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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 232, 30 September 1880, Page 2

To the Editor £f.>thbj<" Evening Mau,.? Sib,— You would grentlyoblige by correctj--iijg .an .error ip ypuri^ep^rt-pf ; -Mrs/Hailey's , e^videnjce., . , Inpteadjof* that' tbreefparts gi j-fche *■ reservoir. was. visible Ltp hermit Lshould, .read that three parts w{**| . coje^gA^it^vege.ta;*tion*7-. am, &c, • --~. •»•.-■•■■ ■*■-• •- •

At a dinner given in Sydney to Sir Hercules Robinson, His Excellency, in referring to the progress of the colonies, said he was convinced that in 70 or 80 yearß, the population of the Australian group would not be less than 30 millions of people, and that, with this % increase of numbers, "many difficult political and Bocial problems "would arise, the solution of which would rest with themselves. Chief among these problems would be the relations which these colonies would bear to each other in the future, and the close political association with the mother country, which would permit mahjr millions of self-governing AhgloAustraliahs to advance in national life, while at the same time they might remain an integral portion of thatempir.e of which it was , nbw their pride and privilege to form a part. It was Herbert Spencer who made the following definitloh of evo'litiohi "JSvolbtibn is a. .change frona an indefinite,, incoherent, homogeneity to a definite coherent hetrogeneity through continuous diffei entiationa and integrations." It was the mathematician, Kirkroan,.w,hp traJislttteA-tbe.defin^ion, into, plain ;Eugl ish, "Evolution is a YchaftYe from a ric^bbwish untalkaboutable, all-alikenesa to a Sontehowish and in-general-talkabputable • not-at-j&ll-aljkeness by continuous somethingelseifications and sticktogetheratibns." ' It is wonderful how silent a man. can be when -he knows his cause is 'just, and how boisterous he becomes when he knows he is wrong. <-.••. - - . .. -- „ Writing on the Chinese question, the San , Francisco correspondent of the Auckland Herald says Li— The more intelligent and reasoning of tbe San Franciscans would.be satisfied if no hipre Chinese were permitted to land. .They fda'r not present numbers, but they, are* apprehensive of, and, dread, an. ev'ef-iricreasihk inpouring of China's surplus population, which, in time, would certainly swamp the A-me r.i can element, and produce complications difficult" pf solution. The same holds good, in a minor degree, of the Irish question. % The sons of Erin-a re "at^a ''discount in theVStates". :_They_ are* numerPus,. head-strong, and by thousands hang about thejarge cities.; the_ehief supporters of the ' V saloons," and\the ready instruments of designing* men, ecclesiastical or political!. Acrisis jrbpends iti. reference to them, and reflective folks would gladly Bee Irish immigration streaming into lands" beyondj-th.e* boundary of.the United States. -But of this, the least said the better, for what to do with- - .these noble, wholehearted, though sadly misguided people, has been tbe problem for ages, and is still unsolved. Germans and Scandinavians flock to the States in Bhoals, _and.are valued for their sobriety, industry, and probity. Persevefibg and thriffy'* tfiey succeed both ib business and farming; and gradually accumulate a modest competence, for old ago — a thing impossible in the " Vaterland/' . t - . t A,iwhaie,Y7o feet long, of the '.'.sulphur bottom "species', has been captured at the Thames. No harpoon or other gear was to hand, and the killingof the whale was a very troublesome job. Ifc waa shot with bullets, and speared with a sharpened bowsprit, upon which a deluge of -hot blood poured out, covering the man who was . attempting to kill it. The whale's side quivered (Bays the Advertiser), and he commenced to groan in a rumbling manner that waa pitiful to hear. Still the whale wasnot dead, and at intervals kepfcapouting up a cloud-like jet of steam with a noise like a bullet striking the water. The sharks, attracted by the smell of blood, were soon about, and acted in a very, bold manner, but occasionally got a rap on the nose-for' being so rapacious. When the whale first got aground a steamer towed it ! off;; the crew being under the mistaken im- I pression- that it .. was dead.,. It took; the ! steamer a cruise, of four miles, diving twice I underneath her,, but without doing any ! damage. It wasthen got ashore again, and * finally killed. The Ottawa correspondent of the New York World aayß:— Society here bas been convulsed by another painful incident. Not long ago the Marquis of Lome took occasion to deny i publicly a rumor that the Princess was. tired of a Canadian exile, and sighing.' to isee the dawn of the day that will release her from it. This denial put matters right, but now tbey are all wrong again. It appears that a prominent member of the Vice-regal household wrote .a letter to-a friend in England recently, in which he printed Ottawa society and Canadian life ivany thing but flattering colors, and gave a graphic account of .the, miaery the Princess endures in her L contact with the guests pf Rideau Hall. The letter was dispatched' in the wrong envelope, and fell into the hands of an Ottawa lady of fashion^ who was, flayed alive in it, and she in her I baste circulated it among her acquaintances, i Hence the .explosion. : It is reasonable to suppose that her Royal -Highness is ,;not I thoroughly at home in Canadian society, for it is new and democratic and quite.unlike the cultured plant that grows in England. 