RAGLAN.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 6, Issue 323, 25 December 1862, Page 3

RAGLAN.

For soro e ■weeks past, William Naylor and the minor magnates of the Ngatimahanga tribe have been in treaty with the representatives of Government here, for the cession of a most valuable block of land, situate on .the left bank of the Waitetuna, extending from the present Government land, near the proposed bridge . across that stream, to within about five „ miles of the Waipa river, close' to Te Rore and Waihakari Mill, and .from all'.l can.,/ learn really the property of the chiefs offering it for sale. A plan of this block has been forwarded to head quarters, and it is to be hoped that the purchase may soon he successfully carried out. It is roughly estimated to contain fifty thousand acres, and a vast proportion of it is fine level, alluvial, and some of it probably volcanic land. The road through this tract of country will be a much preferable one to that lately proposed to be made through the disputed block, is the line longed for by that successful and judicious land purchaser, Mr. Commissioner Rogan, and the prospect of it went far to console . him for his disappointment at the failure of the negotiations, for obtaining the na- . tive consent to the making of the road by the other more hilly route. The Waitetuna is a serpentine stream rising on Pirongea mountain, about five miles from the , Waipa river, pursuing its course, on tlie whole, in a northwesterly direction, until it joins the sea in the harbour of Whaingaroa. The lower portion of its course forms the boundary of the government land at Whaingaroa, as at present settled and the effect of the now proposed cession will be that the river will, for the upper poi’tion of its course, perform the same office. The appearance of the land seems to promise that this block is the best thvough|which to take a road from Raglan to the Waipa country. This road would be the farthest south of all those as yet talked of, and would form nearly a. direct line towards Rangiaohia, but make a longer road to Auckland, supposing a' road made from Mangatawhiri along the banks of the Waikato and the Waipa. I have seen an intelligent native who was present at the great runanga latelyheld at Peria. He says that Wi Tamehana seemed inclined to have the Waitara dispute settled by arbitration, but that lie was overruled by tlie majority voting that it should be held by the Maoris without any investigation. This position is not of, course tenable by arguments, and simply , represents the unreasonable and violent section of the Maori There is,, however, a very respectable minority who are amenable to the light’ of reason. At present they do not urge their arguments, lest they should be held up by their friends as pakeha lovers. When, however, there is an appearance of hostilities tlie wisdom of these moderate men will carry more weight with it. Tamehana' does not maintain that lie Inis any right■ to stop roads through the territory of other tribes, but he feels uneasy as to tlie intentions of the government, and looks with distrust upon their road mating towards the interior of the, island. If his mind was settled as to their intentions being friendly to the Maori, he would-not oppose government works. He reasons thus:—“Atpresent the proclamation Governor Browne is hanging' Waikato tribes, in which lie stated'”'that he had received the Queen’s orders to put down the king movement by force ; that has never been repealed, withdrawn, or modified, and unless I am convinced by the Governor himself, that the Queen -has now friendly feelings towards us, I cannot think that these roads are for -anything else than for soldiers to come and kill us and drive us off our lands.” An interview with the Governor, if it could be brought about, would certainly have a beneficial effect upon the . Mao.ri:,, mind. The Bishop explained, the be.ne-s V, : fits of roads, <fcc., but they said that while they had every respect for him, still he was not the Governor, and they wished to have assurances from his Excellency’s own lips., The king was present, bubmade a poor appearance. He just spoke like an oracle saying,—“Let us all have o.:e law, one religion, and one love.” 1 liis is the old song, the motto of his royal race, to whom one looks in vain for argument, energy, or any attempt at leading Tamehana has sent commissioners to settle disputes at Tauranga, and then they will go to Tataraimaka with letters advising or ordering the Maori interlopers to give up the pakeha land there.s One point in favour of Wi Tamehana ought not to remain unnoticed. He told ■ the natives that they must make haste to pay all their debts to Europeans, although they had,been contracted 1 twenty years' ‘ ago. Some friendly natives,. amongst whom are two or more- government asses- ' sors, did not like this broad declaration of honesty, and quietly left the meeting to show that such was not their idea of the Queen’s law, which • they say they have received from government. —Southern Cross Nov., 28.COROMANDEL. Nothing can show the healthy state of things in this district better than the , gradual but steady progression of the development of the mineral riches which is daily taking place around us. Wli.

