The ' Times ' correspondent in China in one of his amusing letters tells the following anecdote :—
The two sister ships, the Imperador and the Imperafrix, are now both arrived, and have discharged their cargo of Marines in good health at Wjintung, opposite the ruins of the Bogue forts. Captain Sherrard Osborne, in the Furious, goes to Manilla to bring up the last two of h'm squadron of gunboats. Captain Osborne has acquired great credit by the sue-
cess with which he has brought all his chick cockalrices home-not to roost. To the Drake belong the honours of the race; but they have all done well. Many were the adventures of these wee things, all flight and sting, m their passage through the waste of waters. The big ships of commerce, when they sighted one of ?heL specks in mid ocean, took various ideas of the unusual sight. Spme bore down towards it as a wreck offering, hope of salvage money, and bore away a ? am as they grew nearer? frightened at its vicious and piratical looking hull. Some recognised the little daring vixen thing, and came near to see, dipping ensign, and offering sea luxuries. One Scotch shin fairly bolted at first view, and crowded all sail to escape when the terrible little cruizer manifested a desire for an interview. The commander of the gunboatjhadhis reasons for a closer interchange of compliments; he made all sail,started in pursuit, then got up his steam, and a regular chase ensued. At last the Scotchman was overhauled, having led the gunboat some way out of her course. The officer boarded her in no very good humour, and asked why he had been led this dance, and whether the master did not know a pennant when he saw it. " Eh," said the Scotchman,." I kenned vera weel what' ye war; but I thought sure eneuch ye'd just be in distress for something." The Governor of Moreton Bat.—We are informed on most reliable authbrity that [Willoughby Shorthand, Esq., formerly. Colonial Secretary of New Zealand, and for some time acting Governor of that colony during the absence of Sir George Grey, and now or late Governor of the Island of Tobago, has been offered the appointment of Governor of Morton Bay.— Courier, March 13. " James, now I will hear you your lesson," said a schoolmaster to a little urchin, who was not in the habit of studying much. " Gueth not, thir; daddy thaith little boys should be theen and not heard."
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LT18580417.2.12
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 569, 17 April 1858, Page 4
Word count
Tapeke kupu
414Untitled Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 569, 17 April 1858, Page 4
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.