5 Mr Ismay, senior partner in tbe firm of Ismay, Imrie & Co, proprietors of the White Star Line of European steamshipf ,. recently arrived; in New York, with his wife and farailyY after ' ah" ' extraordinary voyage. Leaving Liverpool on the 13th March last in the '.steamship Oceanic, they successively visited Suez,. Point de Galle,.. Singapore, Hong- - Kong, - Canton, Shanghai, and Yokohama; The last named port they left on June 6 for -San Francisco." Wben. ttiey arrived -at New York, they -had travelled 22-S2O miles. Tbe time occupied in making this journey, -exclusive of stoppages at the different. points, visited, .was 66 days; Allowing nine days.in.whicli to complete the return to Liverpool, the trip will be accomplished in 75 days, or five, days less than the celebrated journey described in M. Jules Verne's well-known story, " Around the l World in Eighty Days." . • After be was outlawed, Ned Killy received a letter from a reporter of the^Age, who was desirous of seeing him in the rariges; but distrusted, the communication, thinking it came from the police. Seventy -five persons recently, after attend- ! ing;a wedding dinner at Chatelet, in Belgium, j experienced violent pain, and several were t confined to their beds several days. . The cook ha ! d put hemlock in the soup by mistake I for parsley. '. * ; * j ThFstatistics of the Queensland Collector I of \Customs show that the, quantity of augar j exported from, the colony during the forfc-i night ending July 30tb r wa8-348 -tons— 3o2 j tons of |which*iwere shipped in Brisbane and j 46 tona-in Maryborough. ; ,-■' ! Sircßiohard , Temple, atj a meeting of the j "Royal, Gepgraphical fSociety; paid -a bigh | tfibute.tp^heLvaloflr of the Britinh troops in recent campaigns • to the Sepoya, who. had equalled theni in; endurance. anji discipline, ahdto the scientific men— civ.il.arid. military ■p-who had planned the lines of rai\way. f A. radical English paper. .lately, offered' a prize of two *■ guineas for . the best possible Ebglish' Cabinet. There were- 700 .competitors... 300 gave the premierehip^o Mr. Gladstone,' 260 f to Lord Hartingtbb/and H 'to Lord Granville. , A Swede is making the round of Europe in a car- drawn by- three Irish- dogs,~and~h« hopes tp complete his iour by Berlin, Paris, Vienna,- Italy, and England in six.jhontJbs. j This exceptional tourist is conversant withi many tongues. ;.. AL telegram from Durban.gives some interesting particulars respecting the visit of, the Empress Eugenic to, the place where her son was, killed. -Leaving Helize on the, Ist. inst. the Empress expressed a wish; to. ascend the hill where the ambulance stopped to take. up the remain*? of her son. ' Thence she proceeded on foot into fh,e valley towards the donga y/here the;bbdy was found, following precisely the same track, as the officers who wentinj search of Lthecprpgp.LThe, road was. stonyj and rough, but in* Bpife of all remonstrances! from her attendantsYthe Empress persisted in her 'intention. In' the distance gleamed! the white monuments, thrown into sharp! relief by the dark background," but it seemed] to catch the r eye of the LEmpr&s when she got! to the^bank pf the dQnga., r The*q. .she^lif ted hgf hands' 'as itfsuppliciiti*6n fpWftrds: heaven j the teaW poured over her chbe2sp worn Withi BorrowLSnd Vigils, she spoke no word and) uttered no cry, but sank slowly ! dnher*Joiees J AFrench pri^j^pej^led Jhe_pjrayerß f or thd dead, and the servant Lomas, who had ac-i companied theLPrince in the wirj^went through the sad story of what had happened last year] ,T;he .tenj^.,w^re}pi*iched-in ? the valleyjandTthe Empress stayed tier^two daysL '"On th'e^)l4 lowing Jay she went t6.Foi*t Napolepn, -and thMceLtolßoi^e^DHfti-anabhlttf^ visited! the field of J|aqdula, and prayed there ■with the Englfeh, wpmen^ who had,come,tbere 'tb^'oW#WWnwnds andb-rotfievs, b" s j

