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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 941, 11 February 1871, Page 2

The straits to which the Parisians are reduced are forcibly shown by the following extract from the Paris correspondence of the Melbourne Argus :—" Cats have risen in the market—-a good fat one now costs 10 francs. Those that remain are exceedingly wild. These sagacious an in mals seem to have remarked a murderous intention in the eyes of their former friends, This morning I had a salmis of rats : it was excellent, something between frog and rabbit. I breakfasted with the correspondents of two of your contemporaries. One of them, after a certain amount of hesitation, allowed me to help, him to the leg of a rat: after eating it, he was anxious as a terrier for more. The other, however, scornfully refused to share in the repast. A.s he got through his portion of salted horse, which rejoiced in the name of beef, he regarded us with horror and disgust. During the siege of Londonderry, rats sold for 7s each, and if this siege goes on many weeks longer, the utmost which a person of moderate means will be able to allow 7 himself will be an occasional mouse. I was curious to see whether the proprietor of the restauraut would boldly call rat rat in my bill. His heart failed him —it figures as a salmis of game."

We learn from the Wellington Inde-> pendent that, at the late meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society, Pr, Hector gave a very interesting discourse on the meteor seen recently throughout New Zealand; and in order to convey to his hearers an exact idea of the course travelled by it, the most northern and southern points from which it was observed were marked on a large map of New Zealand, intersected by an -inter" mediate line of red tape to represent the flight. It appeared that from the inaccuracy or carelessness of the observers, who recorded the phenomenon it was impossible to arrive at anything like a clear understanding. The area over which observations had been made showed a length of about 700 miles, and a width of 250 or 800. There existed amongst them considerable difference of opinion, a$

to the exact direction, but the general opinion pointed to a course north by west, and from observations made at the instruments both in Wellington and Nelson, picton would appear to be immediately j, e ]ow the zenith point. Several sketches of the meteor as seen by different observers were exhibited, one of which by Mr Pharazyn showed a girdle of radiating sparks backwards from the head of the meteor, much like the pectoral fins of a 3sb and giving a blurred appearance to the body of the meteor. He accounted for the apparent bursting with which the meteor disappeared to the view of each observer by the supposition that the sparks of the so-called bursting merely marked the vanishing point to each observer. As the phenomenon was seen almost simultaneously over a distance of seven hundred miles, and as the vision of teach observer could not exceed 250 miles, it was very likely that the bursting was but an optical delusion. There was also room for doubt as to whether the phenomenon was a true bolis or fire ball, or merely the result of atmospheric and electrical agency. The altitude was fixed at 55 miles, as on this point the observations were tolerably conclusive. It also appeared that the detonations were not heard at all the stations where the meteor was observed. Dr Hector said he was still engaged in correspondence with a number of observers on the subject. The discourse on the meteor was followed by several gentlemen giving their account of the phenomenon as it appeared to them, one gentleman declaring that he was confident he felt the heat of the meteor on his face.

The following account of enthusiasm in the Volunteer business is given by the Ballarat Star: —" The other evening an ex-citizen soldier, who some time ago broke his leg in a mine and had his jaw put out of joint by the same accident, ap peared upon the volunteer parade ground. He was under the necessity of having three operations performed upon his leg, and at last was forced to submit to ampu tation. Since he left the hospital he has managed iu some way or other to ride about; but he was very unfortunate with his jaw. He went to the butts to practise with the rifle while it was in bandages, and by a "kick" had the setting deranged. The jaw he had to put into its place in a rough-and-ready manner, and it has since that time been cured. With his one one whole leg and an artificial second, the poor cripple was on parade last evening ; but he will of course be unable to join again. A wedding of a highly novel character is thus noticed in the New York Tribune of 4th August:—The great hymenial celebration which converted Miss Butler into Mrs General Ame 3, has been quite thrown into the shade by a wedding which was celebrated in the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky a few days since. The happy couple were Miss Lena Orenduff, of Breckerridge, and Mr Charles E. Calvert, of Louisville. All the ladies of the party were in cave costume, viz, short skirt and Turkish trousers. The altar was magnificent, being composed of a number of stalactites and stalagmites, placed in a room 80 ft. square and 15 ft. high. One hundred uninvited loafers attended. The twain were made one after being reminded by the parson that " though in the caverns of the earth, they were still in the sight of Almighty God."

Incendiarism is becoming a trade in Melbourne. The Leader says two men, Sanders and Schott, who attempted to fire their premises lately, appear to have gone about their work in the most busi-ness-like manner. Ostensibly opening a grocery establishment next door to the old detective office in Little Collins street, they put into the shop a dummy stock. The tea-chests were packed with straw, and the trade parcels that, neatly done up, lined the shelves, were filled with 3awdust. Thus equipped, they applied for and obtained a policy of insurance covering this valuable stock for ,£SOO. But Sanders and Schott do not appear to have kept their own counsel. Elated with the prospect of making money so easily, they seem to have been generous in their confidences, and to these, without their being aware of it, the detectives were admitted. Detectives Walker and Lomax knew, in fact, that they were going to burn the place down, and the day it was to be done, if not the hour. True to the time como the grand coup. At ten minutes to three on Tuesdav

morning up shot the signal flame from the premises of Sanders and Schott, and down pounced the detectives upon Mr, Sanders, as he ran from the scene of his, as he supposed, successful exploit. Mr Schott had been previously taken, on warrant, at the German picnic. The fire brigade, previously warned of what was to happen, were immediately on the ground, and soon put out the fire, the dummy packages standing uninjured on the shelves as evidence against the enterprising firm. Everything had been prepared for a great conflagration by the place being strewed with shavings saturated with kerosine, and, but for the vigilance of the detectives, the consequences to the surrounding neighbourhood might have been very serious. The National will save .£SOO, and it is to be hoped they will be more careful in future in ascertaining the character and antecedents of the persons to whom they grant fire policies.