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Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 179, 27 December 1876, Page 2

An instance of throwing bread upon ibc waters and having- it returned after many days lias occurred (the Chines Guardian remarks) in connection with the diminutive jockey who lode Briseis for the Melbourne Cup. Some years ago tho boy was wandering- about the streets of Geelong a friendless waif, when Air Wilson, with that kindheartedness for which he is so well known, took him home, fed, clothed, and adopted him. Not only did he do this, but as the little fellow was totally ignorant of his parentage on cither side, Mr Wilson bestowed upon him the aristo cratic name of his own residence (St. Albans), taught him to ride, and one of the results is that the lad, with the help of the filly Briseis, landed for his maste 1 ' the rich racing stake in question. The Ottawa Citizen of a late date says that two young men entered a school house iu Ramsay, after the pupils had been dismissed for the day, and without any explanation seized the mistress, Sheattempted to scream, when they gagged and outiaged her. Knowing both themen, she threatened to bring them to justice, and they seized her again and cut her tongue out. She fell to the floor unconscious, and the ruffians escaped. Some time after the woman recovered her senses, andcrawlcdtowardsthe blackboard. Here, after much struggling; she managed to write on the board the names of her murderers, and a brief account of the affair. At last, weakened from tbc loss of blood, she fell to the lloor and died. A man named John Blakeley, lately, w< rk Tig for the Government as a laborer in llagley Park, Canterbury, suddenly fell down in an unconscious state, and was at once conveyed by his fellow-workmen to the Hospital. When seen by a medical man the case was pronounced to be one of sunstroke. Slight hopes were entertained of his recovery. The Tanpo correspondent of the Pay of Plenty Times writes:—“A German, with his wife and. five children, the eldest of whom is hardly fourteen years old, passed through Tempo yes c May,, having walked from Auckland via Waikato, to try to get work at Napier.”

The Napier Telegraph, says ; —“ A goa l story comes Horn Baxapau. A few nays ago tho landlord of an hotel iu that part of the district was playing at quoits, with a few friends iu front of his hotel, when a swagsman came up an 1 asked tor lodgings. He was told to go to the tap-room, where lie could obtain refreshment. When the tramp entered the bar, lie found it unoccupied, and perceiving the till-box he stealthily attempted to draw it out with the object of counting the landlord’s takings. Fortunately for the landlord, but unfortunately' for the swagsman, 11 le till was an American Patent Alarum one, and when taken hold of by the tramp gave vent to a sound similar to that of an alarum clock. This was heard by' those who were with the landlord, who on being informed of the circumstance, rushed to his bar, where be found the inquisitive individual standing aghast with wonder and alarm, with his hand still on the handle of the till. The landlord soon recovered him from Ids stupor by adminisfcerins- to him a lesson which lie will remember for some time, and then bade him depart from his hospitable threshold. lie left a wiser but a sadder man.”

A Chiiic.se giant, Ki dice by name, ami said to be largest man inexistence, arrived at Dunedin by the Albion a few days ago. This lingo Geiesti.il is accompanied by his agent and secretary, and two or three personal attendants He certainly is an immense man. Ho measures 7tt. 9in. in height, and sft. round the chest. His weight is said to ho 29st. G!l>., and so great is his personal strength that he lifts with the greatest ease a weight equal to a ton. Ho is comparatively young, only just having completed his thirtieth year, and notwithstanding his immense size, moves about with case and rapidity.

The Wellington Argus says ; —Chaslands has a singular history. The “.Mistake” consists of a series of rocks extending about three miles seaward of the headland from which they take their start, and the title finds its origin thu'a ; Chasland was a whaler who frequented the coast about forty years ago and made this particular spot Ins favorite cruising ground. Upon one very fine day Chasland was becalmed and in danger of going ashore. There was a very heavy swell setting in shore and in-the dip of a very large roller he saw something very distinctly just below the surface of the water. This was between three or four miles from the shove, and although the surmise was thought preposterous he felt confident it was a rock. The bearings were taken and Chasland getting safely away, the sunken rock was reported at Otago and other places. For many years the spot was surveyed, and by none more carefully than by the officers of H.M.S. Acheron, but no trace of the rock could be found, and the vicinity has ever since been known as “ Chasland’s Mistake.” Whether the Otago has been lost on this identical rock is not ascertained,.but it is certain that she struck on the chain of reefs to which attention was first drawn by Chasland.