ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume X, Issue 975, 6 December 1854, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Destructive Thunderstorms.— On Monday evening aterrific thunderstorm commencedin and around Hereford, and withjscarcely an intermission prevailed throughout the" night. Between eight and nine o'clock' in the evening, after a sultry oppressive day, scarcely relieved by a breath of wind, rain began to descend in torrents, and immediately converted the highways into? running brooks. The thunder rolled loud and heavy, and during the Whole night the country^ was incessantly lighted by vivid lightning. .Th^ spire of Withingion church, five noilet south-east of Hereford, on which a large sum of money was last year expended in repairs, was struck by the lightning at two o'clock in the morning, when ttie storm was at its height, and was greatly injured.—The great storm in Herefordshire, on Monday night, was followed by .another, scarcely less appalling, during the night of Tuesday, continuing iill nearly, ten o'clock on Wednesday

tifomJog. Soch torrents of rain have not been • teen for years. "' Oh Wednesday " evening " and liight, the Wye and dtber" rivets running" tbroogh Und« covered with! partially-made h'titf tof^ed their- bank*, tod caused great destruction of properly. '■' _> '*;' ' "The Opbkino of' Relations, -with Japan. JiiThe honour of bavins broken through the #afl of partition wbicb^fias hitherto, for so many centuries, excluded jail theWflil 'from intercourse with Japan, belongs to 'tliis' country, and' we, may be proud of itj Bft/otVer^coumf fes will untfotibtedly >eek^sWr^M' c f» \h its' benefit?, tney 'raa^bV^Wd'already instructions hay' sent' VufHcj ' W* Ji>bn Boirring, the British Envoy in' fcMp#, bVfieY Britannic Maj&fy'J- Government, R to Wfroni ibe Emperor of Japan a similar prlviftge^to'tb'at which has been so'botiotiraDV«e&Yeo! by the United States, and BiVJo^latb"prßgefe^ at a^celo"" Japan to make tfo&emaiid. TKe trVMfy'vrMch Commodore Per.t^iia^ideceedea ffi^oMditfg fo'riot,iet^it be ofter ted, a v trMf of «SiflnjeJce,'fbnt a treaty of a^mity'ahd Wen^hfp^ffi'oiigb it opens to Ameri'ca?n'Htiz'ena~atid the Anftnwn trade two of )Lhe principal ports of tKeenipire— that of Samodi in tbeftland of Niphoif, and that of Cbickadada iv the island of Yesso. The'sd two ports will aniwe'r ,every-presehk purpose for onr commercial 'inte'requr'se %itb that cquhtry. They are.copveutently situated, and one of them, Samodi, is so «ommodions for coal, that a depot is forthwith to b« established ttiere, and arrangements are to be ittmedfately made for a constant supply~a most inportaat point gained for enabling us saccessfolly to prosecute steam, navigation in those lets. The port is, in other respects, a most desirable , position. It adjoins the manufacturing districts t «i'tbe country, which are not otber«rise,^U«eems, Accessible by sea.. It-is a good barbopr^}, the Neighbouring population 'is extensive,- and, altogether, it would appear tojbe an eligible situation jforforeign traded ,'Tb'© r other -pott: has also its .advantages ; at botb there is to he * permitted all Requisite intercourse, for .the purposes of commerce — for American citizens^ may reside within their walls, and American consuls are to be V'atroned there. . It • may not be generally Jcnown — or, at any' rate, it is apt to be forgotten —that so long ago as the reign of James the First of England a similar treaty of amity was granted, by the Emperor of Japan, only less restrictive in its stipulations ; for it .gave free license to the subjects of the King of Great Britain <( forever safely to come into any of our ports of our empire of Japan, witb->'tbeirsbips and: merchandises, without any hindrance to them or. their goods ; and to abide, buy,. sell,- and barter, according to their own manner witb. all nations, to tarry here as long as they think good, and to depart at tbeii pleasurei." It granted .them also, " freedom of 'custom for all such merchandises as either now* they have brought, or. hereafter shall bring, into our kingdom, or shall from hence transport to any foreign port/.'-— together with all due protection, alike of property and person. But this did not last long. The conduct of the Portuguese Jesuits produced the expulsion of all foreigners except the Dcitcb from the empire, and has occasion ad their exclusion. The Russians have made many attempts to open up commercial relations with Japan, but in vain, the positive laws of the country, and their own want of tact, defeating every ' effort.