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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 882, 2 December 1870, Page 3

A monthly newspaper has been started at Rorotonga, called " fe Mmu R-re " [a (lying bird.] It is printed in the native language, and the subscriptions are paid in couoanyct*. A London telegram of 9th October states that the verdict of the Naval Committee i iquiring into the loss of the iron clad Captain exonerates everybody connected with the construction and management. A Richmond telegram, Oct 3, says:—The Lexington Gazette announces that General R. E. Lee was stricken with paralysis on the 28th Sept., since wujch time he has been altogether speechless. His recovery is considered doubtful. We find the following in a telegram from New York, dated Oct. J.o:—The steamship Nebraska, which arrived a few days ago, had a narrow escape of foundering at sea. The following particulars are published to-day : On the 19th September the water got into the stoke-hole, and it was thought by all hands that the steuraer would go down. To make matters wo'-se, the wood-work around thj boilers took fie, and was only put out with the greatest exertions. The vessel made port barely floating. Jane Johnson, of Adams, Ohio, is now 123 years old, and was an eye-witness of Braddock's defeat. Herr Von Bismarck has been at work during the last eight years on a life of Cardinal Richelieu. At present he is at work on the lives of some half a million Frenchmen. The Evening Post of the 16th ult. says : The Airedale brought down from Auckland a woman named Mary Oouior, who is under commitment to take hpr trial for manslaughter. The venue has been changed to Wellington, and the trial wjll take place here, as most of the winesses reside in this province, and it would be inconvenient and expensive to take them *o Auckland. Referring to the recent arrest as suspected spies of ladies attached Jo the French Court, the Paris correspondent of the Daily News BftVß ;—«* There is now no doubt that three very great ladies—Madame de Ponrtales, Madame de Bahequo, and th± Duchess Tascher de la Pa <erie —have been arrested as Prussian spies. The first two are in Vincennes, and everybody says they will be shot, as courts martial know of no exception for the fair sex" The W ee kly Bulletin of San Francisco is well posted in *ew Zealand matters, {t says: " iNew Zeala-d has 150 000 inhabitants, and a public debt of 1.50,000,000 dollars." A. northern paper states that Mr Vogel has caused enquiries to be made respecting the Winchester repeating rilie and carbine. It appears that 18 shots can be fired from the Winchester whilst one can be loaded and fired from the Spencer, and 103 rounds of Winchester cartridges weigh 33 of the Jiufield partridge. The 18 shots can be fired without moving from the shoulder, and the Winchester carries a magazine of 18 cartridges, which need not be useo if other tingle cartridge* are preferred, so that the magazine may be kept as a reserve. The Winchester is guaranteed effective at 1,000 —six inches shoiter than the medium rifle in use at present, and therefore admirably adapted for Now Zealand bush warfare. There is also a sabre attached to the Winchester, which is useful either aa a bayonet or a billhook for clearing away scrub gn a bush track,