manned, and lowvred with the utmoat promptitude. But the pour fellow who had elippod overboard still iueld, r>v had maivaged t.s Uy hold of, the leadline, the consequence beiag that, although knpt up in tno water, he was dragged below its Burfaco i>y the vc-ssoi's motion. After a vocy little white of this submersion, the unlucky bluejacket became choked by tho sea. and, lettine go his grasp, floated, insensible pnd aheadyhalf dead, astern of the ship, m ith Ma head dropping under the water. Captain Freemantle, who wus v/atuhing what was going on from the bridge, understood ia a momrnfc^ thai any del>vy ratnft cost his poor neaiaiii's life Withriut stn »aalaia».'d hesitation, therefore, the gAlfant officer sprang into the waves— just as he stood, in cap, coat, sea-boots, and all — and, striking out; bard and straight for his object, ranched tive spot, to find his man slowly sinking away from fight. M«j caught him up, got his head clew of the sea, aad so, with great difficulty, held the drowning bluejacket during tho interval in the arrival of aSL-islnnse. Help, of coarse, soon camo. Sub-lieutonaat Moore aad tho blacksmiths mat», Ounniugbam, were tbe fiwt two whose brave hearts sent tiiein over. boa>:d to lend tho captain a hand. These gallant fellows, nevertheless, only just swam up ia tinw, for the capwtin'tf boota and heavy clothes were drng&vg him down, and it; was a glad moment wh.tn. the boat flaw tear and took all four fiafe from the water. PREVENTIVE OB 1 FORGERY. Mr Macgarrwle, photographic chemist, of Sydney, ia now m Dunedifl, for the yurpose^of treating with tno Government and the banks for the adoption of the " hank and postagestump non-photographic process," of whioh be ia the inventor. Photographic printing and other kindred aria have now betn brought to such a state of perfection that the clever forger has a fay v/Ider field of operations open to him thau at any previous time, and ifc is therefore a matter of great importance that some plau should be hit upon to proteah the Government, tbe banks, and the public generally from fraud. We have before us a sheet of 60 New South Wales peany postage-stamp?, manufactured by Mr Macgamfjlo, and which it would ba scarcely possible to tell from the genuine stamps isaued by the Government of that Colony. We have also been show two Bank of Nsw South Wales LI notes, produced by the gams gentleman, for tho purpose of showing how easily such forgeries can be pro iuced aad put into circulation. Thesj untes are perfect copies of the " genuine article," even to the manager's signature and the watermark in the papsr, aud, put Kilo chcalatfoD, there ia not the slightest; doubt but they would p?8« from hand to hand for a long time wi'hout detection. Mr Macgarrigla claims that by tha adoption of hia invention all danger of forgery by any photo, graphic process cftu be averted. The notes, posu>ge ■ stamps, or other documents are Bimply dipped in a certain chemical solution, which not; only has the <ffec(. stated, but renders them mwe daiablo and brilliant in appeaiance. I> any a' st>mpt is made to photograph a nok tbat has bofan treated in this manner it; will immediately turn black, and this ia fully exemplified in the caße of some notes before ua which have been partly treated with the {solution and then photographed,

A NORTH ISLAND WILL CASE. The Pest gives the following particulars o£ tho case Ehodf s v. Ehodes, referred to in our Wellington telegrams .—"The plaintiff is Mary Ann Rhodes, the daughter of the late William Barnard Rhodes, of Highland Park, and the defendants are Mm Sarah Rhodes, Mr Waring Taylor, Mr Thomas Mason, and Mr John Studholme, the trustees of the estate, the three surviving brothers of the testator, and the children of two other brothers, Geo. Ehodes and John W. Rhedee, deceased. On the »fen February, 1878, William Barnard Rhodes made his last will and testament. He died on the llih February, or Wo days later. After setting forth tho various legacies and bequests, the will, as proved, contains the following words :— " And from and after the decease or my said wife, without leaving issue of our said marriage, and subject to the foregoing devises, legacies, bequests, and directions, I direct that my said trustees shall stand possessed of all tbe undisposed -of residue of my real and personal estate in trust for nay said natural daughter, Mary Ann, for and during the term of her natural life.' This plainly constitutes Miss Rhodes residuary legatee only in the event of her surviving Mra Ruodes. But the plaintiff intends to produce evidonce to show that the words ' and from and after the decease of my said wife, without leaving iasue of our said marriage,' werd iusarted in the said will contrary to the instructions of the deceased, and were retained without his knowledge or approval. Ia other words, she will try to prove that she is now the absolutH residuary legatee, and therefore ia now entitled to the income arising from property to the extent of nearly L 300.000. A very formidable array of legal talent is engaged in the case. The Attorney-general and Messrs Connolly and Edwards are tae counsel for