GENERAL NEWS SUMMARY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume 42, Issue I, 28 November 1868, Page 5

GENERAL NEWS SUMMARY.

There is some talk of raising a Btatue in Paris to the Prince Imperial, eetat 12 years ! Great floods have taken place in Bengal, destroying the crops over a large extent of country. I A little girl,- the daughter of Mr. Peart, of Crowle, having been stung in the mouth by a wasp, her father was attending her with a antidote when she suddenly began to sneeze very violently, and the insect was ejected from the left nostril, A Parisian rat-trap inventor has calculated that there are two hundred million rats in France. Hunting, as a matter of commerce, is largely pursued in the Russian province of Archangel. The following is the average annual capture of various animals :— 400,000 squirrels, 22,000 ermines, 40,000 hares, 3QOO white or skyblue foxes, 200 large wolves, 175 ditto smaller breed, and 260 bears. There are now no fewer than fifteen candidates for the representation of Athlone, the town which has hitherto been represented by Mr. Rearden, who made such a fool of himself in the House of Commons last session. The "Wesleyan G-eneral Conference of the United States has decided to allow women to vote ; also to drop from their communion all churches tolerating members connected with Masonry or other secret societies. The first private execution in London (the second in England) took place on Tuesday, Sept. 8, a cruel young murderer, called Mackay, having been hanged in Newgate. The reporters seem to have been greatly impressed, and we infer that the work was not well done, and that the murderer died hard. The black flag arose as the drop fell, and told the people outside that Justice had her dues, An encampment of Volunteers has just been very successfully held in Canterbury. The camp was pitched on the banks of the "Waimakariri, and about 350 men of all arms were under canvass. A review and sham fight which took place are~ said to have gone off very creditably. Schafer, the German traveller, was recently brought up at Auckland, charged with attempting to commit suicide ; and as he could not find two sureties in £50 each, for his good behaviour during six months, he was locked up. Since then, German residents have subscribed to pay his passage to Melbourne, by the Hero. It was stated in evidence that the little man once tried to strangle himself with his handkerchief. Awfully Sudden Death. — As the band of the 2d Regiment of Grenadiera of the Guard was some time ago practising in Paris some new music, the conductor turned to make an observation to one of the executants who had played! out of tune. The man's head fell on his breast, and he would have come to the ground had not some of the others supported him. He had, however, ceased to live, having broken a vessel in the region of the heart. Thirty-three sheep, which had taken refuge under an oak tree on the estate of Mr. Heath, of Bickley, near Tenbury, Worcestershire, were killed by lightning lately. Intelligence reached town yesterday that a very respectable native named Tararapa, formerly in the employ of Mr. Lowry, of Okawa, called upon that gentleman on Tuesday last with a beautiful specimen of quartz, filled with , particles of gold. It was foundin a creek of the Kiamanawa range, and he says that a great deal' of quartz of equal richness is tobe found in the same place. It had only been just discovered. A European who was with him at the time, had gone to Wanganui with a similar specimen. "Hawkes Bay Herald' Nov. 14th. It is proposed by a number^of influI ential gentlemen, in the province of I Canterbury, to raise subscriptions towards erecting some monument to the memory of the late lamented Mr. Crosbie Ward. The Municipial Council of Lyttleton have taken up the subject; the Mayor stating that the idea of a memorial window was perhaps one which would meet the view* of the community. Funds have already been raised for this object. Intimation hatrbeen received, at Hobart Town of the arrival in London of ; Captain Gilmore, the agent for Tasmania in the matter of the submarine cable across Bass's Straits. Captain 6Hlmore has taken steps to expedite the construction of the. cable, and hopes that it will be reacfy for shipment towards the end of January, or the beginning of February next. Should this be the case, the cable will be ready for use in April.