MISCELLANEOUS
A. Saitoh's Description of a Dance. —Haven't had any fun with the land-lubbers till Thursday night at a dance. When I arrived in the cabin, found 'em under way on a Spanish dance. Took my station in a line with Susan Tucker—fell back and filled, then shot ahead two fathoms—hauled up on tho slarbord tack to let another craft pass, and then came stern on another sail; spoke her, and bore round against the sun, and fell in with another sail in full chase. Passed twenty sail on the same couvso, and, when half across to the other shore, dropt astern, fell back, couldn't fill, so let go anchor, and hauled up for repairs. Next time I was drawn into the current by a cotillion, but didn't make much headway shot ahead with Betsy Stark, and sailed over to the other coast. Took a turn opposite range abreast twice towards other crafts, and back astern again—moved round to starboard —passed near partners lights, and made sail for berth. Third time ran me into port to tho tune of the Tempest, the tar's favorite. Proceeded along up coast according to the regular order of sailing—bore ahead again—rounded to—then passing adversary yard-arm by yard-arm; locked astern with the whole squadron in circular order of sailing, Sally Jones at the same time manceuvering, and making signals when under full sail. Einally anchored, after a heavy squall.
A Missourian who stole a kiss from a pretty girl was fined by a magistrate, horsewhipped by her brother, and hurried into a brain fever by hiss wife. The clergyman also alluded to the all air in a sermon ; the local edbor also sided with the clergyman, and reviewed the ease in print, and .iie potato bug ate up every blade ~f the in: l , wheat.
Josh Billings, in hiss diveeiions "How to jiie!': out:: good ho-:-'," says, "Good hosse . are tkarse, and good men, that deal i:i r.ny kind of hosses, ere skarser. ' A:i honest man i/. the noble's!; work ov God,' i!:is litmus s:r. ing was written in great anguiuh of. heart, b; the late Alexander Pope, just after buying a good family boss." It sei-ms that there is a claim in the Tiki (Thames) district, called the '• Wilhelminn," which lias a somewhat singular history. The local correspond* nt of the ' Southern ;Cross' writes regarding it as follows:—"The mine is named after a lady residing in the district, and who is reported to lave had a similar dream on more than one sccasion, to the effect thatvery ric : gob! was einboweliodin this portion of the district, although up to the time of selection, the lady never visited the locus in quo. She minutely described every portion of the ground, the blind gullies, creek, and even a
stump of a tree standing close to the present workings; and subsequently personal observation confirmed to a nicety everything reported as having been described. The repetition of the dreams induced the undertaking to bo commenced, and it is no exaggeration to state that greaf interest and anxiety surround the future of this company." The Town and Country Journal, a Sydney paper, draws the following picture of the state of farming iu New South "Wales :—" Travel in which ever direction you will, ruin and desolation meet your gaze at every turn. Deserted cottages, mansions in ruin?, dilapidated barns, and decayed farm buildings, are everywhere the ruleInstead of a country scarcely done with pegtops and pinafores, the tourist beholds a country on crutches, tottering on its last legs—decrepid, tattered, and forlorn, if hero and there a different aspect may bo observed, it is exceptional, and so rare that it renders, by contrast, the desolation doubly desolate. The ruins met with are eloquent witnesses of more prosperous days. Granaries and mills of various capacity tell the tale of something to store, and something to grind, but their emptiness and silence, their liiugelcss doors, sashless windows, moss-grown floors, smokeless chimneys, and grass-covered approaches, are melancholy tokens of departed triumphs." The Jockey who rode the favorite at the last Derby has been discovered to be a woman, who was urged by her lovo for a sporting nobleman to go on the turf in order to be of service in making up his betting-book.
Loko Sejjmoxs.—What a spleudid sermon Brimstone Blazer preached on Sunday!" said Mr Snuffle to Lawyer Bang, lately. " Yes!" said the lawyer, "but he only got a shilling out of me with all his talk." Snufflo looked Pharisees and white sepulchres at this confession, upon which the lawyer thus continued:—"Why, you see I nave a rule of my own in these matters. When there ia a charity sermon announced, I go to church with a prima facie intention of putting a sovereign into the box, but under certain restrictions. Tho sovereign is for a sermon
of twenty minutes ; for every minute beyond that point I knock off a shilling. Blaxer preached thiry-nine minutes, I therefore gave only one shilling, and eaved nineteen by him !" The ' Southern Cross' says : —The South Australians are a progressive people: they have been tho first in this hemisphere to legalise marriage with a deceased wife's sister, and now they are very strong on womans rights. An association has been started at some place with an unpio nounccable name, for the purpose of enabling spinsters to take up land. This is hardly fair upon the bachelors of the neighborhood. Surely the ladies are attractive enough as it is. To convert every woman into an heiress would bo to make her too dangerous. The reason for the change which was made a short time ago in the colours of the various New Zealaud postage stamps was a puzzle to many people. The report on the postal service recently presented to both Houses of Parliament enlightens us on the subject, and states : —" It having been discovered that the colours in which certain of the drnominations of the postage stamps were printed were liable, by chemical process, to be so altered, as to resemble the colours of stamps of a higher value : in order for the protection of the revenue it was deemed advisable to alter the colour of such stamps. Theso are now arranged that the effect of any change in the colours will be to assimilate them to those of postage stamps of lower value.
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Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 1022, 15 November 1872, Page 3
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1,057MISCELLANEOUS Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 1022, 15 November 1872, Page 3
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