UNKNOWN.

(FROM OUR SPECIAL -REPORTER.)

r Coxtinukd From Wednesday s oTAE. H-VING fully inspected the Company's splendid battery, and been duly impressed with its magnitude, avc left, in company with Mr Corbett, the battery manager, to view the various mines on the hill. Before reach ino- (he Leahy mine, we pass the new Government schoolhouse, a sightly and spacious building, ample for the present requirements of BleazardtoAvn, as the neigh borhood is called. A building of this kind has been ureatlv Avanted, as the young idea was learning to shoot Avithout much chance of'its effortsi-eing properly directed ; hut all this is now to cease, and a stern pedagogue, with all other schoolboys' hoi rors, is to be an institution known iv ihe wilderness. Pass in*' on we reach the Leahy—.A Company largely held in Auckland, at present pushing in a tunnel just beloAV the level of the tramway to endeavour to find a reef from which large pieces of quart;: have come, and from which excellent gold has been taken. They are at present pushing ahead on excellent ground, Avith a capital prospect of finding something to reward all their outlay. Herald. —This Company adjoins the Leahy, and avus started AA'ith the same idea of picking up a reef, bat so far Avithout Auckland.—Oil the opposite side of the trarmvay lies this Company, oaviied in Auckland. The continuation of the Waite kauri reef .has been found, and the pros pects obtained are so encouraging that active operations are to bo started _to develop the reef in the loav level by driving onit both wars. Another reef outcrops on ihe o.vposite side of xhe spur, but so far has not been prospected. The creek mining •throi-'di this Company's ground is the only one that is so highly mineralized as to be distasteful ; and leaver-, a sediment similar to that found in creeks on the Thames, running through the richest claims. Mr Corbett shewed us where the proposed tramway will pass through the Auckland ground when permanently laid from the Queen tunnel to escape the V.iree steep grade?. It will pass only a feAV feet from the mouth of tho present Auckland loav level, and Avill tend to greatly enhance this j Company's ground when completed. Queen. —This Company adjoins the Auckland on the south, and has the Waite kauri reef through it from cad to end. A tunnel lias been started about 100 feet from the Auckland boundary, and will be pushed in a distance of 500 feet to the Waitekauri boundary, nnd when completed will be the main level for both Companies ; and the quartz Avill all ultimately be brought out this" way, conveyed by a short tram connecting with the main line. Waitekauri. —We first visited the tunnel going in from the Queen boundary, and Avhich is being pushed rapidly through a superior class of country on ihe footwall of the reef, and from Avhich excellent stone is being obtained as it nears the level of the celebrated Golden Point shot of gold. Pass ing a number of lints belonging to Waite kauri miners, who, from Avhat Aye saw of them, appear a brawny set of men, avc reached tiie Manager's office. Mr C. H. Wilson/the Mine Manager, lias a great re putation as a first-class man for Avorking large reefs, and what we. subsequently saw fully impressed us with his skill and ability. Accompanied by him, avo entered the No 3, or present loav lev. 1. Avhichhas been driven about I,looft along the reef, and is uoav only \ about 60ft from the boundary of the Home- j ■ward Bound Company. Tiie reef is an im- j mouse size the whole of this great distance ; ■ and in one place we saw ii fully 40ft \ wide, of solid nuartz, Avith no one ' knows how much of mullocky '■ stud'besides if it was driven tho-ugh. Th'i on the average, and b_s all pro-, ed to be good j crushing stuff as far as the crushing from J it have gone. Three distinct -hots of gold ! have been cut in driving the level, lhe last | of which has spread out to a Avidth of quite : ninety feet on the fiosr of the drive, and j from parts of -which exceedingly _ [eh. stone ; is A-ery often take;;. Two winsc-s, .'.O feet j apart, have been sunk on the reef from the No. I or top level to the present loav level, Avhich both earned most excellent geld the : AA'hole distance. The No. 2 winze, or most j southerly, has yielded the richest j stone found; and in. the summer, I when water avus scarce, was the ■ main source from which the yields ot over . an ounce and half to the ton were procured, j Some of the stone taken out of No. £ winze, which, by-the-bye, was carried doAvn ten feet aa ide on the reef, which is uoav proved ! to be six or eight feet Avider, was exception- I ally rich, the manager assuring us some of < it was worth quite lOOozs. to the ton, but I the quantity as rich, as that Avas Arery small, ! the richest part of the shot having gone out j of the winze, and not having been since . worked on. On visiting the face of the j drh-e going tOAvards the Homeward Bound j Company, we found that a very favourable j change had just taken place in the nature ' of the country, and a consequent improve ment was visible on the reef, some of the stones broken out by us afterwards proving to contain an excellent show of the precious metal. The reef here is solid hard quartz, with soft [slippery Avails, and is of a most favourable" description, being interspersed with small dark blue veins that carry excellent gold. The gold ,too, is much better distributed, and is found right through the stone, and not just plastered over it and in crevices, as in the top levels. All through the mine the stone is of a very clean description, scarce a j mineral but gold being found One of j the Avorkmen informed us mundic had only been found in three or four places in the reef : then in exceedingly small quantities. We were assured that 10C0 tons of this quartz Avould lose no more quicksilver from the battery than 50 tons of the Young Ncav Zealand quartz, Avhich went 4 or 5 ozs. to the ton ; which pro\-es iucontestibly that the Company, in addition to having a most valuable and extensive reef, have also stone of a description that allows the greatest per centage of gold to be saved. From end to j end of the loav level runs a most substantial tramAvay (double for most the distance), | which conveys the quartz from all parts of j the mine to the hopper at the head of the j traniAvay. Passes most conveniently situated fill the trucks from the top levels, and j all here is Avorked in a manner so methodical j and economical that one is assured the j management has fallen into hands that Avill ; do ample justice to the Company's magnifi- j cent property. Leaving the face of the low j level, we retrace our steps, and are con- I ducted by Mr Wilson to the No. 2 winze, up | which Aye go with our bits of candles in our j bauds. It seems a very easy matter to talk j about going up ladders in a mine, but it j don't look quite so nice when you come j after three or four chaps, and involuntarily j begin to speculate how heavy the biggest j one avo".ld fall if he happened to let go, or : one of tiie rungs of the ladder gaA*e way, j and he came holus bolus or. to 3 reu. Some- ! lioav it nu-kes one fee! religious, and think • of Avhen he avus a little boy. _ With a sigh ! of relief, avc all crawl into the stopes over the main level, from where the present | crushing is being broken out. Here, on \ measuring Avith a tape, avc- find the reef to I be over 2S feet through., c.iv.l all of the best of quality. A dozen or twenty men are I here at Avork, each Avitii his oavii particular j candle, and each seemingly fully equal to what is required of him, for all goes regular as clockwork, and no confusion or delay ever happens. Whlie avc were there all hands were busily employed belting! and hammering away, putting in drill holes, ready to all shoot doAvn the reef at once. It is arranged that all hands get their holes ready for shooting at the same time, and when the Avord is given there is a general skedaddle, aud a grand explosion, and on returning the amount of stuff broken down is sometimes something enormous. To us, unused to , the Avork, it seems like a mighty cavern, ■ with the spirits of the mountains at their } uncanny work. In various places Aye Avere !