*—^ New York Journal of Commerce. /The Ladies akd the Census.— The returns of the ages of ladies have given some trouble, and. ,a slight correction has been neccessary. Those who in 1851 were between 20 and ,25, mast of course have been between 10 and 15 at the previous census ; but the number of girls between 10 ajid 15 in jf waa not large enough to grow inta the .goodly .conjpany- who . in 1 85 1 say that they are but between-. 20 = and, J 2s. The return, also, between 30,«nd v 35 in 1851 is top small, as compared witb't^eTretiiro foMhe favourite age of 20—25, in 1841. ; After allowing for Jmmigrai. ' tion, and comparjpg Vhe "numbers with' those of men, the Registr^r-Gleneral and bis assistants are of opinion that about 35,0603«die3, who hife en tered themselves as between^2o and 14Q jreally belong to the next age,.,46--60,.\t0 .which 1 the body of delinquents are transferred in tbecalculations and tables accordingly. _ £ The, gentlemen, who feel driven to this conclusion 'very handsomely suggest that those who made. these misrepresentations may have done io " becauie they were quite unconscious of the silent lapse of time, or because their imaginations still lingered over the hours of the younger age, M "im!;" they are obliged to add that it may have been '-' because they chose fool-/ isbjy to represent themselves younger than they really were, at the scandalous risk of bringing the statement of the whole of their country women into discredit."' - -. -- .- -r \ ~ • . v i ■.Cincinnati Steam Fire ENGiNE.-^This' •eugine, which cost rather more than 2,000?;, and weighs between five *nd : six tons, tbVow? 84;000 gallons in an hour. - Five" ; horses are' required, *four'to draw the engine/ md one the fuel and reel Mr. D'ilke 'and Professor Wilson went to :.swlfie;e^i^:*n^ri^lkTs-iys— "XWreacHinf tbe station we satisfied ourselves tbat there' wis -n'o'firi in the engine, and tbat the water in the ; Boiler waVcold. On tbe order being given to pproeeed'to a particular point, the light was appließ to the grate, always kept ready filled with Very combustible^ materials, tbe horses were 'harnessed, andtbe eogijie left the house in 3| after ths supposed 'fire was annobriced. It re«cb«d the tpoVindicated, 1,450 feet 'distant from the engine- h'oaie, in 2|mibate« f and in { 6| .minutes from tbe/firlt .aiinbuiicemetit the horses •were uneoupled'and ttie^engine 'placed' over the supply cistern. In 8j minutes the steam-gauge - wiitt3s*, and the pomps self-feeding. '9 minutes si hose was affixed, and the reel despatched in 9| ininutes to about 100 feet distant from tbe engine /during which time a second hose was being fixed ,«ndlaMoot. In J 12 minutes water was issuing ifrom one hose, and inl2| minutes from both. In ,^l'3 minutes the jet of water reached 100 feejt ifrbm tbe nozzle ifibt applied, one of an inch , diameter, .and^from tbat time a large body of water •iras pouring ftfrtb, ' lii 17 ' miDates^tJil, supply ' -'iwis strong enough to.rise about 60 f^fftin height. itH'2B- mino'tei it^was 'playing -lovers a' naodpratesiz^d bouse. ; tln^nSioutes allsix.nozzles were iiifuse. ilu;88 mibßtet tbe issue of water was stopped, that the capatelity of; lopplying steam yeti > might fce^abowp^'^ln 39^ ? minhtcs a very- _ .powerful blast of .fieam^M issning., ,We were t-ihlformed that tbe epginei^ad on'lw.o,^oflhVet oc- , eationa played' six hours contiauonsly, tod onee 1 *I 2 hours, cod ,f c wire given to understand tiut

itthtd thrown wafer 230 feet— a, statement »lg cqul& believe from the power exbibited,.and. which iffii shown by directing the steam «g*ins« • heavy cart standing empty Vtbe street, itad'whicti was driven by it oflsrly 100 feet."— Mr. 'Ditto's Re? port (New ;York Industrial Exhibition.) Indian Tragedy.