MISCELLANEOUS.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 19, 13 January 1863, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

Maoeies Exhibiting in Victoria.—Abraham Apperhama, tho chief of the Maori troupe of performers, on Monday made his bnw in the District Court, Melbourne, as plaintiff in a suit agauist J. 11. King. It appeared that tho A! dories, nineteen in number, bud entered into an agreement with Mr King to play for him in tho Au.-Uruliu.ii colonies, nt the rate of £0 a month, with board nnd lodging. Tho pay merit 8 were made up till the 12th of November, and tho complainant now claimed wages for the month to the 12th ol December. At Sandhurst-, Mr King left the troupe, nnd as no provision had been mado for their maintenance, the Mamies gave a performance on their own account, and appropriated the money in order to obtain for themselves the necessaries of life. Mr King said the Maories ha 1 broken their agreement with him in refusing to perform, He denied that he had deserted them at Sandhurst, as he had left his agent there with .L'l7, but he was not aware whether any of the money hud been used in supplying necessaries for the men. They had some bread and potatoes left them, and the butcher was ordered to supply them with meat. The agent was not present to give evidence, and the Bench awarded the amount claimed, with 13s 6d costs. — Qcelo»</ Advertiser, December 2 k Political Feeling at Washington". — It is remarked by all Europeans who visit "Washington, that the Russian Ambassador li.ts e.i.s-.- w.>ik th<-rv. while the representation of other Powers are kept in continual hot water. The Russian is attended by trains of enthusiastic citizens when lie enters the capitol, extolling the. majesty of th.' Czar, or longing to go to St.. Petersburg, and tho ladies crowd round him at the bails, twinkling vu ay their tears of sensibility about some act of Imperial | charity or echoing some soft sentiment of the I'm- ! press. The Spanish Ambassador, meanwhile is ! internally raging, and oiitwsin.ly restl.ss under the ever renewed insult of debates in Congress, or prposals from the President alioiit Cul a. 'J lie j Ambassador in forms t lieU o vim men t that Cuba is not ; on sale, but that makes no sort of differ, me; and j the unhappy man who unrleriuk-'s the post at ] Washingtonhas to hear something everyday about j what the Americans mean to (to \\ith Cuba. The British Ambassador is scarcely happier. ilclm< l<> j make up his mind to live in an atmosphere of j vdousv, j susj Lion nnd misapprehension, and utuler eon- | stunt irritation from evil const! net ion nnd had j manners. If there is an interval of reasonable I temper and courteous behavior, it is sure to be presently over. If tiio ministers are amiable, tin.' journalists are sure to be insulting; and, irom one quarter or another, he is under the constant necessity of explaining mutters which ivc.ild ; never raise a question in any other country. The ; French Minister stands next in favor to the ! .Russian, generally fpenking. There uere bickirings and threatening of Mar during the Orleans reign; but under the two Napoleons, France ha.s appeared very charming t<> the republicans at Washington and at Paris. Other mini.-ters meet with varying degrees of favor ; but the two ex- j tremes of treatment correspond with tho political j extremes; the (,'jsar's Ambassador is the pel, and i the British is the but. — Once « ll'tik. ■ The Battle Fiki.u of An tieiwm.— As we ■ approached Sharpsburgh, it was utni"e r ssary to , ask when we were coming tear the great battle j field, for it could be distinctly smelt two miles I oil. I stopped abut' ut a mile tiiis side of Sharps- | burgh, on the Haggerstown road, to go over the j cornfield which you will reuieiulicr was so ii-rri- j bly contested between the rebels and our forces | under Hooker, when the latter was wounded. ] It is a large elevated plateau situated between i two woods, near one of which runs the llagers- j town turnpike. It was from this elevated j position that tho first comprehensive glance j could be taken of this glorious panorama ; nnd j from the graphic and accurate description which i have been given, especially by your own corres- j pondents, it was easy at once to comprehend the j whole struggle. Uere it was that the left wing j C: the enemy. standing in front of oi c wood, and j the right wing orolirs, ivnmcd-;-. iet_> i... il>« i.l-!! 