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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 178, 10 June 1864, Page 3

There is a wonderful Hindoo chess player at present in London. He plays three games blindfolded, and wins. At the same time he plays a game of cards and wins. During the game a bell it touched every one or two seconds, and he gives the number of times it has been touched. A man stands behind and throws little pebbles one by one against his back ; these, too he counts ; and after the games are told he recites a poem in perfect rhyme which he has composed during the sitting. Fashionable Trade Report.—Materials for Ladies’ Dresses, of all colours, are in brisk demand and fetch good prices per acre. During the bombardment of the native pah at Tc Papa, Tauranga, (the Gate Pah) more than SOO heavy shells were thrown into the works. Stowaways. —We believe that every steamer which took passengers to Picton took more or less of “ stowaways”—those cunning and unprofitable gentry, who take advantage of the crowding and confusion to conceal themselves on board ships, and thus obtain a passage gratis. In most cases, the prosecuting of these rascals is productive of too much delay and inconvenience for the captains to avail themselves of the law, and consequently the offenders are allowed to escape. The following paragraph, from an American paper, will show' how our Yankee friends deal with the evil: —“ Vessels leaving the port of Wilmington, it is related, are subjected to an ingenious test for the discovery of surreptitious passengers. A machine, in the shape of a large syringe, is filled with some chemical mixture, known in that locality as the “ sneezing compound.” This stuff was vigorously pumped into every possible or impossible place where a person could bo concealed. Amyone subjected to its influence in close quarters must sneeze out or come out. It is said to bo a villainous compound of stink and tickle, which no person can sustain and dive. All parts had been fumigated but the coal bunkers, and they were so closely packed with bags of coal that it seemed impossible for a cat, much less a man, to be concealed therein. But no; in goes the sneezing compound, and out comes a suppressed sneeze, quickly followed by a vigorons expletive. In a few minutes out comes one, then another, till four, anything but jolly Dutchmen, black as negroes, half smothered, and sneezing with a 20-horse power, stood on deck. They were immediately taken in charge, and escorted ashore.” —Otago Witness.

The Wanganui correspondent of the New Zealand Advertiser slates that during the late fight between the loyal and rebel natives, the skull of Capt. Lloyd is supposed to have been lost. The history which has been fold about this is something horrible. While Mr. Booth was detained the skull was used as a drinking calabash by the old hags of the tribe, who were using it as a charm, the brains having been previously eaten by Matene, the leader of the fanatical wretches.