MISCELLANEA.

Cromwell Argus, Volume II, Issue 101, 17 October 1871, Page 7

MISCELLANEA.

Two of tb3 proof-readers on the London Tlm'.s are lawyers, who look oub for anything libellous. Mattre33B3 stuffed with sponges dipped into glycerine and then well pressed, are coming largely into U3e in Britain. T!te deepest gold mine in the world is the Amador Quartz Mine, in California. The shaft is down 1350 feet, and at that depth there is a large body of rich ore. Water your horses from a hole or stream rather than from a spring or well, because the latter is generally and cold, while the former is soft and comparaTvely warm. The horse prefers soft, muddy water to hard water, though ever so clear.

Owners of bull-terribr pup 3, who imagine that the appearance of their canine favourites is improved by their ears being cropped, had better take warning from a case in a Liverpool police court, where a man who had resorted to this operation was fined 40s, besides having to pay heavy costs.

A Very Novel Suggestion.—A Mr Walker, of | London, has suggested a means of raising a revenue of a million or two, namely, by selling the j margin around the postage stamps, and the space to be occupied with advertisements. This would be rather derogatory to the Queen, "her Crown and dignity," but it would certainly be availed of by Holloway and Moses and Co., whose puffs would thus be literally stamped with excellence. An amusing affair occurred when Prince Arthur visited Wimbledon. His Royal Highness drove to an entrance where he was not expeated, and consequently not recognised, and he was met at the gateway by a demand for 7s 6d. " Don't you make any reduction for a Royal carriage?" said the Prince. "I knows nothing about reductions," was the reply ; " all I knows is, carriages pays 7s 61." The Prince paid the money, an 1 laughed, thus falsifying for once the proverb, " He laughs who wins." Thatcher, the " Inimitable," i 3 likely to return to New Zealand in the course of a few months. Mr Thatcher, it appears, had settled down in London in business. He had reached Paris during the war, and had got into one Oi* other of those numerous difficulties which befel so many of our countrymen at the time. Now we learn that Mr Thatcher will shortly visit us with a magnificent panorama, representing life in New Zeiland and Victoria, painted from a series of fine photographs, which he caused to be takon during his tour through the Colonies, with a view of giving a panoramic exhibition in Lond m and the provinces, and afterwards in the Colonies. Mr Thather's intention for the future is to forsake his foi\n)r occupition of composing an I singing local soigs, which too frequently gwn very serious o'Fonce, and occasion illy git him into trouble. Very few will doubt the prndeii'te of Mr Thatcher's resolution.—Auckland

Weekly News. A fatal and appalling accident occurrel recently off Pitt's Island (says a Chatham Island correspondent of the Hawks'B Bay Herald) to two men of the American whaling barque Albion, when in pursuit of a whale. One of the boats, it appears, had fastened to a whale, when the line unfortunately became foul, and the boat was taken under water, leaving the men s trnggling in the briny element. In this terrible emergency, one of the crew, unable to swim, was sinking fast, when a Portugese seaman, with admirable heroism, swam to his rescue, and was bearing him towards another boat, when the boat which had been submerged suddenly shot up. Uunder the impression that it was the reappearance of the whale, the Portugese let go his man and made for the boat; but, on perceiving his mistake, being determined to save him if possible, he returned to make another effort. It was too late ; the poor fellow had succumbed to his fate. The scene of this lamentable catastrophe was soon blackened with grim and ghastly monsters eager for their prey ; one man was fiercely seized by the foot, one half of which was torn asunder ere he could be rescued.

A correspondent of a country journal in New

Soutli Wales, who signs himself "One of the Twelve," gives the following account of the manner in which the jury on a perjury case recently tried at Toowoomba were treated : "For nearly 15 hours they were locked up, with only a sperm candle, and a jug of cold water for refreshment, in a dreary, draughty cell, on a bitter cold night, with no fire ; and three men sworn in to prevent their friends or acquaintances providing them with warm clothing or personal comforts of any kind. When the morning sun shone out, they asked to be allowed to bask in its rays, but were informed by those keepers that such a proceeding could not be allowed. But what appoars most strange of all to me is, that the Chief Jnstiee left the Court, and made no provision for relieving the naughty men who cision early in the night. A verdict would be more likely at ten o'clock than the next morning. If impartial verdicts are required—'verdicts according to the evidence,I—don't 1 —don't lock the juries up all night; for the prospect of passing fifteen hours in company with a jug of cold water will, I am sure, induce most men to consider themselves absolved from their oath Tf the jury wera refractory, the jurymen's horses had done no wrong ; but they too were left, for the space of twenty-four hours, to feed on posts and rails/' Surely it is time the law of juries, which allows of occurrences like this, v,-ns amended.