I shown stone of the best quality, shoAvmg gold freely. Leaving the stopes we get to the upper level, Avhere quite a sight is the timbering called the " chapel set," being one immense centre spar Avith tAvo smaller side ones, and the timbers sloping do AA-n, exactly in the shape of a roof. This, we were told, was a kind of timbering quite neAv to this part of the Avorld, aud the only Avay in which the ground, Avhich is here of a very treacherous character, can be safely secured. Having arrived at the No. 1, or top level, Avhere the stopes have been filled, as" Aye see the immense Aveight of the super incumbent mass of solid beams are sunk o-.-er two feet and a-haif in the sound ground ; and timbers, larger than the largest ships timbers, are bent and twisted in all direc tions. Passing on Aye are shown the drive Avhere Leahy & Co. cut, into the reef Avhere they left off. In three feet further on, alter the' Company was formed, exceedingly rich gold was trot, Avhich is so much for luck As one of "the men said : " If Leahy had got that there'd have been no Waitekaiin Co." Getting out to daylight again is quite a relief and a short scramble doAvn lull brings us to the manager's office, Avhere Aye are shown a lot of rich stone that, if exhibited in Auckland, Avould perfectly astonish people. In tAvo of them the quartz on one side is of a white, bald nature, that, as the manager said, if one saw it .on the heap he Avould not pick it up. On the other side', hoAvever, they are lite rally* plastered through and through as thick as they can stick Avith gold, and are in fact very'good, specimens. We Avere also shown and'had explained the Avay to use a quantity of dynamite cartridges, which are largely used in blasting in all parts of the mine. We all desire, before closing this article, to thank both Mr Corbett and Mr Wilson for their extreme courtesy in sheAv ing and fully explaining to us all and every article and thing that in any way interested us, or AA-as noticeable in mine and battery. The skill and ability of these lavo gentle men, and the methodical and systematic Avay in which everything works and is con ducted,ia beyond all praise, and has mainly tended to produce the success so far attained bo this company, floated and opened amidst difficulties, privations, and hardships that no one away from the district has a concep tion of. The impression a visit to the Wai tekauri Company's mine and battery leaves on the mind is that one had a very puny idea of what an undertaking it is ; and that nothing but perseverance and indomitable pluck, skill, and ability could have so suc cessfully developed this valuable property in such a Avild, out-of-the-way place as this must have been when operations Avere first started. All honour to the brave prospec tors, Avho, in the'midst of privation and vicis situde, manfully stuck to their interests till the value of the Waitekauri lode was fairly shown t and no less praise is due to those pioneers of enterprise, Messrs Brown and Bleazard. If one knew the days and nights of wearying anxiety and worry, the j broken hopes, the constant disappoint- I ments, the pecuniary sacrifices, and the yawning abyss of bankruptcy that more than once appalled the stout hearts of these hardy and enterprising Waitekauri pioneers, he would ever have a kind Avord and good thought for those Avhose reAvard has fairly been earned. As opportunity offers, other portions of the Ohinemuri goldfield, together Avith the beautiful agricultural lauds which are j ranidly being utilised, Avill receive a brief I

War News.

DESCRIPTION OF PLEVNA.

Plevna, the tscene of the most stirring events and greatest bloodshedl in the present campaign, is described by Colonel Baker as ;._ handsome and thoroughly rustic town, with broad thoroughfares, planted on each side with trees ; while tho houses are often separated from each other by pleasant gar dens. Situated in the midst of Central Bulgaria, it is surrounded by a country of exuberant fertility, although the value of its products is greatly diminished by the absence of good roads. The " Daily News" correspondent explains that tho Turks occupied a series of position., which are naturally strong, and also artificially fortified in every available spot, forming a horseshoe in front of Plevna, with both iiauks resting on the River Vid. The Grivieka Redoubt, preferred to in re cent cablegrams, forms the toe of this ' horseshoe position. The " Daily News" correspondent continues : Plevna is in the hollow of a valley, lying north aud south. The ground Avhich in tervened, between us and this valley was singularly diversified. Imagine three great solid Avaves with their faces set towards the valley of Plevna, and, therefore, end on to us also. The central wave is the widest of the three, aud a cheval of it are the main Turkish positions, of which there seem three, one behind the other. Al though the broadest wave, it is not the highest. The right and left waves are both so high that one on the crest of either can look doAvn across the : intervening \-alleys into the positions of the central wave. But then the Turks are astride of all three waves. The crest of our wave, the ridge above Radisovo, they do not hold. Thus far Aye are fortunate, but on the most northerly wave of the three, that against which Baron Krudener is operating, and which is broader and flatter than 3ur«, more like a sloping plateau, if the expression is not a ! bull, the Turks have entrenched i position behind intrenched position. Both on top of this ridge and of central ridge we can discern camps of Turks Avith tents, all standing behind the earthworks. It is clear they don't intend to more if they can help it. Their tents stand as if they had taken a lease of the ground in perpe tuity. " MEHEMET ALL Me-HEMET Ali Pasha, tho new Com mander of the Ottoman "Army of the Danube," Avliose original name was Julius Detroit, is said to be the son of a French fiddler, who emigrated many years ago to Germany, and settled in Magdeburg, Avhere some of his family are still alive. He is a Prussian by birth. His father, Detroy, was staff-trumpeter in the Nicholas regiment of cuirassiers, of Brandeuberg. The boy was named Julius, and Avhen old enough, was placed in a house of business at Madgeburg. But he Avas a lad of an imaginative disposition, aud the methodical routine of business life did not please him. He craved for adventure; his mind Avas running upon sea stories and tales of travel, and the splendid fortunes to be made in foreign lands. At, length he ran away and got to Rostock, Avhere ho found a Mecklen burg brig getting ready for sea. The cap tain took him ou board as a ship boy. They sailed for the Levant, and after a long and tedious voyage, anchored in the Bosphorus. By this time young Detroy was thoroughly disenchanted with a sea faring life. The hard work on board the brig, the menial services Avhich every one exacted from the young ship boy, thorough treatment and ill usage he received from all extinguished his illusions, so far as the sea was concerned. On the other ham!, he avus in the East, in the A-ery country of Avonderful fortunes. His resolution AA'as soon taken. One day there avus passing by one of those beautiful caiques, rowed by iiye or six gaily-dressed oarsmen, in which distinguished Turks are usually conveyed from their yali on the Bosphorus to the Porte in Stamboul. Young Detroy at once sprang from the brig into the sea, and swam towards the caique. He Avas seen, and tho occupant, ordered the boat stopped, aud had the lad taken in. The Turk was no less a personage than Ali Pasha, afterwards so famous, and Grand Vizier for many years. Detroy had picked up a scanty smattering of French at school and at Madgeburg, and Ali Avas perfect master of the language. Detroy explained the motives of his rash act, and besought the Pasha to take him under his protection, declaring that he even desired to become a Mussulman. Ali promised him his protection, but ad vised him to reflect seriously before he changed his religion. During the next

