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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1080, 28 July 1871, Page 2

" Under the Verandah " says :.—Great difference of opinion exists amongst returned Fijians as to the eligibility of the islands as a place of residence. One gentleman assurred me that it was a terrestrial paradise, although he admitted that it was rather rough on the liver. A more despondent individual suggested that if I wanted to realise the life of a planter under the regime of King Thakornbau, I should take up a residence area on the Murray Flats, grow pumpkins, and live upon them. The manners of the natives must form an interesting study to ama« te »r ethnologists. A friend of mine had two laborers, who, for want of better names, were dubbed Tommy and Jemmy. To nmy was missed for some days, and at last Jemmy was asked what had become of his friend. The amiable savage grinned from ear to ear, but vouchsafed no reply. The question was repeated. Jemmy could keep quiet no longer; and pointing to an abdomen of aldermanio proportions, he burst out—" Him here ; me ate him." Pleasant truly to have a cannibal for a cook.' My informant did not seem at all sure that some portion of poor Tommy, disguised of course by native culinary art, had not been served up for his mid day meal. In a cavern on the right bank of the Colorado, about seveu miles from Austin, there is an immense hive of wild bees. The entrance of this cavern is situated in a ledge of limestone, forming a high cliff, which rises almost perpendicular from the water's edge. In a warm day a dark stream of bees may be constantly seen winding out from the cavern like a long dark wreath. The stream often appears one or two ieet in diameter near the cliff, and gradually spreads out like a fan, growing thinner at a distance from the cavern until it disappears. The number of bees in this cavern must be greater than the number in a thousand or ten thousand ordinary hives, . The bees, it is said, have never swarmed, aud it is not improbable that the hive has continued for more than a century to increase year after year, in the same ratio that other swarms increase. Some of the neighboring settlers have repeatedly, ty blasting the rocks, opened a passage in.W some of these chambers, and produced by this means many hundred pounds of honey* But the main deposits are situated too deep in the ledge to be reached without great difficulty, and perhaps danger. # was estimated that there are many ton*

of honey and wax in this immense hive, and if 3 treasures could be extracted readily, they would doubtless be far more valuable than the contents of any silver or gold mine that adventurers have been seeking for years in that section. So gays an American journal 1 What swarms must emanate in the season from such a City? A correspondent sends the following to ** Harper's Monthly ":—During a recent trial before Justice Dougherty it was thought important by counsel to determine the length of time that certain ** two quarters of beef, two hogs, and on * sheep " remained in an express wagon i i front of plaintiff's store before they were taken away by the defendant. The witness under examination was a German, whose knowledge of the English language was very limited; but he testified iu a very plain, straightforward way to having weighed the meat, and to having after wards carried it out and put it into the aforesaid wagon. Then the following ensued: —Counsellor Enos : " State to the jury how long it was after you took the meat from the store and put it into the wagon before it was theu taken away." Witness ; " Now, I shoost cand dell dat. I dinks 'bout twelve feet. I not say nearer as dat." Counsel: " You don't understand me. How long was it from the time the meat left the store, and was put into the wagon, before it was taken away by the defendant ?" Witness: " Now, I know not what you ax dat for. Der vagon he was back up iait der sidevaik, and dats shoost so long as it vas. You dell me how long der sidevaik vas—den feet ? twelve feet ? den I tells you how long it vas." Counsel : " I don't want to find out how wide the sidewalk was, but I want to know " (speaking very slowly) " how—long—thi; —meat —was—-in—the—wagon— before —it—was—taken—away ? " Witness: "Oh ! dat ! Veil, now, I not sold any meat so. I all the time weigh him : never measured meat, not yet. But I diuks 'bout dree ket." (Here the spectators, and his Honor, and the jury smiled audibly ) "I know not, shorn lemen, how is dis. I dell you all I can, so good as I know."—Counsel: Look here, I want to know how long it was before the meat was taken away after it was put iuto the wagon ?" Witness (looking very knowingly at counsel) : " Now you try and get me in a scrape. Dat meat vas shoost so long in der vagon as he vas in der shop. Dat's all I told you. Dat meat vas dead meat. He don't go no longer in den dousan year, not mooch." Counsel: " That will do." The Hobarton Mercury says:—On a recent afternoon, while a Mrs Roberts' nursemaid was ailing two babies in a perambulator under the shady wattles of Cornelian Bay, and while she, native like, stared about gum gathering, one of the children playfully turned the axle of the little vehicle, and away down the hill sped the tiny carriage at railway pace. Just before it reached the steep bank which keeps back the sea, the breathless babies threw up their arms. No cry was heard, as over went the fair-haired pair into the deep. It providentially happened that Miss Morrisby, of Clarence Wains, was passing at the time, and looking over the brink for an instant, threw off her hat and mantle, and dropped down over the rocks to the rescue. In an instant the elder child was carried up the slope, but it was not till the screaming of the nurse girl told of a second lost one that the baby was discovered lying deep under the water, and apparently lifeless. Down again darted our heroine, and both were saved.