. ' .■* 4*t'. you Aucklanders are discrediting some of >rnat is reported on subject, we have - ocular proof ofits truth. The ' time is not far off whon- Auckland will awake as irom a deep sleep, but perhaps to ’ late to benefit by the immense treasure that is now hidden beneath the.- soil of this edis- „ trict, which tlie-lnergy of man will before -long bring to light. -The ownership of the steamer and the shares that the Auckland people have taken are all that will keep her in connection, with, this place. If she now takes the.chance that will shortly be offered, and ma\es extensive purchase of the land that is now offered they will secure their own permanent interest \ but should they neglect to do so, - they will never repent it but once. It will be in vain for them to expect to purchase from the Maoris, I think that the price paid by. white mert as a rent, have for years put a veto on all purchase in that quarter. Persons who perhaps possessed more money than wit, have paid a rental of .£l2 per annum for allotments of thirty feet by forty, and for a little more than two and a half acres, £6O per annum. •The towns of Kingstone and Kapanga are ' both.now offered ; all of .both, and more than all, will be wanting in a veiy short

time, if half the present expectations are realised ; and I do not think that they w.are at all extravagant. The district is greatly improving. Keven’s machinery will soon be ready to

work. The road has been opened and s bridged through Kingstone, so that a dray can go from Firth and Co’s mill to Paul's diggings. Several discoveries have

been made. Either chrome yellow or a veiy superior yellow ochre has been found on Preee’s point and on Kingstone; also quartz with gold, to be seen with the naked eye, has been extensively found on the latter, along its quartz reefs. The Matawai creek is again beginning to attract attention. I firmly believe

that the richest reefs in the district are on that creek. As the Driving Creek gets taken up, this and the PukewKau will be taken up with all the reefs at the back of Kingstone, and when all the reefs fi’om Paul’s creek to Maumaupaki, a few niiWsouth of Castle Hill, which is now about tb; be purchased, with the reefs on the seaboard, on Keven’s reef, Preece’s Point, and.Kingstone, are taken up and • efficiently : ,inanned, there will be work enough for." many thousand hands, and the whole of the frontage and flat fi’om Waiau to Kapanga will be required for a

town. One of the greatest wants of the district is a wharf near Preece’s Point, so that the [steamer could lay along side. From thence to all paits of the district there is a good road.' There would then be no difficulty for all passengers to. get to the vessel : now there is no alternative but for them to wait far high water or wade up-to tlieir waists in mud, which was the case on Saturday last.— lbid.

Chapman’s Almanac for 1863.—Whatever may be the defects of of Mr. Chapman’s almanac, they vanish into, nothing when compared with those contained, in the Southern Provinces Almanac, the almanac of Mr. Crosbie Ward., which is full of the most glaring errors : as. if the, figures were thrown together, haphazard. Of this we give the following instances In tho month of January the first quarter of the moon is made to happen when she is twenty two days old, the full moon when she is new, and the last quarter when she is only seven days old. In Febn.tary.jve find the new moon on a day that is not in the month, viz., the 29th. In May 31st, the sun is made to set at 27 minutes past two o’clock, and the meridian passage for each month is about five hours wrong. These are: a few errors o.ut of many of a most serious character.— Aucklander.