the plaintiff j Mr Tr&vtrs will appear for the trustees ; Mr Cuapnun (instructed by Mr Cotterell, of Napier) for Mr Josaph Rhodes, Mr Gordon Allan tor Mr and Mrs Wright, and Mossrs Izard and Beil (agents for Messrs Harper and Scott) for the other defendants. Should the verdict be in favour of the plaintiff, a demurrer raised by the defendants will then ba argußd. Tiiiß takes exception to the legality of bringing evidenca to excise words from a will which has been duly proved. In the event of thiii also being decided in the plaintiff's favour, a decree wiii ba moved for to give her immediate possession of the property. The trial itself, although involving the disposal of such an immense fortune, is not expected to last more than one day." IRISH LANDLORDS BECOMING GOVERNMENT DEBTORS, A San Francisco paper, referring to the position of affairs in Ireland, says:— "lrish landowners are taking precautionary measures against the adoption of the land policy advocated by Parnell and the Land League. They are getting iuto debt to the Government as fast as possible, the loans being secured upon their land, In one week the applications for new loans numbered 200, representing an aggregate of 5,550,000 dollars. Since Novembar the applications for loans by Irish landowners aggregated 18,830,000 dollars. If they get their hands into the national wallet in this way for a few months longer, the British Government, in self-protection, will Joe compelled to sustain landlordism at the point of the bayonet." ANOTHER EGYPTIAN SCHEME, An eminent savant named Dr Dalamotte, who is thoroughly conversant with the geology and geography of Egypt, gives it as hia opinion (observes The Times) that the Nile was not the only river which watered ancient or prehistoric E^ypt. The country was then watered, according to him, by all the river 3 now dried up, and which the Arabs of the desert call Bahrel-Abiad, "rivers without water," great beds of sand, in which shells had been found long ago. When these rivers were dried up Dr Delamotte does not pretend to indicate. But as to the geological phenonemon which has led to this drying up, and, as a consequence, the change iuto a desert of vast fertile regions, Dr Dslamotte believes he has discovered this, and after 20 years of work he has gono to Egypt to verify the data, which ought to justify nis theory. In prehistoric times, according to him, all the plateau of Khartum, the rise ef which is scarcely 16 metres, was a greafi lake, similar to the Victoria Nyanza and Lake Tanganyika, and from which the Nile ißaued, as it issues to-day, from its two lakes ; but the cataracts were then much higher than th«y are to-day, aud when the river reached them, instead of precipitating all its mass of water on these cliffs of granite and porphyry, it divided into differeat currents which formed the Bahr-el Abiad of to-day, and which watered the region now changed into a desert. After long centuries, then, tae granite and the porphyry of the cataraotsjwere insensibly worn, their level lowered, and immediately tha Nile retired from the Bahr-ei-Abiad to precipitate its entire volume into the single channel which ifi follows to-day. But the scientific proof of this ia not tfie sole object aimed at by Dr Delamotte. He ia also < of opinion that to fill again the Bahr-ei-Abiad, and thus to increase tenfold the arable land of Egyps, it will Buflice to raise the cataracts — that 13, to establish at each of them a Bystem ef dams and locks. The Khedive, it jis said is greatly interested in theso fine schemes, and has promised hw support to Dr Dela* motte. RUSSIAN TROUBLES Yet another scourge h&s visited Holy Russia. A letter from St. Petersburg to the Temps says that the news received from the interior of the Russian Empire is heartrending. Famine and diphtheria are decimatiag the population. The ptoviuces of Saratof and Kief, which annually export enormouß quantities of grain, scarcely had any crop at all last year. The calamity is aggravated by the want of fodder for the cattle, the peasants being forced to sell them at any price. In the Caucasus the famine is still gteatev. Here people are committing suicide, selling tUei> % children, and taking olher extreme measures to stave off starvation. POSTPONING A REVOLUTION. A revolution has just been effected in the United States of Colombia under circumsb&uces at once peculiar and interesting. It was postponed purely out of courtesy to a distinguished guest. A great popular rising had been arranged for the purpose of overthrowing General Renhijo, president or governor of the State of Antioquia, All the noceasary preparations had been made ; but at tho last moment the leaders of the movement were begged to lot the matter stand over until M. de Leaseps, ,who was in Oolombi i at the time, had taken 2ii« departure, on the ground that , couiteay and canal interests forbade tho unset nily spectacle of a popular revolution. This J appeal waa effectual. Order and peace reigned 1 in Colombia v, bite M. de Lseaepa was there, | hut directly he had engaged his passage to New York the original programme was carried out' and Renhijo was overthrown,