MISCELLANEOUS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LII, Issue 5163, 9 June 1891, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

The potato blight ooverod half of Ireland an-l was tho worst m thirty years, Baya Secretary Balfour. Mr R. H. Robertson, of Melbourne University, haa been appointed to t.ho vacancy on tho staff of tha Auckland Grammar School. American stoves are coming into uee m Paris, where they know vory little about the art of keeping warm and where shivering ia quito the fashion throughout tho wintor. Tlio Boorat and Tungua population of Irkutsk (East Siboria, m the borders of China) still keep up a kind of slavery. Thoy buy and 801 l mostly little girls, who aro then kept aB alavos by tho purchasers. In Indio there aro ROOO children learning tho English languago because it la found that it ia far eaaior to teach theae children through the influenoe of English literature than to attempt to translate our works into Hindu. The physicians of Vienna are greatly m- ■ torestod m the announcement of a oure for ( cancer made reoonlly by Profosaor Moaotigof that city. Tho onro ie™apphed m tho same way aB Kochino, and is Baid to rondor the formation of cincer cells impossible, Tho depopulation of Iceland is going on steadily. Tho Jdeprcoialion m the valuo of tho land has been vony marked of lato, while tho taxes havo considerably incroaecd, and the Icelanders aro said to bo emigrating m shoals. The popu'ation, whioh waa 80,000 tun yoara ago, iB now under 60.000. Horo is a prodigioua tall story (akon from an Argentine paper: — A gentloman m Roeario was once attacked by Pampa Indianß, Thore wore sovon of thorn, and ho had only his aix-shooter, with fivo Bholß from which ho fuccoodetl m laying low tho eamo numbor of his assailants. Ho hud then ono chargo left, and the remaining two men wore advancing. Quick as thought ho openod his pocket-knife, hold it m front, of the pietolbarrel with tho aharp odgo of tho blado towarda him, ond fired. Tho knife split the i bullet m halves, eaoh ono killing ono of hia '. toes and tho horo thua aavorl his ecalp. This is hia own account of the affair. ] Among lho anecdotoa told by Mr Henry , Lako m his " Remimscnncos of Lord Beacons- j field," just published by Cn«Bell, ia that of the . labourer al Hughondcn, who, arldios<ing his lordship's coachman, ond not knowing that , his lordship was m tho curriago, inquired, , " How's the old man today?" "I'm quito • well, thank you." ropliod the Earl, looking ' suddenly out of the carriago window, and thoroughly onjoying tho joko. On another ocoaaion Lord Boaconefiold was overtaken m his own grounds by two iutrußivo women, who, not knowing him, aakod " Is this ' Dizzy's place?" Tho Earl "ourtfously ropliod, " It iB," and direotod thorn to a part of tho grounds where thoy oould obtain a good viow of the houso. Tho womon woro muoh oonfußod aftorwards whon they found lhat thoy had bconaddrotßing tho ownor. S'or remainder qf Htate tee Fourth Pagt,