TARANAKI. ■ The letter from the Government, in to the questions lately .put to. Mr. been received. The substance of what it says is this :— ‘ We cannot give you full and definite answers to your questions, as to do so might be highly prejudical to the general good. As we have already stated more than once, we will lose no practicable opportunity of reinstating the settlement, of Taranaki on a more secure and

satisfactory basis than it has ever been in as yet. As one step towards this, we are 'going to bring into Taranaki 500 emigrants from Europe Other means are also in contemplation, which it is not desiiable further to particularize. As to the £200,000, we can only give you £25, 000 of it at present, in. addition to the £5,000 recently granted for destruction of thistles. We. are sorry we cannot give a more satisfactory answer to the questions proposed.-’ . This answer is perhaps as explicit as it

was prudent in us. to expect; and if we are disappointed, it is because we hoped for something more straightforward and less evasive from Mr. Dp.mett than from most men, we should no doubt have

got it if he ha,d been autocrat instead of ■ minister. But this letter appears to have been' wnten, not exactly in ignorance of tiie questions winch it is supposed ;o an's' swer, but without reference. to them. Three out of the four are simply put aside ; nothing hut the mere shadow of r hem apparently, haunting the writer’s mind and the spirit in which they were ; asked appears .to ha vp been lost sight of, or altogether ignored. They vrere asked with a very , definite purpose, which is visible enough ; and—apart from the one .• referring to the £200,000, which has been fairly answered, though not as fully as might be wished—when summed up, they amount to this. Ist. What is the pro- ■ liability of our re-occupying our lands this summer 1 2nd. If the Governor does not deem it advisable to re-possesa us of our lands this summer, what steps will the Government take to make us once more

a self-supporting community 1 3rd. Supposing at the end of the summer we think, thei’e is no. pi’ospect of the place becoming habitable, how far will the Government help us to go elsewhere ? Now .there is not one of these questions that could [.not be answered in. a. - straightforward .way.without.any revelation of gen.cral policy or of plans whose execution demands secrecy to ensure success. The .Government could have said plainly whether or not they thought it likely we should be put in seoure possession of our land before the winter, without even hinting at the means .to be used, if the answer were affirmative. They could have said plainly whether they thought ot doing anything to stop the system of ‘ out-door relief’ at present prevailing here, by putting those who receive it in a position to keep themselves, if we are not to reoccupy our land by the specified time ; and they could have said plainly, yes or no, whether or not they would help us to migrate elsewhere, if, after being dispossessed of our homes for three years, we became hopeless oi ever regaining them.

For some time past'many of us have been thinking over the question of leaving the place, whether we might/ not be obliged to do so before long ; and it was to. ascertain as far as possible the likelihood of such a contingency happening, and to be ready for it if it should happen, that those questions were asked ; and to answer them with the assurance that no practicable opportunity will be lost of reinstating Taranaki, is simply to miss the whole point of them. We did not ask to be assured of this, because we were sure of it already (thc>ugli the word‘practicable’ may require interpretation) ; and we did not ask, in even an indirect way, to be told what means were to. be used to effect it—--to bring the Maoris under the law, and make the country habitable—whether by an appeal to General Cameron, or by a larger and more constant recourse to the Colonial Treasury. This would have been useless to ask, and perhaps injurious to answei\ What we wanted, and what we did ask for, was a little information as an important element in a practical decision.

This decision we have still to, come to. Nothing during the past month makes it more likely, that it was, that Sir George Grey has any intention, by any action of his, of deciding for us ; and as the i-eason for asking the questions ai'e as strong as ever,- the best way, perhaps, will be to ask them again. ' As to the money, though we are told we are to have a pari of it now, we are not told when the rest of it is to be applied. Mr. Domett’s promise, when here, that the whole, of it should be distributed in tbp aufumn, if by that time nothing bad been done towai’ds permanently reinstating us, is not repeated. It is understood, however, that this silence does npt so much imply a change of plan, as a wish, on the part of the Government, to, keep, 1 as long as possible, a bold on the people of this place to prevent them leaving. But it is questionable whether, for the whole Colony, as well as for Taranaki, on all grounds, moral and financial, it is not advisable to gi,ve either the money or the interest of it at once, instead of the alms now being given,.— Herald Dec 13.

