MAIL ITEMS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 264, 7 November 1877, Page 4

MAIL ITEMS.

ra A Daily Telegraph despatch from Stanley says he arrived at the west const of Africa after accomplishing, amid extreme peril sand difficulties, the continuous navi<^ation of the great stream of tbe Luajaba from Nyanza down to mouth of the Congo, whidh thus proved to be the aarae river. Stanley says there was much desperate fighting during the journey, the natives harassing his party day and night, and wounding his [people with poisoned arrows. His progress was impeded at one point by five great cataracts, to pass which he had to cut his way through thirteen miles of dense forest frequently exchanging axes for rifles as they were attacked. "Not until < these of my man were killed," he writes "did I desist from drying out that we were' friends add offering clothes ;" and he continues : " For a distance of twelve miles the desperate fighting on this terrible river wai maintained. This was the last save one of thirty-two battles on the Lualaba, which' river after changing its name scores of times, became known as we approached tbe Atlantic Ocean as the Kwango and the Zike. The river runs through the great basin which lies between E. long. 26 deg. and E. long 17 deg., and has an uninterrupted course over 1400 miles, with magnificent affluents, especially on the southern side. Tbesee cleaving a broad belt of mountain between the great basin and the Atlantic Ocean, it descends by about 30 feet iast and furious rapids to a river between the Falls of Yellala and the Atlantic. Our losses were most severe and my grief is atill new over the loss of j my last white assistant — a brave young Englishman, Francis Pocock — who was swept over the Falls of Massassa on the 3rd June last. On the same day I, with seven men, was almost draftn into the whirlpools of Mowa < Falls, and six weeks later myself and tbe entire crew of tbe Lady Alice were swept over the furious Falls of Mbello, whence only by a miracle we escaped. My faithful young companion Kalulu is among the lost." Callao papers state that the Peruvian Government has instructed its representative in London to demand from her Majesty's Government satisfaction, first for the violation of her maritime territory, and secondly for an act of intervention, on the ground that the Huaacar was the property of tbe Republic. Admiral Horsey's attempt to destroy the rebel ironclad with a torpedo is described as aa aggravation of the primary cause of offence. A terrible accident occured on the Volga on the evening of the 27th of August. Two steamers ran foul of each, other ; one of them sank almost immediately after the collision, when upwards of 200 passengers oh board perished; A Berlin correspondent states that a party of military surgeons on special leave, which departed for the Russian head-quartere, belong to some of the beat regiments in the German army. There is already two feet of snow in tbe Shipka Pass. The troops are obliged to sit in the frozen trenches ankle-deep in mud, 'pi A correspondent of The Times writes: — " The question of the maintenance of the Russian army in Bulgaria during the winter is becoming an important one. I believe the supplies of food for man and beast now stocked in Roumania and Bulgaria would maintain 300,000 men through the winter, and 150,000' men will ba sufficient to hold the Russian positions during the season when the roads are practicably impassable for military purposes, and the rest of tbe troops could be retired across the Danube until (be spring. The question of getting supplies to the army is the chief one for consideration. The Danube is rarely frozen so as to prevent the passage of steamers; hence the transportation across the river could be managed, and then if the large cavalry forces were dismounted for the winter a portion of the horses of the cavalry, artillery, and transport trains could be organised into immense trains of pack horses. There would be sufficient to supply the troops with the necessaries of life. The necessary fuel is a greater difficulty to surmount. Underground barracks might be sufficient to keep the soldiers warm in connection with heavy fur or sheepskin coats, but for cooking purposes fuel it> necessary. If ihe Russians can overcome the fuel difficulty they can winter in Bulgaria. Greece has sent a fresh dispatch to her representative iu London, pointing out that rteitbar intimidation nor a coup de main against Greece can suppress Hellenic putriotiam. An unjust attack against Greece by the Porte would infallibly causa an insurrection of the entire Hellenic, people. The London Times auye the end of the campaign must be nea. It promiscsr to be something like a drawn battle. The Powers will tbeu attempt to avert another campaign by diplomatic interference. The Times prints thia prominently. It ia eaid that the Turkish soldiers have received strict orders not to fire at a Russian general lust ho should be killed or disabled and replaced. The Chicago Times London epeaial says that the action of the Ports in sending Basbi-Bazouka to The3suly is having an uiflummaiory effect. Greece is certain sooner or ißtur to bo drawn into the war. Serviaa intervention is only a question of tioau. Uneasiness ana agitation iu Huugury are almost sure to result in action which will embroil the Auatro-Hungariau Govern-

