MISCELLANEOUS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume v, Issue 426, 1 September 1849, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

Arrest of the Conde de MontemoLiN. — The Conde de Monteraolin was arrested on the night of the 3rd April by the French authorities, near St. Laurent de Cordans, a small town ia the Pyrenees, but in the French territory, from whence he was prepared to cross the frontiers to join Cabrera. The Conde and his companions were conducted to the small barracks of the douaniers (Custom-house officers), ami presented to their chief, who ordered them to be sparched. The Conde, who had in contemplation another attempt to escape, gave a false name, and said be was a captain in the army. On the 4th they were marched to Aries, where the Conde and those with him were given up to the gendarmerie, and conveyed to Perpignan, with the hopes still of recovering their liberty, which were not realized through a romantic circumstance. When the Conde and those with him were in expectation of being permitted to go to the hotel, and there wait further orders, the private secretary of the Prefect, who had studied chemistry and physic at Bourges in 1839 and 1840, at a study where the Prince used to resort to obtain a knowledge of those arts, recognized the Conde, and, knowing him, informed the Prefect. The identity of the Prince's person having been proved, the Prefect came to the determination that the Conde should be lodged in the apartments of the Governor of the citadel, and those who accompanied him in the officer's quarters, where they remained the whole of the sth, the Prefect waiting for instructions from Paris. On the 9th instant, the French Republican Government transmitted telegraphic orders to the Prefect of Perpignan to give passports to the Conde de Muntetnolin, to t- nable him to proceed to wherever he might think proper.

There has been a second immense flood at Chicago, attended with the loss of many live?, and property valued at 200,000d015. Several steamers and barges, or schooners, were wrecked by tbe masses of floating ice. The floods of the Illinois river have destroyed much property, especially at Peoria. Tornadoes have also been common, and two, in Alabama and Kentucky, have proved very destructive. The steamers Dr. Franklin and Amaranth came into collision on the 28ih ult., near St. Louis, when the latter sunk, with a cargo worth 30,000 dols. Four la-ge warehouses have been destroyed at Louisville, by fiie. Memphis, Tennessee, was visited last week with s severe shock of an earthquake, which caused much alarm, but did little damage. Four persons died on Monday at Nashville, from cholera, an<i 14 deaths occurred last week in one boat on the Mississippi, and 15 on board of another, the Washington.

Indian Luxuries. — My wife ami I were sitting, after tea, playing at backgammon and enjoying the cool breeze that came through tne Venetians, when suddenly it began to rain. In an inftant, the room swarmed with insects of all sorts. There was the beautiful large green mantis, and, as we were watching his almost human mo inns, a grasyhopjer and a large brown cricket flew against my face, while a great cockroach, full three inches lonjr, came on my wife's neck, and began running about her head and face and dress ; the flying ant, which emits a most nauseous effluvia, and the flying bug, black, and about the size of an English one, which, if you crush him, will make your fingers smell mos>t dreadfully for many hours ; and with these our clothes were covered, and we were obliged to keep brushing them away from our faces, but with very gentle handling ; and then came two or three hornets, which sent Mrs. Ackland to bed, to get under the musquito curtains, where none of these horrid creatures can get at her. I sat up trying to read, but buzz came a musquito on the side of my face, up went my hand a tremendous slap on the cheek to kill the tormentor, and buzz he went on again. Then I felt something big burying itself in my hair, and then came a buzz on the other side of me, an<? then nil around. Presently, with loud hum, a jjreat rhinoceros-beetle dashed into my face. I now began to take some of the anianals out of my hair, and the first that I touched was a flying bug ; the stench was dreadful. I rushed out of the room, brushing the horrible creatures from my hair with both hands. I nearly fell over a toad on which I trod, and reached my led room to find eighteen or twenty great toads croaking in different parts of the room and five large bats were whirling round the bed. Having washed my hands in eau-de-cologne, I quickly undressed and fell asleep. In the course of the night a troop of jackdlls surrounded the house, and by their frightful yells soon drove away all idea of rest ; and then, about four o'clock, as we were just dozing off again, comes the roll of the drum, and the loud voice of the trumpet, the tramp of the soldiers, the firing, and all the bustle of the jcarade ; and, as soon as that is over, comes the changing guard, and the " shoulder harrra," and the " quick march," near our house, and so we got up. Then comes the bath, the greatest luxury of the day, (the water just cooler than the air,) into which I gei with a book, lie there an hour reading, get out and partly dress, and then admit my man to wash my feet in cold waterf and to shampoo me and brush my hair, whilst another brings me a cup of delicious coffee or a glass of sherbet ; and then breakfast, with an enormous fan swinging to and fro over our heads ; and the heat, and the discomfort, and langour till five o'clock, agreeably diversified only by a bottle of beer cooled with saltpetre and water; and then a drive, and tea, and musquitoes again, and so on. — AcklancCs Manners and Customs of India.

