BIG MOSQUITOES.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IX, Issue 463, 21 March 1867, Page 3

BIG MOSQUITOES.

The late Kev. Zeb: Twitchell was the most noted Methodist minister in Yermont for shrewd and laughable sayings. In the pulpit he maintained a suitable gravity ot expression, but out of the pulpit he overflowed with mischief. Occasionally he would introduce something very queer into the sermon for the sake of arousing the flagging attention of his hearers. It was he who originated the story of great mosquitoes. Seeing soma of his audience were getting sleepy, he paused iu his discourse and digressed as follows: “Brethren, you haven’t any idea of how tho missionaries suffer in tho new settlements on account of the mosquitoes. In some of those regions they are enormous. A great many of them will weigh a pound, and they will get on the logs and bark when the missionaries are coming along.” By this time all ears and eyes were opened, and he proceeded with bis discourse.

The next day one of his hearers called him to account for telling lies in the pulpit. “There never was a mosquito that weighed a pound.” “ But I did not say one would weigh a pound. I said a great many of them would weigh a pound, and I think a million would.” “ But you said they would bark at the missionaries.”

“ No, no, brother, I said they would get on tho logs and bark.”

Misaerrors Escape. —On Tuesday last, about 11 a.m., a child years old, belonging to Mr Baines, residing on Captain Baillie’s estate, some six miles from Picton was missed by its mother, who anxiously sought her lost darling in every possible direction. Finding her efforts of no avail, she alarmed her neighbours, who nt once instituted a search aU over the neighbourhood. Night came, but still no tidings to relievo the anxious mother’s heart. Early in the morning the party renewed their efforts, which were crowned with success about two p.m., when a young man named Peter (in Captain Eaillie’s employ) discovered the poor thing sitting by the roadside, about a milo from its home, to all appearance well and hearty, although so long a period had elapsed since it was missed, during which it was without food. Tho joy of the parents on its recovery may be more readily imagined than described. —Marlborough Express, The Nelson Evening Mail, of tho 14th inst, says:—“ The murderer Sullivan has at length found his place in the Nelson prison gang. Ho may be seen daily marching to and fro with his fellow convicts, and working with them in the city works. He looks weH, and assumes a buoyant air that is not supposed to belong to great criminals. It is an instalment of justice to the comunity which he has outraged, that ho is at length compelled to toil like other convicts before receiving tho prison rations. It has not escaped observation that he is not in irons, and that some hardship is cast on the men who, suffering for minor offences, are placed in tho same category with so great a criminal.’

A smart shock of an earthquake was felt in Neleen, between three and four on the morning of the 24th ult. There were three distinct vibrations, and severer than have been felt for a long time. Mr Benson, on the beach, was awoke at four o’clock by the falling of his clock. Many persons who did not feel the shocks, were roused at that time by something they could not account for. A correspondent informs us that he felt six or seven shocks at ten minutes past two.—Marlborough Express.