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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IV, Issue 187, 12 August 1864, Page 3

Castor Oil mare Palatable.—The medical men of Paris recommend the following as a good way of administering castor oil to children: —The quantity prescribed is poured into a small earthen pan, over a moderate fire. An egg is broken into it, and the mixture is then stirred up, so as to form something like what cooks call buttered eggs; when it is done, a little salt or sugar, or a few drops of orange water, or some currant jelly, is added. The sick child will eat it agreebly, and never discover the fraud. Receipt for making cheap Bread.—At a time when bread is so dear, the following receipt, which we have received from the wife of a clergyman in the North, is of such practical importance to all classes that we consider it a duty to give it a prominent place:— “ Take a pound and a half of whole rice, boil it gently over a slow fir , in three quarts of water, aboutfive hours, stirring it occasionally, and afterwards beat it up into a smooth past. Mix this, -while warm, into fourteen pounds of flour, adding to it at the same time, the usual quantity of yeast. Allow the dough to work a certain time near the fire, after which divide it into loaves, and it will be found, when baked, to produce twenty-eight or thirty pounds of excellent white bread.” Our correspondent writes: —“ It answers perfectly. The quantity is doubled, you will perceive. I have tried it several times in different quantities of flour, but it has not yet failed. I have had it weighed each time, and the proportion was the same on every occasion. The bread is remarkably light, and particularly wholesome. The poor are all delighted at the saving which it causes in their consumption of flour.” —English Churchman. Strange Sheep Disease in Victoria.— The Melbourne Argus states that “ a strange disease is prevalent now amongst the sheep on the Murray, generally attacking the fattest in the flock. The animals are attacked with a staggering and inability to walk. * Last,’ says the Riverine Herald, ‘ two sheep out of three which had died from the disease in ques. tion had their heads opened. In one was found a bladder of water fully the size of a walnut; the brain in the other had almost disappeared, and a quantity of white pips about the size of aniseed, were sticking to the roof and sides of the brain receptacle. Whether or no this state of things was the cause of death remains an open question, as some are of opinion that red water is the disease from which so many sheep have died.’ ” An Incident of 1815.—0 n the morning of the memorable battle of Waterloo. Henneiij.'ui had just handed Ins master (Blucher) a lighted j>ipe, when a cannon ball struck the ground close by, scattering earth and gravel in all directions, and causing the white charger on which Blucher was mounted to spring aside —a manoeuvre that broke the pipe into a thousand pieces before the owner had time even to lift it to his lips. “ Just keep a lighted pipe ready for me ; I shall be back in a few moments, after I have driven away the rascally Drench churls.“ With these words Blucher gave the command, “ Forward boys!”