— Lucknow, May^S;-^ A mournful tragedy .was, enacted In theJtooMut of Mahanagger,' on the opposite side of^tbe irOn bridge, under circumstances truly '(&> treading. was apprised; of Jtbe incident" somij : daysf ago, but (he report, not being corroborated' .by otfaejslrl deemed it almost incredible; andconse^ufentiy'rfe-l framed from writing' to yon" about it ; but it* has now been confirmed on 'undoubted " testimony^ by, many respectable persons. A milkman being indebted to>,a certain Lalla, his neighbour, in the amount of* 60 or 70 rupees, 'was incessantly troubled by'thft creditor 'to refund hia Just , due, brii which. the ill-fated" milkman was not in « 'position to 'perform. From" harassing importunities the Tialla ruthlessly 'threatened to have 'his chouse sold or 7 razed to the ground and himself thrown into' prison ; this decided the unfortunate man in his* deed of desperation. Forthwith he resolved to "iieitroy' himielf and family rather than siiffer the indignity bf having tits domestic privacy invaded, and, after winning his wife over to hia sad determination, he proceeded in order to preclude the possibility of escape, to bind her fogetbei with his children firmly down to the ground, and locked the door of the apartment, and, after having placed plenty of combustible matter, such a^ straw, cowdung, and bamboos about the house, the poor wretch with Stoical firmness wrapped his body well round with cotton, and, barricading the doors, set the house on fire, which being rapidly enveloped in flames was soo.n consumed, together with tbe unfortunate suicides. Thus did he immolate himself and /family on a' funeral gyre which he lighted himself. — Calcutta Englishman. Melancihoi.y Accident. — Last week, William Campbell, Esq., brother.of Sir Angus Campbell, of Dunstaffnage, proceeded, along with two . attendants, in a small sailing-boat, to an i*}aod in the bay of Dunstaffnage, to see a mare. They were seen by a man on shore making for. the .harbour at Salmore-lodge, the residence of . Sir Angus. They were not again seen. As morning wore away, and the weather had become . boisterous in the meantime, nneasiness began to ; be excited, and messengers were sent- cut on search. They had not been long absent, when their worst fears 'were realised by the discovery of the* little boat, with her sails set, and lying in a waterlogged condition opon the shore at a short distance below Connal ferry. Tbe rudder and oars were found in the bay, as well as the yachting hat of : Mr. Campbell, and the cap of one of the yonng men, leaving no doubt of the unhappy fate of the whole party. Mr. Campbell was, a fine young man, of about 24 yean of age. The Dowager Lady Campbell pressed her son not to " make the trip, on account of the squally character of the weather; but he remarked, jocularly, that there was no fear and that be was a good swimmer ; but, unfortunately, be wis burdened with one of the large Inverness mantles, which would, no double impede ' bis efforts for self-preservation.-r-£e«fc Mercury. Loss of J. 731 Livifo BY-SHirwaßcx.— -A Pertman transport; the Mercedes, has been wrecked on ,a'rock near tbe mouth of Caima harbour,, with a loss of 731 lives; the Mercedes was conveying 800 troops from Casraa to Callao : she went down so quickly that a Government steamer which was in company could rescue only a few of the people. — Spectator, July 1. Madame Ledru Rolin.— rTlie mother of the celebrated republican leader died" in Paris at the age'of Vigbty-five. The funeral waV fixed by the family for eleven o'clock on Sunday morning, but the Government, apprehending a political demonstration, rent a detachment of forty or fifty sergens de ville to the house of the deceased in tbe Rue Dv Faubourg St.' Germain at seven , o'clock, ' and the corpse was carried to the . grave , nnder their superintendence, without any mourners being present. The Missing Arctic Voyagers. — The . relatives of seamen belonging to the Tyne, who accompanied Sir John Franklin on his onfortunate exploring voyage to the Arctic regions, have been paid by the Admiralty the difference between what has been received on , the a dvance note left by tbe unfortunate mariners and the full manthly pay due to the time when the notes were • stopped, about four months ago. Some of the lost mariners' wives have drawn above £100 < which was doe to them. ; Observing Currents of the Sea. — ;One , of tbe most interesting as well as curious expert--j raents which have been made by Lieutenant. Maury'in his scientific researches, is that, says the Charleston Courier, for ascertaining the under >' corrects of the.ocean. The boat is first anchored, I as it were, either by lowering her sounding line. 1 to great depih, or by suspending a large iron kettle so far beneath the surface as to counteract the L effects of the surface current upon the, boat.. The • set and velocity of the surface current is then f Vb^feX^ y large ~wb*oden~ hoxTloadeU-just i sufficiently to make it sink,* is then