English and Foreign Items.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 801, 4 July 1870, Page 3

English and Foreign Items.

[ Murphy preached at the Lecture Hall, Woolwich, the otber day, amidst great in» terruptions. He was escorted heme by a body of sixty-eight policemen. A gold wedding ring was found in the stomach of a cow slaughtered by a Newcastle butcher recently. The ring is of goodly, circumference, is -stamped "18 carat,' bears the initials "M. and A.," and has the following inscription engraved upon it:—"J.M. and M.G., 11th June, 1861." It is surmised that it was worn by a farmer's or dairyman's wife, and that while she was preparing the cow's food the symbol of wedlock slipped off her finger, and was thus conveyed to the stomach of poor Crummie.

Some curious results are exhibited in a table which has recently been prepared, showing the cost of collecting the Customs revenue of the United Kingdom in 1868. The nation, it is stated, suffers an actual loss on 34 custom-houses out of 132. This group incurs a gross expenditure of £90,305 in collecting revenues amounting to little more than half that sum—viz., £48,118. Scilly, for example, collects one sovereign at a cost of £1,143 ; Rye collects £5 at an outlay of £1,236; Stornoway picks up £ll at a cost of £1,353 ; and Aberstwith collects £73 for the outlay of £1,913. These results, if correctly given, certainly are curious ; and as they are not calculated to sooth the nerves of economists, which are at present in a highly sensitive condition, it might be as well to hear what the answer is to this statement —between the two we may possibly arrive at the truth. In the meantime, it is satisfactory to learn that we do gain something by the Customs revenues, for the gross amount raised from these 432 custom-houses is stated to be £22,709,999 ; and tho aggregate cost of collecting it, £1,250,556. A conference of the papermakers of Lancashire, Cheshire, and other counties, was held in Manchester on April 5, at which it was resolved to raise the price of ull kinds of paper 10 per cent. This step, they say, is rendered necessary by the increase which has taken place in the cost of raw material. Those of our colonies that have a fibre which might be utilised in the manufacture of paper should make the fact known.

A woman, aged ninety-two years, slept in Stonebouse Workhouse, Plj mouth, on April 10. She had walked from Greenock to Truro (Devon), leaving the former place six weeks before Christmas last. Her walk occupied her eleven weeks and four days, and she is now on her way back to Scotland, having left Truro on April 4. The woman states, in proof oi her age, that she was born in the 92nd Regiment, and that in the year 1798 the regiment was sent to Irelaud during the Rebellion. At that time she was nineteen years of age. On April 10, on the arrival of a steamer from Fleetwood at Belfast quay, the constabulary seized a suspicious looking box, which, when opened, was found to contain pikes, rifles, and a quantity of ammunition. It was directed to a person in Belfast, who has claimed it. It is in the possession of the police.

It is proposed by M. H. Yobes to protect fresh meat during the journey from Monte Video to Europe in the hot weather, by having the holds of vessels lined with metal, and then covering the bottom of the hold with cl°an straw, sawdust, or, bran, or some non-conductor of heat, upon which the meat is to be laid, and upon it a layer of ice, and on the top of the ice more straw, or other of the substance just named, and then and then another layer of meat and ice, and so on, the hold to be thus filled, and then hermetically closed.

An amusing scene occurred the other day at the Citadel of Dover. The 102nd regiment have a very fine tiger just come home with the regiment from India. He was very tame, and was daily taken for a walk, and he also went round the meltable getting tit-bits. One day his keeper got the worse for drink, and made his way to the den, fearing detection. An officer seieng that the man lay asleep, and the tiger si'ting by him, sent for the picket, who at any other time could do what they pleased with the beast. The moment they attempted to go near the keeper the tiger growled, and very soon let shem see they must keep off. For two hours the tiger kept guard over his keeper, who, on awakening, was surprised to see no one dared to come near his charge,

On April 2 a black-feced Scotch ewe, from the etoofc of Mr Henry KnoWles, farmer, Foxup.near Settle (and now the property of Mr Jobn Armistead, farmer, Long Preston), gave birth to six full-grown' lambs. The first and sixth only are living

The Thames Subway between Tower Hill and Tooley-street, which has been constructed at a cost of only £16,000, is now open to the public. It is a very remarkable work, considering the speed with which it has been constructed and the small cost.

It is now finally decided that there will be no publio celebration' of Shakespeare's birthday at Stratford-on-A von, this year. Shakespeare is at length at a discount.

Mr Frank Buckland writes as follows, in Land and Water, with regard to the " Sea Snake," reported to have been seen by Captain Slocum and his crew, of the schooner Saladin, on her voyage from Jacmel to New York :—" The sea snake does not often, I have observed, appear while Parliament is sitting. He generally turns up in the autumn, when the printers are perpetually sending round to newspaper editors for • copy.' However, in 1870, his Marine Highness has thought fit to show himself so early as March." After quoting Captain Slocum's story, Mr Frank Buckland continues : —" I do not at all agree that this monster presented a ' general repulsiveness,' nor do 1 hope with him that this most dangerous monster ' has been seen for the first, and, everybody must hope for the last time.' Certainly * everybody' does not hope this; Ido not for one. In fact, directly I read the account I looked out the Jacmel in the atlas; I fear it is too far for me to go in quest of Mr Sea Snake. The Carribean Sea cannot be reached in twenty-four hours. If 1 could but catch my gentleman, he would indeed make a fine cast for my museum. 1 should very much like to to hear Captain Slocum cross-exarnined by a clever lawyer. I fancy the verdict might be Bomewhat in the very able words of Sheridan, who thus disposed of a couple of hours' eloquence of a very dull and exaggerating M.P. of the olden time. Sheridan's answer in the House was as follows: —' The right honorable gentleman is indebted to his memory for his jests, and to his imagination for his facts/ Captain Slocum has sen something floating on the surface of the ocean, hence he has given the above sensational description. I have attempted to make an outline of the monster from the Captaiu's descriation, and believe that the beast was nothing more or less than a huge cuttle-fish, and is probably the Octopus, or ' man-sueker,' Le Puivre of Yictor Hugo. This is as near as I can go in my attempt to bring Capt. Slocum's beast within the catalogue of known beasts. The Kraken of the Norwegian seas, as handed down to posterity by Bishop Pontopedon, was eertainly a (cuttlefish."