A distant relative of principal chief of Ngatimaniapoto, having been convicted by a King’s runanga of an offence not uncommon in Maori pas, was fined a, horse; but Hikak.a would not allo.w him to pay the fine, saying, as. wasthe, truth, that the evidence was only circumstantial, whereas, ip such grave cases, it should have been direct. Upon this the plaintiff irreverently, and on a rather slight analogy, compared him to Ananias and Sapphira, who withheld from the apostles what should have been given to. them. This was too serious to be treated slightly ; so, having waited to see whether he should suffer the same punishment which fell upon them, first for three hours, in which, according to his own interpretation, he should in strictness have died, then three days, and and lastly five days, in order to show there was no doubt about it, and finding himself still alive, he applied at once to the supreme.: authority—the King—asking for redress for the injurious comparison which had been used concerning him, and which he had proved to he false by not dying as he should have done if it had been true. But instead of redress, he did not even get an answer ; and, looking upon this neglect of his Majesty as really a siding with his enemies, and forgetting his allegiance, he tapud the road, so : that nothing of the King’s might pass through. The consequence has been that Aperahama. with 40 followers, on his way to Court from Waitotara, was stopped and turned back; and others from Patea, MataitaWa and elsewhere. In addition to this, a large (Maori) mail from the South has been seized and detained. It consists, in great part, of letters tram Wi Tako to the King and to different paints of Waikato. Opr informant stated that the heap of letters was ‘so high,’ holding his hand about 18 inches from the ground. It is a pity that Hikaka did not act Sir James Graham, and look into some of them. So large a correspondence is not being carried on for nothing.

' We also hear from Mokau that a virulent epidemic disease, which they call small-pox, has broken out among the natives in that neighbourhood : 23 are said to have died of it at Kawhia, and it has made its appearance also at Mokau itself. The treatment adopted by the native doctors is new, but said to be very successful. . They boil the root end of the flax-leaves to a pulp, and then smear it on as an ointment. Medicine is known to he an. experimental science, and this has, at least, novelty to recommend it.— ld., Dec. 6.

OTAGO. Between January Ist and November 15th, the number of immigrants was— Men ... ... ... ... 22,158 Women ... 2,718:# Childi'en ... ... ... 1,860

-- 26,736 And emigrants— Men ... ... 12,485" K “ Women 340 Children 154 - J 2,989 The total addition since is therefore 13,747 souls. On December 31st, the population was estimated, by the census, at 30,000, and must, at the.present time, be upwards of 40,000, after making a liberal allowance for those who have found their way overland into Canterbury and Southland. To this addition since January, the contributions have been— From Melbourne ... ... 9,901 Great Britain ... 2,390 Other ports in N.Z... 856 New South Wales ... 775 Tasmania ... ... 40 The difference of 195 being caused by emigration from Otago to “ foreigS| p 'ris,” meaning probably Britfish Columbia', early in the year. o?. The return of gold exported to 31st Oct., from Ist Jan. is ... 265,599 To which add the previous return j to 31st December, 1861 ... 204,515 Total ... ... 470,114 This considering the small number of miners engaged, may be called, without exaggeration a magnificent yield. The follo.wing is Wm. Fox’s statement regarding the new diggings:—On or about the 25th September, myself and party left the Dunstan, goldfield on a prospecting tour, and striking the south side of the Kawarau river at the Nevis, found payable gold on its banks. Following the hanks of the Kawarau to Lake Wakatip, and hearing there that no provisions were to be obtained in thaf vicinity, we determined ; on going to Ti’otter’s for- a supply, but no supply of provisions being obtainable there we were compelled to go to the Nokomai; but being impressed with tlie favourable indications of the ground, we retraced our steps to the Slaty Ranges, near Rees’s Run, and commenced prospecting. We reached the ground 9U the sth, and on the 6th struck payable ground, at from surface to 10 feet sinking, always finding gold in payable quan bities on. a soft slate bottom, but little being procurable in the gravel or washdirt. The run on which we obtained our gold is situated about eight or ten miles from the head of the Wakatip, Lake, runuing into the Kawarau River, and about twelve or fourteen miles from Rees’s Honie Station.

