GENERAL NEWS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 187, 18 October 1879, Page 3

GENERAL NEWS.

(From our Exchanges.) We observe from a Wellington paper that Mr and Mrs E. A. Hart, whose drawing-room entertainments, under the title of “ Happy Hours,-” have been given and appreciated in the principal

towns of the Australian Colonies, have t built a home for themselves at one of the'prettiest spots near Wellington— Evan’s Bay. “ Happy hours Retreat ” - is the name given to their cottage, and the surroundiugs have been so much improved that the place is a subject, of •! admiration to passers-ly. Amongst their other pets they have a male and female opossum, and the latter a few days ago. gave birth to a young one. This probably is the first instance of an Australian opossum being born in New Zealand. Some strange monsters are heard of round onr coasts (says the Fiji Times). In the neighbourhood of Cikobia, we are informed, the Natives have seen a fish with long eel-like head, of great length, and with a thickness of body larger than the largest post ever put in a Native house. This would seem to point to a possibility of solving the mystery of the sea-serpent in these waters. At all events this dark animal must have a wide range of habitat, since it has been seen by the wonder-loving fishezs of the Wintry coast of Gatway, as by the no less passionately-find -of - marvellous - story-telling Natives of these sunny Isles. Nor is the sea-seepent the only marvel. She cuttle-fish has shown himself there in all its giant strength, with head of prodigious size, and arms of enormous length and power, a dangerous fellow to meet in sailing some hooker among these reefs. And one more sea monster in the shape of a crab, of the size of a turtle’ from whose terrible claws the spectators fled in dire fear. Naturalists had better send a Commissioner to Yanua Levu. Lord Loftus placed the consuls in Sydneyin rather an awkward position at the opening of the Exhibition. At the levee he addressed each representative in : the language of the country for which he answered, and is said to have met •with such looks of perplexity that assured • him his kindness was not appreciated, only one of the consuls present being up to the occasion. is said to have exclaimed with Dbminie Sampson “ Prodigious! ” An old diplomatist, to whom one language is as free as another, he could not understand how the representative of a Foreign Power should be ignorant of its language*. He evidently has yet much to learn. * A good story is told of Professor Blackie. On the door of the Greek class-room in Edinburgh University, Professor Blackie had occasion a few weeks ago to put up this notice ; “Professor Blackie regrets he is unable today to meet his classes.” A waggish student seeing this, scraped out the initial letter of the last word of the sentence, and made it appear as if the Professor was regretful at his inability

to meet those fair specimens ofhumanity familiarly known outside the college -- quadrangle as “ lasses,” But who can joke with Blackie ? The keen-eyed old man, noticing the prank that had been played on him, quietly erased another letter, and left the following to be read ny whons it might concern : “ Professor BUckic regret* he ia uliable to-day to meet his asses.”

The Now York Herald says;— Six countries in Europe will this year be compelled to buy 300,000,000, bushels of wheat. and France and England will need over of tins quantity. The operations this year will tend to greatly stimulate the cultivation of wheat lands, and there is an unsettled district in Northern Texas which, it is believed, could supply alone as much as Europe needs this year.

Gov. Fremont, of Arizona, hast been urging a plan to reclaim the desert lands of that territory by the cutting of 2 canals one 10 miles long the other 15 which whAd lead the waters of the Gulf of California to the great basin, part of which are 350 ft below the sea level. Six months for the work, and the cost L 260.000.

The Ohinerauru corespondent of the “Thames Advertiser, H writes under date October : —I do not know whether the present portends a storm ; but, in my opinion without wishing to be considered an alarmist—l fancy so. People on the spot cannot help seeing and noticing the difference in the demeanor of some of the Natives, No doubt, on the other hand, there are many loyal and well disposed Natives in the district. The arms and ammunition sent by Major Murray have been all applied for and issued ; hut some people seem to think that the action taken by those , settlers who applied for them was not advisable. They say we do not only require a few stand ol arms, but a force of armed men to protect our wives and families in the event of an outrage being attempted. For myself, I agree with this view of the case ; at any rate a feeling of insecurity has been engendered, which not only affects one’s sleep at nights, but if allowed to continue will affect the pockets of owners of property. The danger of putting lighted pipes into the pocket was illustrated by a son of Mr Hines, of thegrudery Hotel, New South Wales the other day. The young fellow drove into Forbes township with about LSO in bank-notes in his pocket. He put his pipe in the same receptacle, and when he got to town found the banknotes represented by a heap of ashes resting in the lining of his coat.

