ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 206, 21 July 1847, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Russia. — On Wednesday, the 9th of December, an accident which had nearly been attended with fatal results, occurred to the Emperor of Russia at Kiow, in Poland, upon the high road between St. Petersburgh and Warsaw. The Emperor was on his route to Warsaw, and had arrived at the border of the large river at that place, where there is no bridge. A temporary platform had been constructed to run the Emperor's travelling carriage into the ferry boat, when by some accident the platform gave way and broke down, and the carriage was precipitated into the water. The Emperor, with Count Orloff, who was also in the carriage, was obliged to escape from the windows and wade up to his middle in the water, and as the current was running very strongly and the river very full of ice, no little danger was incurred. So much tin.c was lost, that the Emperor, who had ar.ranged to be by a certain day at St. Petersburgh, was obliged to renounce altogether his visit to Warsaw, and to turn back immediately to the Russian capital. The river at Kiow is nearly half an English mile in width, and the erection of a suspension bridge, which has long been contemplated, will no doubt be now immediately decided on, especially as the Emperor was unable last year, on his journey to Warsaw, to pass the river at Kioiv.

Fall op an Aerolite. — The inhabitants of Mindethal, in Bavaria, were scared from their Christmas festivities and yule-logs on December 25th, by fhe fall of an aerolite. Reports like the discharge of artillery were heard about two o'clock in the afternoon, followed by a rumbling noise, resembling the rolling of a kettle-drum. The whole phenomenon lasted about three minutes, and was heard in the same manner throughout the entire district. Every auditor imagined that he heard the noise over his head, but nothing was seen explanatory of the phenomenon. — In the village of Schonenburg, however, westward of Mindethal, several persons remarked, above the houses, a black ball rapidly descending, and a man saw this ball fall into a garden. The news of the event was soon spread abroad, and the inhabitants abandoning their firesides and family festivities, ran to the spot pointed out. They found an opening in the earth which emitted a sulphurous vapour. On digging, a stone was discovered two feet below the surface, in the form of an irregular, truncated pyramid. It weighed forty-four pounds and upwards. Its dimensions were eight, inches in height, seven in breadth, and three in thickness. This stone bore marks of volcanic origin, and resemoled a greenstone. — Atlas, Jan. 16. The late John Mansfield, Esq., the banker, one day took a party of his friends, among whom were the late Lord R. Manners, and the father of one of our present chief county magistrates, as well as some gentlemen who are still in the commission for the county, to a certain fishmonger's in the town — (mind, it was not lawful to sell game in those days !) But not to look at the fish. A word sufficed ; and the party were led upstairs to a little room, where they beheld such an array of hares, pheasants, &c, hung around the walls, as could scarcely be furnished in these days, except after a batiue. " Where do you get the best hares from V* asked the good-nature. lly inquisitive banker. " Why, Sir," replied the communicative patron of poachers, " we get very fine large hares from L**k*ng**n." „ " Hem ! and how are the St**gh**n hares?" asked another of the party. " Nice well-fed hares, Sir, but smaller," answered the fishmonger. " And what sort do you get from Lord Si**f*rd's woods?" said a third. " Oh, Sir, long narrow-backed things! They don't live so well on the

Forest, you know !" Loud was the laugh from all the party — one of whom (doubtless supposing himself unknown) broke in with another question. " But where do you get the best, the best from?" "We get good hares, Sir," was the reply of the sly dealer, who knew his questioner — "from various places ; but the best, Sir, the very best, Sir, come from the neighbourhood of Loughbro', from Priest something — perhaps you know the place, Sir ? from Prestw***d, I think they call the place, Sir?" Still louder was the laugh which now burst from the whole party, including this last querist, against whom the laugh had been so adroitly turned by this exhibitor of forbidden fruit. Greatly to the credit of the visitors, none of them took any advantage of the unreserved manner in which their curiosity had been gratified ; they respected the confidence which was thus placed in them ; and the worth ( gentleman (long since deceased) last alluded to, often as he heard the juke repeated at the tables of his friends, always took it in good part, and, indeed, became a frequent and liberal customer at the shop of the frank-spoken fishmonger. — Lancaster Guardian.