STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT.

AUCKLAND, N.Z, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1883,

RANDOM SHOTS.

[Bv Zamiel.]

_. write a neighbour's namo to lash, *""»writo-vain thought !-for needful cash, ____!« write to please thc country clash. Sow 0 And raise a din. *-rllie, an aim I never fash- For u'°' I write for fun.

__ -i_> I havre Possesse d myself of Harle fa'_ mag'o wancl iot ono trief Ilour ' anc* nedin at the tea-tables of three gentle- T ai"ht name, on that eventful day , ' j{ r Mitchelson's nomination to the r binet was announced, what revelations . jjtjnotmake ! Oneof the sweetest joys of the matrimonial state is that assurance of a poetic audience when ono feels he moist unburden his grief-laden heart or l ___• and was not this a family disappoint ont in which even the sisters and the osins and the aunts, to the third remove, ? No wonder the usually pug- Fciom Major ordered steam to be kept up •the ' Stella' and fled ere the news of H, ingratitude and audacity could get •rind. The business, however, was very ___h managed. It is a clever ruse, no Xjt to keep half-a-dozen members in nleased expectation on the eve of an import ant division, and to bluff them gently off Sat it is over; but to excite the legitimate fjmgj of one's friends only to dash them redely to *k* ground, and to expose Sjirlnmiliati-n to the gibes of the enemy, Snot good tactics. If Major Atkinson had used les« diplomacy and appointed an Auck land member straight off without fishing aLt until the whole thing became ludi crous he would have given losh offence. When a man is doomed to extinguishment there is nothing like sudden death.

XXX ■ Qf the appointment itself, one may say it is meculfttive; but Major Atkinson, who is an Sd politician, has ventured his reputation f tor sagacity upon it—and this is saying a mod deal lor the chances of its turning out SSI Then the chief objection one hears __ jj^jply Mr Mitchelson's want of oratorical ' •Lfer—not his shrewdness, his business .Lc-ty, or his integrity : these are unim oesched. Well, vast capacity for spouting is : modenough in its way, but the New Zealand parliament is already pretty well furnished ' with blatherskites, whose "Mr Speaker" is •emonsible for more profanity and raw whisky in the Press Gallery than all the other devices of Parliamentary boredom put together. England has its blind Postmaster- Gsneral, and we have heard tellof exemplary deaf and dumb wives : why not try by way of novelty, a silent Cabinet Minister ? The wutitrynas been howling about tho "ex uberant verbosity "of the House—its "all yt and no work;" and now when a Minister is appointed beoause he is all work and no talk, soma people complain that it & not the other way. Tho rising sun, how ever is certain of his worshippers, and .hoald Mr Mitchelson's administration tno oat a success, the cavillers of twlny will tell everybody that thoy always lud gaid there was the right metal in him. _i very moderate amount of genius will . airy a man bravely along, if he ' Jbts only the more substantial endowments of wealth or power, and it is marvellous hew the most unpretentious member on the floor of the House blossoms into a full-blown statesman when seated on the Ministerial benches. The new Minister's virtues have already grown wohdrously in general estimation. Tho aim for delicate flattery, however, mustbo warded te tho "Northern Advocate" (published at Whangarei, in Marsden elec torate); which the day after the choice had been made, published an articlo advocating ; . io local member's claims, and then tacked Jhefollowing to the bottom in a footnote:— "Since the above was in typo we learn that MrHitchelsonhas been appointed." Por i tounialistic prescience and enterprise I loa't think this has ever been boaten in Australasia.

