MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 26, 28 January 1878, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

Mr Lvnn's balloon ascended on Saturday, nt 2 \ minutos. past 3, p.m., with Mr Goftvy nud Mr Lynn^ but tho lifting power was only suflioion.t to tat^o up, 4,01 b, of bailout. It grazed n pi\lm treo in rising whon a portion of tbo ballast had to bo thrown out. Itlbcnroso 4000 ft, and bociyi to doHoond, coinpolling tbo wnsto of more ballast. It thon rogo to hnnging motionless ovor tbo Tinrbor four miles out td'sofi. It wns now evident tlmt somoih'mff wns wronß, flo boats \>\\t ofF.nnd tbo balloon desoendod slowly. Tho last ounco of ballast Ijopt it up 10 minutes moro ; it tjhon descondod with incrodsinp; spood, fltruolf tho wiitor ono milo opposito tho harbor, and 'for 20 minutes tbo our wns defied through tho wator, royolviog with

tho baloon, which aotod ns a sail. Mr Lynn was liko a squirrel in n ongo, Mr Geary was outside tho ropes, and both wero perpotually on tho more to preserve a balance, and ofton up to their nooks m tho water, At last a natiyo boHt caußlit thejr grappling iron with nn anchor, and tlio aoroniuitH jumped on b,onrd. Tho ballon curried off tho boat's anchor and tncklo, and shot up liko a rocket somo 30,000 ft. Eventually it snnk between Pnnwoll and Mathernu, whoro tho samo gontloQian discovered it yostorday, not materially hurt nfter their rescue. Tlio aeronauts wcro tnkon on board tlio pilot schooner, and reached Bombay about 7, whero tho greatest excitement and auxioty provailpd. $Ir Lynn's lottor pays a hi«h complijnont to Mr Geary's pluck.— Cor** . Respondent Melbonrno Argus. Tho Arrow Observer stys:— " A con«? sidorablo iinpotus has boon giron to tho sottlonjont of land in this and other mining conlros by seotion 59 of tho now Minos Act, which provides for tho occupation, by liconso, of mining reserve^ subject to six months' notice in theevoni of thoir being rrqiurd for tho purpose* for whloh they wore sot apart. In consequent* of this action a fooio quantity of lan;l lifts hoen posted off and applied for during tho past fow days in tho vicinity of tho township. Tho provision is a wiso one, as it enables land which has hitherto lain idlo— and the nlluvial naturo of which is very problematical— to bo taken up and pliicod under crop without uny real or appnrent injury to tl»o minor. Tho Auckland Star publishes an article referring to a story which has gone tho rounds of tho Colonial Press, to Iho effect that Dr Somorrillo at ono ofhisrovival meetings in Brisbano had asked tho men to retire, and then requested that those of tho ladies remaining who wero consoious of sin should stand up. Tho story, ns told by " Funny Man " in a Brisbano paper, roos on to explain that a numbor of Indies stood up ; that Dr Somcrvillo marched thorn into tho vestry, and dolivored to them a homily on the awful sin of breaking tho sevonth commandment, addrossing them, indeed, ai if they wero " fallen women." Tlio ladies, it was further stUed, wero all of irreproachable character, and almost fnintod with shame nnd voxation. They hid rnly acknowledged hoing sinful in a cenernl fenso. bs falbni? short of tho onmplelo Christian oharactor. Comment* in<r upon this story, tlio Star says :— •• This is substantially tho story told by Mm funnyman of tho Brisbano paper. Lki most falsehoods, it has a bare substratum of truth, but contains about as mno'i falsehood ms can bo conveniently crowded into tho limits of a newspaper column. Wo havo mailo car .ful inquiry into tho mattor, and the following is a correct statement of what actually took place on tho occasion :— At tho revival meotine, after tho olo^o of tho usual services, tho men wero requ *tod to withdraw, in order that tho customary special service fo- tho oilier sox might ho hold alter tho males had