MISCELLANEOUS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1746, 29 July 1862, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

On the 3rd of May a very large and enthusiastic meeting of Liverpool shipowners, captains, and others, was held in the offices of the Liverpool Mercantile Marine Service Association, tor the purpose of making a presentation to Captain Wilson of the Emily St. Pierre, his steward, und cook, for the gallantry displayed by them iv. rescuing their ship after its capture by the Uuited States war steamer James Adger. Wilson received a handsome tea service, suitably inscribed, a gold chronometer watch, and a sextant ; and in addition he is to be presented witb 2000 guiueas horn the owners of the Emily St. Pierre. With regard to the steward and cook, they received each a purse containing £20, and will be rewarded by the vessel's owners also. The Mercantile Marine Service Association intimated, through their chairman, that it was

their intention to present Captain Wilson with a gold medal, and his steward and cook with silver medals.

I A Madrid letter gives the following account of a fatal accident at a bull-fight which recently took place in that city :— " The first bull-fight of the year took place on the 21st March, and was marked by an accident which caused great excitement throughout the city. One of the torreadors, named Rodriguez, but more generally known by »the popular designation of * El Pedete,' was tossed by the bull, just as he had rescued, by means of bis cloak, one of the picadores, who had fallen from his horse. The animal's horns had entered his chest, and made a fearful wound. The unfortunate man with great difficulty got on his legs, and, after staggering a few steps, pressing both bis hands on his chest to stop the blood, which flowed fast, fell into the arms of his companions and expired. The fight continued, and his colleague, El Gaetano, who afterwards killed five bulls in succession, narrowly escaped a similar fate. This unfortunate event, to the great disappointment of amateurs, has caused the postponement of another fight announced, as the only matador remaining is quite exhausted by bis exertions on the first occasion.

A double murder, which suggests very melancholy reflections as to the moral value of "good conduct" in prison, has just been perpetrated at Toulon. A soldier named Huet, who was eon. demned to death in 1848 for an attempt to murder an officer, had his sentence commuted to imprisonment with hard labour for' life. Subsequently, in consequence of his good conduct, he was informed that his punishment would cease at the end of 20 years, And consequently in six years from this time he would have been a free man, but two of his comrades iv chains drew the inference from the favour granted to him that he must be a police spy and gave expression to their suspicions. This accusation awakened the old instincts of the man whose mind was familiarised with the notion that any injury to himself must be wiped out with blood. He got hold of a hatchet used to cut wood in the kitchen, killeiwitb itata single blow one af his traducers, whom he found asleep ia bed, and so desperately wounded the other that his life is despaired of.

A sergeant of the 44th Begiment (French army), now quartered at Fort Nogent barracks, has been sent to the guardhouse for a fortnight for having set snares for cats. It was proved that be caught half-a-dozen, and converted them into "jugged bare." This is a case of degustibus, &c. ; but the not very severe punishment of the military authorities makes no reference to depraved taste, but is iounded upon the swarms of rats and mice in the barracks which the cats would have usefully made war upon. The following lately appeared in the advertising columns of a contemporary : "A lady of high title and first position will receive at her husband's West-end mansion a lady wishing to be presented, or aspiring to any advantages derivable from an introduction to exclusive society. Confidence must be kept Heal name and all circumstances stated, and no curiositr or ambiguous letters will succeed. £5000 requisite*"

An Eccentbic Dootoe and his Cbitios. A singular application was made to the Court of Queen's Bench on May 8 on bshalf of Dn Hastings who has obtained some' celebrity by his treatment of consumptive cases, and who felt aggrieved by a review in the ' Lancet ' of one of his publications that he felt constrained to come before the court, and ask that he might be allowed to prosecute the publisher of the journal for libel by means of a criminal information. Dr. Hastings professes to have made the discovery that the " dung- of serpents"— a remedy that savours of a Swiftiaa origin— is a cure for consumption. The •Lancet'laughed at the statement, for which the discoverer, endowed with less patience than most great philosophers, iasisted ou having the 'Lancet' punished for its irreverent fun. The court, however, unanimously refused their interference.

Her Majesty left Osborne for Windsor on April 28 ; and Windsor on the evening of 30th April for her residence in the Scotch Islands. She was accompanied by the Princess Alice, Prince Alfred, and the younger children. The journey was begun on the Great Western line. and continued on the North Western. The royal party reached Balmoral on the afternoon of the Ist May. The Queen bore the journey well. She has continued in good health, and has taken daily exercise in the neighbourhood of the castle. According to present arrangements her Majesty will return south in a day or two.

The Aberdeen Herald says : — " Her Majesty has lived in quiet retirement since her arrival at Balmoral. Every thing and place in and around the palace are full of associations of the late lamented prince, and no doubt, as each Isight is brought freshly to her view, an addi tioiul pang is added to her sorrowing heart. The palace seems duller than it was before she came. There is aot a servant within the policies but is clothed in deep mourning. The Queen remains in the strictest privacy. At times she takes a short drive in her carriage to a distance of five or six miles from the castle. She has as is usual with her at Balmoral, called on a number of the deserving cottagers ou the royal estates, kindly enquiring into theh circumstances, ,and relieving their wants when necessary. The Duke of Argyll has been in attendance at Balmoral."

M. Genin lately addressed the Academic des Sciences on the subject of " The Sex of Eggs.' He affirms that he is now able, after having studied the subjects of three years, to state with assurance tbat all eggs containing the germ of males have wrinkles on their smaller ends* while female eggs are smooth at the extremities*

EXTRAORDINARY HAILSTORM. — On the 7th Leeds |\vas visited by an extraordinary hail! storm. In the township of Leeds hailstones felt fully one inch in diameter ;" but the worst effects of the storm were felt in Bramley, oue of the out townships of the borough. In tbat locality masses of ice, measuring five inches in circumference, and weighing four ounces each, were picked up. The damage done to glass was immense. In the Town-street of Bramley alone it is estimated that 3000 panes were broken; and upon the street lamps, garden frames, places of pablic worship, and hot* houses the hail came with a fearfully destructive effect. The whole village presents a strange scene of desolasion, many of their ordinary dwellings having had their windows completely riddled.

The mania among young people for collecting postage stamps has been revived, in many cases no doubt, for some absurd, but innocent, pur* pose; but in other cases with the dishonest object of cutting of the unobliterated poitioas of these used stamps, and piecing them together for use as new jand complete stamps. Many letters pass through the Post Office stamped i« this way undetected.

Mr. Kelly who some time ago wrote a book of Australian experiences, is preparing a volume on British Columbia.