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Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 273, 24 November 1870, Page 2

We give the following curious evidence that the mitrailleuse is only a revival of an old invention, from " Grose's Military Antiquities " (1801), vol. ii., p. 165: —"A patent was granted by King Charles I. to William Druminond, of Hawthorndeh, in 1625, fcr the sole making and vending, for the space of twenty-one year., of the following machines and warlike engines invented by hini; the patent is printed in his works The third is a sort of machine of conjugated muskets, by the assistance of which one soldier or two are enabled to oppose' a hundred ,guns, which machine, from its effect, is called the thundering chariot, and vulgarly the fiery waggon." Geographical.—"John, where is Africa ?" —"On the map, sir." ,- I mean on what: continent—the Eastern or Western?"—" Well the land of Africa is on the Eastern continent, bnt the people are all of them down South.', "How do the African people live?"—"By drawing." " Drawing what—water ?" —" No, sir; by, drawing their breath." "Sit down, John." " Thoma., what is the Equator P" —" Why, sir, it is a horizontal pole running perpendicularly through the imagination of astronomers and old geographers." "Go to your seat, Thomas." "William Stiggs, wha'-. do you mean by an eclipse ?"—" An old racehorse, sir." "Silence." "Jack, you are a, scholar, what is an eclipse ?"—" An eclipse i_t a_ thing as appear wheu the moon is on the burst, and runs against the sun, consequently the sun blackens the moon's face." Schoolmaster looks like thunder. Class dismissed, j