1 ; and backed by the other wood, engaged for ! hours in a mortal struggle for th U piece of j ground; each side rolling backward and forward like the waves of the ocean dashing agu : nst a . rock. Although a wec-k has already passed since [ this occurrence, the dead ha;l been all removed, i and the rains and dewsof heaven had chiwitably j washed away many a bloody stain from the fair I face of earth, there was plenty vet to prove the : awful scene which had so recently been enacted. The battered corn fairly trampled into theia.no; the deep ruts formed by the heavy wheels of j artillery; fences torn down, and left in poll- : mell confusion; cmteeus, ha\ ci sacks, riddled j caps, blood-stained shirts, and fragments of | shell and cannon balls la> ing in every dii ection; durk purple masses of congealed fluid glistening in the sunlight; charred remnants of horses j everywhere, and others again lying in all sorts i of attitudes, just as they fell, and poisoning the air for miles around ; the newly-made heaps <~f earth-, on one of which I read the significant words, scrawled on a rough plank: — "Ihirtyone buried here," all told but too plainly the horrible story. The trees in these woods also showed how dreadfully thick must have hailed the messengers of death. In one spot especially, of about fifty square yards, I did not see a single stem that had not its bark torn by bullets or cannon balls in from one to a dozen plyce.s, and in three I counted fifteen distinct snots. Think of the heroism of those who clustered here. — New York Times. Accommodating his Pathos s. — During a recent visit of Tom Sayer's Champion Circus fit Cardiff, in Wales, an agricultural gentleman, of immense size and considerable wealth, insisted upon having a "turn up " with the gallant 'lorn. As the performance had gone along pleasantly, Mr. Brookes being Tom's usual "opponent" with gloves, some of the rural gentleman's friends tried to dissuade him from hi? purpose ; but no, the ambitious novice would take no denial. Tom said it was a pity any person should ever go away dissatisfied, especially as the spectators then present seemed so well pleased with what had been done. Three^rousing cheers weie then given for T >m. and I three more {'or the Bia'Uii, whoa Tom invited him to put on the gloves, just off the hands of Brookes. Big 'Tin went in for using Tom up in little less than no time. Tom took several hard knocks from the animated hay stack, with laughter and jokes shared by all present, except the Big 'Un, who worked tiway as if on some job by the piece. Not understanding Tom's good natural forbearance, the agricultural experimentalist proceeded to bore in asTf in a real ring fight. " Oh, oh ! " says Tom " this fellow's a crowder ; he wants a glove fight a least." Away went Tom's " Auctioneer," and down went the CardifT individual— dirt cheap — with a pair of colored optics thrown into tho bargain. Aftef that " everybody," and no exception, went away " satisfied, " but there was one person who did not join in the applause given to the " little hero." — New York Clipper. English at Lam ! — A Yorkshireman having occasion to visit France was dumfounried to find on reaching Calais, that men. women and children all spoke French. In the height of the perplexity which thiß occasioned, ho retreated to bed, and was awakened in the morning by the cock crowing whereupon ho burst into v wild exclamation of astonishmont and delight, and exclaimed — '-Thank j goodness there's English at tost." _ 1