Guy Fawkes' Day, for some reason which JiM quite beyond thescope of my philosophy, lug this year been observed with more than tie usual eclat (handy word, that eclat, it ~'«____' for anything or everything). For a ■;'ijeek past there has been an unprecedented ,: .''ran"upon the local vendors of fireworks, refuae heaps were ransacked for materials wherewith to construct "Guys," apd com bustible materials were colled ed from all .nutters to form gigantic bonfires. On Monday night the city was for three hours girdled by fire, while the youthful section •of the community held their annual satur ;"'.;U-la of firing crackers, squibs and rockets, to the accompaniment of gleeful shouts and merry laughter as the "dummy" figures of the infamous gunpowder plotter wore :,_o__igned to the flameß. On overy hill-top ; Hawa a/beacon fire, like thoso which our forefathers lit to convey tidings of the -jroroaeh of the Armada, and from every ag-Uy smoke and flame ascended, forming a picture not unlike that which the Jewish Gehenna must have presented. "Zamiel" .was'once young himself—a fact which he Ihopea lie will never forget, for he believes with Dr. George Macdonald—

.' "Better than Manhood, Age's face, - If the heart be of a boy."

:He has enjoyed the sports of boyhood, and has no wish to rob the new generation of _op__a of enjoyment; but he is soberly of opinion that the Guy Fawkes celebration is qnite out of place in New Zealand. Bishop «Hide__M long ago uttered the devout payer, "God grant that we nor ours ever hre to see November the fifth forgotten or we solemnity of it silenced." Though a goodChnrchman, I must be a dissenter from - that sentiment. There are a dozen events >» our national history more worthy to be - held in everlasting remembrance than a awreteheid bungling plot, not more diabolical in its intention than the commonest Fenian wnspiraejr of the present day. Apart notn the inadvisabilfty of elevating such a miserable affair into one of undying Wnient, and making a perpetual execution of ths most execrable Fawkes.it is unworthy of the advancement and liberality of our a jpfhat we should keep religious animosi ; tiei alive by an annual flaunting of the ' apposed delivery of Protestant England ™m Popish dominion. The prayer in we Liturgy which gave thanks for "the Wpy deliverance of King James I. a™ the three estates of England from tho S£»t notorious and bloody intended ■Msßacre by gunpowder," has been long expunged; and it is not creditable that jayuten should be so far behind the clergy to forget an unlovely episode of ™_i- as rancour. If the money and energy fended on the useless mummery of this Jew-ration were but directed into a useful Tyujel, much practical good might result, M _ the children might have their fun apart

from the associations. But alas ! Custom is stronger than common sense or Christian charity, or both combined; and even in this free land, men yield themselves willing slaves to its sway. Cogitating thus, " Zamiel's " thoughts have crystallised into verse, and in which he records his protest against the senseless ceremonies of the fifth of November:—

GUY FAWKES' DAY, 1883.

" No longer remember the Fifth of November, Gunpowder Treason and Plot; I see good reason why Gunpowder Treason Should here be all forgot!" Old Rhyme (slightly altered).

.That mean tho shouting, hurrying and com motion,— These rockets, making flower-plots in the sky,— Thoso lurid flames that hang o'er earth and ocean. And shamo the virgin moon that shines on high?

Are these the signalß of impending danger, Or wurm expressionsof a poople s joy- Beacons to warn that ah invading stranger Comos to our shores to plunder and desti oy ?

No; for we live in days of peace and plenty- No foe against us rears his warlike crest; No royal nuptials or triumphal entry Awakes tumultuous gladness in the breast.

Tho fifth November once again returning, Recalls the history of a trying timo; A hundred "Guys' mid execrations burning, Show our remembrance of intended crime

But. not romombrance only! Each November, When we at blazing bonflros play a part, We teach our sons old hatreds to remember,

And nurse revengeful foclings in the hoart.

This mimic burning which they follow koonly, Will they not seek its history to know— The reason why they estimate so meanly Tho sham Guy Fawkes, and why they burn him so.

The hideous facts we tell them as a duty, And thus religious prejudice we teach; Then quote Christ's precepts, full of truth and beauty, Of love, forgiveness, friendship osch to each!