feAV Aveeks the lad remained at the Pasha's palace ; enjoying absolute freedom, making rapid progress in Turkish, and frequently admitted to see his patron, Avho was de lighted with the frank disposition of his protege. But as Detroy continued to urge his desire to go over to Islam, Ali took an opportunity of mentioning the affair to the Prussian Minister at the Porte, requesting that one of the clergymen attached to the Embassy Avould visit and remonstrate with the Avould-be renegade. This was done ; but the chaplain had to report that Ins efforts were fruitless. Detroy Avaa noAV definitely taken into the household of the Pasha, and regularly instructed. A year biter he AA-as formally admitted into his new religion, taking the second name, Ali, out of affection for his benefactor. Tavo years later his patron sent him to the Military School, where he distinguished himself by diligence andgiiitelligence ; earning praise on account of several translations of mili tary articles, etc, from French and Germau. He is now forty-seven years of age, and a Mushir or Marshal. He received his com mission in 1853, and made the campaign of the Danube again st the Russians. He me, first under fire at the siege of Silistria, and it was said that he did not seem very courageous. It has even been alleged by enemies that at the beginning of the bom bardment he sought shelter in a cellar. But lie soon gaA-e proofs of intrepidity and even of daring, winning universal commendation. Ho once spent a whole night alone in a capturdd earthwork. Omar Pasha noticed the conduct of the young officer, and placed him on his staff, and in this capacity he went through the Russian war, and later the campaign in Montenegro, Arabia, and Bosnia. He became a colonel in 1863, and in 1865 Avas made a Pasha, or General. Ho Avas employed with distinction during the Insurrection in Crete, and again on the Montenegrin frontier. In 1573 he was given the chief command of tho forces in Thessaly, in order to put an end to the oxcesses'of the banditti, which had become intolerable. Mehemet Ali acquitted him self of this difficult task with great ability. Partly by artifice and partly by persuasion, by employing remorseless severity where " exampWjwcre required,by daring attacks, and by skilful operations in combination with the Greek detachments s.«.sigued for frontier duty, he was able, iv a fihorfc time, to re-establish ordc* in Theesaly. Towards the closo of 1875 he was entrusted Avith the chief com mand at Novi-Bazar, a post of great stra tegic importance, aa will bo seen by a glance nt the map. He has since been engaged in various military duties in connection Avith the operations against the insurgents in Servia. But the sun of Court, favor has not shone very brightly upon him ; hence, Avhile his reputation for capaoity is univer sal, he had not been assigned any prominent position untii recently, when he found himself placed in ihe firat military command iv the Empire.

LETTER FROM THE "TIMES'" COR RESPONDENT IN BULGARIA.

THE "London Times' " special correspondent, with the Russian army in Bulgaria, sends the following picture from Tirnova: —"No doubt now as to the welcome of the Russians. The poor people literally wept, prayed, and hung upon the necks of their deliverers, who were almost smothered in flowers. One saw rough cuirassiers of the Guard and dirty Dragoons grinning with delight as they carried armfuls of flowers as much as they could possibly manage, and had rheir hands seized and kissed by pretty delicate girls. There were no triumphal arches got up, no expression of enthusiasm. Every thing that was done came evidently and directly from tiie heart —the heart relieved from an unendurable yoke and a great and immediate j danger. No one who has seen the entire j childish abandonment oi this people to joy at their deliverance would have any other feeling than satisfaction that it has been achieved. They treated me also as a saviour. Alas, t was only there to relate iiow another nation had | saved them. And from how terrible .-. fate ; not death only, but that living death which I comes from a state of unutterable shame. In this house, which is thai of a watchmaker who speaks French and is evidently intelligent, 'hero ' is a young, pretty, and modest daughter, whose cleverness and energy the parents are never tired of vaunting. She is tiieir idol, and they bring me specimens of lier fancy needlework to see, and tell stories of her goodness and blessedness to them. Well, free people of England, these good folks have been in terror day and night lest their Maritza, the apple of their eye, should be taken from them or left to them forcibly dishonoured, and without redress of any kind. Their goods have been hidden away in cellars to escape the rapacity of the Turks. They arc childishly happy now, I and wculd, I verily believe, give their necks \ for a footstool, if I wanted one, so gratefully are they to any one who has ever accompanied the Russians; they come and sit in the room, gazing with contented faces on a living proof that the Russians are really here and the Turks gone. Every moment they are thinking of some little thing they can do to show their .sense of good-will, and one very charming expression of it is the constant stream of fresh flowers which | come from the hands of all the women and j children, who present themselves with their "Do brja" or welcome. Up to this time i Tirnova is only held by a handful of Cavalry. The father here says that if the Turks retake it j he Avill not wait for their cruelties, but this is j one form of the Aveakness which comes from centuries of oppression. As far as one can see ! at present the political idea is to become a ' Republic, with the hope of being some day , united to Russia. For Russia alone has made j her greatness felt, and the other nations of [ Europe are abstractions. The behaviour of the people to the Turks ! as been decidedly good. At first some of the Turks' houses were entered and furniture taken away, but that sort of thing soon ceased. A Committee was formed under the Archimandrite j to watch over Turkish property, and such of ' the young men as have not already shouldered the rifle have turned themselves into special ' constables for the time being. Their pride is to show that they are superior in civilization to the Turks, though it is difficult, indeed, to answer the arguments of one or two Avho say that all the property in the Turkish houses has been stolen from them, and if they took it they would only be taking back their own." j

