GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 160, 2 June 1876, Page 15

GENERAL NEWS.

In Southey's "History of Brazil" he tells how Cabeza de VacO was in a great ship going to South America with 400 men and 3a horses ; and after they had crossed the Equator, the commander discovered there were only three casks of water left. He gave orders to make the nearest land, and for three days they sailed for the coast. A poor sick soldier who had left Cadiz with them brought a grillo, or ground cricket, with him, thinking its cheerful voice would amuse him on the long, dreary voyage. But to his great disappointment, the little insect was perfectly quiet the whole way. The fourth morning- after the ship had changed her course, the cricket, which knew what she was about, set up her shrillest note. The soldier at once gave a warning to the officers in charge of the vessel, and they soon saw high, jagged rocks just ahead of ftem. The watch had been careless, and the great ship in a few moments would have been dashed to pieces on the ledges, if this puny creature had not scented the land, and told them of their danger. Then they cruised along for some days ; and the cricket sang for them every night, just as cheerily as if she had been in far-off Spain, till they got to their destined port, he Island of Catalina.

A case has occurred at Burghersdorp which goes to show that natives suffer injustice in the inferior courts from the effects of absurd prejudice. A white man brought an action ngainit a Kafir, and the latter wanted Mr. Attorney Beamish to defend Mm, That gentleman declined to do so on the ground that if he took the case of a black man against a white, a prejudice would be raised against him and h* would suffer in his practice. An application was made to the) magistrate to compel the attorney to take the case, and after some difficulty it was granted. We do not linow how far this vulgur prejudice exists, but it is clear in Burghersdorp at least, a native heretotoie stood little chance of obtaining justice, unless the magistrate took upon himself duties that he is not ordinarily expected to perform. To keep natives from employing agents or attorney! is practically to exclude them from the chance of making a defence. The prejudice is highly discreditable to the whites at Burgheridorp, and we are glad to see that the local paper has done its duty in exposing this attempt to deprive natives of the benefits of the law courts. — ' Argua.'