FROM OUR EXCHANGES.

Temuka Leader, Volume 2, Issue 136, 12 April 1879, Page 2

FROM OUR EXCHANGES.

In the Statistical Abstract just published by the Board of Trade the figures are given of the emigrants from the British Islands during the last ten years. Here it is satisfactory to observe that although the emigration to the United States has fallen off from 166,730 in 1873 to 54,554 in 1870, the emigrants to Australia and New Zealand show comparatively slight decrease, taking one period with another ; and in 1877 32,195 emigrants went to these colonies. Tin's change of destination should be'encouraged in every possible way. Our Australasian Colonies (says an English contemporary) are altogether our best customers in every respect, in spite of the Protectionist tendencies of some among them. At this time of depression, therefore, the Government and the Agents-General might do worse .than distribute short statements of the facts in relation to these colonies among the able-bodied poor. Assisted emigration is a great benefit both to the Mother country and the colonies at such a time, and might be carried on, it seems to us, far more systematically than at present. The following instance of boyish courage is related by the • Wimmera Star' . —" On Saturday last a little boy, aged 14 years, named John Smith, sou of Mr Charles Smith, of the Wimmera brewery, was out rabbit-hunting, and when at the old swamp, near the Nntimuk road, he saw a rabbit run into a hollow log. He put his hand into the hole for the purpose of pulling out the rabbit, but he suddenly felt a sharp sting on the top of the first ringer of the left hand, and on looking the boy saw the head of a large snake. He also observed two small dots on the top of his finger, and was then convinced that the bite was a dangerous one. Without any delay the boy seized his tomahawk, which was lying some distance from the log, and commenced the task of chopping off the bitten finger, which he succeeded in doing after strikingit seven heavy blows with the tomahawk —a very blunt one. He then tore a piece of linen from one of his under garments and bound it round his wrist, tightening the bandage with a sma'l piece of stick, to prevent the poison from going up the arm. After taking these precautions, he started for town, running the whole distance (over three miles), and called at the residence of Dr Davidson, who gave him some brandy, .and also a dose of ammonia, the little fellow not showing the slightest symptoms of snakepoisoning, although he was much exhausted from the loss of blood and from his long run into town. According to a contributor in the " University Magazine," some years ago a German oi the name of Dase exhibited his wonderful powers-'-of calculation and memory before the Queen. " I once met him," says the writer, "at the house of a friend, but unfortunately arrived too late to witness more than a few of his feats. Sixty-four figures were chalked upon a board, at which Mr Dase gave what I thought a cursory glance, and, immediately turning his back upon them, he stated the order in which they were placed, and lie repeated them backwards. He was then, wihout altering his position, dodged by one of tho company, who asked, ' What is the twenty-third figure '?' He answered at once, and correctly. Again, a vast amount of dominoes —I wondered where they got so many—were distributed on the table among several ladies, who arranged them in squares of various dimensions, while Mr Dase stood with his back to the table. He was then requested to turn round, and in an incredibly short space of time he told us the number, not of the dominoes, but of the spots. Thus far for the evidence of my own eyes and ears. For the rest, I was told that iie can multiply in his mind 109 figures by the like number. He is an hour about it, but the result is always correct. I was told that he can extract the square root of 100 given figures in fifty-two minutes." It is not often that a pet monkey is taken to hear the opera (says the 'Argus'), but such was the case at the Opera house recently, when two members of the gentler sex, both intoxicated, contrived in the crush to escape the vigilence of the doorkeeper at the dress-cire'e entrance, and to S''at themselves well forward toAvards the stage. Here one; of them produced a pet monkey attached to her wrist by a chain. The little beast's antic wanderings over the seats attracted the attention of all who could see it, and alarmGcl and disgusted many wdio were near to it. of the manager, Mr Kitts, havingSb.een directed to the occurrence, he requested, the offenders to withdraw, but they refused, and as the opera had commenced, nothing further was done until the qlose of the first act, when the order wa&Jrepeated, and this time backed by the feesence <.ojj a sergeant of police, but it \v%i of no avail, and force had to be gently buMr'mly applied. t When one had been thus removed, the other followed quietly. Their money was restored to them, and they were left to seek some more congenial haunt. The offenders arc said to belong to Sydney. j

One of the most serious coaching mishaps which has occurred in this quarter for some time (savs | the 'Southland News') was met A\%#by.Mr Couling, driver for Mr Cuff, fin bis journey from Riverton on Saturday. He left m the afternoon with a team of four horses, and on reaching tho Waimatuku at once entered it, when suddenly the horses ceased pulling. Mr Couling endeavored to move them on, but instead ot moving they and the coach gradually sank in one of tho quicksands with which the mouth of the river is studded. Abandoning coach and animals for a time, Mr Couling went for help, returning with Mr Hare's machine and assistance. ,'ABy this time one of the animals had,freed itself, but at the expense of broken fogs, which will probably necessitate it .Iboing put out of pain by a rifle ball as soon as convenient. By dint of great exertions two of these still sticking iu the sand were got out, but the fourth was drowned by the

rapidly advancing tide. By its agency the coach was si on broken up, and while part of the body floated away seaward, the remainder sank deeper, till it is just seen at low water. Six passengers were in the vehicle at the time, but they all managed to get on firm land and reach town. Mr Cuff reckons his loss to be over LIOO. Holloway's Ointment and Pills.— Rheumatism and Gout.—These purifying and soothing remedies demand the earnest attention of all persons liable to rheumatism, gout, sciatica, or other painful affections of the muscles nerves or joints. The Ointment should be applied after the Unguent should be diligently rubbed upon the adjacent skin, unless the friction should cause pain. Holloway's Pills should be simultaneously taken to reduce inflammation and to purify the blood. This treatment abates the violence and lessens the frequency of gout, rheumatism, and all spasmodic diseases which spring from hereditary predisposition, or from any accidental weakness of constitution. The Ointment checks the local malady ; the Pills preserve the vital power.