In proceeding to this gold fields ,the route to be pursued is by Invercargill or Riverton, thence to the head of the Wakatip Lake to Trotter’s station, down the Lake 30 miles to Rees’s run or home station, from which the diggings are distant about 10 miles, the river running north-east to south-west and emptying itself into the Kawarau River. The distance from Dunedin is about 190 miles, from Invei’cargill 150 miles, and from Riverton 120 miles..

. ... - % The following is, a correct report of an address delivered by the manager of a small, theatye in Ireland where Mr. Rae was engaged to perform. There were only three persons in>the house “ Ladies; and gentlemen, as there is nobody hei’e, I’ll dismiss you all ; th,e performance of this night will noc be performed ; but the performance of this night will be repeated, again to-morrow evening.”'” f '••'? ? An Irishman, who was giving his testimony in the Boston municipal, court, lately convulsed the bar, tickled the, jury, and raised a smile on the bench, by the following statement —Ye se.e, may’t plaze yees, that this man got a stroke and fell down Everybody around called out, Oh, he kil’t, he’s kil’t ! ” Then I steps up, and hollied out to the crowd, “ If the man is kilt, why don’t yees stand back, and,give a him little air.”

Tb Destroy Rats in Barn and Rick. —Melt hogs’ lard in a bottle plunged in. water of temperature 150 deg. Eahr. ; introduce into it half an ounce of phosphorus for every pound of lard ; then add a pint of proof spirit or whiskey ; cork the bottle firmly after its contents have been heated to, 150 deg., taking it out of the wafer, agitating it; till the phosphorus becomes uniformly diffussdj hfaking a milky-looking fluid. The spirit may.be poured off on the liquid cooling ; and you have a fatty compound, which, after having been warmed gently, may be incorporated with a mixture of wheat-flour or sugar, flavoured, with oil of rhodium or oil of aniseed &c., and the dough, made into pellets, should, be laid at tlie rat-holes. Being luminous in the dark, and agreeable boM to their palates and noses, it is readily eaten, and proves certainly fatal. The rats issue from their holes, and seek for water to quench their burning thirst, and they commonly die near thejwateiv— Dr, Ure. ' Life. —At best life is 'not. very long. A few more smiles, a few more tears, some pleasure, much pain, sunshine and song, clouds and darkness, hasty greetings, abrupt fax e wells, and then our little play will close, and injured and jnjurer : "wil] pass away. Is it worth while to hate each other? -

“ Ah, Jemmy, Jemmy, ” said Dr. Ponsejnby, Bishop of Derry, to a drunken blacksmith, “ I am sorry to see you at your evil courses again ; what do you intend to do with that fine.lad, your son ?” “What you cannot do with your son. ’ ’ “ Eh! Eh) iiow’s that —how’s' that 1” “ I intend to make him a better man than his father! ” said Jemmy with a genuine burst of feeling.

THE CHINESE SHEEP. fFrorn the Field..”]

