MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1289, 27 August 1883, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

The death is announced of the Duke di Eipaldi, the owner of the famous Fornesina Palace, at Koine, the walls of which are adorned with some of Raphael's finest frescoes. The Duke was not one of those who cau trace back their ancestry to the time of the Crusades. His beginnings were, in fact, of the humblest. He was for a long time a scullion in the kitchen of Marshal Narvaez, an occupation to which he eventually added that of barber-in-ordinary to his master. In this capacity his good looks and graceful figure attracted the notice of Queen Christina, and she took itjinto her head to adopt him as her protege He evidently turned his opportunities to the best account, for he died a millionaire. The statistics of the Unitod States prove that hay is among the foremost crops raised in this country, if not the very first. At the present time there are estimated to be in the United States, 40,000,000 sheep, 40,000,000 cattle, and 20,000,000 horses. In twothirds of the country these animals require to be fed from three to five months and they will consume an aggregate of 90,600,00& tons, which, at $5 per ton, represents the enormous jjnnfi of $4^,000,000. Is not hay, therfore king ? — Wesley Eedhead. A certain laird met one of his gillies in a remote district, the which constituted an excellent apology for casting to the four cardinal points the restrictions ordinarily enforced by considerations of position. " What will you take to drink ?" asked the laird. " Just whateffer ye be takin' yoursel ' Mr McKenzie, readily replied Donald. "I was thinking of having a pale ale," said the laird. " Ay, an' I'll pc thinking I'll tak a pail of ale too !" was the modest rejoinder. At Noumea extensive defalcations have taken place in the firm of Messrs W. E. and F. Morgan through the frauds of the bookkeeper, a young Eussian Jew named Alexander Warschawsky, well known in Melbourne and Sydney a few years back, who possessed a power of attorney to sign cheques and bills of exchange for the firm. His deticiencea amount to over £10,000. Great sympathy is felt for Messrs Morgan, who placed unlimited faith in Warschawsky. Every obligation will be met by the firm when the full extent of their loss is known. Warschawsky was arrested, and will be tried for embezzlement. He was vice-president of the Eacing Club at Noumea. An amusing case of "literal translation " which occurred in Wanganui is chronicled by the Yeoman. Mr Drew had iv his window some watch-chain pendants of peculiar appearance, to which was attached a card with the words "Keep it Dark" quartz, of which stone the ornaments were made. Shortly aftei they had been on view, a gentleman entered the shop and told Mr Drew he would take one of the trinkets, which of course were handed to him for inspection. He selected one, putting it in his pocket, and was about to leave, when Mr Drew, with a natural regard to the law of compensation, requested to be allowed to see the pendant to ascertain the price. " Oh," replied the customer blandly, "my name's Dark." Mr Drew, however, who was quite in the dark as to the identity of his customer, could not see the force of giving credit in that manner to a stranger, and again requested to be allowed to see the ornament. The customer referred him to the card attached to the pendants, and the fact began to dawn on Mr Drew that his invitation to " keep it, Dark" was being very literally complied with. After a hearty laugh at the little " goak " more practical business resulted. Some interesting items in relation to North Borneo are extracted from the North Bornea Herald, published at Kudat, of May I:—Already1 :— Already influential Chinese Agricultural Companies have been formed and have taken up land on the east coast of the territory and set to work. We may instance the China Sabah Land Farming Company, with a capital of 300,000 taels, which has taken up 40,000 acres on the banks of some of the rivers running into Sandakau Bay, The geographical position of North Borneo as regards Australia is almost favourable Elopura (Sandakau) being within five days steam of Port Darwin, and this fact has already attracted the attention of capitalists in the Colony. A North Borneo Land Syndicate has since been formed in Australia and has applied for 100,000 acres of agricultural land in North Borneo. Apart from those Companies, numerous allotments of agricultural land have been made to private individuals of Chinese nationality) who have been pouring into the country since direct communication has been established by Messrs Douglas, Lapraik and Co's line of steamers. Agricultural land is sold without auction at Idol, per acre, but since February, 1883, the price "per acre in the Sandakan district has been raised to 2dol. Tobacco is being grown extensively, but at present the leaf is poor. The seasons are favorable ; the rains begin in the middle of August, so that planting takes place in April and May. The soil is suitable, consisting of decomposed gneiss, or quartz, with • humus' formed by virgin or second growth jungle." By the last mail from Noumea we (Argus) learn that the New Hebrides Company is continuing its acquisition of laud in the islands. Besides previous purchases in Sandwich Island, 3r Vate, the Company recently purchased a large tnict* aft JLivarmah [iarl>our ; in Miillicolo, 73,081 hectares ; it Santo, 71,737 ; in Aurora. 60i>0; in I ■Vv'i, 5000, including tho onliro islands j >{•'• Tocrao :uk! To;. -im >••.■>, :•<•->>■ ",; ; i;:_ j ■:«.!o, --aid J,-;..:d .v. ,:>•; V. •• ■ .;:.;;. ..

