THE MINT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1271, 6 January 1883, Page 4

THE MINT.

''Thei'd. was no gold coinage, at the Royal Mmt last joar, 1 ' says tne London ''Economist." " Such a ciroutiiktaiice 88 ilio wm-coirjage. of siugle Po.yeteigu or half-sovereign hail in'<t'.' ticcurred beforfl mi imy your since the- euab isluiwnt of the present system in 1817. The nearest recent approach to such a condition was in 1870, when'unly i' 35,050 of gold were uoinod. Of course there «ro alturationa. iif rise and fall in tho Mint work. For example, in the intervening year between 1879 and 1881,14,150,052 was the value of the gold coined. . The aveivgo of the 10 past years (1872 81) is not, however, reduced by the blink year 1881 ti a lower level than' £'3,247,913 per iiniitini. Other noun tries iii 1881 show similar fluctuations j Franco is '.stowd to have coicod only £815,080, entirely in one hundred franc I jiiecoi j Belgium, nothing; Gorinany, j uowii to iho end of November, JL'343,317! Austria and Hungary, about 1498,819 ; Holland, nothing; Spain,. £3,201,104, mainly in pieces of 25 pesetas or franco; the four United Stales mints at; Philatulphia, Sun Faincisco, Canon, and New Orleans, £19,083 4CG (at 4t,) equal to Idol; ijbo two Australian branches of tho British Royal Mint at Sydney and Melbourne, .1-3,703,800. The tot d gold coiuaga thus locordeil for tho year amnuulß tu £2(1,609,246 For silver cinit-e, the 1 rigu-es thai urn be collected givt £1,004,324 ,i iho Eoyal Mint, and £43,500 at the Svducy branch; £4,250,001) in ludii, £5,530,000 in the United Statu, 1494,000 in Germany, £2,223,000 in Austria .lid Hungry. Total silver coinage, £13,544,824"

A STORY OF THE HILLS. Whilst resting during this bar I day's work, Ramsay pointed out the spot where, in a cave, lie buried the bodies of those slain in a fray between the men of Glen Isla, and the men of bleu Slice, in the bow-and-niT-.w time, as lie termed it—rather an indefinite, but certainly a distant date. In those days the Spital of Glen Shoe, Glen i'eaitnrach, and Glen Beg bad Humorous inhabitants as shown by the ruins of many houses, then occupied by small crofters, who owned sheep and cattle, which fed on the adjoining hills and moors. Now the only houses in the district can be counted on the lingers of two hands. A feud existed between the men of these glens, caused by a habit of cattle raising, the Highland caterans having a rooted idea that it was their mission to stall other people's cattle, which naturally led to complications, and finally.' o a battle on what is now the high road to Braemer. On one side were ranged the men of Glen Isla, and on the other slope the men of Glen Shee, led by a noted chief, Cam-Rhoua by name—otherwise the red man—a deminutive and deformed being, but -possessed of much courage and cunning, and a notable whose arrow seldom missed ... . .; a specimen of

his craft and v uokness of perception a tale is extant that on one occaoccasion several caterans came in search of him, seeking his life in retaliation for some kinsman slain in one of the neighbouring raids that were common in those parts. Noting their approach he at once assumed the ways an' 1 "••prance of a daft child, which j deceived the visitors who had so unceremoniously entered his home; then, taking up their bows one by one, he shot the arrrows as far as possible, dtill not suspecting he was the man they were in search of, they told him, as he had fired the arrows away, he must go and pick them up. This he did, and having thus gamed a good start, he escaped without difficulty from his en-mies. But to resume the account of the battle-j the men being drawn up within 400 yards of each other, t!:" fight began; the caterans and men of Glen Isla, making true aim, the men of Glen Shee fell fast, and showed a disposition to retreat. All this while Cam-Rhoua wus lying in a secluded spot, having made a vow not to engage in the strife until the sun had passed 1 over him; but, on hearing ibat the men of Glen Shee were falling fast, and needed support, ho caused '.rim-self to be carried to a cave over which the, son shone soonor than on his bite resting place. Then calling to the captain-of this caterans, "man ibr man," he advanced and laid him. low with his first all the pick of the enemy, and '/finally gaining a grand victory for the ; won;of the Glen Slice. The bodies of sixty caterans wore borne away, aud others remained unclaimed, the dead of the victorious side being buried where.they; fell, ill (he cavo which was pointed out to me, and which may be readily seen by those travelling between the Spital and Bracmar, the site being close to the "Queou's Well."-/. /. Whitehurst, THE JUDGE AND THE DRESSMAKER An amusing case has been before the Brighton County Court Judge, The action was brought by a dressmaker, named C'oitbn, to recover from a lady, named Taylor, the sum of 13s for work done. Plaintiff having given evidence in support of her claim, the defendant .said slio refused to pay because the plaintiff spoiled her dress. It- did not lit her, aud could not be made to fit. Plaintiff, in an indignant tone, said: •' I did make the dress properly, but the lady has no natural figure whatever, rihe said she was suffering with her liver, and could not be squeezed; and how could I make her look like a! Venus when it was all wadding." This created much laughter, in which his Honor joined. Defendant—l did not want you to make it tight; I like my dresses loose, Plaintiff—You should | say how very deformed your arms are, Defendant (excitedly)—l am not deformed. lam a better figure than you. J have no deformity; my husband is in court ask him. PlaintiffWill you allow me to try the dress on in court 1 Defendant—Yes, before all tho gentlemen, His Honor—You must put the dress on, and 1 must see it, The parties then retired to the solicitors; robing-room, and after the plaintiff had put on the dress His Honor was informed by the bailiff that she refused to come into Court. His Honor accordingly entered the robingroom with the registrar,, and on his return into court he said he did not think tho plaintiff had followed : the model or pattern given her to work by, and the work was indifferently done. He did not, therefore, think sho had earned''the money claimed, and the verdict would be for the defendant