The West Coast Times of the Bth instant says;— Some of the parties working at the Black Creek rush, are getting good gold, and are making about 20s per day per man. There are fair hopes of this rush turning out well,

The Kellys are beleived still to be in the Strath Bogie Ranges. Some of their friends profess to believe, and it is not unlikely there is some truth in the rumour, that Ned and Dan have made away with Hast and Byrue, who ha’ never actually taken life.

Lord A. Loftus states that some years ago the celebrated Professor Liebig told him that he estimated the value of the sewage of London at L 2,000,000 annually, and expressed his surprise that a practical nation the English should send thousands of miles for guano, when they had it at their own doors, and did not make use of it. A good story (says an English saper) is told of one of the new school of parsons who was recently preaching in a strange church in a villiage. Fearing his hair was not properly parted in the middle, or that he had a smudge on his nose, he quietly said to the beadle (there being no mirror in the vestry), “ John, could you get me a glass?” John disappeared, and after a few mfnutes returned with a parcel underneath his coat, which, to the astonishment of the parson, be produced in the form of a lemonade bottle and a gill of whisky, saying, “Ye xnaunaleton about it minister, for I got it as a great favour, and I widna hae got it at a’ if I hadna said it was for you.

A New Caledonian correspondent writing to the Sydney Morning Herald says that lately an old Scotch sailor was cited as a witness in some case. Upon the question “ Can you speak French beink asked, he replied to the interpreter. “In my time if a man spoke French he was strung up to the yard arm.” Any other "disclaimer of the accomplishment Sandy thought quite superfluous, and it was refreshing to witness the serious business-like manner in which he enlightened the interpreter. At a recent meeting of a School Committee in the Tuapeka district the leading business before the Committee was the .repairing of the schoolroom clock, a task to which the joint and several mechanical skill of the Committe was manifestly excellent results. This is an example worthy of adoption elsewhere, in default of other useful business requiring immediate attention.

The Revue Brittannique has been subjecting to analysis the statistics of several states of Europe relating to suicide for2 periods 1855-60, and 187074. During the first period (1855-60) Denmark had the greatest number of suicides, Northern Germany stood second in rank, and France had a much lower place in the scale. During the 2nd period (1870-74 Denmark occupied the first place, and France the secofid. The proportion of suicides daring this period in this and other countries’ in every million of population, was as follows : Denmark,2ll*23 ; France, 152*21 ; Switzerland, 142*76 ; Prussia, 127*35 ; Austria, 108*14. England had the lowest proportion namely, 66*86. The analyst takes advantage to point out that suicide has in late years undergone a considerable increase in Germany, and that this increase has especially been manifested since the declaration of the German Unity and formation of the Empire. Suicide is at least 3 times more common among men than women.

The trial of William Waters, on the charge-of murder, w’as concluded at the Supreme Court, on Tuesday, at JLI p.m. The Jury retired, and alter about half an hour’s consultation,returned a verdict of" Sot Guiltv.” The prisoner was also acquitted of the same charge on the Coroner’s warrant, but in regard to other similar charges arising out of the same circumstances, the Crown Solicitor obtained leave to apply for authority to enter a nolle prosequi, instead of arraigning tbe prisoner upon the several indictments. The accused was discharged from custody, and tbe Jury were also dismissed.

James Vaughan, pedestrain, of Recfton, has challenged O’Connor, now of Auckland, formerly of Timaru, to run him a mile for any sum not less than L3OO a side or more than LSOO, the challenger being willing to come to Auckland if terms can be arranged. O’Connor will accept the challenge it he can find backers. There is every probability of the money being forthcoming.

The California newspapers are publishing a series of letters by a gentleman hearing the name of Kwang Chang Ling, in which there is much told about China that has not been hitherto generally known. The writer says, for instance, that the population is only 100.000. or 120,000,000 instead of 450.000. as generally reported ; that the country has reached the limit of agricultural development ; that its prosperity and population have been decreasing since 1761 ; that unless improved machinery and methods are adopted from the western countries the people will not be able to suport themselves, since they are already as poor as it is possible to be. and can only with great difficulty maintain existence ; that the wealth of the empire is in the hands few, and that with a diminishing population and increasing wages at home there can be no great tide of immigration to to the United States, so that Americans have no cause for anxiety on this point. Mwang Chang Ling does not explain why, if this population is diminishing and wages are increasing, the people find it harder than ever to earn a livelihood ; but, if he is to he believed, the prospect of the Chinese is anything but a comfortable one, and it is not surprising that they emigrate.