THE LATEST.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1825, 18 March 1884, Page 3

THE LATEST.

[Received Mai oh 17th, 11.45 am] C viko, Match 15 Teleeranis ft >m Souikini iinno'inLe the retain of (u'lici.il (Italian) to that place. Before le;i\ ing the scene oi the leccnt battle, all the vilhagi-b in the neighbourhood of Tamaneb occupied by Oainan's followeis M'eie burned to the giound.

WniLk M. Soiiano, a Spanish Prefect, was being dnven m a cab fiom the hotel in Fans whoie he had been staying to the laihvay station, a trunk containing important papers, 5000 fiancs in gold and jewels, and objects of ai t to the value of 50,000 Fiancs, was stolen in so dexterous a niannei that neither the diiver nor his fare knew what had nccuncd till another of tnc ti unks on the cab fell off. Tmtm, men stood on the centre of the Diookl^ 11 bmlge at midnight on Jan. b", dm ing the heaviest of the storm, and drank a bottle of wine. They were theie on account of a bet made ten yeais befoie, to the effect that if the brulee was finished in ten yeais, they would drink a bottle of wine on it at midnight. The occasion and circumstances weic strongly suggestive of a compact with the Evil One. American cities for the most part are constructed on matin matical principles. Washington, for instance, is laid out aftei the fashion of a wheel, with the Capitol foi the centie and bioad avenues for the spo'.es. The newer paits of NewYork, i e\t to London peihaps tl'e busiest city in the woild, aie tonned of sti aight lines and right angles. Cli cago, the teal wonder of Ameiica, has been tieated in much the same way. What ins Tennyson' Dovn?— The following is fiom the Philadelphia Call : — "Mamma," said a fashionable New York young lady to her mother, "the papeis are making a gieat fuss over a Mr Tennyson, of England. '' "Yes," responded the mother, "he has been raised to the dear, delightful peeiage." "He has been made a baron, I see," said the daughter. "Yes, nnrl his wife will be a j baioness, I suppose," leflected the old i lady. "How exquisitely beautiful it must be to be a baroness !" " What has he been a-doing of to be a baron ?" asked the cultured young lady. " What has \ic been a-doiug of ?" repeated the mother "Why he is the sole survivor of the noble six bundled who made the famous charge at Balaclava." Flvt- iii*\DhD Piioji;"tji..k*. — Krupp has just taken out a patent for a flatheaded piojectile. This novel form has been given to it with a view of pi e\ anting its glancing off on sti iking the atmour plate of a vessel at a great angle of inclination. The form baa fi.it thpr been adopted with the object of penetrating a ship's armour below the waterline, an operation hitherto attended with but little siccess, owing to the pointed head of the shot. In order not to cause a loss of velocity, a point of wood or thin iron plate is attached which on striking is immediately shattered, bufe at the same time being filled with oil, which is to "grease " the projectile, is said to increase its power of penetration. The invention is ingenious, but it must not be forgotten that the flat-headed projectiles designed with this express object are no novelty. Citiri'Luo, but CouuAGfcons —Lately there died at Aiare, in the Canton of Geneva, a man who, by dint of sheer couiage and energy, overcame almost insuperable difficulties, and showed that life, even when it seems almost a curse, may be well worth living. Jean Trottet, the man iv question, was Inrn in 1831, without hands and feet. His short arms were pointed, and his leg», such as they were, not being available for progression, he was able to move only by twisting his body from side to side. His case greatly interested the surgeons of the neighbourhood, and local Barnums made the parents, well-to-do peasants, many tempting offers to turn their child's misfortune to account by exhibiting him about the country. But \ these offeis were invariably declined, anfl when Jean was old enough he was sent to school. In writing he held his pen at the bend of the elbow, and as he grew older he took interest in husbandry, became fan active haymaker, used the reins with dtxterity, and was so good a shot that be often carried off the first prize at the village tirs He enjoyed, too, some reputation for sagacity, was consulted by his neighbours on matters of importance, and lWs left behind him a widow and foW children amply provided for, \