THE POWER OF THE RIFLE.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 277, 15 June 1860, Page 4

THE POWER OF THE RIFLE.

Me. M'Kikdy of Birkwood, when addressing a volunteer meeting at Lesmahagow on Saturday, gave the following illustration of, the efficiency of the rifle:—

Many years ago when travelling on the Continent, I had, as servant, an old Prussian Soldier, who related to me the following remarkable circumstance :—ln 1813 or 1814 he belonged to'a corps of 1,600 men of all arms, operating as a guard on the.right bank of. the Bhine, while the French were in possession. ,of the country on the left of the; river. "The season was early in autumn, when the weather Was delightful, and the'harvest just gathered in. One afternoon the troops bivouacked. near ; the liver, for the advantage pfwiateiy andLthe, place was considered perfectly safe from .attack, as the opposite bank was- a [vast plain of corn stubble," without a single fence as far as the' eye could reach; ah advanced, army, therefore, could be easily seen. 'The river was unfqrdable, and about, 200 yards wide. The, troops therefore considered, themselves perfectly safe from attack,, and set about, preparing their supper, and making themselves comfortable for the night, when a shot was heard from the opposite bank, and a cry from the bivouac Jhat a man was wounded. Every soldier started instantly to his. legs, and looked, across the river, but no one could see even the vestige of an enemy, which greatly surprised,all. as there was no covert, and the yellow stubble: was especially well-adapted to show the smallest object for a considerable dislance from the river. While the whole corps were thus gazing, a puff of smoke was seen to rise about fifty yards from the brink of the stream, followed by the report of a rifle,'and another soldier, dropped wounded. In a moment, without the command of an officer, above 100 men-rushed to the edge of the water, and commenced firing at the spot from whence the shots came, although nothing but the stubble was to be seen.

Soon after there was another report, followed jby the fall of another' man,- which so exasperated the whole force that nearly every soldier set about firing at,the spot from which the puffs of smoke were seen to arise. By this time all were convinced the mischief, was dpne by, a single rifleman. . More shots.' followed, and more men fell; so that the officer in command had serious thoughts of moving the encampment; but the feeling, of shame tbat so strong a force as 1,600 men should be driven, off by one soldier, caused him to hesitate, until eighteen shots had been fired -by the rifleman, arid seventeen men were killed or wounded; when, to the great satisfaction of all, a man was seen to spring from the stSbble, a lucky shot having killed him; but this did not take place until many thousands had been fired at him. The man had lain down in a slight hoilow, so small that it was not perceptible across the river, and there brought down seveuteen men, while he lay in almost perfect safety, having nearly routed a little army.

Screw Steamers Employed as Slavers.—The Melbourno Argus publishes the following:—" The ship Yorkshire, Captain E. A . licynell, anchored in Hobson's Bay about four p.m. on Saturday. She left Portsmouth on the 16th January, and Start Point on the following day. Captain Eeynell reports a most extraordinary circumstance which occurred, and ■which shows plainly that large screw steamers are employed in the slave trade, and have a place of rendezvous so fat to the westward that they have evaded the vigilance of our cruisers, which it is well known continue to cruise within a certain distance of the African coast. He reports that during the night of the sth February, when lying becalmed in latitude I north longitude 6° 41' west the report of a heavy gun was distinctly heard. ,\o ressal was in : sight at sundown. Early on the following morning a large screw steamship, about 1200 tons, hove in sight and passed close to the ship, within 200 yards. Her decks were crowded with African slavesShortly afterwards another steamer of about the same tonnage came up from the southward, with a private signal flying, which being answered, the latter lowered A boat and boarded the former. They remained in company about half an hour, when the former steered a course towards America, the latter for the coast, of Africa. Both vessels were painted Hack, had no names on their stern and showed French colors.

