ALL ROUND THE WORLD.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 242, 31 January 1877, Page 2

ALL ROUND THE WORLD.

It appears that some of the Counties are going to enjoy exceptional advantages. At the first meeting of the Lake County Council, the IFakatip Mail reports that a conversation took place as to the claim of the County to rents from depasturing licences. The Council discussed the County Act pretty fully, and were generally of opinion that, under its provisions, they had no claim. In reply to a question, however, Sir. Manders, stated that, under a compact, the Government had promised to allow the rents from depasturing licences in Vincent, Tuapeka, and Lake Count;/ to be part of the County funds.

The nobility of character which distinguishes the Servians continues to receive illustrations every clay. This is what the Belgrade correspondent of the Times had to say about'them on Thursday : —" With an assurance and a disregard of truth which have been rarely equalled, the Servians are actually ascribing their defeat to the Russian volunteers. Only yesterday I heard a patriot declare that neither Tchcrnaieii' and all his Russians must leave Servia, or tho Servians would desert their country en masse, and seek homes elsewhere. The Russians were the cause of all the Servians' recent misfortunes ; they had done during the campaign. I ventured to suggest that some thousands of them had died on the battlefield. The reply was that in their intoxication they had fallen about and become an easy prey to the Turks. When sober they did not come out at all, or if they did como out they ran away."

The French Government seems to have finally decided on proceeding with the arrangements for the Exhibition of 1878 without any reference to the possible condition of Europe at that time. The Exhibition will therefore be held in Paris at the date already decided upon ; when such nations as may then be at peace with France or have leisure for pacific contests will be heartily welcome to enter the lists. Probably, Marshal M'Mahon remembers that the Exhibition of 1855 was not the less of a success because five European Powers were then engaged, in war. Russia, of course, did not exhibit, but everything went oft' remarkably well notwithstanding. The Queen's visit to Paris on that occasion is still remembered; it was the first that had been paid bj r an English Sovereign to the capital of France since Henry VI. went to Kotre Dame to be crowned king. It must be confessed that, if international exhibitions are to be held at all, they must in every case take their chance of a peaceful-or warlike year*, for an exhibition is generally two years at least in preparing, and wai-s are now-a-days often declared at short notice.

The law sometimes lias strange freaks. A case lately tried in a Dublin court brought out one of the strangest of them. The plaintiff sued for damages for injuries sustained by falling into a cellar, the grating of which had been left open by the defendant. The plaintiff in his fall broke the grating, and for this damage to his property the defendant claimed £5. Plaintiff's counsel said that the audacity of this demand had never been paralleled in his experience, except in one instance ; and tills exceptional case he proceeded to relate for the benefit of the jury. There lived, he said, at one time, in the fashionable quarter of that city, an eminent lawyer, who afterwards came to occupy a position on the judicial bench. He was a man of high professional attainments, but of testy and irritable temper. His next door neighbor was a retired major, cotedfor the eccentricity of his habits. Between the two there was anything but friendly feeling, and tliej 7 did all in their power to annoy and harrass each other. One night, memorable in Ireland as " the night of the great storm," the major's chimneys were blown down. Crash they went through the roof of the lawyer's house, and thenoe down through floor after floor, carrying havoc in their course. The man of law was in no good humor as he contemplated the destruction; and what made it worse was that it was the major's chimney that had occasioned the wreck. His mind was actively engaged in devising some process by which he.

— ■ cs: —' could get satisfaction from his arch-enen^^ when a missive arrived from the couched as follows :—" Send me back my bricks immediately, or I'll put the matter in the hands of an attorney. Oh, the artless prattle of an innocent childhood ! How the sweet music of their hearts and voices calms the wild yearning of the sorrow-crowned years of maturity. At a happy home, the other evening, where the family was gathered around the tea-table entertaining unexpected guests, the fond mother said to the youngest darling, " Weeclle, darling, be careful; you mustn't spill the berries on the tablecloth." " 'Tain't a tablecloth," promptly responded darling; " it's a sheet." And late at night, when the company had gone awaj r , and that sweet child was standing with, its head nearly where its feet ought to be, catching with its. tear-blinded eyes occasional glimpses of a fleeting slipper that fluttered in the air with eccentric gyrations, one could see how early in the stormy years of this life one may begin to suffer for the truth.