TURKISH PRISONERS OF WAR.

Turkish soldiers captured during the early successes of the Russians in Asia Minor continue to arrive in various parts of the interior of Russia. Several hundred had been interned at Orel during the last Aveek, and further detach ments have reached Tver and other northern towns. It was intended early in the war to retain many of the prisoners in the Caucasus, but, owing to the continuance of the insurrec tion there, they have had to be sent beyond the Don, causing thereby great additional expense and trouble to the Russian authorities. The Turkish Pasha who was captured in one of the battles previous to the siege of Ardahan is now on his parole at Orel. Among the prisoners recently arrived at Ivor is a negro, probably the first of has race who has ever been in that part of Europe. His jet black com plexion is stated by the local papers to cause intense astonishment and wonder among the

natives, one of whom was heard to exclaim, " Well, the priest has told us over and over again that these Turks are fiends incarnate, but I never thought they were so black before. Cod help the poor Christians governed by these sons of Satan I" Sambo excites greater curiosity than all the rest of the Turkish prisoners put together, and far from being annoyed by it, assumes a dignified deportment which is described as being delicious burlesque on the official fussines of Russian functionaries. —Globe.

MIDHAT PACHA'S ESTIMATE OF TURKISH STRENGTH.

MIDHAT Pacha, the Grand Vizier, on a recent occasion said :'' Turkey is perhaps more vital without Bulgaria than with it, but Austria Avill perish of an independent south Slav State." The resources of Turkey in Asia, Midhat Pacha described, while citing surprising details, as almost inexhaustible. He added : "I pledge myself to levy within a week in Kurdistan alone 20,000 splendid horsemen; and do you know Avhat an Asiatic soldier to

I remain completely capable for marching and fighting, requires every day? One pound of dates !" The situation on the European theatre of war, Midhat Pacha believes to justify Turkey in being hopeful. The Russians, he thought, have not soldiers enough to carry out the plan which they have adopted. On the other side of the Balkans considerably superior forces are opposed to them, and on this side also there are soldiers who have already given proofs of their bravery, and fortresses which arc probably undervalued. For instance, to invest Eustchuk completely there are wanted, thanks to the good out-works, at least from 90,000 to 100.000 men. The Russian army in the field can certainly not spare these for the present. But, whatever be the issue of the campaign, Turkey will hold out to the last. And if Turkey be victorious, and the Russians come back next year, they will find the Turks three times stronger."

THE LONDON "TIMES" CORRES PONDENT ON THE ROTTENNESS OF OTTOMAN RULE.

[ | The London "Times" special war corres pondent Avith Mukhtnr Pasha's army, Avrit ing from Camp Kapri Kui, Armenia, on June J26th, says :—Naturally, since I have been here I have had many, Arery many opportunities of conversing Avith Turkish officers and men on the so-called Eastern Question, and the consequence is that, arriving in the country a strong Philo- Tui'k, deeply impressed with the necessity of preserving the "integrity of the Empire" in order to uphold "British interests," I noAV fain would cry with Mr Freeman " Perish India rather than one English soldier aheuld fall fighting for Turkey." lam fully aware that partisans of the Ottoman Empire maintain that avo should not be fighting for the Porte, but to keep open our communications with India, which would be seriously imperilled by the contiguity of such an aggressive Power as Russia. What did wc fight for in 1854, and what was the result, at a sacrifice of life almost unprecedented in our annals of warfare ? At a sacrifice of 100 millions of English money avc bolstered up an effete Power, and for 25 years alloAveu it to labour under the impres sion that we should always prop it up by our stalwart aid Avhen assailed. What has been the consequence? The upper classes have enriched themselves by sucking the life-blood of the lower; the country is in a state of bankruptcy OAving to its maladministration ; the officials buy their promotion Avith money extorted by threats and compulsion from the poorer community, and continue in office by the same means ; trade is at a standstill, and no man durst embark in a new venture ou account of the heavy fees demanded by every Government official as his OAvn private perquisite ; and although the actual Imperial taxation is small, and falls lightly on even the poorer classes, yet the power placed in tho hands of all Government servants is so enormous, and usually is so arbitrarily wielded, that the inhabitants groan under a yoke almost too hard to be borne.

The constant reports by our energetic Consul of the gross outrages committed on Christian villagers, and hi:; inability to ob tain adequate compensation ; the burning houHcs or Yuz Vairan, which we ourselves saAV on the 26' th ; and the deserted Arme nian hamlets all over these hills,point to the fuel; that oppression, .however much it may be denied by Constantinople officials, is openly "practised and connived at, at any rate by those in authority in Asia Minor, Several glaring eases hare come under my own personal observation, and. many more have been reported to me by the American Missionaries, and our own Consular officials in Erzeroum. Ido not for on" moment mean to'dony that there arc honest, ener getic Turks, capable of .exercising their talents for their country's good ; 'out these men are powerless. The vital powers of the n-ition arc so supped by centuries of mis rule, tlio minds of the majority are so Im bued Avith the belief that all ideas not born of Moslem brains and sanctified by Moslem usage are false and to be scorned, that were any honestminrled gentleman to rise to power and endeavour lo check the present system of misgoA-ernment he would not re main in office one week. After accompany ing n Turkish army in the field, after witnessing the privations of fhe men owing to the criminally faulty commissariat, arrangements, after seeing' fhe miseries of the Avounded—untended and uncarcd for— after hearing of as well ns seeing the oppression habitually exercised on Chris tians by all Mahomedans, after reading the history of the Ottoman nation, and after learning from the lips even of Turkey's staunchest supporters of the vacillation and weakness of her Ministers, I cannot help feeling that she is past redemption, and that any encouragement giA'en to her Avill only prolong the present struggle, afford Russia a pretext for further aggression, and make the blow when it does come fall the harder upon the misguided nation.

