ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 48, 26 February 1864, Page 6

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

The copyright of an Irish newspaper was recently sold for 7s. Gd. ! The embankments necessary to form the contemplated new docks at Lymington, in Hants, will reclaim 1000 acres of land. A, woman at Berlin has for the seventh time given birth to twins. A sparrow feeding in; a newly made grave, in tbe cemetery belonging to the parish of Deptford, was observed by a hdwk, soaring just above, which immediately pounced upon its prey, and, in consequence of the narrow limits of " mortal's last resting place," it became an easy capture to the-grave-digger. M. Dv Chaillu has written to say that the female who was assaulted in a bathing-machine at Ramsgate is not his wife ; that there is no Madame Dv Chaillu — he is indignant at the idea ; so that there is poor hope for any one who has an eye on the learned friend of the gorilla. A curious and interesting discovevy has recently been made in California, of a pyramid A r ery similar in construction to the Egyptian pyramids, only very much smaller. The stones composing the courses average six feet in length, and from one foot to three feet in thickness. The case of a man not setting eyes on his own son until he was fifty years old is probably without a parallel. The story is told by Leslie in bis agreeable " Recollections of West," the painter's father. On bis emigrating to America he left his wife in Eugland, who died shortly after giving birth to a son, whom his father first saw on his return to liis native land fifty years afterwards. The painter Avas one of the second Avife's family, born in America. Mr. W. P. Windham, late of Fel-brig-hall, has executed a deed conveying the Avhole of liis property to trustees for the payment of his debts — iv other Avords Mr. Windham is a bankrupt. On the 3rd of Decembor Tliomas Davies, a superannuated pilot, died at Prog- street, Swansea, having attained the age of 100 years, Avithin twenty -two days. Deceased Avas born on the 25th of Dec-ember, 1763. Consequently had he survived until next Christmas-day he Avould have been 100 years old. Somo fine specimens of strawberries, says the ADublin filxjjress, groAvn iv the j open air at Still organ Glebe, the residence of the Rev. Thomas G-ray, were left at our office December 4. They are a.s large as those in July and a considerable crop of them is still in the ground. They aftord a very curious but conclusive proof of the mildness, of the Aveather with Avhich Aye have recently been favored. John Pringle, Lord Nelson's coxswain on board the Victory, died at Newton, South Devon, on December 5, in the 101>th year of his age. This veteran Avas born in Pife, Scotland, on tlie 19th of May, 17G5, and in the 21st year entered the Royal Navy. He married his second wife, Avho survives him, at the ripe age of 92. On the 19th of last May, he drove round the suburbs of NeAvton in commemoration of his 103 rd birthday, and on the occasion of the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales he took part in the g-eneral rejoicing. We learn through a statistician that there are 2,116,15*5 horses in England — 1,200,000 are used for agricultural work, 600,000 for private use, and the rest are employed in public conveyances. A few days ago as a ploughman Avas at work on a farm near Alcester, his plough turned up a human skull. Further and deeper diggings have since been made at the spot, aud have resulted in the exhumation of no less than twenty-four human skulls. No other bones Avere found, and tlie skulls appear to have been placed Avith the face downwards. The restoration of Chichester Cathedral is still sloAvly but steadily proceeding. The scaffolding used in rebuilding the toAver has lately been raised some twenty-two or twenty-three feet, so as to stand clear of the roof of the church, and the " traveller " now works at an elevation of fully 110 feet from the, ground.. The walls of the tower, which are about five and a-half feet inthickness, have now attained an altitude, of about eighty-six feet from the ground, and are still being carried, up at the rate, of one foot per' week. ■ Between sixty and seventy men are employed in the process of restoration, but in consequence of the diminished amount of light at this season, they are only able xto W.ork eight hours a day, instead often, as formerly. -While a Welsh cause was' being tried hr ohe v of the London courts, the counsel for the iSlaintiffis' begged to be excused, though a Welshman, from: pronouncing the vuame of the place where i the coal mine wiasV situate, a -It is spelt:" {Llwywywiyvver.'':- -Vi'--, rxx \ ?;