i,0q0,000. Consequently a person travelling ten hours a-day at the rate of .40 miles an hour would, in the first pe riod have had a chance of escaping de struction during 321 years ; during the second period, during 1014 years; and between 1572 and 1575 during 7439 ■years.

HALLOWE’EN AT BALMORAL.

The Scotch festival of Hallowe’en, so graphically described by Burns, the poet, is still celebrated, with all its ■old heartiness, in the Highlands and country districts of Scotland. Her Ma jesty the Queen is very partial to the national customs and celebrations of 'the people among whom she sojourns during the greater portion of the year, and at the last recurrence of the festi val at Balmoral, the Royal Family indulged in “ high jinks.” The scene is thus described by a Scotch paper: Shortly after dusk about two hundred ■torch-bearers assembled in front of the Castle, having marched in procession from different directions to the place of meeting. The greater portion came by the west approach, and a short dis tance in front came the royal carriage ■containing Her Majesty and the Prin cess of Wales—-Princess Beatrice walk ing and carrying a torch. The party then marched around the Castle, Her Majesty, as well as the Princess of Wales and Princess Beatrice making the circuit cn foot, both Princesses bearing torches. After driving again in front of the Castle, a bonfire erected there was lighted, .and a dance was set up by a number of the royal keepers and gillies, each dancer holding aloft a torch. The scene was highly pictur esque. The effigy of a witch—in ap pearance a very sinister production— seated on a car, with two other beings ostensibly of the same ill-favoured race, after being repeatedly drawn round the blazing pile, was seized and thrown into the fire, to the great amusement of the spectators, her more alert companions escaping when the time of martyrdom arrived. Her Majesty and the Prin cesses remained outside for fully half an-hour to witness what was passing, and afterwards continued to.watch the proceedings from a window. The Duke of Richmond and Gordon also looked on with apparent interest. The night was a fine, and there was a large crowd of spectators.

AN EXCITING SCENE.

The South Australian Register de scribes a scene of wild excitement at the Catholic pic-nic at Woodville on Anniversary Day, December 28:— There were upwards of 2000 persons on the grounds—an open paddock ad joining the railway station—and amongst the attractions provided was a pony race, notwithstanding there was a railed-off course. The bulk of the ■crowd were in ignorance of the precise time of the race, and there being other

amusements going on at the same time they were scattered in groups about the paddocks, but mostly on the very place where the race would be conducted the fiercest—at nearly half distance. No intimation was given but the report of the starter’s pistol; the very con stables who were there for the purpose of keeping the way clear were not in formed, and shared in the general amazement at a string of ponies flying down upon the crowd at topmost racing ■speed. Many persons had barely time •sufficient to save themselves, and the excitement was almost frantic when the .first pony was seen to reel for a aiaoment in its headlong course, and

strike to the earth three little children in a cluster. The rider went on without the smallest attempt to stop, and hardly had the sufferers been removed before he came round a second time, despite that the course was swarming with people, who were hurrying to ascertain the full extent of the accident. They shouted to him to stop, and waved him back long before he came up ; but so far from paying the smallest heed be flogged his pony and raced through the crowd like a madman. This time he only succeeded in knocking over one child, who miraculously escaped unhurt. Then he sped on with an unmistakeable determination to finish the race with a third turn, but most fortunately a police trooper dashed over to him at an angle, and at great personal risk compelled him to stop. One of the three first sufferers, a girl about ten years old, namcn Harriet Pocock, was found to be seriously in jured. She was taken to Dr. Gething’s house at the Port, and now lies there there in a most precarious condition. A constable who was on the ground at the time of the mishap arrested the rider, who gave his name as William White, a bricklayer, living at Beverley ; but upon the child apparently regain ing consciousness he was allowed to go. Strange as it may appear, there was quite a commotion when White was arrested, and at one time it seemed likely there would be a rescue. The other children escaped with only a few bruises.

The slaughter in Turkey—European and Asiatic great as it is, pales be fore the feats of carnage being per formed in Africa. King John of Abys sinia fought a battle in September with the insurgent chief Prince Menelek, in which the latter was totally defeated and lost 23,000 killed and wounded, and 10,000 prisoners. King John’s own loss was comparatively slight only amounting to the trifling figure of 9000 men. The King, who commanded in person, was slightly wounded, and one report says that Prince Menelek was killed.

American Railway Gauge.—A few years since more than half of the railways in Maine, U.S., were of the 5 ft. 6 in. gauge, but with the exception of a short branch, they have now all been changed to the 4 ft. B>4 inch gauge. Ex- P r Its ID ENT 1 ) AVI us. —Mr. Jeffer son Davis, ex-President of the Con federacy of the Southern States of North America, is varying the discharge of his duties as president of a life in surance company, by writing his me moirs. They are nearly finished, and their publication is now being arranged for. ° 0

THE EVENING ECHO, TUESDAY, MARCH 12, IS7S



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