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Colonist, Volume V, Issue 468, 18 April 1862, Page 3

Otago Amusements.—A fracas occurred between a drunken man and three constables, in front of the Provincial Hotel. In the first instance, two of the police attempted to take the man into custody, and each placed himself on either side of him, and were walking away with their supposed prisoner, when he dexterously tripped up both his captors, and sent them sprawling in the mud. Another constable renewed the attack, but by an effort which would have done Credit to an acrobat, the man seized suddenly hold of his- assailant, and, for a moment poising him in the air, pitched the disconcerted peace-officer over his head into the gutter. A reinforcement coming up in time, enabled the police eventually to secure their prisoner, but the apprehension was not effected until a large concourse of

poisons had assembled to witness the in teresting spectacle of 'one against three.'— A prisoner named Anderson was observed by the senior warden ofthe gaol to have a long metal spoon in his possession, which he had sharpened at the handle point, and, when asked what was his object, he confessed that he intended to stab the governor of the prison the first opportunity. ""Anderson is under a sentence of three yeais' hard labor, ancl, about twelve days aoo, obstinately refused to go to his work, for which misconduct he was punished with solitary confinement on bread and water, and it is conjectured the man harbored revenge for this treatment. Since that time all the spoons served out to the prisoners at meal to times have been cut short the bowl.

The New Belgian Colony.-—Several continental and English journals have lately announced the arrival in the Australian waters of an armed three-master under the Belgian flag, commanded by Captain Michel. Sydney papers have also mentioned the circumstance, with the addition that there are Belgian commissioners ou board, and that the object of the expedition was to take possession of the group of islands called the New Hebrides and found a colony there, The Precurseur of Antwerp asserts that these statements are all incorrect and that it is not to the New Hebrides but to the Salamon or Solomon Island that the expedition is directed, Captain Michel having instructions to examine with great care and attention that group, though not at present for the purpose of founding a colony-— though it is not impossible that it, may lead to that result in time—but for the more practical object of establishing a commercial factory there. The group of islands in question about which very little is known in Europe, aie situated a few hundred miles more to the north than the New Hebrides, and lie contiguous to Papua and New Guinea, and to the east of that island. The Salamon Islands are known to hb of great fertility, the soil producing spontaneously the most valuable spices and other commodities of the same description as those which have gained for the Moluccas and the Phillippine Island their present enviable celebrity. It is fully expected that the official mission of Captain Michel will be attended with important results for the Belgian flag, and at the same no less pecuniary advantage for the enterprising individuals who planned and executed this novel expedition.— Ausrtalian and Neiu Zealand Gazette.

Power op Memory Acquired by Practice. —The story of the celebrated conjuror, Robert Houdin, furnishes a remarkable example of the power of memory acquired by*" practice. He and his brother, while yet boys, invented a game which they played in this wise:—They would pass a shop window, and glance into it as they passed, without stopping, and then at the next corner compare notes, and would see who would recollect the greatest number of things in the window, including their relative positions. Having tested the accuracy of their observations by returning to the window, they would go and repeat the experiment elsewhere. By this means they acquired such incredible powers of rapid observation and memory, that, after running past a shop window once, and glancing in as they passed, they would enumerate every article displayed in it. When Robert became a professional conjuror, this habit enabled him to achieve feats apparently miraculous. It is told of him that visiting a gentleman once in a friend's house, where he had never been before, he caught a glimpse of the bookcase as he passed the half-open library door. In the course of the evening, when some ofthe company expressed their anxiety to. witness some specimen of his power, he said to his host, ' Well sir, I shall tell you, without stirring from this, what books yon have in your library.' 'Come, come,' said the host incredulously, * that |is too good.' *We shall see,' replied Houdin, quietly; 'let some of the company go into the library and look, and I shall call out the names from this.' They did so, ancl Houdin began:—• Top shelf, left hand, two volumes in red morocco, Gibbon's Decline and Fall; next to these, four volumes in half-calf, Boswell's Johnson; Rasselas in cloth; Hume's History of England in half-calf, twelve volumes, but second one wanting;' and so on, shelf after shelf, to the unspeakable wonder and admiration of the whole company, More than once a gentleman stole into the drawing-room, certain that he would catch Houdin reading a catalogue ; but there sat the conjuror with his hands in his pockets, looking into the (ire.

Self-sucking Cows.—A correspondent of the Boston Ctdliuator confidently says a cow is not worth fifty cents less for this habit. He confines her head with a rope, and then splits her tongue about two inches, with a veiy sharp knife, making the two parts equal, and giving soft food for about three days, when it will be well, and tho cow will feed as well as ever. He says the common remedies of frames and straps are 'cruel things: split the tongue, if you have any mercy on the cow.' We have founerly had self-sucking cows, and did not regard them as worth any more than half the usual price. If the animal gets a taste ofthe fresh milk, it spoils her appetite for all other food, and she loses flesh. A cowcollar was found effectual, but it was an offensive object to the eye, and chafed the hair oft the animal. If the above named remedy is effectual, and not cruel, it will be valuable for many to know if it, it is of no value, the best way is to supply a cowcollar, and dry up the cow, and fatten her as speedily as practicable for beef.

The Melbourne Argus of March 12, contains the following telegram:—"Sydney, Saturday. Captain Miller, of the ship Golden State, has been murdered at Tahiti by Captain Dunn, ofthe ship Secret, through jealousy.