% The London correspondent of the Western Morniny News remarks that; "the publicans are evidently getting terrified by the prospect which is in store for them in regard to Sunday closing. They have placarded London all over with large : - colored bills, signed '-An Englishman,' declaring that Sunday closing will be an infringement of the liberties of the people, aud tbey are sending men with sandwiches about the town with the same piece of information on their backs and fronts. The fact is that the licensed victuallers trade is now aroused to the danger in which it stands. There is /little or no doubt that in a very short time they will have to look public opinion directly in the face. People are tired of a monopoly which only succeeds in mating a few "persons rich, and in pauperising the rest of the nation; and the energetic efforts which the publicans are making show that they themselves are p 'ready alive to tbe fael." Gov. Duval, of Florida, was the son of a poor Virginian, a stern, strong, taciturn man. The_boy was a huge youth of 15. At the cabin-fire, at bed time, according to tbe custom Of putting on a back log, the old mau said, between the whiffs of his'silent pipe: — '» Tab;, go out and bring in that gum back log, and put it on the fire. Tab went out and surveyed the log. He knew it was uo use explaining that it was too heavy, nor prudent for him to return without having it on his shoulder. His little sister, passing, was not surprised that he requested her to bring out the gun and powder horn, as a possum or coon might have passed, or the brother might have seen bear signs. She brought the gun and Tab started. He found his way through the woods into Kentucky, in 1791. After an absence of eighteen years he. was elected to Congress. -A man of immense strength, he started for Washington. going by the way of his old home, to see the folks who bad long since, given him up for dead. Entering the little cabin door, * near bed time, he saw the identical ,gum log. He shouldered it, pulled the latch-string, and witb hia' load stood before tbe old man, pipe in mouth, quiet as usual. " Here is the gum back-log father." " Well, you've been a long time getting itPut it on the fire and go to bed," was the reply. An International Rifle Match is to be fired at the Williamstown Rifle. .Ranges, Melbourne, during the week ended 27th Novem•■b'er, 1880. The teams, competing are to consist of ten men a side, if a team should arrive either from Great Britain or America ; but, should the match be restricted to the Australian Colonies and New Zealand, the representative teams to be fifteen shots per man'ltt each distance. Government Mar*-jini-Henry rifles to be used by the Victorian representatives. Other nationalities or colonies to fire at. their discretion, either with any rifle issued by their Central Government jto the military forces of- their State, or with ithe Victorian Martini-Henry, which wiil be placed in the hands of the respective competiitors immediately upon their arrival in Vicjtoria. ! Any Marfcini-Henry of similiar pattern to the Victorian rifle may be iUsed* by [competitors. . The . triggers, are to have ": a . minimum pull of 61bs. > As a farther token of their desire to make things pleasant (writes the Victorian correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald), the Government, it is said, propose to liberate Power, ,the bushranger $ and as he is now ! crippled with rheumatism, perhaps it would Ldo no harm to relieve the oountry of the expense of maintaining him, especially as his liberation will give several ladies an opportunity of exhibiting their philanthropy. For. they— that is the ladibs— have ascertained; to their own satisfaction, that when Power was in the active practice of his pro f ession he was not uncivil to women. Therefore, in his declining yeara he is considered to be entitled to enjoy as much comfort aa can be provided for him. In all probability they will publish his biographies, only the difficulty with biography of thieves U that when the facts fall short they supplement the narrative so largely with fiction tbat you can never tell how much severally there is of each. _ '.''••, A Franklin (United- States) telegram tells the following horrible story :— A German named Grossman keeps a large beer saloon in this, place. Two of his children were sent into tbe cellar a few days ago to geti some Swiss cheese tbat was/stored in a vault formerly used jby a brewer. An army of starving rats disputed tbeir passage- * and while the elder of the children fought the animals' with a piece of iron, the other returned to the Baloon, .and screamed for assistance, saying that his'brother was in the vault surrounded by rats. Mr. Grossman and two neighbours armed themselves with clubs and hastened to the rescue of the boy. The sight that met their eyes as they entered the vault was one such as they had never before witnessed. The army of rata seemed to number thousands. The men joined in the contest, but so numerous and persistent were the rats that tbey were more than: an hour in conquering them. , £>cad rats lay piled on every side, and their number was so greatly reduced that the survivors were driven to their holes. Eight hundred and nineteen dead rats were carried from the vault. The carcases filled a large two-horse waggon box, and were a good load, for a team' to draw j away.