attached to the end of a line of tbe required length, say one ' hundred fathoms; and thrown overboard. To tbe • other end of the line is fattened a small empty i keg, which, floating lightly upon the waves, p'rei vents the box from sinking below the length 'of ■ the string. The box being under the influence of 1 , any current "that it may find one hundred fathoms : -fallow the surface, carries tbe cask ontbe'suri face in- the same direction. Mr. Walsh says, in i an account of this experiment :— " It was won--' t derfol to see this barrica ' (little barrel) move off i against wind and sea and surface current at a t rate of over one knot the hour, as was generally* I tbe case, and on one occasion as much as one and' » 'three fourth knots. Tbe men in the boat could I not repress exclamations of surprise, for' it really r' appeared as if lome.monsterbf tbedeep bad laid i 'bold of the weight below and was walking off \ jrithit.", > A Crane in Confinement. — A man brought r in a Crane, which he had winged, and we turned j him out in the yard with tbe poultry, where be . stalked up and -down with a - proud, indignant ' air. > He soon became quiet, and v ate bis corn. s with the rest, while he had a deep bwket of water" i forbis own use, into Which he t u»ed to pake his^ i' bead .continually; ,One day, a g'upid heavy jsejr-' went into the yard, and, not kno^iag f thd^ v tbe. bucket, was. placed iberofoMbcfltork, -he took „ it up to carry.it away, when the<bird f flevT.,,at him, 4 i and pecked. at his Cace, feut, missing' his eye^,; t seized him tightly bj tbe t noBC, and there held-

bun for • good while; The J)oot man hallooed ; load enough, but tho*c if bo ctttS t'6 hit assistance! cpnld not help him 'at Urtt'iot finghtog ; and though he kept beatiDg the cfine with the bucket which be held in his ,band,^ tits' |otig nec^'enablad 'bimto keep so far off, tharle escaped jail the frantic attempts of* his' prWneVttf reach bint. the : mana nose was s^aifd *Wbf veiy 'sore for some lime, and /he never ''-g&t oWet f tbd frdtap* which attached to hibi foftbVpe^louS'fldve^tbre ■with' the crane, It r was ;to watch vhis crane; when the'tirrie 4 of rtte'&igfytioi arrived, 'iflock.of its magni'ficent^ontfp/aniohi^eye'ipday "used w t6 fly high up in 'the*^fW^wft^Riig c!eat)oT« its head. This Circle bffiyi pgiiirdt has a very striking effect.'' The' 5 cranes, above called td their friend tojoin'them for their distant 'journey, !to a happier ' climate^ and 1 the poor Kelpies* crane below,' Writcbißg its^lonff neck op towards the sky, answered the appeal in a Jiujftilarlymournfal vty.—Vur'ztitfs 'Arfaihia. '""" Kerbela. — While the Jew' yearns to lay bit ibones itf the environs of' bis 0 beloved' Zion/snd the Mohammedan sums up all bis earthly boges in a last pilgririaajge to ! Mecca, the 1 Persian with equal ardour arid ; veneration 'seeks f foe t final resting-place at Kerbela. ' \This city, jo- tjie, patbaltt of Bagdad, is a Turkish. fortified place, containing the w tomb 'of tlds'sein, the brother of Hassan, jin,d tfta pt Ali, the' great saint of tjit Shiab, prpersian form of the Mahqmmedan religion; I^ot'obly do an immense number of. persona habitually Reside there, but everyone who has the power sjnves to rettre there, injhii, latter <!ays,'ttiat heWsy lay his bones inthenVighbourfiood of the golden dome which, covers tbea»hef of Hossein. ' Those who die at a 'distance jure^io anxious at least' to be buried at/Kerbelt, that the : Weat article of Commerce in that direction cbjisiistsofthe de|d bodies. o,f F^ru^n^ men. and wqmen, whicji /are brought by; t^Qiisaads eve,ry year from! alt parts of the dominions, of the Shah by endless caravans of horses, mules, and camels, many hundreds of which unlucky animals pass their' whole lives' from year lo^year In carrying ' these horrid burthens, which infect 'ihe air in all tie villages through w6ich they pass. . Proverbs lMPftovBD.-~tnstead o f « as c ] ea jr as mad,".say,:" a3 clear as the Thames." M ~ Instead of " as like as chalk is tp cheese," say rather "as like as London milk is to cheese".'