A HORSE FIGHT.

The "Times'" correspondent with the Russian army, Avriting from Mazra, gives the following description of a horse fight :— "As one passes over the space occupied by our camp one comes in succession upon regiments of Infantry, upon batteries of field guns, and Cavalry, Avith their horses picketed at the side. These last are perhaps the most interesting of all. In the first place, the mode of picketing the horses is strange. Posts are fixed in a long line at intervals of 20 yards, along Avhich a rope is stretched. To this rope the horses arc attached at so small a distance apart that in a distance of a hundred yards you will find as many horses. A smaller number of horses are sometimes attached to a rope, Avhich forms a circle of 20 yards diameter. Occasionally a horse Avill get loose. Re joicing in its freedom, it runs about to make acquaintance Avith its neighbours. It breaks in on one of these pickets. A general panic ensues. The horses cannot see Avhat is going on, and kick out violently ; then they get their feet entangled among the ropes. After this a scene ensues Avhich Avould bear any comparison Avith any fight of wild beasts Avhich has ever been seen or imagined. It is a real horse fight, and the combatants are tied together. Each one believes that it is his neighbour avlio has caused the entanglement of his feet. They bite each other; they tear at their ropes ; they rise up on their hind legs and strike at each other Avith their fore-feet like English boxers ; they kick and scream, and for some time no effort of their attendants can separate them. Blows are showered on them and stones are thrown ; but at first this only increases their rage. In some cases it is necessary to Avait until the com batants have exhausted themselves.

TURKISH REPORT OF THE RUSSIAN PASSAGE OF THE DANUBE.

THE London "Times" correspondent says the Turkish account of the resistance made to the passage of the Danube were of the most exaggerated kind. The Commander in-Chief telegraphed to the Minister of War :—" In fighting to prevent the passage ou>- troops displayed qualities worthy of all praise._ The battle lasted till noon the following day. The losses of the enemy amount to 4090 hors de com hat. If one can believe the stories told by the Russian prisoners, 21 cannon Avere thrown into the stream, though Ahmed Pasha mentions only six. The numerous Russian bodies floating near Rustchuck, as well as the saddled horses Avhich swam from Dikili- Tach to Maratin, amply prove that the eiieniA* has suffered considerable losses. We had 224 killed, 85 Avounded, and 31 missing." As the truth leaked out, the Commander-in-Chief was reprimanded from Constantinople. Two versions are given of Abdul Rerun's reply—one, that he did not expect the Russians to cross at that particular point; the other, that as the Ministry had intrusted him Avith supreme command, they Avere bound to retain con fidence in him ; that the Russians had not taken him by surprise, that he meant to give a good account of them, and that Con stantinople would hear next day of a big battle. The mass of the Turks probably

prefer to put faith in their oavii sources of information, especially as they are thus only asked to believe Avhat they wish. The most widely circulated of their news papers has the courage or coivardice, Avhich ever it is to be called, to publish the following account of the affair at Sistova :

"A certain number of Russians, in boats, have passed the river at Sistova. The Imperial troops were sent to Sistova, and succeeded, after a battle, in killing half the Russians, and throwing the other half into the river. This is the truth; all the reports which have been spread about Sis tova arc Avithout foundation, aud the work of enemies."

I give this a sample of the Avar news which the Turkish readers is expected to swallow, and Avhich the average Turk—the man in the streets —very possibly does swallow. He has a deep-rooted, venerable conviction that one Turk is a match for ten Russians, and even if he is made to under stand that the Russians are advancing is ready enough to belie**e that they are being tempted into a trap. Such explanations as that of Tie Commander-in-Chief are exactly suited to his palate. I have just heard on good authority that the Sultan telegraphed himself for an explanation of the Sistova affair, and yesterday received the reply that 4,000 Russians hud been killed in crossing. Whether this is true, or one of the usual inventions to throw dust in the Imperial eyes, Avill be placed beyond all doubt by the time this letter readies you.

EDGAR & CO.'S DYE WORKS.

The dyer's art is one of the greatest antiquity, and almost coeval with the institutinn of dress. In the first instance, as we all know, skins were the first articles of clothing ; and beyond question, very soon after the days of Adam, some method of variegating and giving effect to the dull colour of roughly-prepared skins was discovered. Within the last hundred years the South Sea Tslanders, who were brought to light by Cook and others, were found to be pretty far advanced in the rough part of the art ; and even the North American Indians, and later still, the more degraded, natives of the Australias, have been ascertained to pos sess a knowledge of methods of permanently colouring and ornamenting skins and their rough fabrications of opossum wool. Orna mentation of articles of dress, and a variety of colours constituting general harmony and pic torial e?ect, seems as natural to the human being as dress of some kind is to the "biped without feathers," —the head of all animated nature. The early Scriptures frequently men tion the art, and dye stuffs of the most costly nature are known to have been used as long back as the days of Abraham, by the Phoeni cians, and others. The famous Tyrian purple, for instance, had a world-wide reputation before Solomon's doys, and is now known to have been a secretion of a shellfish, each one of which only furnished a single drop, and Avas hard to be obtained. But the days of alchemy produced great changes, and saw vast dis coveries in the chemical art, of which the dyer's is a branch ; and some of the material now employed is more than .worth its weight in gold. Hut the methods of applying and economising the material, and of preparing the raw goods, have been so vastly improved that even stuff of this costly nature is now employed in some of the commonest fabrics. As an in stance in point, the beautiful colours now made from that abominable substance coal tar, such as mauve, magenta, solfermo, and other purples. Hardly a year passes without some great additions being made to the dyer's know ledge, and improvements in the manner of his practice of the art. .At the present time the dyer is a very differently qualified man from him of the olden time, and the exigencies of his profession compel him to he absolutely a competent practical chemist. A visit to the dye works at Cox's Creek will amply show this, and the different processes anl manipulations through which materia", lias logo, ami the skilful manner in which ii is { treated prove the proprietor to be thoroughly i conversant with every branch of his profession. The works are situated on the banks of a swiftly-flowing perennial stream of the purest water—almost chemically pure indeed, such being absolutely necessary to the clear and per fect development of bright colours. All neces sary appliances are there on a large scale. Boilers, vats, drying machinery, finishing appa ratus, and everything that can be imagined requisite for the re-constitution and renovation of a faded garment or the colouring of new material. But the vast quantity of material in the laboratory at once attracts attention, and the means of compounding and fabricating the mixtures necessary for the development of hues of every shade arc of a most elaborate charac ter. The cost price of some of the articles used is absolutely astounding, and could scarcely be credited by the uniniated had he not been favoured, as our reporter was, with a view of the invoices. Imagine for a small jar of some evil-looking, foul-smelling chemical compound necessary in some of the more delicate operations ; reflect that all dyes are of a similar expensive character when they are of first-class nature, and then wonder not at the shillings requisite to resuscitate the life of your old brown coat and restore it to its pristine state of black. Space will not permit of our giving details of the various operations carried out at these interesting and most com plete works. The distance is not far from town —just a nice morning's stroll-—and we have no doubt that persons possessed of an enquiring and philosophical turn of mind might employ a spare couple of hours much less advatageously than by taking a consti tutional walk to Cox's Creek works, into the mysteries of Avhich Mr. Edgar will, beyond question, be glad to initiate them.

