IN DAYS THAT HAVE GONE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3034, 8 May 1912, Page 73

IN DAYS THAT HAVE GONE.

THE WEEK'S ANNIVERSARIES

May s.—Napoleon died at St. Helent : 1821. Garibaldi sailed from Genoa, 1860. Bret Harte died 1902. May 6.—Cornelius Jansen died, 1638. Battle of Prague, 1757. Andre Massent born, 1758. Paris Exhibition, 1889. Admiral Sampson died, 1902. King Edward VII died, 1910. May 7.--Correggio born, 1494. Richard Cumberland died, 1811. Thomas Barnes (editor Times) died, 1841. Lord Rosebery born, 1847. Appointment first New Zealand Ministry, under Mr Sewell, 1856. May B.—Reduction of Jamaica, 1658. Le Sage born, 1668 May 9.—Count Zinzendorf died, 1760. Garibaldi defeated Neapolitans at Palestrina, 1849. J. M. Barrie born, 1860. May 10.—Barton Booth, tragedian, died, 1733. Battle of Lodi, 1796. . Queen Victoria's last visit to London, 1900. Sir Henry Stanley died, 1904. Prince of the Asturiaa born, 1907. May 11.—Constantino removes seat of Eastern Empire to Constantinople, 330. S Puritans sailed to Massachusetts, 1629. Marion du Fresno anchors in Bay of Islands, 1772. Assassination of Mr Spencer Perceval, Prime Minister, 1812. Earl Granville born, 1815. Rangoon taken. 1824. Madame Recamier died, 1849. It was on May 5, 1360, that Garibaldi, the great Italian patriot, with srn a thousand enthusiastic spirit*, embarked from the coast near Genoa in two steamers and sailed for Sicily. He had previously been assured by Sir James Hudson, of the sympathy of England, and Cavour, who secretly favoured the venture, despatched Admiral Pereano with a squadron ostensibly to intercept the expedition, but in reality " to navigate between it and the hostile Neapolitan fleet." Garibaldi took in arms and money at Talamone, reached Marsala on May' 11, and landed under the protection of British vessela. Ho at once proclaimed himself dictator of Sicily in the name of King Victor Emmanuel, and commenced a brilliantly successful campaign in that island, and later in Italy itself. Francis Bret Harte American ,-author, was born in New York State in 1839. After a common school education ho went with his mother to California at the ago of 17, afterwards working in that State as a teacher, miner, printer, express-messenger, secretary of the San Francisco Mint, and editor. His sketches and poems, which appeared in his magazine (the Overland Monthly) for some years, attracted wide attention in the Eastern States and in Europe. Bret Harte was an early master of the short story, and his Californian tales were regarded as introducing a new genre into fiction. " The Luck of Roaring fimp" (1868), "The Outcasts of Poker Flat " (1869), th e later sketch " How Santa Claus Camo to Simpson's Bar," and the verses entitled "Plain Language from Truthful James," combined humour, i pathos, and power of character portrayal I in a manner that indicated that the new

