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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 216, 10 September 1881, Page 3

But fop the bravery of two Maori women (aays the Dunedin Star) the four Natives who occupied the boat that capsized in Akaroa harbor a few days since woa?d have beea drowned. Some of them were the worse for drink. When aboat half way across the sail became fonl, and one of the Maoris climbing ihe mast to set it rioht caused the boat to overturn. It was dark at the time, and those on shore did not see what bad happened. All four occupants climbed on to the bottom of the boat, but affer hangiDg on for an hour or two were washed off and drowned. The cries of the other two were heard on the shor? by two Maori women who loat no time in launching a punt. Thry had nofc gone far when they found that the ping was out, with no means of stopping it, so that one woman bad to plug the hole with her finger while the other worked the oars. They were bat just in time, as the two ?ur vivora were on the point of giving up, being so exhausted that on trying to get them into the punt off the bottom of the boat they went under the water, the women jnst catching them by the hair, both men being; unconscious. The women then made for the hainga and got the men to their houses, and by the aid of blankets snd a good fire codsciousnets was restored. A recent Sydney telegram say3 : — A joint of meat was rubbed with conserve salt three •weeks ago at Graf ton, and sealed close in a case. The latter was opened the other dav in the presence of several gentlemen, aid the meat was found perfectly sound and sweet. Fish treated at a later date was equally good. The preparation is a German invention, and is said to answer for preserving butter and other things. A email dilapidated box marked "No value," addressed to a jewe ; lery firm ja Boston, and received in a recent German mail, was found to contain three cards, on one of which were fastened three diamonds, and on tbe other aereral rubies and emeralds, the lot being worth £300 to £400. The Japan Mail says :— " When two hundred and fifty fires occur in the same city during the course of one winter, thG public ia naturally inclined to think that the citizens are exceptionally careless, or that incendiarism has been elevated to the rank of an established profession." What England now wants ia a second ■Westminster Abbey, to be devoted exclusively to the remains of great muscle-men, and champions, such as Rowell, Archer,, Hanlan. Jem Mace, leading Scotch kickists, and Irish sbillelah-slingers. Heada have had their day and the age of legs and arms has come. Some sailors belonging to a vessel anchored near Colombo, while ashore, tried to capture a monkey. As soon a3 they put hands on him he gave a series of yells, when, as by magic, every tree swarmed with indignant monkeys. An order to make for the boat •was promptly obeyed. When the monkeys saw their enemy in full retreat they formed in a solid body and followed hurriedly in their wake. Sticks, stones, and every available missile were hurled furiously at ihe heads of the flying sailors. In vain did they drop their prize, hoping that it might pacify their enraged pursuers. It was not so ; only one dropped out of the ranks to gather in its hairy embrace the unoffending object of the fray, while the others rushed on more frantically than ever. Reaching the boat they had not time to jump in, but shoved her off from the shore, clinging to the gunwales and crawling in only when some distance had been placed between them and the implacable foe. When they had arrived at a safe distance to lie to, they rested on their oars and curiously scanned the infuriated army on the beach. There appeared to be thousands of them running up and down in wild confusion, and hurling stones far out into the water in the direction of tbe boat. Some years ago a great London merchant, who lived a little way out of town, frequently failed to get his letters. Investigation showed that the postman often destroyed them rather than ascend a slight bill to the merchant's house. A similar case has just occurred at Birmingham. Edward Parsons was charged with delaying 2,031 letters. Many contnined money, but none had been opened. When he didn't feel like a walk he sometimes suppressed a whole delivery The sham fight at Alrlersbot before the Prince and Princess of Wales, on Juiy 4th turned out very seriously for quite a number' The heat on the hiils and field was greptrr than had been known for a long time past the thermometer registering no degrees! Quite a number of non-commissioned officers of the regular and mill! ia regiments are likely to die, besides six already dead. from sunstroke. The Queen expressed deep regret on hearing tbe sad results of the review, and the War Department will inquire ■why the review took place under circumstances which were sure to be productive of great harm. Doctora disagree. Seme say whisky hardens the brain, others say it softens it. Meanwhile, people without breins will keep right on drinking it, as it doesn't make an stem of.differonce to them, cot %n atom.

7 An enthusiastic Irishman says : "The heaviest soldier in the British army, Roberts, Is an Irishman. The champion pedestrian of the world, O'Leary, is an Irishman. The champion oarsman of the world, Hanlan, is an Irishman. The champion swimmer of the world, Eoyton, is an Irishman. Further comment is unnecessary. The originator of the Ashburton Industrial Exhibition was an Irishman also. Some people think that Adam was an Irishman, because he was an evicted tenant, but this assumption is not founded on fact." At a Cincinnati wedding lately the organist entertained the audience awaiting the bridal pair by a series of voluntaries, the last of which unluckily was, " Trust her not, sheis fooling thee," at which he was hard at work as the bridal procession walked up the aisle. _ •' William Henry," Baid the old lady, after she had set him down in a corner where she could keep her eye on him: "William Henry, if you jast dare to set off any of them ere Sre-crackera to-day, you jes' make up your mind to eat your vittles standin' up for a week, 'cause it'll hurt you awful to sit down."