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New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 1, 2 August 1842, Page 3

Extraordinary Talent. —The Quoiidienne makes honourable mention of a youth-named Louis Calvet, the. son of a carpenter at Toulouse, who has just passed an examination at the Naval School. Little more than twelve months since,, and when about fifteen,, he could neither read nor writehut some charitable persons, struck by his intelligence and his ardent desire for knowledge, agreed to assist the father in procuring for him a good education. The hoy applied himself so. earnestly, that within twelve -months--he had-acquired -all the knowledge necessary to he admitted as a candidate for the Naval School, although the range of information indispensable fci; admission is very- extensive ; the candidate being required to give satisfactory answers to questions in arithmetic, the use of logarithms, geometry, trigonometry, algebra, simple machinery, Latin for the class of rhetoric, English, drawing, both for figures and landscape, writing, orthography, and grammar,. and to compose an essay in French on a given subject. Young Calvet was successful in his attempt, having been admit ted the twentyseventh out of ninety youths who have passed their examination ; and it has been resolved by the Marine department, that his outfit,, &c., as well as education, in tlio Naval School, shall be gratuitous.

An Extraordinary. Child... — Last week Mr. Bloomfield, a Burgeon, in High'-street, Wapping, attended a female, named Wilkinson, the wife of an engineer in Little Broad-street, and safely delivered her of a fine hoy, who, when horn, was two feet eight inches in length, breadth across the shoulders ten inches, and length of. the hack nineteen inches. The mother and her infant are doing wall, and if the boy should grow into manhood! in proportion to his present size, he will be a g*iant. Milk. —Kirehoff, a- Russian chemist, who discovered the process of converting' starch into sugar, has made several experiments on milk ; by which it appears that that fluid may be preserved for: use for an indefinite time. Fresh milk is slowly evaporated, by a very gentle heat, till it is reduced to powder, which is. to be kept perfectly dry, in a bottle well stopped, for use. When required, it need only he diluted with a sufficient quantity of water; the mixture will then have all the taste, and properties of new milk. This powder must prove a valuable addition to a sea stock of provisions.— Standard.

Eccentricities of Mozart.. —Mozart had occasion to come to Faris at the time he was engaged in the composition of his opera of Don Juan. One day, after working several hours in his closet, he cast a glance at his watch. It was already five o’clock. . That was the hour the maestro usually dined at. He, : therefore, hastened to. dress, and proceeded towards a restaurant at the Palais Royal ;• hut, whilst on his way, a new idea arose, and developed itself in. his mind, and absorbed him so completely, that it was involuntarily, and only from.' habit, that he perused the bill of fare which the owner of the restaurant came and presented hinu “ Garcon, un pot age au Vermicelle !” exclaimed he. TJh.e pot age was brought, but he,touched it not. A*quarter of. an hour elapsed*/ and whilst his liead was in a ferment, and his imagination soared,, in the high spheres of thV ideal and

• poetry, he heeded not the .cooling pvluge. ’At length, after another quarter of ail hour of meditation, he called for a fried sole,. The potage Ayas, removed, and a nice, well done, and tempting solo took its, place, without attracting 'the* attention,, or exciting-; the sensuality of .the dreaming, musician.. Six dishes; were successively demanded,, brought, /nd/tfeated by Mbzart with the same indiflerence'ir' The waiter was: astounded at the manners and deportment of his odd customer,, but thought it was useless making any remarks to one he . considered mad- Two. hours had elapsed since the composer’s arrival,, and yet, his forehead resting, on his hands,, hehad not emerged from his reverie. Suddenly,, however, he raised his head,, his countenance beamed with pride , and satisfaction* he emptied his purse into the waiter’s hands,, rushed from, his seat, and left the room',, exclaiming, “ At, length I have it!”' Mozart had just found thefinale to the third act of. Don Juan.

Will of Mr.. Davfdse.—The will was read on Tuesday, and the amount in money, N buildings, &c., is said to. bd £27,500. To Mrs.. Davidge is bequeathed the houses,in Kenningtony Lambeth, &c., furniture, &e.„. and; the share in: the Surrey Theatre. Legacies are left to Messrs. W. Smith, Jolly* . Haynes, Craddock, Simpson, and Elliot, of 19 .guineas each; to Mrs. Lewis and Mrs. Sharp, similar sums: to: Mrs. H. Vining, ten guineas ; to Mr. 11. Hughes, five guineas; every, member of the company, including servants, two weeks’ salqiy each. The deceased’s three sisters-in'/aw, Mesdames Parker, £3OO . each;. his two .aunts,, the interest of £IOOO ghis'three cousins, £'3oo Mrs.. Pearce (Mrs. Dav.idge-’s mother), £2OO to every hospital in the metropolis, £SO teach, and every police-office in London, £lO-ekoh ; hisArothers-in-law-, J. ancUW. Meyer, £SO each ■ Mr.- J. B, Wilkinson (Adelphi), a/a Mr. T. P. Cooke, the former £SO, and the latter £IOO.. His old friend, Mr. J. Nasii, £200:; Mr. Willis. Jones, his-partner, £SO and his favourite gun and rifle. To Mr.. Tyler,. (Surrey Zoological Garden) £l5O ; Mr. Lawrence,, (treasurer) £100; the two Theatrical ‘ Funds, • £SO each ; Dr. Marsden, (his, physician) £50;;. Mr. Lewis, of Ely-place, solicitor, £SO ; MissMartin, five guineas ; Messrs./ R. 'Bpniier,, Stamp (gas fitter), Yates (of the Adelp'hi)!*, Alfred Bunn, Gardner, Ratclifi'e, George Stans-' bury, and Paul Bedford, five guineas eacli. ;It is said the. deceased averaged, for nine years, - £3OOO per annum by the Surrey Theatre/.' / “The Emperor o/Russia,” says a letter from/,: St. Petersburg, “ has-' resolved to/alloW*several, more Poles who took part in the feydliitioh Aq/ return home. Among them is iPrjnce 'o.gihsMif r who, for several years past, has 1 subsisted iii France as a bookbinder.” i . . 5 ,