A person, apparently curious in matters of orthography, recently addressed to the Duke of Argyll a query, which his Grace has thus answered :—" In very old times all spelling was very uncertain. You will find Argyll spelt 'Argoyle,' as well as ' Argyle' and * Argile.' But my rule has been the signature of the family for many generations. I have letters, charters, &c, for a long way back, and the signature has been, almost without exceptions, * Argyll/ with the double l."

Female curiosity was severely punished recently at Oxford. A member of the University, who had lodgings in High-st., kept a boa-constrictor in a box. Miss Senger, a daughter of the landlady, going into the lodger's room, saw a movement in the box which induced her to open the lid, when the reptile seized her hand and coiled itself round her arm. The screams of the young woman brought assistance, but it was not without difficulty the reptile was got rid of, nor until, it had inflicted a serious wound.

The annual consumption of eggs in photography is nearly a million in the United States alone, while the number used this side the Atlantic is probably at least three or four times as great. Hence it may be estimated that no fewer than 5,000,000 of inchoate fowls are sacrified every year in the production of photographic portraits.—Photographic News.

In a case heard in a London police court the other day, a foreign detective in court said that for the prevention and action of crime, and the exposure of frauds and villany of every description, English newspapers were worth more than all the jpolice in Europe,

The European Mail aaysj— '* Whether ' or not the race rowed on April 6 is destined to be last of the rival Universities at Putney we cannot say, bat so far as the adjuncts of delightful weather during the practice of a struggle expected to be of the closest kind, and of increased and heightened popularity, the contest is certainly one of the most noteworthy that has taken place from the inauguration of those meetings. Putney throughout the last fortnight presented the appearance of a town enfite. The colored rosettes, the light and dark blue flags, the bits of ribbon which every small boy made it a point of honor to wear, the strings of men who flocked in by every train at the hour of practice, the hansoms which rattled across the ricketty old bridge, would have led a stranger to believe that a great race was occurring daily. The thousands of old and present University men, who during former years have accompanied the race in steamers, were this year making an endeavor to see something of the struggle from housetop and balcony. A far better view of the race was obtainable than has been possible for many years. The surging fleet of steamers pressing behind the boats have cut off the view of the racing boats immediately they have passed. This year everyone obtained, more or less, a fair glimpse of the struggle, and had the Thames Conservancy allowed the two steamers which each University desired for its members no fault eould have been ' found with the arrangement. JN r early every house had one of the rival flags, and there was not an inhabitant or a visitor who did not exhibit a ribbon or rosette in token of his sympathies. At Barnes a similar display of color was general, and from a very early hour carriages began to arrive in rapid succession to take up their places along the strand. As the time approached for the race it was difficult for late comers to force their way down upon the towing-path. Of the hundreds of thousands of people assembled, the number of people without a distinguishing badge could have been oounted by tens Everyone had a strong interest on one side or the other, and it was remarkable that Light Blue had by far the larger proportion, of well-wishers. The fact is creditable to the lovers of fair play and of the support of the weak against the strong, which forms so strong an ingredient in our national character. The friends and backers of Cambridge have for many years lost their money, and yet they are annually increasing. Cambridge, as the challengers, were the first to row out to their place, and were greeted with tremendous cheers, t >xford were not long in following them, and after a splendid start Cambridge drew ahead, and was a length ahead at the Crab Tree, and the same at the Hammersmith Bridge, and eventually won by a length and a half. Time, 19 min. 30 sec. The winning boat was a splendid specimen of eight-orred construction, and was built for the occasion by J. H. Clasper, of V\ andsworth, who certainly deserves praise for the craft he turned out. The Princess of Wales witnessed the race from Corney, the grounds of Mr F. Siob, at Chiswick Her Royal Highness was accompanied by the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland, the lion. Mrs Stonor, and Capt. Ellis, and thoroughly enjoyed the scene. Although wearing no distinctive oolors herself, the two children, Princes Albert Victor and George, had the victorious colors on their little hats, and, in common with the great majority of those assembled, the Royal party evidently sympathised with Cambridge." TheDailyNews says:—"Theßoat Race is over, and the excitement to which it gave birth has died away. There is a cheap and easy style of writing which began with Mr Kingsley, was carried to its fullest perfection by the author of ' Guy Livingstone,' and commenced its decadence with ' Ouida.' The writers of this school have by this time had their say; and the publio have been duly informed that the University Boat Race was the finest spectacle in the finest country in the world, and that ' the spirit which enables the competitors to struggle through Coney Reach is the same spirit which animated our troops when they fought their way inch by inch up the heights of the Alma, or when they rode down without a murmur iuto the ' valley of death.' ' As long as England possesses the muscle and pluck of a Darbishire, so long, we are gravely aasured, she may safely bid defiance to Foreign Powers, and as long as sixteen young men can be found to row four miles with the tide in twenty odd minutes, so long will the Constitution never be in danger,"