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Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 69, 5 June 1869, Page 5

Interview tjetweex the Queex JJffl> LITEBART OeIEBEITIES. The London correspondent of the " Leeds Mercury," writes: — " Her Majesty had the other day the pleasure of becoming personally acquainted with two of the most distinguished writers of the age — Mr. Caiiyle and Mr. Browning. These eminent men — who so far as intellect is concerned, stand head and shoulders above their contemporaries — were invited to meet the Queen at the residence of the Dean of Westminster, and the interview was one of a very pleasing kind.

Coin-age of 1867. — No new sovereigns were coined in 1867, a circumstance which has not happened for years. No new crowns or half-crowns were coined, but this is not an unusual thing ; no half-crowns have been coined since 1851. 992,795 halfsovereigns were coined in 1867, and 423,720 florins ; but both of these are much smaller numbers than usual. 2,166,120 shillings were coined, 1,362,240 sixpences (both numbers much below the average), 4,158 fourpences (an invariable number year after year), 717,288 silver threepences, and ' the usual 4,752 twopenees and 7,920 silver pence. The copper coinage of 1867 consisted of the small number of 5,488,520 pence, 2,508,800 halfpence, and 5,017,600 farthings. Thug nearly nineteen millions of pieces of money were issued from the Mint in 1867, a year in which the amount of coinage was extraordinarily small. Worn silver coinage of the nominal value of £120,000 was purchased for recoinage in the year ; but the Mint value (ss. 6d. per oz.) was only £103,439, so that the loss by recoinage was £16,561.

'The editor of the "New Haven Palladium " in a sketch of the recent excursion to the Rocky Mountains, tells this anecdote : — " While engaged in the pleasant task of eating the excellent supper prepared for us at the hotel in North Platte,, the first incident occurred which reminded the party that they had reached the ' Ear West.' The table at which the writer sat was waited upon by a young gentleman whose appearance suggested the New York sport very much out of luck and decidedly above his business. This sulky youth had an uncomfortable way of slamming down plates and cups, and an expression upon his not very prepossessing countenance, which made one very cautious in giving him unnecessary trouble. The head waiter had occasion to make some critical observations to this young gentleman, in the course of which they both retired to the kitchen, whence — it was a few feet behind our chair — presently issued the sound of a scuffle. It was brief, however, for it tei'minated'by a pistol-shot, upon which our sulky friend came out holding a plate in one hand and buttoning his pistol into his shirt with the othe^ and proceeded to discharge his duties. The incident caused no excitement among the guests, and we learned upon our return a few days later that the head waiter who had been shot at was discharged by the proprietor — probably for not having been killed — while the sulky young gentleman who fired the shot was still pursuing his avocation with the disgusted expres-, sion upon his countenance."

The New Road Steamer. — Lately, one of Mr. R. W. Thomson's road steamers was used to haul a large marine steam-boiler from the Leith Docks to the works of Messrs. T. M. Tennant & Co. (Limited). The boiler and its waggon weighed over twenty one tons — a weight so great that it severely tried the macadamised roads over which it had to pass. The enormous pressure on the iron wheels of the waggon sank them in several places down into the road, and they had to be raised by screw-jacks and iron plates placed beneath them to prevent them sinking. It was curious to watch the extraordinary difference in the behaviour of the india-rubber tires on the road steamer and the rigid iron tires of the waggon on which the large boiler was being carried. The indiarubber tires passed over all kinds of road surface without any sinking whatever, while the rigid iron tires of the waggon sank into and cut up the road in a way that not only increased to an excessive degree the power required to draw the load, but seriously damaged the road itself. Nothing could have shown in a more convincing manner the remarkable advantages in all respects of Mr. Thomson's india-rubher wheel tires. The road steamer, with its huge load in tow, passed safely round several sharp corners, and finally turned •up a lane into Messrs. Tennant's works, which is not only narrow, but rises with a sharp incline of 1 in 12.

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