It is a splendid thing to be an attorney's clerk in Dublin. At the Sessions a few days ago it transpired that the amanuensis of one Mr. Tobias had succeeded, on his employer's instructions, in getting fifteen half-glasses of whiskey at so many spirit grocers. This was done in order to prove the necessity of refusing licenses. It would have been very cruel if this martyr to duty had been locked up by mistake as a confirmed drunkard, when he was simply a consciencious debaucbe*

Salmon is now regularly sold by- all the fishmongers in Hobarfc Town at. 6d. per lb. Two fisherman caught sixteen salmon in one night by a single net. Some of them weighed upwards of 151bs. each.. This is most complete and conclusive proof of the success of the attempt to acclimatise this species of fish in Australian waters.

The diary of Mr. John Brockman, a private settler, who recently travelled with stock from the Murchison to iNlckol Bay, has been published. It describes a large extent of splendidly-grassed and well-watered, but hitherto unexplored, country. There is every reason to believe that the land is rich in minerals. Mr. Brockman picked up pieces of splendid copper and lead, and states that i'op

mineral ridge near the Henry pcrer lie could see a lode of copper ore, running westerly for miles, sparkling in the sun. Mr. Brockman also found large quantities of octagular crystals, beautifully clear, and resembling the Sydney diamond. The party found quantities of native melons, figs, yams, and wild tobacco. The one difficulty to be apprehended in. the settlement of this splendid country would be the hostility of the aboriginal natives. Mr. Brockman met several parties of them, and on one occasion rifles had to be brought into requisition. When in the vicinity oj the Lyons river, a number of natives appeared on same rising ground thinly covered with stunted trees. The blackfellows were dancing about, gesticulating violently and shaking their long spears at their strange visitors. Upon being fired at, however, they decamped in evident consternation. They stuck to their spears, however, which are described by Mr. Brockman as being "terrible looking weapons, freshly barbed, and no boubt pointed for our benefit. They also carried spare barb points, about loin, long, fixed to their arm. Their " wommeras " were neatly carved and ornamented. The natives themselves are described as fierce, savagelooking fellows, more like wild animals than human beings.

The salmon, product of the Columbia River, Oregon, includidg not only the fish shipped, but also those consumed by the fishermen themselves, will this year reach the immense total of 40,000,000 pounds. The salmon are either salted and packed, in barrels or oanned fresh. In the latter form it is in great demand in all parts of the world, and hundreds of thousands of cases, containing each four dozen cans, which latter weigh a pound and a quarter apiece, are annually put up. Of these England alone takes 165,000 ; New Zealand, 2,500 ; South America, 1,500 ; Australia, 14,000 ; JS T ew York and the Atlantic coast, 58,000. The value of the canned salmon of the Columbia river is estimated at 3,000,000 dollars annually.

There was quite a scene in the precincts of the Wellington R M-. Court lately. Mr. E. T. Gillon, of the Argus, and Mr. F. Stafford, solicitor, are, it appears, both concerned as trustees in some matter connected with a deceased Mason, and it was necessary that some Court proceedings should be taken in connection therewith. Mr. Staflord took the initiatory steps, and ' was going on, when Mr. Gillon strode into Court, and protested againsfice,Tv«f

Ifrhote thing, saying he was not agreeable. *l'hia was unexpected, and riled Stafford, who walked out after Mr. fiitton, collared him, and administered a stiff punch-in:,' to him. Mr. tJillon immediately returned into Court, and laid an information for an assault. Stafford, after cooling down, made an apology by putting £1 into the pone box, which settled the whole thing, Mr., ffillon withdrawing the information. Three brothers, sons of iw »i the Siamese twins, are joint owners of a tine farm in Jackson County, Missouri, «n which they raise large crops of tobacco. Things are bad on the South African gold and diamond fields- The fej* t«m tix F w» **y» ■— " f ,ri "« source* we learn that gveat distress prevails at Kinibcrlcy amongst the whitepopulation. We learn that formerly men in good positions are actually reduced to. do menial services—such as formerly we reonly performed by Kaffirs—for mere food. A cart, pair of horses, and harness, in prime condition, the last possessions of a father of a family, which cost him some time ago £IOO, had to bo brought to the hammer, and fetched £t<> the highest bid. The unfortunate owner being appealed to by the auctioneer whether the turn-out should bo sold or held in, had to give the heart-rending answer, ' I must have food for my children ; if no one bids more, let it go !' and the turn-out went for £lO. Another gentleman,, formerly well-to-do, sold his gold watch and chain for £2 tt)s. only to obtain food ! What this state of things will lead to can easily be foreseen. 'We hear of daily arrivals in EUoenifontein of distressed people from the diamondfields. The authorities here should be prepared for emergencies. We only throw out the hint. We believe people will find little dime id ty in finding employment, of course at moderate wages, but we must be prepared to meet an influx of alt sects of characters, and forwarued is forearmed. "