Although not large animals, they are of fair average size. Though some of them have only been on shore two months, atjd have not had more than .that brief space to get over the effects of their long sea voyage, they are all now in excellent fact which speaks well for their hai'diqess. When landed, the wool was, of course, in a very dirty and dilapidated condition ; and, as the weather was then cold, it Vas not deemed prudent to denude them ifnmediately of theix' shabby covering merely.rfor the sake of appearances. . A dirty coat was certainly thought better than none at all, especially to an animal which had been brought ail the way from China. As 500,n,; however, as the operation of sheaxing was consideved safe it was duly performed,and the form in which the animals now appear is so good that the judges of the Royal Agricultural Show have awarded to the Society,, for the two pens which they are exhibiting at Battersea Park, two third prizes for short-wooled sheep. They are peculiar, but >qt uncomely looking animals. The long neck, and singularly shi’ewd-looking face (which derives from the oriental curve of the nose an expression which is anything but “ sheepish ”) would cause them to lie remarked anywhere as a new and peculiar breed The build of the body is good, and presents excellent opportunities for fattening—a process to which, as they are hearty and almost omnivorous feeders, they will, no doubt, take kindly. The lambs are pretty little creatures to our thinking, much more graceful and ex-jpressive-looking than the yoxxng of the common sheep. Upon their, qualities as breeding sheep we have already enlarged. Since leaving China eleven lambs have already been added to the flock, and several of the ewes ax - e now in lamb. At some of the births which have already taken 'place three la nbs have been dropped,' and it is reported by those wlio have bad good op-. poriuniti.es of becoming acquainted with their habits that, when in good health and, keep, they will breed twice a year, and produce sometimes four and even five lambs at a birth. ' Of coui’se, as tlie flock is all required at present for. breeding purposes, none have been killed as an experiment upon their edible qualifications. We have it, however, on the best testimony, that they are excellent in this respect. Having regal’d, therefore, to the frequency of their breeding, it is not unrea sonable to expect that they will supply good lambs nearly all the year round. To sum up, we think that these sheep offer many attractive qualities to the stock breedeiyand that they bid fair to surpass all othei’s as a cottager’s sheep. Their establishment here, under the care of the Acclimatisation Society, may now be regarded as'*'accomplished, and we trust that in a few years, through the agency of the members of that Society, this interesting animal will be spread all over the kingdom. A writer in the- Times, reporting on the show at, Battersea Park, applies the epithet “ crop-eared” to the Chinese slie6p. This is not accurate. Shorteared they may be, but assuredly they have never been* cropped.

ANCIENT AND. MODERN METHODS OF DRILL. The Musketieer of 1623.

The following course of drill is taken from a curious work published in 1827, in which the Musqueteers are enjoined to exercise in musters, by order of “ ye Loids of His Matios most Hoble Privy Counsaile.” The book is made up of copperplate impressions, : and contains fortyrthree figures of “ Musketieers, showing the positions of the soldiers during, drill, as follows :

“ March with ye Rest in yo,ur Right hand ; march and wfth your musket carry your Rest; unshoulder your Musket; Hold up, the. musket with ye right hand and let ye. Rest sink in ye. left; in the left hand carry the musket with the Rest; Take your, ma-tih in the*'Right hand ; Hold your, match fast and blow it well; Cocke* yor match i- Try yopr match ; Garde yor.panne. and blow yor, match ; Hold up. yoy musket and Presept ; Give, fire ; Dismount your, musket and carry it with your. Rest; uncockeyour match and put.it againe. between,your fingers ; clear your Panne; Prune your panne; Shut your Panne ; Cast off yor Panne ; Blow your Panne ; Cast about - yor.. musket;; Traile your Rest; open your, charges ; Chare your musket; Draw out your scou rer (ramrod); shprten yor scouring sticke ; Ram me in. yor Powder; Draw your scourer out of your musket; shorten your scourer ; Return, yor scoui*er ; Bring your musket forward with the left hand ; Hold ye musket with ye Right hand and recover yor Rest; shoulder your musket; March and with yor musket carry ye rest; unshoulder your musket; Lay your musket in ye Rest; Hold your.m.usket in ye Rest; Holde ye musket with ye Rest in ye left hand onely in balance ; Take yor match in the Right hand ; Blow off your match; Cocke yor match,; Try your match ; Garde your Panneand be ready.” The Rifleman of 1862. As a contrast to the above, we give the following extract from the celebrated letter of the late Sir Charles Napier on the “ Defences of England.” . “ Get some old soldier for your adjutant, to teach you, not a long course of drill, hut just seven things namely 1. To face right and left by word of CjOmmand.V 2. To march into, line and ip column. 3. To extend and close files as light infantry, with supports. 4. To change front in extended or close order. 5. To relieve the skirmishers. 6. To form solid squares and rallying squares. 7. To form an advanced guard.

