MISCELLANEOUS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 290, 10 May 1848, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

Mr. Cowan, who declined to take his seat for Edinburgh at the meeting of Parliament, on account of a technical fhw, went through the form of another election on Weduesday, and was returned without oppos tion. The necessity for corr.munication between passengers and guards by rail was perhaps, never more clearly proved than in the recent instance of the burning of the Countess of Zetland's carriage about four miles from Rugby, whi'e her ladyship and her waiting maid were seated in it. A gentleman, attracted by the screams of the Countess and her attendant, and by the smell of something burning, endeavoured in vain to convey an alarm to the guard or engine-driver. He then opened the door of his ca-riage and scrambled along the sides of the train to the truck on which her ladyship's cairiage was placed, and found her clinging to the wheel in a terrible state of alarn;. The lady's-maid had fallen off. On the train arriving at Rugby, an engine was sent along the line to look for her. She hdd fallen in a state of insensibility with her hands across the rails, and before the en-gine-driver discovered her, the wheels of the engine cut off her hands. — Builder.

Monuments — Vandalism. — An advertisement appears in the London papers to the effect that unless certain monuments are repaired " forthwith" they will be removed. Now, the parties interested in the preservation of the monuments may be in India or China, — or still further off, in Australia. With every wish to preserve the monuments of their family, there is also something n ore than a possibility of their never seeing the advertisement in question. Let us suppose a case: — An officer in India has his attention attracted by an advertisement in a London paper (which he has seen accidentally) where- i in it appears that unless the monument to a certain person whom he knows to be his own grandfather is repaired "forthwith" it will be immediately removed. He never knew before that it was sunk or defaced. The sculptor who made it was paid to build it of good materials — and paid additional for placing it on a secure foundation. What is to be done? He has no relations in England ; and writes to an agent there, instructing him to put it in repair at any cost. The agent calls on the vestry clerk, asks to see the monument, — and , is told, " Ycu are too late, sir. The period has expired. The advertisement said ' forthwith ;' and as no one came lo repair it, the monument has been removed." The six weeks required in conveying the intelligence to India and the six weeks for conveying the directions back, compose a period of three months — an interval far too long for the " forthwith" of the advertisement. It was all very well to issue advertisements of this description when London was smaller than it is now, and the repiesentatives of a family remained within the same parish for a century and more. But London within the last fifty years has changed so materially that an advertisement of the description quoted is only half a notice — or rather no notice at all.

Awful Hurricane at Tobago. — On the night of the 11th of October, the island of Tobago was visited by one of the severest and most desolating hurricanes that has occurred within the memory of the oldest inhabitant. Dt ring that day heavy clouds were seen gathering to the west and north, and towards the evening the wind blew fresh from the latter quarter. These symptoms of an approaching hurricane seemed to create little or no apprehension in the minds of the inhabitants, because Tobago had since 1780 suffered but to a trifling extent from such a cause, and therefore they may truly be said to have been in many respects quite unprepared for such a short but fearful display ol Omnipotent power. The night of the 1 lth of October will be long remeniDered in the annals of Tobago. The day, which was unusually sultry, oppressive, and lowering, was succeeded in the latter part of the evening by indications of heavy rains from the westward, and towards nine o'clock by slight gusts of wind, which although evidencing the approach of a stormy night, was viewed with .iitle alarm. By ten o'clock the heaviest sleeper was roused by the dreadful truth, that a hurricane of the severest kind was ravaging the district. A severe earthquake is said to have preceded the first outbreak, nor can it be doubted after the proofs around us. The wind at first appeared to blow from the west by north, accompanied by heavy rain and lightning, veered towards the south afterwards, and previous to the termination of those dreadful hours of anxiety, blew again with increased violence from the north and east, till one, a. m., of the morning of the 12th. Continuing to rage with such fury for three hours, considerable damage was expected to be done, but the desolation and devastating jeffecta produced by it are beyond description.