A BENEVOLENT COUNTESS.

The London correspondent of the Cincin nati ' ' Commercial" Avrites : A very interesting, and at the same time unobtru sive, work has been going on in London through the devotion of a truly "noble" lady—the Countess Ebersburg. Some years ago this Countes3 lost her tAvo babies, and she then consecrated her fortune and life to the single Avork of saving the lives of children. As she began to examine the subject, she met Avith the statement that in England two hundred thousand children die annually under the age of 5, and of these 3 per cent die of preventable causes. She Avrote to the Registrar General to ask if this rate of infant mortality is really true and received confirmation of it. Then she set herself to the task of going around and A'isiting the poor and conversing with mothers. She found these poor mothers so hopelessly ignorant of the most primary laws of health, and if they kneAV them so entirely unable (from drudgery and poverty) to practice them, that she (the Countess) gradually felt her Avay to some kind of practical method. In the first place she Instituted weekly mothers' meetings, which might bo attended by those avlio were able, at which she gave them instructions in economizing their poor means, and in the kinds of food most nourishing, and answered from the best auth udties the mothers' questions as to treating their own aud their , children's ailments. The Countess is highly educated and quite able lo impart informa tion. As au illustration of hoAV minutely she studies the situation of these mothers, I may mention that she found that, in their de ire to make their little means go as far as possi file, they were pretty generally in the habit of buying a salt herring for breakfast, be cause it can be bought for a penny. But the herring makes the husband or son thirsty ; after it he goes and spends tAVO pence for beer. So she persuaded the mother that the herring is a delusive econ omy, and the instruction has been justified. The countess next drew upon her oavii means, and those of her friends, to provide malted-food extract, and similar things for ailing children, aud by spending about £400 a year in this Avay, saving many lives. The ill-spent, tear-blotted letters of grati tude showered upon her by grateful mothers are preserved by her as proudly as any Avarrior preserves the medals that reward his successful slaughters. No cry of mother or child has ever been unheeded. Grad ually she has extended her plans to include a children's retreat in the country for babies Avhose lives depend on a change of air, and a day nursery, where Avomen may lea\ c their children in good care while they

i are at work, lier Avork is uoav arranged in ! ( districts amid the poorest parts of London. aud she distributes some nine thousand pounds of baby food per annum. Instruc tion as to health is given in four differem centers. A great many leaflets containing simple sanitary instructions arc also dis tributed. The crusade of this gentle Countess against Herod, though it has at tracted no attention in royal circles here, seems to have been heard of elsewhere and the Empress of Russia last year sent the ■ Countess a donation for her Avork and a , warm letter of sympathy. The Grand i Duchess of Baden has this year done the \ same. If a few more ladies in Loudon i Avere to go and do likewise, especially those ! wealthy and titled ladies Avho, the physi- j clans say, are often .inA-alid« through sheer lack of interest in anything at all, the Reg- | istrar General's ugly statistics Avould soon show a change, and the annual massacre of | the innocents assume less frightful propor- j tions. It ia rather a singular example of the difference between the laws of cause , and effect in the physical and the moral j worlds that the death of two babes in a I home ol luxury should have led to the sal- j ration of many in the homes of poverty.

THE MUTUAL LIFE ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALASIA.

THE annual general meeting of the Mutual j Life Association of Australasia avus held at j the principal office, Sydney, on Wednes day, 29th August. The report sheAved that j during tiie last year 1030 proposals had been accepted and completed for £338,260, in i addition to 36 accepted prior to the 30th June, 1876, representing £10,250. These ■ new policies slioaa' an additional revenue i from premiums amounting to £12,314 3s. j lid. The policies of the Association in j force on the 30th June, 1577, were—2,S7s I assurances, amounting to £964,257 9s. 2d. ; j 233 endowments, representing £33,596 13s. I (id., and three annuities, £128. Total : ' 3,ll3policies, amounting to £397,982 2s. Sd., j producing an annual premium income of £34,481 lis. sd. The report says it is to be noted that tie- neAV annual premiums exceed by over 20 per cent, the £10,000 line which marks the rank of first-class offices in England ; the total premium I income has been increased by over 37 per j cent., mid the invested funds have received :■' an addition of nearly £19,000 since 30th : .June. 1576. The Chairman, in his speech . i moving the adoption of the report and j 1 balance-sheet, spoke thus of the Auckland ! J branch:—"Active work in New Zealand was discontinued in 1572 in consequence of j ] new legislation there imposing conditions \ ) which it Avas considered the Association Avas then too young to assent to. Five | 1 years had now elapsed, and on the con- ! 1 tinucd urgent representations of the Ncav j ] Zealand policy holders, it was decided at ' the end of 1876 to make a fresh start. The ! - business had been placed under the : management of a local Board or com- j J mittee of three at Auckland, and the ] directors were bound to acknowledge that the ; ; interests of the Association were being most j 3 carefully attended to by those gentlemen ; . £ and it Avas believed the branch AA-ould prove j i a valuable auxiliary to the Association's , f advancement." The Chairman stated that 1 the funds on the 30th June last amounted ' to £61,501 ; and at the date of the meeting i to £65,000, and the average rate of interest . < was 6 per cent. The report Avas adopted ' 1 unanimously, all present being evidently 1 pleased with the prosperous state of the (. Association. The Auckland agent is Mr . ( W. T. J. Bell (Ryan and Bell), Avhose i advertisement may bo seen elscAvhcre in i our columns. A feature of the Company is i thai its policies are indefeasahle from date j of issue, and contain no conditions as to 1 future occupation, residence, or cause of t death. The iicav offices of the Association < are at the corner of George and Wynyard- ; streets, and occupy one of the best business 1 sites in Sydney. They are of a handsome i aud commodious character, and convey a < very good idea of the prosperous business i transacted therein. . I