iriehfc with Russiij. G&ttn'Siif 1 is ffiffth excited over the Turkish atrocities. The opinion is gaining ground that if diplomacy cannot end the vvar this fall it will be almost sure to include all Europe. The opinion ia also gaining ground that diplomacy is powerless, and England is doomed to a fiual participation, in the conflict; The single scbll race for £400 and the championship Of the Thames, od October 6, from Pttffib? to Mortlake, betwjßeii. Higgiriß Snd. Bbyd, #aa won by Higgins. The betting was 7t04 in favor of Boyd. The case again t»t the fdiir detectives of Scotland Yard andProggat^, a solicitor, for being accomplices io the recent great turf frauds, is now proceeding and continues to attract conaitferable public attention. Clark, one of the inspectors who has been apprehended, as well as the othera— Meiklejoho, Palmer, and Drußeovitch—liss been over 30 years ia fcti© public service. Much sympathy is felt for the old man, whose hair is quite grey; and on taking hia place beside the otti&r detectives, they burst into tears. The evidence of Chief Inspector Williamson corroborated in almost every particular the evidence given by the convicts, and the caß6 against them looks very bad. Sir J^atnes Ingham has intimated that he intends to commit them fcr trial. General Grant, at the Lord Provost's reception in Glasgow, said : " Though I may not live to see a general settlement of national disputes by arbitration, it will not be very many years before that system of settlement will be adopted, and the immense standing armies that are depressing Europe by their great expense be disbanded. The arts of war will be almost forgotten in the general devotion of the people to the developement of peaceful industries. I want to see, and I believe I will see, Great Britain, the United States, and Cauada joined with a common . purpose in the advancement of civilisation, and an invincible community of Englishspeaking nations that all the world besides could not conquer." The following private letter has been written by a magistrate on dtx island called Paumbeu, India, to hi3 brother in Missouri : — " Paurabeu, August 12, 1877; — I am so fearfully sick of thia dreadful famine. People are dying of starvation all round, and it is oat of one's power to assist them. Returning from my morniog ride one day this week 1 found a woman in the last stage of starvation, and although I procured &ago and brandy for her, the poor creature died. lam to hold a meeting this evening to start a private congee trust to relieve the necessities of some. Every day I give rice and money out of my own resources, but it is a heavy drain. Rice sells at 25a tbe bag of 164ibs, which last year could be bought at B*, and of course everything is dear in proportion in the vegetable line; but cows, poultry, &c, are to be bought io the same place for nominal sums only. The people have nothing to feed them on, and in some places there is actually a famine of water as well as of food. Grass is imported and pays for Us conveyance. We feed about 3000 people daily, one meal a day, only wiviog but enough to keep them alive. We cannot afford to give more, as we shall have probably to feeJ them four months longer. Last month was a great festival time among the Hindoos, but owing to the famine no money came (o the market, although there is a temple here which is frequented by devotees. Sometimes after landing on the sboro they roll the whole way (8 miles), to pay their devotions in one taleeg. 80,000 died of starvation in one month in our district, and 70,000 died in May. Is it not terrible ? You cannot rnngine what scenes we io India hear nut] 6oe daily, Can you fancy a womau boiling and eating her own baby ? Thas occurred not many miles from here only last week. When possible I superintend the giving of food, and ;have oftau seen mothers take their children's share and eat it themselves; and I must add that I made it up to the poor little things, when possible, by giving them an extra allowance, us I feel that only the pangs of utter starvation would induce a mother to rob her own child; for although black in color they are not destitute of feeling."