Dahino Attempt of a Futkonbr to F,sc.vi'H. — Yesterday two men named Frederic lii'iilon and George \Vi!libon, after being remanded scver.il tinifs nt the cenlral Police Court, on the charge of miiil robbery, were fully eomiTHlted on th-'it chnrge. On the van wbie.b conveyed the r»risonors to the gaol, leaving the Police Odice, after the sittings of the Court, Sub-inspector Read, knowing the desperate characters of these, prisoners, took the precaution to strengthen the escort of the conveyance, and 'it Darlingburst station an additional precaution w.ia observed by iwo constables bciiitf in wiiinng there to see thesn prisoners safe into the gt"l. At about a quart -r past four, on the van arriving ;it the £:iol, Uiitton,. on potting out turned round short on the step, exclai'ning, •• Lot me gel my swnr," at the sam-^ moment, while pretending to j^et his parrel in the division, lit! took an under look all round him, eyeing closely the police, when seeing as he thought a passage ele.ir, he bounded from the step like a kangaroo, and got, oft' Three con-st.-ibles immediately pursued him, when constable Doyle, who was comintr in an opposite direction to tho piisoner. nnd observi'g the eh.'iso, r;m i before Uiilton, wlio, seeiiiL" three cons tables at his heels, and one to his f.iee intercept ing him, threw himself in a hopeless condition down upon the ground, where, of course, he w;is at once secuied anil brought into tlie gaol, 'i'hi.s is the second time that Bntton has nttemptfd to escape whilst on trial on thi- present, charu'e. When the first examination was going on in the central Police Court about a fortnight since, he a<kfd leave lo retire for a moment from the dock, but no sooner bad lie j_;nt into tlie yard, than he boiled off, nnd being pursued, constable I'innigan captured him in George-street, by griping him by the hair of the bead, the prisoner bein I,'!1 ,'! dressed in a remnikably tight .shirt, uuiliing it a ditfictilt uuitter to cutch hold of him utiv uheve. But a circumstance occurred yesterday, in connection with this affair, which is very remarkable. Senior Constable Anderson havinp observed two men dismounted near the gaol, with their horses saddled nnd bridled, and taking their position not far from the gate, kepr. a close watch on them. The moment that the prisoner Britton attempted his escape, both men mounted their horses in a quick and apparently excitable manner, and rode up close to the prison van fby which time the runaway had been secured and brought into the gaol). Suspicion at once, rested on their proceedings, they seeing this put whip and spur to their horses, and galloped off. Senior Constable Anderson, who was in Forbes-street, attempted to stop them, and called out to Constable M'Evuy, who was farther oil, to stop them, which he, also, attempted to do by challenging them, when one of the horsemen put his hand into his pocket, seemingly to t.ike a revolver out, and exclaimed " Yon hi — y dot', if you don't go out of the way, I'll blow your bl — dy brains out,' 1 at the same time ise<irly riding over the constable. Senior-sergeant. Uiiwlinsou, in charge of th^ Darltngliurst division, on hear ng of the above circumstance, at once mounted his horse and gave chase after the fugitives who hid (jnlloped up Hourke-strc-et , and although this officer went nearly to Botany so swift had been the course of the men that he could not come up with them. Fn-m information which we have received, on intelligence of the above alf.iir reaching Carter's Barracks, subinspector Jll.ick despatched a number of the | mounted police in different directions, with the hope of cutting off the runaways in their retreat, but up to a late hour last night we did not hear j of their being successful. — Sydney Morniny \ Uccifld, December 13. j Sl'l)Di;n' PtcATii. — A woman named Mary Ann I Edhousc died suddenly a day or two ago under I such circumstances as led to an inquest being held. a medical nmn considering the symptoms to be such as would be produced by strychnine. The deceased was a woman of very intemperate habits, and luid consumed an enormous quantity of spirits immediately be lore being taken ill. She was the same woman who. some t ime ago, was tried for I shoot ing her husband at Riverton. She was then j ! acquitted, and hud lately been living with her | ! luib.md .i<jain, but very uidmppily. Tho husband j was present at the inquest in custody, but was ■ afterwards released, although the inquest was ad- j j joiirned. — -Dtiihi Times. j j Okkjix of Iji.ood-Haiv. — Professor Ehren- j berg, of Berlin, h-us laid before the Academy of I Sciences of that city, a brief statement conceniI ins: the fall of what is popularly described as " blood-rain," durini' a storm -it Lyons in March ; ! List, sliou iim tint \: is to he regarded as another j instance of the fall of " trade-wind dust," by I which term the red sand from the interior of Africa is identified. The sand be ing carried • alon.; by currei.ts at a hii'.h elevation, is caught i at times in the eont'.iet of the elements, and falling with the rain drops, has given rise to the popular error above noticed. Forty-three, organic forms have been discoveicd in this red sand, I which leave no room to doubt of its origin, and ! the whole phenomena is a remarkable instance of the wav in which modern science works by travint? clfcctd tv their causes. — Chambers' .1 ourv.id. j Fatal Lakkinc. — A soldier named Lumsden w.is indicted fur the manslaughter uf Alt Minder j M'Call on the high seas. The case arose out of ! the idd nautic.-d custom of " slnving " persons j on board the ship on the occasion of their first j crossing tlie Line. It appeared that the ptiso- j ncr and the deceased were invalided home from Cliiir-i, and while crossing the Line, the usual sports in honor of Neptune were indulged in. The prisoner had in the earlier part of the day been ciiiia^ed below, but M'Call had been on deck taking part in the amusements, and had, accori'.'ng to one witness, been drinking rather freely. Towards afternoon Lumsden brought some tea on deck, and when M'Call saw him he s:ii 1. " Now, comrade, you shall he the next for shavir.g." To tins j.umsncu answered, "' l'il not be sha^ed without gi\itig you a smack on the head," and hit M'Call with his open hand under tlie car, but in a good humored way. The unfortiiTiate man fell back stunned, was raised, but only spoke once before be expired. The learned judge, in leaving the case to the jury, told them the law was that if death ensued from a blow unlawfully given, it was manslaughter, even without malice or intent to kill, and that •J-'-rufore the question for them was. wh^'^cr 11.".'I 1 .".' blow was given nri'iaw;\i'i'iy — (hat L-, in anger and purposely, or whether it was merely given eafually and in a frolic, in which both men were engaged. A good test for them to apply, was whither if (be deceased had lived, be would ln\esued the prisoner in .in action for an sssault, if not, they should acqvit the prisoner. Tlie jury found the prisoner not gii'iy. — J''n</lish jiiijjd'. Tk I. KG RAMS TX CIUN'KSE C IT AT! ACXKHS. — Count d'Kscavrae de Lauture detcrihe-. in a pamphlet lately published, a system be hn- invented, w hich \ by the aid of 1 tvSO characters or signals easily ! assembled on a table less than a foot square, the j whule Chinese hmguaiie may be written and trans- j in it 1 iml. Tin; Count observes that, '' of all known ! languages the Chinese is the one of which I Intelegraphic transmission is the easiest." That remarkable statement concerning a lanenage which h.u its tens of thousands of characters is corroborated by l>r Maegownn, of New York, who several years ago contrived a plan by which fifteen signals, founded on the six elementary strokes of the | Chinese alpiiabet, sullices for telegraphic purposes \ in that country. As the French (iovernmetit has now extensive possessions in Cochin China, Ur Vtrtegowan, we learn, is about to submit his invention for trial at Annan. — Gatiyuani. Dr.\tu ov Maksu.w, Ncoent. — Austria has lost one of her most distinguished military men in the person of Marshal Nugent, of Vi' esttneath. Born in Ireland in the year 1777, descended from an old Scotch family, and the son of a remarkable diplomatist, he entered at nn early age into tho Austrian service, and for many years held the highest posts, both civil and military. Ho was a Magnate of Hungary, Prmce of the lioinnn Church, Councillor of State, Au tri-ui Field-Mar-shal, Chamberlain, Knight of tho Golden Fleece, and Colonel ol the 30th regiment of infantry. He served in Italy under the command of Radctszky, was at the battle of Solferir.o, nnd was in early life Captain-General under the King of Naples during the events that marked the reign of Ferdinand I. A French general has discovered that the Empress Eugenic is the true heiress of the throne of Mexico, through her ancestors, the Spanish Counts de Guzinuu, who were descendants of Montezumn. Truly a good "idea" upon which to make war with Mexico !