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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 116, 18 May 1877, Page 2

Somehow London seems tired of dancing. When the Shah was here, no remark he made was more relished than his question to the Prince of Wales while the dance was going on, " Why don't you employ servants to do this for you?" The perspiring Prince could hardly explain, bnt society generally seems inclined to relegate dancing to the corps de ballet. This has been especially the case this season, when the new fashionable skirts have gone to an extreme from the liberation of the ballet. A lady was recently heard to say with a sigh, " What with being tied around above and tied around below I haven't had a good square sit down for three months." When a large ball is given there is an apology for dancing, a few mincing steps are taken, but presently the company falls to admiring esich other's dresses, and it all ends in music and talk, Dancing bids fair to become a " survival" as the antiquarians say. Even apart from any other entertainment, the great re volutions which have taken place in dress make the English drawing-room far more attractive than it formerly was. The room itself has become more beautiful and less flaring. Unobtrusive, quiet walls, and stuffs, rich, but of subdued tints, supply good backgrounds for the superb and artistic raiment in which the ladies are now habited. % feel quite sure that the English ladies are not only wiping out the stigma upon their taste of dress, but will ere long be noted as the best dressed people in Europe. —London Letter to Cincinnati Commercial. Concerning the rumour of a Eussian loan,' we find the following iv the Wotld:— " There is no smoke without fire. We have spoken of a Russian loan, and can now vouch for the correctness of the rumour. Letters we have received from Russia depict an awful crisis. The waut of specie has become ' so great since that decree, that enormous quantities of goods, on which the merchants cannot pay the dues, remain on the wharves. The monetary crisis has reached its climax in the Governments of Moscow and Kazan. The manufacturers are not even able to pay their workpeople's wages; and the Governor of the Imperial Bank was recently obliged to visit Moscow to make arrangements with finaucial establishments of that city, in order that trade credit might be facilitated, .and f re3h disasters avoided. By a long and deep study of Russia we have been able to ascertain the exact degree of that wealth so much praised; and, while it is still time, we warn those who have their money invested in Russian stocks that the ice on which they are skating is extremely thin, and a dangerous crack might suddenly take place. We have no intention to unduly or improperly disparage Russian stock; but we entirely disapprove and blame as unfair the appreciations of financial writers who imprudently speak of what they do not really know, and recommend investments which must turn out disastrously."

\ The spiritualists of Oamara, according to the Mail, have been dabbling in mumbojumbo, and have developed results a Ia Davenports. A tambourine floated in the air, a violin, suspended in mid-air, gavo forth ghostly music, spirit writing was shown, and "generally the most startling performances took place."

Tasmania is coming to the front iv goldmining, for we find the Lannceitoa Examiner stating *' that samples of pyrites from the New Native Youth Company yielded, under assay j at the rate of 1790zs 4dwts of gold per ton of mineral, ;and samples from the "Sir William Denison Company at the rate of 94ozs 3dwts of fine gold per ton of miueral." If his can be got in quantity equal to "specimen," Tasmania's fortune is made.

The Auckland Herald of Tuesday last says:— We understand that a telegram was received in Auckland yesterday from Melbeurne, stating that the underwriters there had placed a war risk of ten shillings per cent upon outward vessels and cargoes. This implies that the people of Melbourne see that there is a possibility of England being involved in the present war, but the rate is so small as to show that there is, as yet, no serious alarm upon the subject in Australia A correspondent sends us the following.— "Why cannot the Russsian soldiers make use of their railways?— Because they cannot get into cars (Kars)." b . The following is from an Alabama journal : —"At the Dickenson Flace, on Bullard Creek, near Six-mile station, there is a 10---acre field which is nothing more nor less than a subterranean lake, covered with soil about 18in deep. On the soil is cultivated a field of corn, which" will produce 20 or 30 bushels to the acre. If anyone will take the trouble to dig a hole the depth of a spadehandle he will find it fill with water, and by usuing a hook and line, fish four or five inches long may be caught. These fish are different from others in not having scales or eyes, and are perch-like in shape. The ground is b?ack marl, alluvial ia its nature, and in all probability was at one time an open body of water, on which was accumulated vegetable matter, which has been increased from time to time until now, it has a crust sufliciently strong and rich to produce fine corn, though it has to be cultivated by hand as it is not strong enough to bear the weight of a horse. While nooning the field hands catch great strings of delicate fish by merely punching a hole through the earth. A person rising on his heel and coming down suddenly can. see the growing corn shake all round him. Anyone having the strength to drive a rail through the crust, will find, on releasing it, that it will disappear entirely." Referring to the rumor that Sir George Grey was likely to resign hia seat in the Assembly, $he Auckland Star says:— We are assured on -he beat authority that Sir George Grey has no present intention of throwing up the political sponge, aud that he never had any such intention unless his constituents were to request him to do so, a contingency which is so remote as to be unworthy of consideration. On the other hand, the fatigues of last session have necessitated rest and retirement, and though Sir George Grey has suffered somewhat from declining health, he has so far recovered as to be able to resume his quiet meditative rambles in the Arcadian retreats of his Island home, his busy intellect is still actively engaged with the political problems of the day, his eyes are open to surrounding events quite as wide as anyone in the recesses of the Government Buildings at Wellington, and it is not unlikely that he wiil again sally forth at the proper moment, like a giant refreshed, to astonish his opponents, who have spent the recess in flying about the colony m search of nothJDg in particular, but the comforts which arise from liberal travelling expenses and snug hotels, ;