and off he galloped with his cavalry. Instead, however, of a chase of a few minutes, it was a rapid march of nearly a whole hot summer day, as we all After the battle was over, Blucher rode back with Wellington to the place where he first got a glimpse of the combating armies, and nearing the spot where Blucher had halted in the morniug, they saw to their surprise a solitary man, his head tied with a handkerchief, one arm in a sling, and calmly smoking a pipe ! “ Why,” cried Blucher, “that is my Henneman. How you look, boy ; what are you doing here alone?” “Waiting for your speedy return,” was the grumbling answer. “ You have come at last! I have waited for you here, pipe in mouth, for the whole long day. This is the last pipe in the box. The cursed French have shot away every pipe from my mouth, have ripped the flesh from my head, and shattered my arm with their deuced bullets. It is well their is an'end to the battle, or you would have been too late even for the last pipe.” Saying which, he handed to Blucher the pipe, to enjoy the remaining fumes of the weed. Wellington, who had listened attentively to the conversation, here remarked to Blucher, “ You have just admired the unflinching loyalty and bravery of the Highlanders, what shall I say to this true and devoted soul ?” “ But you Highlanders had no pipe to regale themselves with.”— Bentley's Magazine. The Maori Prisoners who were towed down to the Kawau on Tuesday in the hulk Marion b} the Beautiful Star, arrived there in due course, and the hulk having moored in shore, they were let loose, and it is said scampered in every direction over the hills, delighted with their freedom.— N. Z. Herald, August 5. The Plains of Canterbury.—Mr. A. T. Doyne, in his report on the rivers and plains of Canterbury, says:—“ The great plains of Canterbury, which lie on the eastern side of the Middle Island of New Zealand, extend from north-east to south-west for a distance of 100 miles long the sea coat, with a depth of from thirty to forty miles into the interior, where they are abruptly terminated by meeting the base of the mountain ranges, which ascend in mountains heaped on mountains until they reach the perpetually snow-capped summits of the great Southern Alps. These plains slope gradually from the mountains to the sea at the rate of forty feet to the mile for the first fifteen or twenty miles, at an average of twentyfour feet to the mile for the remainder. Between Kaiapoi on the north, and Timaru on the south, thej r are intersected by numerous rivers, which travel in tolerably direct lines from the foot of the mountain ranges to the sea. The rivers between Kaiapoi and Orari, near Timaru, have certain natural characteristics which divide them into distinct classes. A Soldier’s Fate.—Captain Henry Mercer, R.A., was recently shot in leading a forlorn hope against the Maori position in New Zealand. When rushing onwards at the head of his men to grapple with the foe, he received his death wound—a shot struck him on the face, tearing away the tongue, shattering both jaws, and inflicting a fearful gash. Where he fell there he lay all night, resting his poor mangled head on the lifeless body of one of his brave gunners; the ground on which he lay was so enfiladed, and the fire of the enemy so deadly, that no one could attempt to rescue him and live. Intelligence of her husband’s sad fate was despatched at once to Mrs. Mercer, who immediately started off, and travelled forty miles in great haste, though the poor lady was expecting her confinement, to see her beloved husband ere he breathed his last. When she arrived in camp her grief was heanrending to witness, and caused many a rough soldier to brush away a tear. Poor Mercer, on seeing it, appeared to suffer more on her account than his own, and, rallying a little, made signs for writing materials, and a pencil being put into his hands, he wrote —“ My darling, do not grieve for me I I have peace, the most perfect peace, in Jesus—deep, deep as a river ! He doeth all things well.” Immediately afterwards, his spirit ascended to his Saviour. Thus died a gallant'soldier and a pious Christian. Poor Mrs. Mercer, with five fatherless little ones, has just returned from New Zealand.—Army and Navy Gazette. Curious Decision. —A curious decision was given in the Supremo Court, on Tuesday last, by his Honor Mr. Justice Chapman. He cited tho law with reference to larceny, and held that if a man borrowed a horse in a bona fide manner to proceed to a certain place, and on the road changed his mind and resolved to make off with or steal the animal, the offence could not be brought under the head of larceny. However, if the man, in borowing the horse, had previously determined on stealing the animal, after getting it into his possession then the case was altered, and the larceny was complete. The law on this point, as cited by the learned Judge, will, no doubt, appear a strange one to many. As treating on the same case, the learned counsel, Mr. Button,

who appeared for the prisoner, in Causa Regina v Owen William Evans, for larceny, cited Baron Park, who had clearly laid down that the finder of (say) a bank note on the highway, was not a thief until he he had appropriated the same to his own uses, or had changed it into other coins or money, lie was simply the bailee, and, in order that the crime of larceny might be brought home to him, it was necessary that unlawful conversion should be proven. —Southland Times, July 14. Satisfaction. —Colonel Hoosier and his wife were at a ball, and in the course of the evening one general Plugugly so far forgot himself, in the absence of the colonel for the purposes of liquoring up, as to salute Mrs. Hoosier in an osculatory manner. She screamed. The intelligence of the outrage was conveyed to Colonel Hoosier, and he, hot from the bar, and redolent of cocktail, rushed into the very midst of a quadrille, crying out, “ Stop the ball. Thunder and gumbo! stop the ball! General Plugugly has kissed my wife!” There was an awful pause, an ominous lull. The teeth of men were set, the cheeks of women blanched ; and revolvers and bowie-knives were uppermost in the minds of all. Shortly, however, the voice of Hoosier was once more heard, crying, “ Musicianers, rosin up! The ball may go on agin. General Plugugly has behaved like a gentleman ; he’s loaned me five dollars.”—Temple Tar. Why does a piebald pony never pay toll ?—His master pays it for him. Why are eyes so ill-treated ?—Because they are lashed all day, and get a good hiding at night. If you were obliged to swallow a man, whom would you prefer ? —A little London porter.