' Original and Effective. —ln a late speech at a missionary “meeting' of the Primitive Methodist Church Dr. Guthrie related the following story : .. Many years ago, while; ;ia the neigh- 11 bourhood of Newcastle, he met with one: or two excellent gentlemen, who toldihim in talking over the moral and religious state of the colliers around Newcastle, that there was a village in that part of Englaiid that had long been in' a most dark and deploi’able and wretched state. Church-going was a thing unknown, the Sabbath was an institute unobserved, the parents were given up to the slavery of drunkenness, and the children were rising up without any education at all. The ministers of the Church of England, to their credit, came down upon this field, laboured for some time, gave it up in despair. After they had abandoned the field, it was tried, he thought, by the Independents. - The same- result. After these the Presbyterians tried it. No result; the people would not come to church. Then he thought his excellent friends the Baptists tried it. They were as powerless. Then came a body which should, have been able to say with Caesar, “ I came, l saw, I conquered,”—the Wes leyan Methodists. Even they, with all their power and vigour, with all their zeal, found this fieldunworkable, and they abandoned it in despair. Last, not least, appeared their friends, the Primitive Methodists. What a forlorn hope! Nevertheless, one of them, full of faith, full of zeal, burning with ardour like an angel from heaven, came down on the place. He called a meeting for worship on the Sabbath. There were 2000 of a population. E[e appointed the meeting, appointed the hour, was there, and out of 2000 of a population, there were only 15 people present. Well, he preached them a most rousing sermon, and closed by calling to. their recollection that the day of judgment was coming upon , the inhabitants of that wretched heathen village, who would have to answer at the bar of God, and there would no doubt be witnesses there against them for their carelessness, infidelity, and practical heathenism ; and that should there be such witnesses, and he could help in doing away with them, he would do. so. Says he—“ This very pulpit will be a witness against you; bring me an axe.” The people were all amazed when he called for ah axe ; and they were more astonished when, having got the axe, he smashed the pulpit all to pieces. (Laugh ter.) N ow, said the preacher, one witness is gone. (Loud laughter.) He then announced that he would preach on the succeeding Sabbath, and that they would have oue more offer of salvation before their doom would sound. Next Sabbath day came. By this time the news of the pulpit having been smashed with the axe had gone some way down into the coal-pits around ; and when he came next Lord’s day, there were not 15, but 100 people in the chapel. This was hopeful. Nevertheless, he preached with more, fire, and zeal than ever; and looking round on the benches, he said—“ These empty benches will witness against you ; bring me an axe.” (Laughter.) To the astonishment of his hearers, the preacher proceeded and once more demolished the empty benches ; and announced that for the third and last time, he would preach -on the succeeding Sabbath, and offer them mercy, and if they rejected it, it was at their own peril. The third Sabbath came but the news of this strange minister had gone to the very bottom of the darkest coal-pit, and when he came next Lord’s day, there was not a chapel in the village to hold the people who were anxious to hear him. He addressed them in the open fields, and there were thousands to hear him, and from that day to this that village has been as the garden of the Lord. (Loud applause.)

