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Western Star, Issue 827, 19 March 1884, Page 3

The Intel-provincial Cricket Match, Otago v. Canterbury, was c included on Saturday, Otago being the viciors by 27 runs. Facts.—Close confinement and careful at font ion to all faetmy work gives I lie operative e pale faces, poor appetites, languid miserable feelings, poor blood, inactive liver, khlnoye, , and a’l the physicians and medicine in ths world cannot help them unless they get out of door* or use Hop Bitters. Hone need suffer if they will use it freely. Sec. Viewed through the microscope the mosquito presents a picture of mechanical ingenuity as marvellous in execution ns it is devilish in design. In the bill alone, which seems s<> fragile to the unaided sight, there is a combination of live distinct surgical instruments. There are, a lance, two meat saws, and a suction pump. The fifth instrument I have forgotten, but labor under the impression that it is a portable Coriiss engine to run the rest of the factory with. I know that the hum of the mosquitoes in the co'tnn-wood thicket along the Mississippi reminded me constantly of the hum of a manufacturing village, and several times I walked back several miles looking for a town before I could convince myself that the buzzing I heard was made by mosquit es with their saws. When the insects operate on a man the lance is first pushed into the flesh, then The two saws, placed baek to back, begin to work up and down to enlarge the bole, then the pump is inserted, and the victim’s blood is syphoned up tn the reservoir car led behind, and finally to complete the cruelty of the performance, the wretch drops a quantity of poison into the wound to keep it irritated. —‘Forest and Stream.’

The celebrated picture “ La Yierge Coupee,” formerly the property of the late Lord Overstonc, who was oulv more conspicuous for his great financial abilities and immense fortune than for his taste and judgment in matters of art, lias a singular history. Referring to it, and speaking of Lord Overslonc, London “ Truth ” says:—“ His name will long be known in the history of pictures, from his having recovered and restored a famous altarpicee of Murillo, from which the figures of the Virgin and Child had been cut out and stolen during the siege of Seville in the Peninsular War. The picture was looted by Marshal Soult, and remained in the Soult family, with the missing figures supplied by a poo- copy from an engraving. Lord 0 verst one had in his collection, without knowing it, the original part of this picture, which was known as ‘La Yierge Coupee.’ At length it was seen by some one who recognised it, and t >ld the owner what it was. An offer was at once made for the Soult ‘ Yierge Coupee,’ which was readily accepted, and thus the lost Virgin and Child were restored to the original after a separation of more than half a century. This lovely picture, certainly one of the most beautiful Murillo ever painted, has for some years huag in the hall of Locking© House, near Wani.-ge, the residence of Sir !{,..»'• r?i*l: and Lady Loyd-Lin !say, to whom i ! was presented by her ladyship’s father.”

Drunken —How mu' y cdiiid-eu and women are slowly an I surely .ning or rather being killed, by oxr* s<»» e dotni.j, ir t he daily it-o of some dm; or dmiiken s! isIT railed medicine, that no one knows whit it is made of, who cm ras J he cured and s..\t\l by Hop Hitters, which is s> pure, s nude, and harmless that the most frail w mi m, weakest invalid, or smallest child can trust in it 1 See.

ODDS AND ENDS. “Modern Society” volunteers the information that the Quern has eight Ladies of the Bedchamber, at £SOO each—<£4,ooo. One of these ladies lias to wait on Her Majesty —that is, lo keep her company only (for the picking up of a handkerchief or a pin would be considered infra dig. by all of them) for a fortnight at a time; and the rotation is so arranged that each has a turn about three times in the course of a year. Were They needy persons it. would be quite proper to pay them even for their six week’s service; but, belonging to powerful and wealthy families, they ought to be ashamed of making themselves, virtually) domestic servants, by taking wages for their attendance. These titled servants are the Dowager Duchess of Athole, tbe Dowagar Duchess of Hoxhurghe, the Dowager Marchioness of Ely, Lady Churchill, Lady AVaterpark, the Countess of Errol, Ladv Abercrombie, Lady South‘inpton. There arc, moreover, fi\e Extra Toadies of (he Bedchamber — viz., Viscountess Clifden, the Countess of Gainsborough, the Countess of Mavo, the Countess of Caledon, the Duehiss of Bedford all in receipt of wages, probably, though only supernumeraries in doing nothing. There are also eight Maids of Honor at £3OO each —£2,400. Dr B. AV. Diehard son, the wellknown authority on hygiene, has been writing in the North American Review on the causes of felicity, and amongst these lie includes the moderate use of alcoholic liquors. Ho says : —“I am a total abstainer, hut I am an honest observer also ; I confirm from direct observation the old saying that ‘wine maketh glad the heart of man.’ What is wanted now is the linked science of the ago should apply itself to the problem of giving the world a drink that shall make glad the hearts of teetotalers without carrying wirh it any of the insiduous and demoralising the demon alcohol—a good, honest, cheerful drink, on a cold ' ight might bo diluted with hot water, sweetened with a little sugar, and perhaps flavoured with the squeeze of a lemon, and which, under these conditions, should have the effect of, for a fleeting moment, lightening the burden of existence and loosening the chain with which we are darkly bound. The International Exhibition of Needlework, which is to he held at Sydenham in July, 1884, will include, among other curiosities, two things which will not; he the least of the attractions of the Exhibition. One is the famous needle presented to the Emperor of Germany last year under circumstances worth recalling. The Emperor was visiting the great needle manufactory at Ktouznach, and was desirous of seeing for himself the relative power of machinery compared with skilled Land labour. A bundle of superfine needles was placed before him, 1000 of which weighe'd loss than half an ounce, and he expressed his astonishment that eves could be bored in such minute objects. Thereupon the foreman of (lie boring department asked His Majesty to give him a hair from his heard, and receiving it, he bored an eye in it, threaded it, and handed hack lo the astonished Emperor this improvised and most peculiar needle. The other curious needle was manufactured at lledditch, and pres, euted to the Queen. It is a sort of miniature Trajan’s column. All around it arc represented scenes from the Queen’s life, executed so minutely that a magnifying glass -is required to distinguish them. This needle can be opened, and within it arc a number of very fine needles, on which also scenes have been engraved.

