MISCELLANEOUS.

Grey River Argus, Issue 91, 11 August 1866, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

■.- - ■ "JH-. - Another fire has occurred in Auckland,by which Mr Quick's stables and other buildings were, destroyed. The whole rpropeyty, stables included, were insured y in the Liverpool, London^ and Globe, for £500; irrthe Royal, thestock for £600; in the Victoria tlie building (United Service) £200, and the stock also for £200. Ip - - Several rich Venetians have subscribed a sum sufficient to buy an annuity t>f 365 francs, to be" given to the first Italian soldier who sets foqt in' Venice, " New Moi>'KM' 4 Di i vo'BCß.— The' "fall Mall Gazette." says. :— '• In a case tried before the Judge Ordinary in London, a wife gives evidence thai her husband put her into an omnibus on -the X.sth October'; 1863, saying that he ' should be home to' dinner,' and that he .had npt yet returned. This reminds us of;a'bit f)f "a dialogue in a now in course v of iptiblication in La ■B.iecle. 'Where is yotu- husband?' says a genfclem«an, (He went out to buy a •cigar,^ replies the lady, 5 Has he been gpne long ? ' asks the gentleman. i ' Eeighteen years,' replied.thsTady. <He is quite right,' remarks. tlie gentleman, philosophically ; 'he wants to choose a good one,'" Stabvataon. — Many years ago the conductor of this journal was lost in the Murray scrub, and had" serious grounds for apprehending that he would share the fate of many another unfortunate whose lot it has been to, perish from inanition. Some of his experiences on that occasion will be alluded to in the present article — the principal object of which, is, however, to place hef ore the public, in. a condensed form, what we have at various times read, on the subject. .We do -not profess to be able to produce any new facts, but we may be able to offer, for the information of many of our readers, a number of- circumstances, connected' with ' death by starvation, that have hitherto escaped their attention. , ... Durino 1 the first 49 hours after one in possession of all his faculties 'is deprived of food, being, for instance, lost in the bush, "his" feeling of hunger Is much obscured by = the sensation of tliirst. phe . first appeal of : such persons, when foiind, is fox drink. It is pply ,after : tlie sense.of thirst has. beenr in some .degree assuaged, that food is asked for. Next comes an intolerable feeling of lassitude— not so much at first a. physical inability to exertion, as an indisposition to anything of the kind. .Even whilst in possession of all his reasoning powers, and 'knowing that if he remains where he is, he must perish, the unfortunate .man, after he has. been deprived of food and' water, three or four days, can with difficulty be induced to move on in search of them, If left alone, at this time, he lies down — not to sleep — for sleep leaves him ; but to toss upon his comfortless couch, usually the earth," in quest of repose, which comes not. In another twenty, four hours, the nervotis energy has been expended to such an extent, that his state is one suffering violently from delirium tremens. If found at this time, he would scarcely be recognised'by his friends, so terrible is the emaciation ; and no little care would berequired tosavelus life. Left alone, deliiuum takes a^moro. decided form ; and death from exhaustion supervenes. Such have been the sufferings of many,whose bones were discovered months or perhaps years after in the Australian bush. Thequfestion often arises how Ions: will, one live under these circumstances'/ This depends very much upon the' age and constitution of the person who has been lost. All other tilings being equal, a woman will live longer than a man, and an adult than a child. A strong young man, entirely deprived of food and drink, will usually die in seven or eight days ; but in many cases some nourishment is obtained from roots, or other v natural productions found in the bush, and J;hen life will be proportionately prolonged. We may also, add that a " post mortem " examination of bodies found airy reasonable time after death, now enables medical men •to determine whether :life"';has been destroyed by' starvation; by^violence, or disease.T-" Manning River News."