Page 2 Advertisements Column 4

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1785, 9 March 1888, Page 2

During the passage of the Union Steamship Company's s.b. Mahinapua ftom Westport last Sunday Captain Holmes saw two turtlesone off Stephen's Island and the other about eight milt bto the S E of the island. Judging from the size they would be about three or four hundred weight each. The weather was [ lovely and the sea as calm as a raillpond at the time. The steamer passed about fifteen or twenty yards off them. " 8.D." advertises m the " Morning Post » fora governess "a thorough disciplinarian and' well able to administer corporal punishment," and she is asked to write full particulars of the mode of inflicting punishment. Another advertisment ia equally stranger. A reverend gentlemen wants a valet, who " must know a i bit about boxing, and if necessary, to be able to put up the raw 'uns." One would almost think that " B.D " and the reverend gentleman would do well to open up communications with each other, as either the gover. ness or the valet might suit both their requirements, and thus they would save the double expenditure.

According to the " World " the Emperor of Germany has loat all faculty for counting figures. Dates or the coat of anything convey no longer any meaning to him ; but on other subjects he is still sufficiently clearheaded. He always comes up smiling after each fresh attaok and the strong remedies employed, and notwithstanding that; he might any morning not wake up. Thoae who see him when he is at his best Bay that they will not believe he is dead until they attend his funeral. It is generally said of the French that they aie not a sporting nation, but an inoident which occurred in* a ohurchyard near Paris the other day would seem to buow that the notion is not entirely well founded. A funeral was taking place when a hare suddenly made its appearance on the scene, and at once the beadle and the mourners started m wild pursuit. After an exoiting ohase the beadle managed to knook the animal over by hurling his baton of office at it, and the hare was secured. The beadle's sporting tasteH, however, got him into trouble, for the local magistrate fined him 30 francs for killing game with prohibited arm&. According to the " Osservatore Romano " Borne pilgrims to Lourdes reoently sent to the Grown Prince of Germany a bottle of the miraculous water, praying Hia Imperial Highness to make use of it, and assuring him it would infallibly cure his malady if he only accompanied it with a prayer to the Holy Lady of the shrine. The Prince thanked his Catholic well-wishers, but politely deolined to undergo the miracle, and forwarded the preoious beverage to the lady superior of th 6 Convent of San Bemo, to be distributed among her invalid nuns, A case of death from thirst is thus reported m the "Argus" from Wilcannia :— A report from Yantara states that a man named Jerry Grace perished from thirst 58 miles from Yantara. He was on his way from Wannaring to Milparinka, and when found was m a dying condition. Mr Scott, of Yantara, endeavoured to get him to Bwallow some water, but he was unable to do so, and died m an hour. The Wellington correspondent of the 11 Press " recording the sailing of Sir Julius, Lady, and Miss Yogel for England m the Aorangi, says :— Sir Julius looked very well and seemed m capital spirits. He informed me just beforu the steamer sailed that he fully expeoted to be back again m New Zealand m sis months. This, however, is doubted by many of hiB friends, who prediot that New Zealand will not see him again m a hurry, as he has several considerable undertakings m hacd, which will probably keep him ." fr England for a lengthened period. ' ' '* Referring to the fifty applications for the Chief Gommiasionership of the New Zealand railwayß, it is stated that Sir F. D. Ball will probably be instructed to make a seleotion of half a dozen or a dozen of the most likely applicants, and forward their papers with full particulars to the New Zealand Government, m order that a final choice may be more conveniently made from the filtered lot.