MISCELLANEA.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 54, 10 July 1862, Page 6 (Supplement)

MISCELLANEA.

It is estimated that the public debt of the United States will, on the Ist July next, amount to § 750,000,000. The Heaviest and Laegest Man in Enoiand Mr. James Robinson, the butcher, of Hartfield Heath, well-known in Essex and Herts from his remarkable figure and size, died suddenly on the 4th of February. He was perhaps the largest man in England, weighing thirty-six stone, measuring over seventy inches round the body, and twcntvtwo inches below the knee. It required the assistance of eight men to move the corpse. He was in bis forty-fifth year, gnd usually enjoyed good health.— Mark Lane Express. Female Recbuits wanted. — Capt. John Tuttle, who is raising a company for the sth Regiment of Volunteer Infantry, has posted up notice that ho needs ten more men to complete his company—and four women, who are to be married to four of the new recruits, or any other men of his company. The women are wanted as laundresses, and will receive pay as such. Captain Tuttle thinks he will be able to enlist four married men with their wives. If not, there will be a chance for patriotic young ladies to sacrifice themselves upon the matrimonial altar for the sake of clean garments for the Volunteers.— Daily Alta California. In constructing the International Exhibition building there have been used 10,000,000 bricks, 1,000 iron pillars, 17,000 loads of wood, 45,000 superficial feet of glass, and 4.000 tons of iron, Only a Child.— “ Who is to be buried here ?” said I to the sexton. “Only a child, ma'am.” Only a child! O ! had yon ever been a mother had you nightly pillowed that little golden headhad you slept the sweeter for that little velvet hand upon your breast—had you waited for the firstintelligent glance from those blue eyes, tracing the features of him who stole your girlish heart away—had you wept a widow’s tears over its unconscious head—had your desolate timid heart gained courage from that little piping voice, to wrestle with the jostling crowd for daily bread had its loving smiles and prattling words been sweet recompense for such sad exposures—had the lonely future been brightened by the hope of that young arm to lean upon, that bright eye for your guiding star—had you ever framed a plan or known a hope or fear of which that child was part; if there was naught else on earth lor you to love—if disease came, and its eye grew dim'; and food and rest and sleep were forgotten in your anxious fears—if you paced the floor, hour by hour, with that fragile burden when your very touch seemed to give comfort and healing to that quivering frame —had the star of hope set at last —had you hung over its dying pillow, -when the strong breast you should have wept on was in the grave, where your child was hastening—imd you caught alone its last faint cry for 11 help" you could not give—had its last fluttering sign been breathed out on your breast—o ! could you have said—“ ’l'is only a child !” — Fern Leaves. Me. Sewaud’s Anti-English “ Proclivities.” —On the Bth of September, 1852, I chanced, during a tonr in Canada, to be at Quebec, and was invited to an official dinner given by the Speaker of the Canadian House. Many of the members of the Provincial Parliament, including, of course a considerable number of French Canadians, and several Englishmen, the Governor-General’s brother, and Governor Seward, of the State of New York, were among the guests. After dinner, and after “The Queen” and Lord Elgin’s health bad been drunk, “The President of America,” with a handsome compliment to the distinguished American then present, was proposed. Mr. Seward's reply I shall never forget, nor the feeling of indignation it called forth. He said it was clear that the Anglo-Saxon must bo dominant throughout the country (nearly half his hearers being French) ; that as yet Canada was “under the tutelage of England ; ” that he hoped “the younger sister would follow the example of the elder in shaking off that tutelage.” Finally, he sat down, proposing as a toast, “ May the glories of England endure till her institutions arc replaced by freer ones.” This was what Mr Seward thought it decent and becoming to reply in acknowledgment of the courtesy of the Canadian Speaker, in the presence of Englishmen, and of Lord Elgin’s brother.—Correspondent of the Daily News. Flogging. —The number of men flogged in the array in the United Kingdom in the year 1860 was but 179—a great reduction as compared with former years, alike in the number of men flogged, and in the number of regiments in which men were flogged. Forty-one of these bad subjects were in the Royal Artillery, and the same number in the cavalry (12 of them in the Military Train, and 9 in the 11th Hussars) ; being only 96 in the whole in the infantry. Concurrently with this return another has been issued, showing the number of boys sentenced to be flogged in England and Wales in 1858-60, upon summary conviction for simple larceny, under the acts of 181-7; the number was no more than 1,746 in the three years. The soldiers’ sentences were almost invariably fifty lashes; the sentences of the lads varied, and they were more frequently punished with the birch. But in 11 gaols, boys of 11 to 14 years of age had 24 lashes with the cat; in some gaols 30 lashes; and, in two, lads of 12 to 14 got 36 lashes. At Taunton a boy of 9 had 24 lashes, but “ with a very light oat of soft small cords selected by the surgeon.” In the year 1860 flogging was inflicted in the Navy 764 limes, the total number of men liable to corporal punishment being 55,379 ; that is, one flogging in the year to 72 men. But in 1859 there was one flogging to 61 men, and in 1858 one to 48 men ; so that there had been a very marked improvement year by year. There is in the return for 1860 17 ships with not a lash inflicted, which is nearly double the number marked as exempt in the return for 1858, and 37 more than in 1859. The ships in which men were flogged differ very greatly in the proportion of punishments ; in two instances in 1860 there were ten floggings and not 150 men. In' 1858 32,420 lashes were inflicted; in 1859, 30,329 ; in 1860, 26,201. Drunkenness and insubordination are the chief causes of these disgraceful punishments. “Captain Silk! What a name for a solder!” “The finest name in the world'for a captain,” said a lady, “ for Silk will never be worsted.”