Sir Dillon Bell, Mr Murray Smith, Sir Saul Samuel, and Mr Hemmaut have met to consider the report of the Western Pacific Commission, and the hostile altitude assumed by Sir A. Gordon to the Australian Pacific policy. Mr Hemmint urged that they should proceed to consider the. report of the commission, which lie considered struck at the root of the policy apptned of by the Australasian colonies, but the meeting finally determined to await instructions from their respective Governments. Later telegrams from Egypt state that Major-General Graham’s forces advanced against the enemy in two squares. The Arabs charged them furiously, and did considerable execution with their spears. They were repulsed with great slaughter, but they renewed the at ack time aider time until nearly all who engaged were either killed or ’ desperate! v wounded. The Briiisli loss is 70 Idled and 100 wounded. The Arabs are now coll cting at the wcl's of Tainaueh and the British are shelling them. Several years ago a. good boil was heard about Egyptian mummy wheat not so much on account of its value as a cered (for its value was not very well knowi), because of its novelty. A gentleman in the Oamaru district procured a single gr.in, and *'rom this single grain, in course of time, a fair quantity was raised, Mr Dennison, of Hilderiho'pe, pmcuivd a small quan.ifcy from, we believe, the original grower in that district, and lias now on bis farm about seven acres of this wheat. The peculiarity of this description of wheat is that the berry is of enormous size compared with other wheats, and the ear is a novelty, in as much as it pro-cuts the appearance of an ear with horns, two sun Ter eirs branching off from the main one. At the present time tho grain has a beautiful appearance, tl c skin being fine and clear, and the berry plump. The value ot the wheat as amarki table commodity has yet to be p,roved, but if its value may ho judged from its appearance, L should’ lie wo;thy of attention.— Oamaru Mail.

Throe tailors established their selves in the same street in this town.” The second adopted us his motto : “The host tailor in the world” But the third, who was the smartest of the lot, got away with them all by putting on his sign “The best tailor in the Blivet.” Catarrh of the 111 elder. —Sl/nhngirrita' i m nilonma'im, all ki-.ney ami shnilar c-m----plamls, cured by Duchu-pdha,” The IS'e.v Zealand Drug Co. Greneral A gents,

“ Beef tea has become a popular bar-room beverage in Omaha,” says the “Louisville Courier.” “ The demand which began to be lively in the autumn, has now attained such proportions that the prohibition folk are perfectly delighted. Said a philosophical barkeeper to a reporter the other day : ‘ At first we laughed at the idea of going to the trouble of making it, but now wo laugh because we do make it. Wo sell over 100 drinks per day, and as it is a 15-cent drink there is no reason why we should not smile. IiVLo drinks it, did you say? Why, everybody; toe man about town who has been out with the boys comes here in the morning and calls for beef tea; the business man comes in the afternoon and braces Ids system with beef tea ; the temperance man who drops in with a bibulous friend takes beef tea ; and, in fact, everybody is becoming a slave to it.’ ” German Syrup.— No other medicine in the world was ever given such of its curative qualities as Roschee’s German Syrup. In three years two million four hundred thousand small bottles of this medicine were distributed free of charge by Druggists in the United Slates of America to iliose afflicted with Consumption, Asthma, Croup, severe Coughs, Pneumonia and other diseases of the throat and luogi, giving the afflicted undeniable proof that German Syrup will cure them. The r.-su't has been that Druggists in every town an i village in civilised countries are recommending it to their customers. G i to your Druggist and ask what they know about it. Sample Bottles 6cl. Regular size 3s 6:1. Three doses will relievo any erse. The Victorian gunboat. Chillers is at Souakim, and may not improbably be employed for some time as a dispatch bout. {See fourth page.)