retired. Thcro wero present several clergymen and other male assistants in tho choir. During tho subsequent proceedings ns is conatomary in these special revival services, Dr. Somorville rrqnostcd thoso who had convictions of sin, and who desired advieo and consolation to stand up. Thero was no intention to invite womo" of evil roputo, nnd so fur ns could bf ,jnd'gi?d nono of I his rlnss wcro present. It was perfectly understood by tho ladies who got up that tho invitation was meant to apply to those who had convictions of general sinfulnoss. Tho ladies who stood up in response to tho invitntio.i wer" in uo<y\ positions in sooioty. and wo«o under no misapprohoasions whateyer They listened to tho admonitions and encourncemont offorcd them with paticnoo. Tho whol« story in tho Brisbane papers is mainly a gross fabrication, and it has boon os»ensivoly copied into most of tho journnls throughout tho colony, it»* only right that this contradiction should bo rnblished al«o.' — Special Correspondent Wcl-« lincrton Evoning Post. General Skoheloff is, Jtnys tho Whiffc hall Keview, reported tr> Wo stated that Mio operations boforo Blovna will not bo lost upon tbo English, insomuch that th« ut»er hopelessness of attacking resolute infantry armed with breechloaders, bohind earthworks nnd in entrenchments, has beon amply demonstrated. Tho muMi slitfhted and snoorod at body offtiflo Volunteers, together with our militia, should in an extremity bo perfectly component, by entrenching themselves, not only to guard tho several approaches to London, but to hold the largest corps at nrmos that is ever likely to effect a lnnding on our shoros in chock, nnd so 9*>t froo our rogular army to threaten tho flinks of tho invading foroo and to cot off their communications. Tho losson to bo enthsrod f^o™ * n0 hideous slaughter before Plevna certainly adds yet, another bulwark of security against all fear or our invasion ; for what w»fh «h© efforts of our soldiers, together with tho nssistanco of ffanafl of navvios, whoso sorv>ccs would probably bo secured, both entrenchments and redoubts would rival inu<h' rooms in tho rapidity with which they would spring up on all throatcnod points. , . A monk of tho Boncdiotino monastry nt Raigern, between tho Brunn and Vienna, has recently completod a mechanical ouriosity in tho shapo of fl self-mov-ing torrestrinl globo I*4 motros in diamotor, A combination of. wheels givos it a motion similar to that of tho oarfb, and whononoo sot going it will rovolvo for tbroo weeks. At tho north polo of tho axis nro dial plates on whioli tho <Mvs, months, Ac, aro indicated, and l over thc«o is a smaller globo, by moans of which tho motion of our planet round tho sun is oxhibitod. Tho largo globo sots tho smal or ono in motion by tho agonoy of twolvo whools. Tlio construction of tho mochanism took moro than tp.n years patient applicacation, and w.as, only complotod after nuraorous oxporimonts. As rogards gcographioal details, tho map on tho «lobo is oarofully drawn, and shows all tho latest discovorics. Tho, stoamor routes, | railway and tolograpb Hoes, tho heights of mountains* and tho d,opthq of tho odoan aro all distinctly shown. Tho tiinos in Hokitikn, oannojt bo bo bad as thoy aro rcprrsontod, Lnstj wcok tho Rntorpriso (lato Koh-i-n,oor) Gold Mining* Company Rose, ackertinod for twenty mou and wo learn that only six men from IjCokitika .sought employment. We understand) tfyaHho lowost rato of wagos oDforod by tho Company^ i» three pounds per wook, with weekly p»y moots, and, woconsidor, that any miner who is present out of a cfaim^ and, will uot araii

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Jjiinsolfof nuqlißii ppportnnity of obtaining omplojment, must lmro gooil Rwapmti! i» view. Wo »r« well aware, tlmt. « a rulfl minor* \n general aw of a Tcry independent disposition. .