High and low, rich and poor, have alike experienced its fearful influence, and been made to acknowledge the power of that Being " who maketh the clouds his chariot, and who «alketh upon the wings of the wind." The lightning was vivid in the ex'reme, and incessant in its fearful brilliancy. No accidents appear to have taken place in this quarter, although several lives are stated to have 'alien a sacrifice to its prey — viz., one at Cove, two at Milfoid, one at Golden Grove, and one at Montgomery. The morning of Tuesday presented a scene of destruction in every quarter to which the eye was directed, accompanied by the too powerful proofs of its severity being general, in the crowds of hapless I einys passing along the roads with their lit tie all saved from the wreck of their buildings, and in search of a covering for themselves and families. The once smiling face of the country, dotted with the cottages and gardens of the labourers, the fruits of by-gone earning, were swept to the four winds of heaven, and no protection left them but the hill side or the ravine, till the morning broke. The dwelling-houses on estates generally, have suffered terribly. Some are entirely swept away, and their inhabitants at the present moment obliged to resort for shelter to any field which offers a present protection against the elements, and, it is to be feared, with little prospect of having such dwellings again raised. Trees, the growth of many, many years, which withstood the violence of all preceding hurricanes, have been bent and twisted like willow wands, and present themselves denuded of foliage, stripped of their branches, and in many instances torn up by the roots and cast to a distance. The canes which, during the eventful day, looked healthyand luxuriant, have been in every case prostrated, as if a destroying torrent of water had passed over them, and lorn their leaves into shreds. Those most advanced have suffered most severely, we fear, in several cases irremediably. The less advanced plants present a more encouraging appearance, but afford no hopes that they will fully recover from their effects. Confident hopes are indulged in by some that the oldest plants may yet recover, but the forebodings^ of the many tend to destroy .the supposition ; [nor can it be concealed, jwh/Hk numbers! arjLcompleteW UDrjjotedjQiid TOaiW^Rros^al/tahat othete/fe^rnone^or jAs 1 The destrurti<jnjDrSugar works, &c, is so wide spread and general, and the means of restoring them so doubtful, as to cast a general gloom over the community. Wheresoever buildings have escaped from the fury of the tempest, they have been obliged to be used for the houseless sufferers on the estates and neighbourhood, whilst the dwelling houses {eft standing have been similarly appropriated. I fear no very favourable account can be q yen of the provision grounds. The corn is : aid flat ; cassada and yams much shaken, and in too many cases rooted up. Plantains have been quite destroyed ; sweet potatoes have suffered least of all. We are enabled to state, on undoubted authority, that throughout the island, thirty great houses (or manager's houses) are completely destroyed ; thirty-one ditto, ditto, severely injured ; twenty-six works completely destroyed ; thirty-three ditto, severely irrured ; four hundred and fifty-six settlers' houses destroyed ; one hundred and seventy-six ditto greatly injured. In Scarborough, Rocky Va c, Monkey Town, Lower Town of Scarborough, and otherwise in the vicinity of Scarborough alone — one hundred and twenty-two houses of all descriptions (including out-buildings) were totally destroyed; eighty-four ditto greatly injured. The loss of life is estimated at nineteen only. The whole of the barracks weie unroofed, and some of the side wall blown down ; the officers' quarters were entirely stripped of their verandahs, roofs and shingles, windows and doors blown in and broken, part of the roof of the hospital blown down, canteen, ordnance stores, and out-building, in ruins ; one soldier of the 19th regiment killed, and another seriously injured ; several soldiers of the Ist West India Regiment also seriously injured by the tailing of the ruins. All the officers escaped, excepting the deputy ordnance storekeeper, who was much injured by the falling of his house, and the fort-adjutant received a contusion whilst extricating others from the ruins. By the unwearied exertions of the officers of the garrison, particularly the officer commanding, the troops were provided with shelter and comfortable accommodation, under the circumstances (the rain falling in torrents during the following day), the greater part in tents, elected in the pasture, and rnauy in buildfljgs temporarily cleared for their recepiion. Tnf*loss ofstor.es, arms, &c, is immense ; and from the total destruction of the barracks, it has been deemed advisable to send the whole of the white troops to Trinidad , for which purpose the brig Judspn has,

