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New Zealand Mail, Issue 24, 8 July 1871, Page 6

A Huge Beast. —A fat bullock, belonging A. BT. Gilbert, of Warwillah, N. S. Wales, was driven on to the weigh bridge there lately. It weighed 25481 b. Snuffing out Political Geowlebs. — The " Echo" says a great sensation has been caused at St. Petersburg by news that the Russian Baltic province of Livonia had sent an address to the Emperor of Germany begging bim to annex the province. The Emperor William sent the letter to the Czar, who at once ordered that all persons who had signed the address should sell their Livonian property in the course of four years or have it confiscated.

A Wedding at Samoa. —A correspondent writing to the " New Zealand Herald" from Samoa, gives the following particulars regarding a grand native wedding that lately took place there: —" Last month we had a wedding in'high life,' viz., the marriage of Pea, a chief of. considerable rank. It being the custom of the natives, when the marriage is performed, to exchange property, the lady and her friends bring flue fancy mats, much valued by the natives : the husband brings mostly foreign property. For weeks before the marriage there was frequent travelling of either party to and from one end of the group to the other, seeking property from their friends. The lady had thirty bridesmaids and a guard of honor of fifty volunteers, all dressed in the gayest native attire, and well oiled. The husband chief, with all the principal men of his clan and others allied to him, were also in the highest of native fashion; on that day, and for a week following, there was great feasting. Many of the vegetable plantations of the settlers and natives close to were pretty well cleared out in one night by some adroit thieves, to supply the eatables of the long i feasting."