MAIL ITEMS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1825, 18 March 1884, Page 4

MAIL ITEMS.

The past week has been a sadly eventful one in Egypt, and a disastrous one of the English Ministry. The massacre of the six handled Egyptians under Tewfik, at SmU.at, has raised a storm of indignation everyw here, and as the Times says : " The first stroke of the whip has fallen, and all England tingles with the pain of the blow. ' Tlic conservative indignation meetings exerywheic indicate that no btono is being left unturned to overtlnow the Gladstone Ministry, and that the people evL'ijwlieie aie ciying for novi Uovmnes at tl\ii helm. If we briefly follow the situation fiotn the point where we left oft in our last issue, we note the misery of the unhappy garrison at Sinkat eating their camels, cats, dogs and e\ en the leaves of the trees ; famishing while the English Ministry' sat dumbly ii resolute. Suiely something fright ha\e been dono betwren the Bth inst. and the b.itcheiy of the 12th February, for it is soiry consolation to know, after Plicks I'asha and Bakei l J aslwa have been shipped, and Te«vfik and \\U Egyptians slaughtoied, that a brigade and live or six battalions aie on their way to and that the rebels are disposing. We pinned our faith in Gladstone's capability to act in an emergency until the blue jackets weie landed at SnaUini, but not dispitehud to Smkcir, thirty miles distant. We have denied, and still deny, the apathy of tht, English nation in this wictohod ciisis, lut the action of the Mmistiy dining the last ten days has left those who hoped for it, and believed in it, without a leg to stand on. Eseiyone who is interested in foreign afhius has followed intently the dispatches 1 elating to the mission of Geneial Goidon. It was cheeiynews to leamon Wednesday last that he hid anived at Bcibor with his " little sack," and escorted by the principal Shtik, was on his way to Khartoum. No man knows better than he how to use money to the best advantage, and there la a ireasuiahle sense of relief in the knowledge that his popularity, which caused the illumination of Beiber on his aimal, will act as a great factor in the question of his safety in his voyage up the Nile If the rebels are really dispersing or prepaiing for a tight in the inteiior of Eastern Soudan, the Biitish forces will find no immediate foe to encounter, biinging to mind the old pio\erb about locking the stable after the hoise had cone. .So much up to Thursday evening. Ycstei day's despatches brought us the news that Snakim is probably safe, owing to the rebels, learning of the neai anival of the English troops, ha\ing ictired. The most important intelligence is, however, the unfolding of Goi don's plans in the Biitish Pailiameut. These, in a word, consist of giving up the Soudan and icstoiing all the petty Sultans, except El Mahdi, to power again. This is a sweeping policy, but it is adopted on account of the usflessness of reconquering the Soudan for Egypt and the deadly chat actor of the climate. The bulk of El Mahdi's troops are said to be at El Obeid, which lies about 200 miles to the southwest of Khartoum. Abyssinia, hitherto neutral, is divided on the question, the Hadindawahs (?) in Eastei n Soudan being repoi ted f,i\ out able to El Mahdi, and four Abyssinian tribes opposed to him. If Gordon's piogramme is earned out in its entiiety, the Soudan will thus be restored to the rule of its former petty Governeis, over whom, as things look now, Goidon could be King, if he wanted the doubtful honour. — S. F. New'b Letter, February 16th.

Hk was Wronc. — Exchange of amhble woids between deputies — ' I advise you to talk of your oratorical talents ! I do not renumber ever haun^ se"ii you open yoni monlli in the Chambei.'' Pardon; [ Inue done so moie than once; your speeches ha\e often made me yawn !" The G4 65 Piuzle.— Tlie following cm ions puzzle bjats tho celebiated | " 13 1.3-14," and is well wotth investigation. Take a stnp of paper or caidhoaul thiitcen inches long and h'\e wide, thus giving a surface ot sixty Jive. Now, cut tins stnp diagonally, as true as yon can, giving two pie 'es in the bhape of a tuangle. Now, measuie exactly live mcheb fiom the l.usjcr end of each, strip and tut in two pieces. T.iUe these slips and put them into the shape of an exact sqiim 1 , and it will appear to be just eisilit inches each way. or sixty tour bquaie inches — a loss of one square inch of supeifieial mcasmement, with no diminution of suiface. The question is, then, what becomes of that square inch ? Mr. Richard Grvxt White has bored •i good many people by his disquisitions on Sha^espeie, philology and many other things quite beyond his ken, and now the Couit Circular asks this question: " When will Ameiicans give up wiiting about Euglaud, with as little knowledge of us as some Frenchmen who cuicature us? A Mr. Richard Grant White has been sketching English ladies who are supposed to be in good society, and he makes them drop their H's. Surely this Ameiican has mistaken the servent s hall for the drawingroom, or else somebody has been hoaxing him. Fienchmcn, we know, never t\y to learn anything about foreign countiies; but it is rather curious that an American, who sets up for being a gentleman, should hive only seen such specimens of English women as those desciibed by Mr White. A Tiutk Story. — Parson M. was lately called to his door one evening to &cc a man, who asked him if he could come to officiate at a funeral, and seemed to be somewhat afteeted. The parson assumed as sympathizing a tone as possible, and asked somewhat about the person — finding it was a woman, asked the man if she was married, and the man said no. Then the paison asked the hour, and was told that eight o'clock p.m. had been, appointed. Upon his remarking that was a peculiar time the man said that beemed to be the most convenient time for the friends to assemble. Then tho stidnger said : ' ' Wouldn't it be better to appoint some evening for a reheavsal?" and a few words showed the parson that the man was talking about his own wedding, and had said funeral without knowing it. — N. Y. Post. Lifk in thk Busn— Then axd Now.— It is generally supposed that in the bush we have to put up with many discomforts and privations in the shape oi food Formerly it was so, but now, thanks to T. B. Hill, who has himself dwelt in the bush, if food docs consist chiefly of tinned meats hi> Colonial Saucu gives to them a most delectable flavour, making them as well of the plainest food most enjoyable, and instead as bard biscuits and indigestible damper his Improved Colonial Baking Powdkr makes the very best bread, scones, cakes, and pastry far superior and more wholesome than "yeast or caven, Sold by all storekeeper* who cm ob» t in it troty *ny m,«rg,b,*ntin. Au<?W«nd.,