PRAYER ALA MODE.

.. i vo mo n n eye to otner s .amngs ouna— j diss Smith's ii-o'.v bonnet's quite a fright , behind!) ; Wake ms in charity- for the suffering poor— _ (There conies that contribution box again !) . ] Take from my soul all things coA-etoua— ; I'll have a shawl like that, or make a fuss!) j i Let love for all my kind my spirit stir— j i (Save Mrs Jones ; I'll never speak to her !) j j Let me in truth's fair pages delight— , t (I'll read that other novel through to-night!) • ] Make me contented with my earthly state— j _ (I wish I'd married rich ; but it's too late!) I r Give me a heart of faith in all my kind,— j (Miss Brown's as big a hypocrite as you'll find!) | Help me to see myself as others see— j (This dress is quite becoming unto me !) j Let me act out no falsehoods, I appeal— j " I wonder if they think these curls are real!) Make my heart of humility the fount— t (How glad I am our pew's so near the front!) s Fill me Avith patience and strength to -wait— s (I know he'll preach until our dinner's late !) r Take from my heart each grain of self-conceit— ( (I'm sure that gentleman must think me sweet!) Let saintly A'isions be my daily food— : (I wonder Avhat they'll have for dinner good!) Let not my feet ache on the road to light— (Xobodv knows how these shoes pinch and c bite!) , 1 In this world teach me to deserve the next— * (Church out! Charles! do you recollect the 1 text?) j j

c Queen Victoria has censured four t Avonien this year for appearing at court in i '' unbecoming" costumes. < Miss Corisande AA-as born only .aa*o years | earlier than her brother Tom. When Tom 1 AA ras 10 years old she gloried because she 1 Avas 12. When Tom Avas knoAvn to be 14 1 she confessed to SAveet 16. When Tom < proudly boasted of IS she timidly acknoAV- 1 ledged herself past 19. When he came : home from college AA-ith a moustache and a 1 A*otc, and had a party in honour of his 21st 1 birthday, she said to her friends : "What ' a boyish felloAV he is; avlio would think he i avus only a year younger than I?" And j when Tom declared he avus 25 years, and old enough to get married, she said to a gentleman friend : " Do you know, I feel savagely jealous to think of Torn getting married. But then I suppose tAvins always are more attached to each other than other brothers and sisters." And tAA'o years later, at Tom's vredding, she said Avith girlish vivacity to the Aveddiug guests. " Dear old ■ Tom, to see him married to-night, and then think how, Avhen he Avas only 5 years old, ; they brought him in to see me, his baby sister ; I wonder if he thinks of it to-night." You haA-e met Miss Corisande, probably. She lives hi your toAvn. Haberdasher (to assistant, who has had the " SAVop")—"Why has that lady gone Avithout buying anything ?" Assistant— "We haven't got what she wants." Haber dasher —" I'll soon let you know, Miss, that I keep you to sell Avhat I've got, and not what people Avant," Very niPOPTA_*T to all persons Avishing to furnish their house economically, to know that ihe greatest Variety of Furni ture and Carpets is to be seen at the City Hall Arcade. The proprietors have just added another large Slioav Room entirely for Bed-room Furnitue, where may be seen very handsome Cedar, Rimu, Mottled Kauri, Iron, and other Bedsteads; splendid assortment of Toilet Glasses, Sec, Sec Drawing and Diningroom Suites ready to deliver at a moment's notice. Upwards of 100 patterns in Carpets to choose from ; Tapestry, from 2s lid; Brussels, from 4s 9d ; Floor Cloths, from Is lid ; Ncav lot of Oil Canvas at 9d. HolloAvay and Garlick lay carpets and deliver their goods, free of charge, to any part of the' tOAA-n. Strangers and others are invited to Avalk through the "'Arcade" and see for them selves the_ quality and style of Furniture before buying.—[Advt.l Lace mittens for girls of the period are all the rage, and so long as the fashon is con fined to ladies of [the upper social sphere the price ot the delicate covering for the hands Avill remain high. Another prospect of a rise in silk conies in an announcement of a heavy frost in Japan in May, which killed many mulberry leaves, and sent up the value oi the remainder seve ral hundred per cent.

FARM AND GARDEN CALENDAR FOR OCTOBER.

