MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 15 October 1880, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

The special reporter of a Sydney journal lately telegraphed after investigation, that the whole of the Temon gold Geld is permanent, Some elaimholders told him that they were picking sufficient from the wash dirt to pay them well. One party obtained 102oz*. in this way for a week's work without water. The gold is very patdiy. however. The average sinking is from sixty to eighty feet. Nothing has yet been discovered to warrant the report of rich reefs. The Pope has issued an order decreeing the formation of an ecclesiastical commission to investigate the apparitions at the Church of Knock and report upoa l ha same. Whjmper, an English traveller, has distinguished himself by climbing Mounts Cotopaxi and ChimboMzi. The latter bfcfflsd Humbolt's endeavours. Its cresfc is 21,120 ft, above (he level of the sea. The most pro6table railway in the world is a little affiir not half a mile long, which connects (he Manhattan Beach and the Brighton Beach Hotels on Con«y Island, N.Y., the summer resort of the i well to do New forkers. It is of 3ft, guage, and has two locomotives and four carriages, a train running each way every five minutes. The railway paid for itself in a few weeks after it was opened, and last year returned 500 rer cent, on its cost. The expenses are 30dol. a day, and «he receipts average 450J01., the fare being sj. Th© last Home News thus refers to our old friend Chang :—• Since Chang the Chinese giant made his appearance in the Speaker's Gallery in the House of Coma muns the other night, he has become an object of increased public interest. It was a good advertising move if nothing more, and the fact that he was accompanied by the dwarf, who acts as a foil to Chang's height, rather bears out this Tiew. It is not generally known that Chang is a man of great intelligence in his way, and speaks several languages. The present Chinese Ambassador 1 to this country. the Marquis Tseng, whose family jriiffers only slightly from the giant's own, has taken great interest in him, and has frequently shown him hospitality at the Chinese Embassy — hospitality which Chang, who adds to his Bft, 6in of height abnormally long arms, has repaid in his usual way by writing his name on the ceilings of the Embassy.' The Fall Mall Gazette says that tb« English army is teaching the Afghans the art of war, th«» value of breechloaders and the use of rifled artillery, Napoleon found a Europe trained to antiquated maxims and practices of war ; he defeated army after army till a school of generals arose who had learned through defeat to become victorious. Then at last the master fell under the blow 3of his pupils. It is not impossibb that we may be gradually teaching the warlike tribes how (o resist the might of civilised armies. When the odds are fire to one in men and six to one in guns against us ; when the gunners turn out to be well taught, and many of the infantry are armed with breechloaders which they know how to use, the question may wel! arise whether we are not strengthening the Afghan nation without rendering it friendly.