EXTRACTS.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 727, 22 October 1870, Page 2

EXTRACTS.

The relative merits of the Chassepot and the Needle gun are thus described in a private letter from an Oxford man, dated "Saarbrucken.July 2Sth," : —"I can't help reiterating that in all the shooting there has yet been, the Prussians have had out and out the best of it. Nothing could be worse than the Chassepot at short ranges. We see the Frenchmen spitting on their cartridges, sticking their finger into their guns, and giving every possible sign that, after a few shots, the Chassepot gets so foul they don't know how to treat it."

A circumstance almost matchless in its ironic horror is reported from Ammergau. The play, which was to have been repeated every Sunday till September, has been suspended, the representative of our Saviour having been ordered away to battle. A French paper Hays that it is intended to supply several vessels of the fleet with an apparatus intended to light up the line of the horizon in dull weather, or at any point of the sea coast at which it may be expedient to disembark at night. This apparatus, placed in the fore part of the ship, ia composed of an electric light and a powerful reflector. In consequence of the war on the Continent, considerable numbers of American citizens are returning to New York. The berths of the Cunard steamers are engaged for many weeks iu advance.

On the 18th, H Coenryulter and Charles Wkvte, both members of the Serpentine Club, contended for the championship of the Thames. The distance was five miles—from London Bridgo to the clock of Greenwich Hospital, and after a splendidly contestedrace, Whyte breasted the Dreadnought Hospital Ship in the excellent time of one hour precisely, being then twenty yards ahead, and he won by that distance swimming the entire course in one hour and five minutes.

M. Bodelbertz, a German naturalised in Paris, who is worth 60,000fr. a year, has informed the Government that he gives half his income for hia life to the sufferers from the war, and that he has devised the whole by will to the poor. Tho monthly statement of the Secretary of the Treasury, published on

August 1, states that the national iebt of the United States amounts to 2,510,250,000 dols., being a decrease >f 17,000,000 dols., since July 1. Tbe :ash in the Treasury amounts to [o3,ooo f ooodols. incoin,and3B,ooo,ooo lols. in currencr.

The Bremen steamer Herman did not sail from New York for Southampton on July 16, owing to fear of cap. lure, and all persons, who had taken passages by her, have had their money refunded.

The following Bavarian princes are lamed as taking part in the campaign : )tho, brother to the King; Luitpold, incle to the King, with his sons, Louis, jeopold, and Arnold ; and Duke Emanuel, brother to the Empress of lustria.

During the first fight at Saarbruck I was observed on all sides that the French threw themselves down to esape onr shots. An Englishman who emained in Saarbruck behaved in a juch bolder manner. Marching gainst the enemy with Lieutenant loldschmidt, he stood erect whilst ur men lay flat on the ground to fire. t was in vain that Lietenant Goldchmidt signed to him to lie down [e was exposed to many volleys from he enemy whilst standing up, till he feceived a shot in his side—a flssb round. Wounded as he was, he feized the rifle of one of our men who ras disabled, firsd four shots at the memy, and retired without allowing la wound to be attended to.

la Denmark the perspective of a far with Prussia has produced great jcitement, and awakened hopes of evenge. The army, assembled in Jutland for the great manoeuvres of he year, illuminated its quartersof Hald and "Wiborg on the iews of the declaration made to the Irench Legislative Body. At Copenagen frequent interviews have taken lace between the French represenitive and M. de Eosenorn, the new jlinister for Foreign Affairs.

Those who hope to see war disapjear by the frightful perfection of its feapons will be gratified at hearirg of new and deadly idea on the subject, t learned professor, lecturing tbe ther day before a military audience, Jirew out a suggestion for belligerent jhristians, which was derived from k experiments of Professor Tyndall eon " dust and haze." The lecturer pposed to 3oak cotton and wool with be effluvia of fever and cholera hosItals, and having enclosed the poisoni.s tufts in shrapnel-shells, to employ em for cannonading an enemy in the Id. His benevolent conception was, at the germs of disease would be ider spread about by each exploding issile, and thus it might be confi;ntly hoped that the ranks would :ry scon be decimated. It is rather ghastly thought to imagine an tillery division opening with twenty iunds of Asiatic cholera, or giving i 8 foe a salvo of small-pox ; and we ould doubt the feasibility of the ■ofessor's plan ; but perhaps it is not S3 wicked to blow human creatures i pieces, or to stab and slash them, an to shoot maladies at them, and ay them with subtle poisons.

A laughable story is told of an old iser, who, being at the point of jatb, resolved to give all his money i a nephew, at whose hands he ex(rienced some little kindness. "Sam," ad he—for that was his nephew's me—" Sam, lam about to leave this, |d to leave you all my money. Tou ill then have 50,000 dollars—only jink? Yes, I feel weaker and taker; I think I Bhall die in two |urs. Oh, yes, Sam, I'm going! Ve me two per cent., and you may ke the money now!"