Western land had found its best delineator. Forty-four volumes were published by him between 1867 and 1898. Ho was for a year professor in the University of California, and was United States Consul in Germany and at Glasgow, 1885 no resided in London, engaged in literary work, and died at Caniberley on May 5, 1902. In 1757, during the Seven Years' War, the Austrians, pressed on all sides by three Prussian columns, retreated .under the walls of Prague, waiting to be joined there by forces under Marshal Daun. Frederic, however, resolved to attack immediately, and crossed the Moldau on May 5 with 16,000 men. On the following morning at break of day he was joined by the corps under Marshal Schwerln. In the ensuing battle victory was on the side of the Prussians, but it was purchased by the loss of their best troops, not less than 18,000 being killed, with many of the bravest officers and Schwerin, the father of the Prussian discipline and the guide of Frederic in the career of victory. Of the Austrians, 8000 were killed and wounded, 9000 made prisoners, and 28,000 shut up within the walls of Prague. A column of 18,000 Austrians made good their retreat along the Moldau to join the army of Marshal Daun. - Prague was instantly blookaded by the victorious army, and not less than 100,000 scpjls were confined within the walls, almost without means of subsistence. They were soon reduced t to the greatest extremities, but a change in the fortunes of war ufter the battle of Kolin compelled the Prussians to raise the sieg e on June 20. Thc_ universal exhibition of arts* manufactures, etc., in Paris, first proposed in 1884, was opened by President Carnot on May 6, 1889, when about 200,000 persons were admitted. It was the greatest of all the exhibitions held up to that time. The buildings wero of colossal proportions, and, with the charming gardens, occupied nearly the whole of the Champs de Mars. One of its attractions was the gigantic Eiffel Tower (985 ft high), constructed chiefly of iron. The Parliament of 1856 may be said to be tho practical commencement of representative institutions in New Zealand, because then responsible government became, with the sole reservation of Nativo matters, a reality. The Governor entrusted the formation of the first Ministry to Mr Sewell who happened to be at that time the only ntemkr in the House belonging to the Fitzgerald Cabinet of 1854. Mr Sewell chose as his colleagues, on May 7, Sir Francis Bell, Sir Frederick Whitaker, and Mr Henry John Tancred. Jamaica was discovered by Columbus and taken possession of for Spain on May 3, 1494. In 1655 an expedition sent out by Cromwell, under Admirals Penn and Venables, having failed against Hispaniols, turned attention to Jamaica, and took possession of it on May 3, after it had been exaotly 161 years in the hands of the Spaniards. The island was not, however, finally reduced to submission till May 8, 1655, when an attack from Hispaniola w»» defeated, and the remaining Spaniards driven from the island. Count Nicolaus Ludwiz Zinzendorf was a religious reformer descended from an ancient Austrian family, and was born in Dresden in 1700. In early manhood he resolved to settle down on his estates as a Christian landowner, spending his life on behalf of a pious tenantry; and with threo devoted friends he set himself in various ways to create a revival of religion. ■ He offered asylum to a number of persecuted wanderers from Moravia, and built for them a village on a corner of his estate. The refugees who came to this asylum belonged to more than one Protestant organisation, and Zinzendorf, with infinite patience, was ultimately able to weld thorn into a common organisation known to history as tho " Moravian Brethren." He saw their wonderful missionary enterprises spread this Protestant family order into Germany, Denmark, Russia, and England, while missionary colonies were founded fit many distant parts of the world. In 1760, overcome with his labours, Zinzendorf fell ill, nrd died on "May 9. During Napoleon's first Italian campaign ho totally defeated the Austrian army under Beaulieu, at the bridge of Lodi, on May 10, 1796. He himself stormed the bridge at the head of his grenadiers. Tho battle was so disastrous to the Austrians that they could risk no second engagement, and retired upon Mantua an i tho* lino of the Mincio. . A few deys later Bonaparte made his triumphal entry into Milan. Constantinople, formerly Bvzantium, delives its name from Constantine the Great, who removed the Eastern Empire thither and raised it to nominal equality with Rome. His practical genius recognised in Bvzantium, on the European side of the border line between the two continents, the site best adapted for hi* now capital. All subsequent ages have applauded Ins discernment for experience has endorsed the wisdom of the oh>ice The city was solemnly dedicated with religious ceremonies on Mar 11, 330, and the occasion was celebrated, after tho Roman fashion, by a great festival, lar-resscs and games in tho hippodrome, which lasted 40 days. , , Spencoc, Perceval, who was Prime Minister of England from 1809 to 1812, v.'as born in November, 1762. Notwithstanding that he had tho assistance in tho Cabinet of no statesman of th.j first rank, he succeeded in retaining office till he was shot by a. man named Bellingham. a bankrupt with a griovance, who had vainly applied to him for redress, in the lobby of the House of Commons on May 11. 1812. E'ellmgham was certainly insane, but the plea was set aside and he was hanged.