near Santo. The hectare is about three acres. " French interests" will, therefore, shortly predominate over the group, and then there will be another cry for the protection of the French flag. Louise Michel has been sentenced to six years' imprisonment and ten years' police supervision for the part she took in the recent attempt to revive the horrors of the Commune in Paris. The severity of the sentence is very generally admitted, and has provoked so violent an outburst amongst the French Revolutionary party and their Radical allies that the judge who imposed it is said to have tendered his resignation. Louise Michel deserves little commiseration. She confesses herself that her object was to establish a Reign of Terror, and if left at large would dfcrfcainly make a fresh attempt whenever a favourable opportunity offered. Her offence must not be measured by its consequences which were fortunately slight, but by its possibilities, which are fraught with terrible peril to the welfare of France. The Reds hope that the sentence will not be carried out to its extermity ; but this must depend upon the condition of the country and the uxigencies of the party in power. The story is-lold, it may ojLnot be true, that during a free fight in a Chicago saloon a man was shot in the mouth, but escaped injury through the ball flattening itself against his breath. Notes of condolence, and those pleading poverty and begging, are now written on the fashionable, raggededged paper. A Home paper says : — " A handsome monument of Aberdeen granite, to be placed over the grave of John Brownin the parish churchyard of Crathie, is being executed by Messrs M'Donald, Field, and Co., Aberdeen, by command of the Queen. It is of chaste design the chief ornamentation beirig the Scottish thistle on the cornice, which is carved in relief, and a border of oak and ivy, The inscription is as. follows : ' This stone is erected in affectionate and grateful remembrance of John Brown, the devoted and faithful personal attendant and beloved friend of Queen Victoria, in whose service he had been for 84 yearß. Born at Crathienaird, December 8, 1826 ; died at Windsor Castle, March 27, 1888. " That friend on whose* fidelity you count, that friend given you by circumstances over which you have no control, was God's own gift." " Well done, good and faithful servant ; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things : enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Tiie Wellington correspondent of the Timaru Herald states that " some remarkable facts have come to light about the Westport Colliery Company and the subsidy for its harbour, which was obtained last session. It may bo remembered that last session a Select Committee was appointed to inquire into the necessity and feasibility of a harbour at Westport, and the Committee recommended a subsidy of £50,000 be paid periodically, if a guarantee of a royalty on a stated large number of tons was paid. The moiety of the endowment has been paid by the Government, but no* royalty has as yet been paid, and I understand that in reply to a letter from the Government, this Company stated that when all the endowment is paid thej will consider the matter of the royalty. A movement is on foot to stop any further payment of the subsidy." The six days' walking contest between Edwards and O'Learly, started in Melbourne on the morning of Monday, August 6, had reached an interesting stage on Wednesday at midnight, when Edwards had covered 273 miles, and O'Leary 272. It was expected both would reach the 600 miles at the finish. The building was well filled day and night. Dr Simms, the physiognomist, has been giving a reporter of the Melbourne Herald his impressions of Australia. He holds that the admixture of the bloods of various nationalties, as in the Colonies, tends to evolve superior beings, who are tall, good-natured, liberal, adventurous, honest, hospitable, and markedly outspoken and independent, as Colonials as a race are. As the sunshine of this lovely Island makes the parrots chatter, the magpie whistle, and the laughing jackass cachinnate, so it gave loquacious tongues to native-born Australians v and from that circumstance he a gued that the country Avould in the course of a few generations produce people of great oratorical genius, oratory being but one remove from and above loquacity. The same enlivening sunshine, together with the boautiful scenery to ba met with in many parts of Australia, would conduce to the love and cultivation of art, and as the taste expands, as naturally it would, all classes would be found able to appreciate the beautiful and artistic. His conclusion is that the safest, pleasantest, and healthiest part of the globe to reside in is Australia, and he deems the future outlook of the Australasian Colonies to be the very brightest. There was a tragedy in Bedford on July 17 that caused great excitement. A party were playing lawn tennis near the centre of the town, Mr Devar, an army officer, and Miss M'Kay a handsome girl, 20 years of age, bein«; among the players. Suddenly, without apparent provocation, Devar pulled--' our a revolver and shot Miss M'Kay dtad. He then blew out his own bmins. Both victims were well known in society, and in both cases only blio surviving; relatives are widowers < ?). [i is believed jc-ii lousy was tho motive :>!.' the cn'ui'A T!i:ii iunvl irm^uo, hvA ta.'iiing in-mth >*v1 misornhl:) feeling, says you need Hop ■:■:■ V.-:-.!rtndboli'jve."