INTERCOLONIAL EXTRACTS.

Southland Times, Issue 1198, 21 January 1870, Page 3

INTERCOLONIAL EXTRACTS.

— — » That an iguana can fight a snake, and resist the effects of its venom, has, observes the ' Ovens Spectator', "been abundantly- proved, aud that even venomous snakes form a portion of ita food makes the idea almost indisputable*. As a master of fact, we may relate that one of the Madras men, who used formerly to camp with his countrymen at the Two Mile, but who has lately been at Tackandandah, caught an iguana between 3 and 4 feet long. Knowing, as he says, that ' Chinamen eat iguana, snake, dog, horse, pig, anything,' he brought his fat iguana to market. On getting to the new post-office he placed it on the ground for some curious persons to examine it, and there the iguana vomited a partly digested black snake about 15in. long. The Chinamen, however, bought the iguana, which is by thera, and by some Europeans too, considered a luxury, and our Madras man said he would soon make money enough to go home. We would point out, however, tbat any animal that destroys a snake ought to be held sacred. 1 " " On Sunday and Monday," says the Spectator, " the heat of the atmosphere, at Hamilton, was excessive, the thermometer registering 104 in the shade. Bush fires were burning at the Pigeon Ponds, the Ohetwynd, and the Victoria Eanges, whilst a fierce Euroclydon caused the dust and sand to be in everybody's mouth. Sleep during the night was an impossibility, and camping out in gardens, paddocks, or even back-yards, was generally resorted to. Possibly Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego might have felt at home in such a temnerature, but the people of Hamilton didn't." At the instance of his friends, Mr. Phillip Davies, late mining manager of the Prince of Wales Company, whose sentence of six months for stealing gold of the Bonshaw company, has been reduced to one month's imprisonment, has been removed to the debtors' side of the prison. He is also to be absolved from wearing prison clothing, and having his hair and beard cropped. "In our last issue, says the Singleton Times (New South Wales), " we stated that during the storm that broke over this neighborhood on the 16th nit., a horse was killed in Mr Barclay's paddock at Kelso by the lightning. Science haa laid open so little respecting the operating causes of electricity, that the various effects produced by this mysterious and powerful agent always form a subject of interesting inquiry. We therefore made some subsequent inquiries respecting the somewhat disastrous storm above referred to. Mr Barclay informs us that he was in the orchard at the time of the occurrence, and about 200 yards from where the horse was killed, and that the heat attending the fatal stroke, which was almost simultaneous with a loud crash of thunder, was so great and overpowering as to lead him to believe that something unusually disastrous had happened on the farm. He immediately saw smoke arise from stubble land, and on going to the spot to extinguish the fire, found that his best horse had been killed. The brute was motionless, and blood had been forced from his eyes, nostrils, and ears. Near his head was an excavation some 6 or.7in. in depth, and about 2ft. in circumference, in the centre of which was a hole about an inch wide, through which the electric fluid had made its mysterious exit from the world's surface. We may state that the depth of the aperture made by the lightning in the ground has been vainly attempted to be fathomed." "We learn," says the Maryborough Chronicle (Queensland), " that a discovery has been made within 150 miles of Maryborough of a splendid bed of pearl oysters, the nacre of which is said to be of excellent quality. When we read of such cases as the late massacre at Prince of Wales Island of those engaged in this trade, it is satisfactory to learn that equally good results can be obtained by the fisheries in our own waters." There seems a chance of New Holland becoming ere long a favorite resort of tourists. In a recent advertisement in the Times, headed " Trip to Australia," a gentleman and his wife notify their wish " to meet with five or six others, so as to make up an agreeable party for a tour of six or eight months to the principal places of interest in Australia." The advertisement in question naively goes on to say that, "as it is indispensable that those forming this expedition should be suitable to each other, it may save some trouble to intimate that it will be composed exclusively of persons of education and refinement, and of adequate means ; none of them to be very old or very crochety, but all prepared to rough it goodhuraoredly if occasion should require." It winds up with the observation that, " It would, of course, be entirely optional with any of the party to remain in the colony." The Australian telegrams announcing the deaths of Messrs Fawkner and Bolfe, gave their names as " Tawner " and " Ealte," most of the English journals, from the Times downwards, being unaware of the ludicrous misprint. One of the Scottish papers, commenting on the death of Mr "Tawner," spoke of Victoria as being the capital of Australia. Another paper described Sydney as being " formerly named Hobart Town." Clearly a knowledge of colonial history and geography do not appear to be among the requisites of an English editor