* , Don't say "as thick as t thieves," but •'lawyerp.l' In the same way, throw in, " two aldejrm^" when you wish tosayj 1* two swallows do not raia^e a summer. " ' . , Talking of Rome, and the long time it took tp build, you can improve the s,ame. expressio^ by mildly suggesting that " The'tioii«e> oh Parliament were not built in a. day." v " , We will end with a small batch of n Improved Proverbs," as being better adapted iotbt superior intelligence nf the pfesebt day. „ ' 'Let every Punster stick to his Last. 11l news tjravels by au Electric Telegraph. You mustn't teach the Morning Herald to sack eggs. \ One man's Preserved Meat is another man's Poison. Little sticks kindle t conversation, but great ones put it out. A Pennsylvania's word is just as good as bis Bond. "T - *" - -v. Fire and water are good servants on a railway, but very bad Masters, Never trust to a Government Staff. Politicians rarely lose anything by a good turn. A Mother-in-law islike the dry-rot—far easier to get into a house than to get out again. — Punch. Jenny Lind Goldschmidt. — We,haye,,beeh favoured with the following extract from » private letter from Vienna ;— ." A few. day stace I called at' ! ihe Hotel jsiim Rdtriiseheh Kaiser^my my respects to Jenny land Goldschmidt. * She has a decided penchant lot America and Americans ; and^ moreover, as I happened to be well acquainted with some of her Boston friends, I was made doubly welcome. I heard from a Viennese lady that Madame Goldschcatdt says our country is the best in the world to Jive in, and she is right. She informed me of her expectation to fettle permanently in the United States, , mainly on account of her child, a bright little b&y. She has been giving concerts in Vienna in V quiet, unassuminp; way, and though they have all been well attended <by the nobility and rich' burghers, the_be»t (tickets were sold at ihe low price of three florins. I believe* that Americana are wilting, to pay more ,for pleasure than any other people on the globe At the late btll given to the Jraperial pair by the citizens of Vienna, 900f) tickets were given, out gratis. A gentleman ' connected with one. of |he large shipping houses of New York was in the, • city at the time', and having .failed to secure a free ticket, procured bfi'e from another source { by paying 15j@ silver florins — more, I presume, than has been 'paid for a .simple ' ball-ticket' since lne gay times of the Viedna Congress. Madame - Goldschmidt is a sincere admirer of Americtq|n- 1 stitutions, and, from her short residence^aroong ' as, it is astonishing' how well she has studied and understands their spirit. 'She says she expects . .great things' from "the Americans., Her.remarks abfiuTTfur "cohfplry afd w fts "prospects were'^qptfv jplete with practical- sense, tbaVin our conyersa-^ tion of half an hour I' learned to appreciate our institutiont more than ever, and could not "help contrasting Jber sensible views with the long dia- ] tribes and transcendental theorieß in reference to 1 the' future of America which J every German a e«s l! fit to impose upon' the citizen of -the GreatTte- 1 public r,e»ifling in the fatherland. Where/ there : i*^ little virtue, so little regard; for the mmitge relation^ so.lmle real piety' and, so much oppVisaiin," tyranny^nd' Ignorance" as on the continent, \ iirVi especially in the Auiirian 'Enjpire, iKjyM . delightful to bear from the lips of such a woman ;; as Madame jaoldscbmidt the unqualified praisV of I' "aland.'at'the virtue and gallrttrf of whose peopJe' I European sceptics affect to sn«f r, and whose fipi- ' perity European polhicianr ire ■ptto regard, I n«tht bright mist over a breaking wavt. She F spoke of the Boston "Safcbath'M •" deligblful - luxury. ' Here the' Sabbath is mad* a gala-day ' by »11 classes. Public persons must- keepoptn I rooms as on other dayi ofvtht week, and the peas' ple^go Trrom'ttfe church to iht theatre a» if Soth : were dedicated to the' Most High. The delightI. ful a New-Eng!*nd,Stbbtth, it not to be f enjoyed in Germany. ' Tbe Jenny JLind of former i' days bas bVcome s the digb^fiVd. Madame Gold;v Schmidt of the present. ' She appeals sdmewhat t^ older, l but, retains the ' frankness; and. sin^plicity/ of L .m»nnera which .cbaWQtprUed her fbove^all. ,* tthir attists. 'I carae away jinking of tbeKnet r of S^ordswortK; tnd Jmr tetter #ithjtßy I viiU ,tbao if f bad been hoaoured with* recepfton

io the Imperial Palace of the Htpsborgi. ' It is rarely |i|M/«nelibda a cbmbinmiioto/df so' in any pobie qualities, aside fro^the^ tupremtcy of her art.' There ifjqmethjng wonderful in bet career, ' 'commencing at it did in ohicurity knd, wipt,' Vnd 1 fi«}bg!ti:itS»:^OJ* witfitneh unpiiralleled brilliancy; To a Viennese, who tskt'ti ber not long •ince how she had lited in Ptrii, »b« replied, ' Je