been chartered, and saili for that island tbil ovnninnr

I Water in the Desert. — The detectior of L>olate<l water holes in a wooded country where there is nothing visible to indicate it: presence, is quite a matter of chance. VV« have often unconsciously passed we'i-fiilec water holes at less than a hundred yftnls. distant, whilst we were suffering severely Iroa thirst. Our horses and bullocks never shewec th ,t instinctive laculty of detecting water, sc often mentioned by oilier travellers ; and I remember instances in which the bullocks hay« remained the whole night not fifty yarls from water holes without finding t em ; and indeed when we came to small water holes, we had to drive the cattle down to them, or they would have strayed off to find water elsewhere. On several occasions I followed their tracks and found they were influenced entirely by theii sight when in search of it ; at times attracted by a distant patch of deep verdure, at others following down a hollow or a water course, but I do not remember a single instance where they found water for themselves. The horses, however, were naturally more restless and impatient ; and when we approached a creek or watercourse alter a long journey, would descend into the bed and follow it for long distances to find water — giving great trouble to those who had to bring them back to the line of march. Whenever they saw me halt at the place where I intended to encamp, they not only quickened their pace, but gallopped towards me, well knowing that I had found water, and that they were to be relieved of their loads. In looking out for water, my search was first made in the neighbourhood of hills, ridges, ranges, &c, which from their extent and elevation were most likely to lead me to it, either in beds of creeks or rivers, or in water holes parallel to them. In an open country there are many indications which a practised eye will readily seize ; a cluster of trees of a greater foliage, hollows with luxuriant grass, eagles circling in the air, crows, cockatoos, pigeons, (especially before sunset) and the call of Grallina Australis, and flocks of little finches, would always attract our attention. The margins of scrubs were generally provided with chains of holes. But a flat count! y openly timbered, without any break of the surface or of the forest, was by no means encouraging, and I have frequently travelled more than twenty-five miles in a straight line without obtaining any object. In coming on creek?, it required some experience in the country to know whether to travel up or down the bed ; some being well provided with water immediately at the foot of the range, and others being entirely dry at their upper part, but forming large puddled holes, lower down, in a flat country. From daily experience we acquired a sort of instinctive feeling as to the course we should adopt, and were seldom wrong in our decisions." — From Leichkardfs Expedition.

Prize Law for Cut-throat Slavers. — The prisoners in a captured slaver rise against the prize crew, and attempt to butcher the commanding officer ; a gallant resistance is made, and the cut throat gang is overpowered. The seamen, smarting with their wounds and seeing their officer in almost a dying state are about to put their assailants to death, but their officer interposes to save the ruffians, and orders that their wounds may be washed, and that they may be reserved tor the punishment of the .aw. They are put on their trial accordingly, and the Court holds that, as the alleged crime was committed in an attempt to re-capture their vessel, then under the Brazilian flag, and not amenable to British jurisd ction, sentence ot a Court of Admiralty not having been produced, the prisoners must be discharged. This may be very good Admiralty law, but it is very inconsistent with the interests of humanity. It encourages the crews ot captured slavers to rise against their captors, and murder them if they can ; as, if they succeed, they will recover their liberty, the vessel, and cargo, and proceed in their career of crime ; and if they fail there is no law for their punishment, and they will be quietly discharged. Ou the other hand, it will lead to truculent severities on the other side ; for in the next defeated attempt to murder a' prize crew, there will be no interposition to save the wretches fro t death, or to treat them with humanity, waiting the award of justice. The case we have stated is that of the Romeo Pri* mero, captured by the Water-pitch, aud confided to Lieutenant Mansfield, whose conduct m resisting and defeating the prisoners in re* volt was gallant and humane to the highest degree. But we must add, that in this, as ro every instance of the same class we have ever seen, there had been the greatest imprudence, in leaving the captured crew at large, and with* the opportunity ot seizing weapons-- J&rawunw.,