MISCELLANEOUS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 801, 6 April 1853, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

A Gigantic Couple. —A Kentish giant is paying his addresses to a Plaistow giantess, j and they are shortly to be married. The former, Edward Granson, is only 119 1 19 years of age, and stands 7 feet 6 inches, aftd ift a native of Woolwich. His father and mother are represented aa below the middle stature, and bis sisters are said to approach to dwarfdom. This remarkable youth has an engaging and pleasing manner, and is now filling a lucrative situation in Shoreditch. His future partner is Miss Mary Simmons, aged 20, who stands 6 feet 4 inches in height; when her arras are extended they exceed.Bl inches; the middle finger on either hand measures over 6 inches, while the length of her arms is upwards of 28 inches. —Leeds Mercury.

Uncle Tom's Cabin.—We understand that Mrs. H. B. Stowe has received from her publishers, Messrs. Jewett and Co., the sum of 10,300 dollars, as her copyright premium on three months' sale of " Uncle Tom's Cabin." We believe that this is the largest sum of money ever received by any author, either American or European, from the sale of a single work in so short a period of time.—Home News.

Gun Explosion at Gibraltar.—Gibraltar, October 22.—1t is under the impression of a most painful feeling that we relate the particulars of a most deplorable accident that took place at the saluting BatterVr about half-past four o'clok p. m. on the 18th instant, and by which the lives of two or our fellowcreatures were endangered, beyond, it is ap-

prehended, the possibility of preservation, and several others were more or less severely injured. While two and a half companies — viz., Captain Dixon's 3rd third battalion, Christie's 7th battalion, and of Captain Phillpott's, of the 9th battalion of the Royal Artillery, under the command of Colonel C.C. Dansey, C. 8., Lieutenant-Colonel Dacres, Lieutenant and Adjutant Dashwood, Captain Lawaon, Lieutenants Seymour, Young, and Taylor, were carrying on gun practice with red hot shot, a 32-pounder, 9 feet 6 inches long, and weighing 56 cwt., charged with 10 lb. of powder, a dry wad and a wet one, and 32 lb. iron hot shot, haviDg mis-fired, was repriraed and fired by a percussion hammer and tube. On the charge being ignited, the gun burst, shattering the carriage to atoms, the splinters of which knocked down six of the unfortunate gun detachment on the spot, wounding two of them (William Burnett and William Hitchen) dreadfully, and a third (Henry Bales) very seriously. The injuries received by the remainder (Beattie, Skiffington and Adams) were providentially not serious. Colonel Dansey who was standing within a few feet of the piece when the accident happened, was struck by particles of the gun metal and splinters on his thighs and legs. His clothes and boots were completely perforated, one particle cutting into 'the fleshy part of the right thigh, and other pieces inflicting bruises down to the feet. Lieutenant Taylor was very seriously hurt about the right side of his body and legs. The metal parted into a dozen pieces; four immense masses, of several hundred weight each, were hurled nearly a hundred feet into the air, and carried to a distance of nearly 300 yards from the platform on which, the gun was standing; and the breech, thrown to the rear across the battery and public road, killed an ass on which a little boy (who miraculously escaped unhurt) was mounted. The whole battery was for an instant enveloped in smoke, and the panic which ensued during its clearing away was one of such intense anxiety as to baffle description. A medical officer was on the battery, others immediately arrived, and every assistance as far as human efforts could be made, was afforded to the sufferers, who are with two exceptions in a fair way of recovery. When we consider what a vast number of the military were at the guns, and the concourse of spectators, among whom were some Moors of distinction, it is passing wonderful that so few were hurt, and above all, that only two cases may be deemed dangerous. —Gibraltar Chronicle.

Ma. William Dargan, — We find in Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper the following particulars of the history of the " Irish Agitatot" who con* spires for Irish railways and plots Irish Industrial Exhibitions, — and spends £26,000 tt a time out of his own pocket to carry out his revolutionary views.—" William Dargan is a selfmade man. He was originally a common labourer, and had be only risen to be a carpenter or a stonemason, his friends might have said that he had succeeded in life. But he had a Saxon heart in his Celtic breast, and working his way steadily, soberly, from point to point, making every inch of his road good as he travelled over it ; he advanced from bricklayer |o. JyiUdefc^frora wpifcaqjj&io cottage job* and repairs to contracts for public buildings. He had attained this position before the railway system rose up, — and he, the self-taught man, had won for himself an honourable place among the intellectual and money aristocracy in Dublin. Well, there was a soiree given one night at a distinguished house in the Irish capital, when railways became a topic of conversation ; and a person present suggested a line between Dublin and Kingstown. Very good : but where was the money to be got? What would it cost? One sura was named — 'another was hazarded. But what a difference between them! The idea was about to die out in a laugh, when the first speaker said, ' Here's a man who will tell us in a moment. Here, Dargan ; yours is the head for a calculation ! what would a line of rails to Kingstown cost ?' Tablets were out, and * pencil writing down a few hurried figures. In two minutes a result was announced — so low as to astonish every one present ; and it was then agreed to meet next day and consider the project. J The company was formed, the Act of Parliament obtained, and in due time tenders for the contract were invited. It was the first bit of railway in Ireland, and there were no Brasseys and Petoi in the sister country. Most of the tenders were ridiculously high ; but William Dargan sent in the same rough draft as be exhibited at Lady 's soiree, and got the contract. That work laid the foundation of his fortune, and from that hour the self-made man has been the soul of railway enterprise in Ireland." — Such is the man who gets up a Great Industrial Exhibition out of his own private means.— 'Athenaeum.