How Sea-Bieds obtain Feesh Water.—The question is often asked, where sea-birds obtain fresh water to slake their thirst, but we have never seen it satisfactorily answered till a few days ago. An old filripper with whom we were conversing on the subject said that he had frequently seen these birds at sea, far from any land that could furnish water, hovering around under a storm cloud/chattering like ducks on a hot day at a pond, and. drinking in the drops of rain as they fell. They will smell a rain-squalla hundred miles or even further off, and scud for it with almost inconceivable swiftness. How long seabirds can exist without water is only a matter of conjecture, but probably their powers of enduring, thirst are increased by habit, and possibly they can'go without it for many days, if not for several weeks. ■ :

Sunday.—While industry is suspended—while., the plough rests in the 'furrow—while the exchange is Bilent—while no smoke ascends from the factory—a process is going on quite as important to the wealth of' nations, as any that, is performed on busier, days. Man, the machine of machines, compared with'all contrivances of the Watts ' and Arkwrights are' worthless, is repairing, and up;, so tliat;he returns to his labors on Monday with clearer intellect with livelier spirits, with renewed corporeal vigour—

MR. RAHEY AN£ THE LONDON CABMEN.

Mb. Rarey, who is about departing for. thQ East, with; the view of making, acquaintance with the steeds of the Prophet in the Arabian desert, gave on Thursday evening bis farewell lecture in Mr. Allen's Riding School, Seymour Street, Byrantone Square. The audience consisted almost entirely of the cabmen and omnibus drivers of the metropolis, who had been thus gathered at the invitation of the Society for the Suppression of Cruelty tb Animals, to oblige whom Mr. Rarey gave His lecture free. The invitatioti was most enthusiastically responded to.

After a few remarks from Mr. Rarey, a stout, ordinary hackney was introduced, and thrown according to the usual form, to the great admiration of the majority of the cabmen; although there were one or two cynics who " were blowed if they see anything in it," During the process, however, the Rarey's theory was explained, and many practical hints were given as to the usefulness of cruelty and -the? efficiency of gentleness in the management of the horse. The company, whilst indignantly. repelling the slightest shadow of personal application cheered all Ibis vehemently, and several7gentlemen simultaneously declared that the, professor .was *'a regular.brick." a- ,

Mr. Rarey stated, that the patient upon whom he was then manipulating was not remarkable for any particular ferocity, but that a dreadful cart horse, who had defied groom and stablemen for two years, who had eaten mangers, and knocked,out one of his own eyes in a fit of ungovernable fury, was about to be introduced. The delight of the audience at this announcement was almost ungovernable. The brute when he entered the show seemed a perfect Leviathan. The lecturer approached him, however, without the slightest trepidation, calmly expounding as he went along. At this time the horse was performing various lerpsichorean evolutions, plunging, pawing, kicking, and lashing out, to the manifest inconvenience of the gentlemen who were sitting in the straw, whilst he at the same time made demonstrations with his mouth strongly indicative of a desire to eat his panegyrisil The latter, however, came up quite olose, patted, stroked, reasoned with, and then dexterously " hobbled " the furious animal, who, as soon as' he found himself resting only on three legs, became at once open to' conviction. After -one or two gigantic struggles, which alarmed everybody, he fell with the shock of an earthquake and lay stretched " many a rood " on the straw, whilst Mr. Rarey sat on his quiverring haunches, wiped his forehead, took off the strap, put it methodically, into his. pocket, and proceeded with his eulogium on the many admirable qualities of his prostrate pupil. He showed that the animal, had given, up biting by putting his hand into his mouth, proved his reform in the kicking department by placing his own head between the two immense heavily-shod binder hoofs, and finally permitted him to rise, and exhibit his complete subjugation by submitting to a loud sonata on the drum.

The once furious horse, a notorious vicious animal, the property of a Mr. Cathfield, in the City, was in fact now completely tamed, and was literally led round the arena with a stvaw, of which he held one. end in his mouth, whilst Mr. Earey led him along by the other. This finished the lecture, with which the cabmen expressed themselves delighfed, and most of them convinced that by decision, tempered by gentleness, the horse can be best managed, and that cruelty, besides being so bad in itself, is the less profitable system for the menage,— Daily News.