' Power of Association. A counsellor, renowned for the art of liis pleading, had a trick of rubbing his spectacle-case while addressing a jury. A foolish attorney who had confided a brief to him, thought this action ludicrous, and likely to impair the effect of the pathetic appeals which the nature of the suit admitted. Accordingly, he watched for a si) opportunity, and stole away the spectacle-case. For the first time in his life, the counsellor’s tongue faltered—his mind missed the bodily track with it had long associated its.operations ; he became confused, embarrassed—he stammered, blundered, and boggled—-lost all the threads of' his brief, and; was about to sit down, self-defeated, when the conscience-stricken attorney restored the sp.eptachircase, Straightway, with the first touch of the familiar talisman, the mind recovered'its self-possession the memory its clearness, the tongue its fluency ; and as, again and aga : n, the lawyer fondly , rubbed the. spectacle, case, argument after, argument flew forth like the birds out of a, conjuror’s box. And the jury, to whom a few minutes befoi*e the case, seemed hopeless, were, stormed into, unanimous conviction of its justice. Such is the force, of habit, such the sympathy bpfcweept mental; and bodily associations. Every magician needs liis wand ; and perhaps every man of genius lias—his spectacle case.— Bluckivood /for, September. “ Is there any thing, the matter, with you?” said a physician to a person who had sent for him. “ Oh, dear, yes, I am. ill all over, but I don’t knpw what it is,., and I have no particular pain nowhere”' was the reply. “Yery. weU", v -'said ; *the' doctor, “ I’ll give you something to. 'take that all away.” A disappointed author, indulging in a: vein of abuse, against a successful rival* exclaimed, “ He is without exception, the! most superficial, self-sufficient, ignorant shallow creature that ever made any prer tensions to literature.’’—“Geutly, my dear, sir,” interupted a gentleman present “you quite forgot yourself.” ’

’ Nails in Fruit Trees.— can writer- says that, while on a visit to ' a ! neighbour, his attention was'called’ l to a- ; large peach orchard, every' tree of which \ was totally destroyed by the ravages of * the worm, with the exception of three, and these were the most thrifty and - flourishing peach-trees he ever- saw. The , only cause of their superiority known to •him, w|ts an experiment made in conse- \ quence of observing that those parts of / worm-eaten timber into which nails; had ; - been driven were generally sound. When • his trees were about a year old, he drove a tenpennymail through the body as'neav > the ground as possible ; while the balance " of his orchard gradually /,failed, 'and- fin- . ally yielded entirely to the! ravages of the : worms, these three trees, selected, at random, treated precisely in the same man- - ner with the exception of the nailing, had always been healthy, furnishing him/ at the very/period with the greatest pro? 1 fusion .of the most luscious fruit. It is - • supposed that the salt of iron afforded, by * the nails is offensive to the worm,;while* it is harmless, perhaps beneficial, to tlicT' tree. A chemical writer on the subject says : —“ The oxidation or rusting of the iron by the sap evolves ammonia, which, as the sap rises, will „qf course impregnate every particle of foliage, and prove 1 , too' severe a dose for the delicate palate of intruding insects.” The writer recommends'driving half a dozen nails into, tlie trunk. Several experiments of the kind have resulted successfully. .Remedy for Insect Bites. —When a mosquito, flea, gnat, or other noxious insect punctures the human skin, it deposits or injects anatom of an acidulous fluid of : a poisonous nature. This causes a sensa- ; tion of tickling, itehing, or of pain; The tickling of flies we are comparatively in- : ■different to, but the itch ' produced' by a flea, or a gnat, or other- noisome insect, disturbs, our- serenity, an,d excite i to; a remedy. The best remedies, for the sting of insects are those which -will ' instantly neutralise this acidulous poison-deposited in the. skin. These- are either* ammonia or borax. The alkaline reaction of borax is scarcely yet sufficiently appreciated’. However, the . time .will ,come when its. • good qualities will be known, and more ' Universally valued than ammonia. Borax; : is a salt of that innocent nature that it may be kept in every household. The. solution of borax for insect bites is made, thus :—-Dissolve one ounce of borax in one pint ,of water/that has. been boiled and allowed to- cooL’. Instead 1 of plain water, distilled rose water; elder, or orange flower water is more pleasant. Thu bites are to be dabbed with the solution so long : as there is any irritation. For bees’ or wasps’ stings, the borax solution may be : made, of twice the above strengths ;