11. M. S. Pioneer, • from Singapore rid Melbourne, arrived in port on 2nd inst., aa a reinforcement, to the squadron on the Australian station. She ia a screw steam sloop or dispatch gun vessel of 356 horse power, carrying six heavy guns. Haying been only three years in commision, she combines all the modern improvements for the purpose of attaining a high rate of speed. She left Melbourne on the 28th ultimo, and we have been favoured by the offices with papers to that date. The following are the names of the gen- I tlemcn on board : —Commander, H. 11. Eeilly; lieutenant, F. C. B. Robinson; lieutenant, A. F. M. Meyer; master, S. Vitary ; surgeon W. F. Me Clonton ; assistant paymaster, J. F. Syme; engineer, G. F. Eecth .—Morning Herald. The Royal Geographical Society were occupied on the loth of April with the reading and discussion of two papers on the subject of the Fiji Islands. The first of these papers was by Mr. Bensusan, and treated of the commercial resources of the Archipelago, the character am! customs of its inhabitants, its eligibility as a cotton-growing country, and so on. The second paper, which was bv Dr. Berthold Seemann, was entitled “ Remarks on the late Government mission to the Fiji Islands.” Ur. Seemann urged, on a variety of grounds, the necessity ol the British Government accepting the offer of cession made by the Fijians. A prominent part in the discussion was taken by the Rev. Mr. Pritchard, a missionary who supported Dr. Seaman’s opinion. He thought, among reasons why Great Britain should accept the islands was the expediency of forming a counterpoise to the influence of France in the Pacific. M >'■ «!• Crawford, who questioned the alleged capability ot the Islands to become a cottongrowing district, owing to there being but a very small proportion of land suitable for its cultivation, hoped that the proposed cession would never be accepted by Great Britain. Admiral Sir Edward Belcher trusted the British Gorernment would accept the cession, as we required some port iu these seas to enable our ships to refit, ami also stood in need of a navali station Sir Edward said that he bad found cotton growing luxuriantly, and equal in quality to anygrowing in America, on almost all the South Sea islands.— Home A ews Hollow z,y'.s Pi>h a„d Ointment. —All the maladies incident to spring can lie prevented, checked m their course, or ultimatelv cured, by these fine purifying and cooling medicaments. The pills rouse the stomach, regulate the liver, stuniulate the kidneys, and act gently’ on the bowels. The Ointment rubbed over any part penetrates to neighbouring organs, which it frees from all noxious and irritating humours, and. aided by the Pills, expels them. By these remedies the skin is cleared from all freckles, spots, and disfigurements, without driving them inwards, or doing harm. It is wonderful how weakness, low spirits, and enervation give way to vigour and vivacity, under a course of Holloway's medicines, which may bo saleh’ used at all times by both sexes. When arc'gloves unsaleable ? —When they are kept on band. Guaxxie’sßecti’e fohPicklixo Grievances.— Take a quarter of an ounce of grievance. (X.B. : Some say a grain is sufficient, as in this recipe everything depends on the cooking. I have even been told that it has been successful without any of the solid ingredient at ail, but I only give what 1 have tried.) Bruise and pound it thoroughly, so that every particle of the fibre is laid bare. Season it with a good sprinkling of your Own Merits. Let it stand some hours, adding from time to limeV alternately a pinch of the Unrequited Delinquencies of others, boil it in water from the Well of Pride, leaving it to simmer all night. The next morning strain it from all remnants of your own Well-deservad Tricks, bottle it, and cork it tig'nty from the fresh air, which is fatal to it, securing the cork with parchment written over with the Generous Commendations of your acquin(ances and the Unjust Attacks of your best friends. This piekle is warranted to keep for years. If it should fail, it must be cither from some defect of care in the straining, or because the vessel in which it was boiled nad not been previously carefully rinsed from all remains of your own Undeserved Blessings. If it should lose any of its sharpness, you have only to boil the whole carefully over again iu water from the same well, and you will find the flavour recover all its first acidity and pungency. Let no cook attempt this recipe to whom time is of any value, as all depends on the leisure bestowed on the preparation. —The Family Treasury. (From the Few Zealand Examiner, April 16.) The Sultan, which was to have brought this month’s mail, to Marseilles, having met with an acc d mt by the breaking of her main shaft, was compelled to put into Gibraltar, when the mails were transferred to the man-ofwar steamer, loams, and arrived at Marseilles on the morning of the 13th. The papers were delivered in London yesterday morning. The Mooltan, with the heavy portion, left Gibraltar on the 11th instant, at midnight, and is expected at Southampton about the 16th inst. Since our last, Messrs. Shaw, Savill and Co., have despatched the Harwood for Canterbury, and the Escort for Otago, the latter ship sailing to-day with several passengers and a full cargo. This line advertise a number of vessels for all the settlements, to sail during the next few weeks, including three very large and noble passenger ships, the Matilda IVattenbach , Hanover and Lancashire Witch . specially selected for the conveyance of the Nonconformist settlers to Auckland. Messrs Willis, Gann, & Co. have despaclicd the Abdul Medjid for Otago and the Queen of the North for Auckland, both with full cargoes and a great many passengers. Tile Ey.nont despatched by Messrs. Willis, Gann, & Co., sailed from Gravesend on the sth inst., with a lew cabin passengers and eigbty-one emigrants on account of the Provincial Govcrment. Between thirty and forty of these were single women, and the remainder families. Messrs. L. Hill and Son, of Port Glasgow, have just launched a very fine ship named the Nelson, built for Messrs. Potter, Wilson and Co., and intended for the New Zealand trade. The Nelson is 1,250 tons burden, but she is not to be propelled by steam.