MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume XI, Issue 1764, 1 October 1886, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

The mignificeut white brilliant which Messrs Ochs Brothers, of Hat« ton-garden, had the honor of submiting to the Queen a few days ago, has Wen previously referred to in these columns. The stone, which is the property of a syndicate, has in cutting turned out a magnificent brilliant, weighing in its pr*- sent perfect shape 160 carats, of the finest wafc-r, free from flaws and imperfections, and of great brilliancy. It is said that it surpasses in weight and quality a'l the historical diamonds on record. Some little idea of its value can be gathered from the fact that a little piece sliced off the end to improve its shape, producing a brilliant of 19 carats, wjs at once sold for about £4.000 to a merchant. There are 75,000 people in and around Charleston receiving assistance. At present they are camped in' the streets and fields adjoining the town. Shocks of earthquake still continue, and the city is in ruins. Showers of large pebbles fell at intervals. The negro population were frantic with terror. Mr H. T. Scott, Captain of the Australian Eleven (says Punch), finished off the second innings against Yorkshire the other day in a truly sensational style. The first ball of the last run he '* put away " for six, the second he despatched for four ; the third he •' personally conducted " over the seats beyond the cinder path for six, and the fourth — the last ball of the over and match- he smote " clean out of the play" for another six! Twenty-two hits from one over ! That is Scott's lot with a vengeance. How pleasant for the howler and hit ••average!" Mr Punch says, some way after Cowper, of " Johnny Gilpin fame — Now let's sing long live this last of Elevens, Its Captain long live he ! And when he's next at "sixes and sevens." May I l»t> fliorr h> see ! Richard Pait, the vetei an Nottingham cricketer, although in his fiftieth year, in a match at Scarborough, recently scored 222. Jt is not eon.-

cealed, however, that he gave several chances. Referring to the fact of the Colonial Secretary having granted a lioeuse for the exhumation of the body of th« late Capt Cain, the father of Mrs Halt, a contemporary states :•— Tbe deceased gentleman died in Deotaber last, after exhibiting symptoms olosdy akin to those sabseqaently exhibited by his daughter, and now believed to have been caused by poison administered to her by her husband, Thomas Hall. Captain Cain used to have fearful fits of vomiting, for which his medical attendant (Dv M'lntyre) was unable to find any natural cause, bat which he now believes to havt been caused by poisou. More than once during his illness Captain Cain remarked that | "if the idea was not absurd , lie wouhl | think someone was trying to poison him." It is also reported that them is some idea of exhuming the body of Mr E. H. Tate, Hall's forme* partner, who- died from poison, supposed at the time to have been self-adminis-tered. Latest advices from America state tliat Edward Hanlan is regaining his old form. On August 31, writes our San Francisco correspondent, he broke the world's three-mile* record by 31se.es, the time being 19mins 23secs. We might add tliafc I although we have it on reliable authj ority that Hanlan is improving steadily, ; we would not recommend this" break*'* as a guide to the result of any matches lin whtch the ex-champion may take part "Pendragon," one of the greatest sporting writers in London, has conn tributed a series of articles to the London Referee in which be quoted figures domonstrating that records could not he relied npon. Therefore, until Hanlan performs something more phenomenal than breaking a tune record, it would not be safe to support him against a sculler like the present champion. The London correspondent of the N.Z. limes writes: — What has poor New Zealand done to be smitten hip and thigh in this ungracious manner T Consumed by internal fires, and ferocv iously attacked by the old lady of Shoe Lane, it is truly a lamentable case. We are told to-day in a paragragh that 400 square miles of country is actually destroyed, and * 1600 more most seriously damaged. Can it be that we are being gulled yet again. Generally, volcanic dust is considered fertilising, and we all sincerely hope that the deposit of threeinches which we are informed cover* 2000 square miles will prove after all a blessing in disguise. Some people have '>een foolish enongh to imagine these disasters will affect the credit of the colony. Not a bit of it ; they only excite cariosity, and will piobably bring clouds of tourists, if they can only scrape money enough together in these bad times to take so long a holiday and so expensive ajonrney. I can assure you curiosity is highly stimulated, and it is almost thought creditable rather than otherwise that we can now boast of one spot in the> British Empire capable of producing such astounding phenomena, and it is singular, to say the least of it, that in so extensive a dominion we do not possess more than one or two of these great volcanic safety valves. Bat the ' loss of lif« has been truly distressing* and if I mistake not Mr Bainbridg* was a member of the north country family, well known in engineering: circlea, and connected with the colliery interest. The illustrated papers aim full of sketches of the various scenes which had taken place in the ill— f «t?d district, and the loss of the celebrated terraces is regarded as a national misfortune.