i.'i.OAr BRETT'S AIAIAKAC] Flowei: Garden.—Now carefully at tend to m-v-ly-made luavus. Mow and roll grass wet-.-.y. Syringe overhead all recently ; planted trees and .-..rite., and carefully j mulch each, for this is the great secret, of j success in saving newly-planted shrubs ; .it retains the moisture, and protects tiie ! young rootlets from the scorching sun. , Cinerarias in frames shade, aud look eare j fully after slugs. The only plan is to i hand-pick them. Use lime "freely in the | bottom of the frame, and fumigate with 1 tobacco. Dahlias, harden off, 'and plant I out towards end of month. Roses, destroy aphis, which will be no«r very troublesome, iby applying tobacco-Avater with garden ■ syringe. _ Attend carefully to greenhouse. An occasional fumigating with tobacco will be requisite. Lime-white the wall, and Avnsh every nook aud cranny AA'ith a strong solution of Gishurat's Compound. Insect. life Avill now be very troublesome, and unless early checked your plants will become eyesores. Fruit Garden*.—This month nectarines and peaches will be it: full bloom ; thin out the flowers, leaving only the strongest, thus throwing the sap into one instead of two or three flowers, thereby producing a much heavier crop and unci" fruit. At the end of the month go over the trees and rub off any superfluous and weak growth, and pinch back any gross-growing Avood. Disbud vines; occasional waterings with liquid manure when fruiting. Stop ail strong shoots at a joint beyond the fruit. Strawberries Avill now he coming on : keep down weeds between the row's, aud mulch the entire surface with nice short clean litter, to prevent the fruit being spoilt by being splashed v tth the rains. Kitchen gaude-,..-- .Sow encumbers, melons (rock and water), vegetable marrow and pie-melons?. Tiie ground cannot be too well prepared for these; dig holes two feet Avide, and about a spade deep, filling the holes with good rich horse-dung, covering that, say AA'ith six inches of good, rich compost, consisting of garden soil and the top spit of an old pastur -. Beans, earth up young crops, pinch oil" the tops as they come in flower, sow broad Windsors for main crop. Beans (French), about the middle of the month sew for main crop; Sion house, pale dun, and negro, are the leading varieties'. Scarlet runners may noAvbesown. Broccoli, make a sowing at the end of the mouth. Snow's while o purple sprouting. Brussels sprouts should iioav be planted out from «eed bed. Cauli ilOAver, sow this month. _.:-:■ autumn crops, look over crop now coming ;•■, andfbreak the leaves, and cover with them the heads now forming, to protect from the sun. Celery, make a sowing for transplanting in December. Cress curled, sow in tiie open ground eA-ery three weeks. Leeks, trans, plant in well-manured trenches. Lettuce, plant out from previous sowings, aud soav another patch to come on in January. Parsnips, thin out advancing crops.' Radish sow red and white turnip: best for summer use. JSpinach,sow in a shady place, and thin out previous crop. Turnip, soav about the middle of the month, golden ball or orange jelly. Tomato, plant out against trellis, or Avails ; finest kinds aref President Grant, trophy, and large red. Keep the Dutch hoe going at every available oppor tunity, keeping the surface well stirred—a great preventative to laud cracking in very dry weather. FARM.—You Avill have plenty of work to do this month. ■ You may still plant more potatoes if tiie weather is not too dry. Now you Aviil have abundance of grass and feed for your cattle and sheep, Continue to sow maize, and pretty thick, for a green crop. You cannot do Avrong to have an acre or so of the best class of cabbages for both sheep and cattle, as they give a very good crop, and without any great trouble ; drumheads arc the best. Use every exer tion to keep your land free of docks and thistles. Grass may be sown this month, andalso linseed. Your sheep may be Avashed and sheared about the end of the mouth. Still look well to your fences and ditches, and. keep them in good order. There is much more trouble given where you have alloAved hedges, fences, or ditches to go into bad repair or become overgrown. With furze hedges, where you have them, it is a very good plan to run your plough five or six furroAvs by the side of the hedge, and thus grub up ail the young plants from the last year's seeding. Your dairy, if you haA'e one, will take up a good deal of your time, and Avill pay yon Avell if properly attended to, either for butter or cheese.

LETTER FROM EAST CAPE.

Waiapu.—Messrs. Farrell and Co., con tractors for the boiling down of the scabby dieep belonging to natives in this district, stopped operations on the 29th September, is they have finished the sheep in this district. Of course there are a few stragglers left, which the native owners could not get in, but these will be destroyed in the course of six or eight weeks. As the government officer of this district will make some satisfactory arrange ments with the native owners to destroy them, which they will be very glad to do, as they know they will lose them and get no recoin pence, for there are so many hungry Maori dogs which go hunting for food. I have known two Maori dogs destroy thirty sheep in one night. It is believed the contractors are not quite satisfied about the quantity they were to get. They were given to understand there would be from 20,000 to 25,000 sheep, which there is not. In September, 1876, from 23,000 to 25,000 sheep Avere shorn by natives in this district, Avithout counting the lambs, for, as a rule, the natiA-es do not shear the lambs. I account in this Avay for the sheep not amounting to the number tin? contractors expected. There have been more stolen and eaten by the Maories within the last nine months than there Avere for five or six years, owing to the Native Courts held here day after day, the natives stealing sheep, and dogs killing them. Of course it Avas Native Assessors tried the cases, as the- R.M. Avas very seldom ever troubled. When the natives first negociated with the Govern ment, they had upwards of 30,000 sheep. After tliey agreed to take the, Government price for them, they left off looking after their sheep, and that is how the sheep have dwindled down to about 16,000.

"Atlas" writes in The World: —ln a well known High-Church suburb of our metropolis, a considerable portion of its fair residents were a short time back attacked by a severe confes sional epidemic. Overtures on the subject were made by them to their church, by whom it -.vr.s supposed by the sufferers that they were re ceiA-ed, and favorable consideration t.o their prayer was obtained. Matters proceeded till at length an intimation was forwarded desiring four of the fair penitents to attend at a certain place and hour in the neighbourhood of the church of St. , it not being considered advisable by their spiritual a Ivisers, in deference to public opinion, to conduct the ceremony openly. This further mystery was, I need not add, thought to be delightful by the fair penitents ; but no small difficulty was caused by the command for a selected number of sinners only. We ali sin with the crowd, and we all acknowledge that -,ye are great sinners : hence a considerable difficulty arose. However, by a happy arrangement of the lap and the lot, this difficulty was disposed of. and the required number of deeply-burdened penitents' was obtained. These repaired at the appointed hour to the selected place, and were ushered into an extensive bare-walled room, at the far end of which stood two sturdy washerwomen, each armed with a huge birch.' These by voice ancb gesture announced that they were directed to administer absohiiio in extremis, and forthwith prepared to commence. The penitents screamed, .Avere allowed to flee, and fled. Who the perpetrator of this pious fraud has not yet been discovered, brat the fair portin of tha congregation of St. insist on attributing it to one of the younger curates, who holds orthodox views, and has, moreover, casta merry eye on the " Penitent Four " since the event. I need hardly add that he has been extensively scratched for the slipper race. This is very spiteful; but ah,, ma foi, the world is very wicked !

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