Treasures in CheaPside. — " Why, there are sometimes three tons of gold pissing through one house close by here," Three tons of gold a day ! — Tons ! Why, one customer of that house hn« dealings with it to the extent of a million a month ! What the business of that house will be passes human calculation. * There are three ships on the sea now, sailing away for England as fast as [they can carry on, with millions stowed away in their holds. The gold they bring from Australia it so pure, that Nature has thrown the refiners here out of the refining branch of their business, and all they have to do is to cast it into golden ingots, value £800 sterling each. It is one carat and three quarttrs above the standard, which is tweuty-two carats. While the value of standard gold is £3 17s. 10|d. an ounce, and the value of Californian gold is below it, the value of Australian gold is from £4 Is. 6d. to £4 2s. an ounce! When the house close by here sent the first two bars of Australian gold to the Bank of England, the Bank of England sent them back, suspecting from their purity that there must be some mistake. When the bouse close by here was first established, gold was calculated in their accounts by the pound ; it is calculated now by the ton. Then their premises were tbonght much too large ; now they are far too small. Then gold lace was in fashion, and the making of gold wire was a most important section of the business. Now the making of gold wire has been abandoned as a waste of time. — Dickens' Household Words. The Times gives the following description of a purchase of land, to form the site for the

New National Galleries, recently made by the Royal Commissioners. " The site chosen for the realization of all this is at Keusington-gore. Behind Gore-house and the line of houses which stretches almost unin- | terruptedly from the new houses «f llyde Parkterrace up to Kensington turnpike is an extensive tract of land, vow principally occupied as marketgardens, except that part ot it which abuts westward o.n tbe road called the <Glocester road% in which Mr. Canning's house and grounds, called Glocester-lodge, were jsituated. Moat of this land belonged to the Baron de Villars and Lord Harrington, though a portion of some extent on the north side, near | the Kensington-road, was the property of the I parish of St. Margaret, Westminster. The whole site is very beautifully disposed, gradually sloping to the sooth from the high ground of Hyde Park down to the Old Brompton-road. Great part of this land, in the time of the Commonwealth, belonged to the Protector, and his name is still | preserved in " Cromwell's-lane" and "Crom-well-house," though, except garden walls of great | strength and solidity, there are no remains of his time. The lower part of the land is familiarly termed " Brompton-grove," and is ornamented with some really fine timber in the gardens nod grounds still remaining on the southern part of . the estate. Tbe first tract of land obtained by > the Commissioners was from the trustee* of the [ parish of St. -Margaret, Westminster, from whom it is understood about 20 acres' were obtained, at a cost of £60,000, or thereabouts; but the | principal purchase (a very recent one) is from | the Baron de Villars, who has sold 48 acres of j land to the Commissioners for the large sum of £150(000. For some smaller purchases to complete the boundary as much as £4,000 per acre has been asked, and, we believe given. The general scheme we understand to be this, —About 200 yards on this side of the turnpike at Kensington a road is to be cut, 100 feet wide, from Kensington-gore to Brompton, coming out at the back of Onslow-square. This road will furnish an enormous frontage for the new galleries to the west, and the facade will return at the south end to any depth required. Tbe quantity of land secured will also allow of ornamental grounds around the building to a considerable extent." 1

Disteess At Madeira —The following official circular has been issued by the Civil Governor of Madeira, which speaks for itself, as to tbe nature, extent, and severity of the calamity which has befallen the population, and from which all classes will be involved in one common suffering :—": —" Deeply lamenting the calamitous losses which this island has suffered by the entire destruction of its vintage, occasioned by the blight, which has unfortunately annihilated its principal production, 1 think proper to call your attention to the disastrous effect which this loss will have on the landlords, farmers, and labouring classes of this island. The landed proprietors and farmers have this year thus suffered most heavily from the annihilation of their crops; and the labouring classes will suffer equally with them by the entire secession of tbe labour which the preparation and treatment of the wines hitherto required. In consequence of this calamity these classes will be reduced to theeteajest, distress, and_their subsistence become utßQ&t impossible if no extraneous succours be provided for their relief. I feel entire confidence in the solicitude of her most faithful Majesty's Government to relieve as much as in their power tbe suffering population of this islaud; but the distress is so great, and presses so heavily on every class, that it will find it impossible to extend'eommensurate relief, particularly is the extraordinary defalcation iv the revenue hitherto derived from thjs islair' will tend still further to embarrass the already attenuated circumstances of the general treasury, Under the circumstances TE have thought it my duty to call the benevolent attention of tbe prin* cipal mercantile establishments of Funcbal to tbe distressing crisis now impending over so large a portion of the unfortunate inhabitants of this island, in order that they being in constant communication with the wealthy cities of Europe and America, may make known abroad the present distressed situation of the country, and solicit the liberality of their correspondents and connexions in behalf of its unfortunate population, now threatened with all the horrors of starvation. 1 abstain from making a more direct application ; hut I am convinced that those whom 1 now address, who have at all times shown the greatest solicitude in all that tends to the general welfare of the island, will now do all in their power to contribute to the relief of a community suffering under so severe a dispensation."