The Use of Gutta Percha. — We iind among other articles made from this extraordinary material, the following : — Whips, whip-, thongs, cords for fishing lines, nets, fishing floats, lining for ladies' dresses (which is particularly adapted for ball dresses), gas and water pipes, floorcloths, book backs and embossed covers, printing type, ornamental mouldings, picture frames, copies of coins and medals, medallions, capes, leggings, umbrella coverings, brash backs, drinking cups, engine buckets, cigar cases, powder flasks, fine tubing for chemical purposes, bougies, catheters, statues, stethescopes, ear trumpets, thick material for splints, cords for window blinds, sashes, &c, fine cord and thread for philosophic purposes, sheeting for carriages, travelling cases', gig aprons, cricket and bouncing balls, inkstands, ornamental trays, dog collars, ladies' and gentlemen's clogs. In fact, so numerous and varied are the purposes to which gutta percha has been already applied, and its adaptability in connexion with art and manufacture so admirable, that its future history promises no common interest. Each day gives new proofs of some ingenious application of us convertible properties. Beautiful groups of figures, graceful in design, and ad- ;

rairably executed, may lie seen in the most fashionable depots for this novelty ; and it is not impossible that some future Stowe may number its productions among its works of art, and every rustic villa will consider itself wanting in taste without the possession of some specimens of elegance, utility, and economy in its grounds, formed from this remarkable substance. — History of Gutta Percha by William Da f ton.

Mewspapers in the Reign of James 11. — No newspaper was published oftener than twice a-week. None exceeded in size a single small leaf. The quantity of matter which one of them contained in a year was not more than is often found in two numbers of the Times. After the defeat of the Whigs, it was no longer necessary for th« King to be sparing in the use of what the judges had pronounced to be his undoubted prerogative. At the close of his reign, no newspaper was allowed to appear without his allowance, and his allowance was given only to the London Gazette. The London Gazette came out only on Mondays and Thursdays. The contents generally were a local proclamation, two or three Tory addresses, notices of two or three promotions, an account of a skirmish between the imperial troops and the Jannisaries ; of a grand cockfight between two persons of honor, and an advertisement offering a reward for a si rayed dog. — Macaulay's History.

Expenses of the Law. — The case of Ranger v. the Great Western Railway Company involved, upon the question of amount, almost as important results as were embraced in the great case of Small and Attwood. We are able to lay before our readers some cf its statistics. The first bill was 812 folios, the amended bill 1157. The first supplemental suit bill 341 folios, the second supplemental suit bill 525 fo'ios. The first answer 1299 folios, the second 182 folios, the third 212 folios. The documents admitted upwards of 800 folios. The plaintiff's evidence 1865 folios, the defendant's 405 folios. Total of folios upwards ot 6736, for which an officecopy charge was made of lOd. per folio, besides volunrnous affidavits. Shorthand notes on collateral arguments 2200 folios. Observations 30 brief sheets. The total brief embracing these copies for counsel would be nearly 960 brief sheets. Sir William Follet's fee was 300 guineas, and 100 additional ; Mr. Richards 220 guineas; Mr. Stevens 150 guineas, and 50 additional. In the early stage of the cause, the counsel had fees as follows: — First counsel 150 guineas, second do. 125 guineas, third do. 80 guineas ; besides numerous other smaller fees, making a total in counsel's fres alone of nearly £2000. The Vice-Chancellor has already ordered the plaintiff to pay a great part of the costs of these matters. The case was five years in progress, and the same solicitors were for the company that were engaged in Small and Attwood; namely, Messrs. Swain, Stevens &Co., Frederick PJace, London. The short^ hand writer's bill amounted to nearly £400 |