Vain mockery of aught like Christian spirit! Practice and precept quito unreconciled . Oh I better far if the dead Past were buried, And gentle Love displaced thoso hatreds wildl

AVo blame tlie cruel deeds of ages olden— The rack, tlie thumbscrew, and tho fiery stake And prato about the glorious Future golden. When mon shall all such fearful acts forsake.

And yet we bind our sons with Hatred's fetter.

And wake ronicinbrunee of a wrong long dead. Well to forget it; to forgive wero better,

And thus heap flro upon the fooman's head!

From all which it will be seen that I take a serious view of what many of my readers may consider a very trivial matter. I know some excellent though nervous people whose objection to the observance is that they fear their house may be burnt down ; but that would be a light calamity compared with the baleful fires which are lit in youth ful bosoms—fires which may smoulder long and at length burst forth In somo such frightful form as the Gunpowder Plot itself, which was the outcome of religious enthusi asm. The thoughtful reader who has thus far perused these remarks will probably have rightly concluded also that "Zamiel" is no Orangeman, nor doos he think that there is any imminent danger of "I lonian Catholicism becoming the dominant power in New Zealand," through tho agency of assisted immigration and Catholic teachers in public schools.

Life insuranco agents aro usually lookod upon as the most insufferable bores in exis tence, and consequently I may be pardoned for assuming that few, even if any, of my readers will object to hoar how an unsophis ticated canvasser was victimised the other day by several youths, whose penchant for practical joking was displayed at the ex pense of their tormentor. They wore doing a quiet bit of cricket practice in a secluded corner of the Domain whon tho insuranco man camo along. With an eye to the main chance, ho approached his victims, busily calculating meanwhile on the commission derivable from a big stroke of business. But they didn't take kindly to his proposals, and gravely assured him that life was not so un pleasant as to cause them to make provision for departure from it. They recommended him to call some othor day, but as business was dull and competition brisk, he deter mined to work the patch out whatever the cost might be to the feelings of his listeners. Commencing with the terrible uncertainty of human life, hq discoursed graphically on tho possibility of sudden death from tho blow of a cricket ball, tho probability of a fatal attack of fever or mumps.and thelikelihood of death by drown ing during a Sunday afternoon trip to the North Shore. A lengthy catnlofnio of possibleor impossible casualties was rhymed off, and cricket was, of course, at a Btand-, Still.

Now for tho punishment. The hair of the listeners gradually bristled, and, meta phorically speaking, stood upon end, but not with fear at the prospect of immediate dissolution. Indignation at tho unwar rantable interference with their game reigned supreme, and they determined at once to be revenged, and to put an end to the everlasting chatter of the bore. He venge is said to possess a peculiar sweetness of its own, and in this instance it was deci dedly effective. The wink was tipped, and w>th a singular unanimity, which should have aroused suspicion, the youthful cricketers admitted the force of the sermon to which they had been listening, and ex pressed a willingness to be taken. The insurance man wiib in ecstacies, and, with a verdant simplicity which was perfectly charming, he proposed to conclude tho business on the spot. A moment later an amiable friend was trotting briskly to the Hospital for the loan of pen and ink, and these having been borrowed, he proceeded to fill up the proposals. Five hundred pounds each was the amount agreed upon, and the forms having been prepared, were duly signed. So delighted was the "life taker" With his apparent success, and so gratifying was the prospect of liberal com mission, that he piloted his young friends to the nearest pub, and stood drinks all round. But the melancholy part of the story was that not one of the acceptors went near' the medical officer for examination. Of course, the Bix-feet-threo-incheß of unsophisticated insurance agent sought an explanation con cerning "thereason why,"buthe wasgravely assured by each in succession, " Very sorry, mister, but I am going off in consump tion." Toa many " consumptives," how ever, spoiled this little ruse, and the agent is now busily engaged hunting up his cus tomers at their places of business, and threatening each with condign corporal punishment unless he chooses to adhere to i his part of the bargain. Meanwhile the whole story has managed to get abroad, and the insurance man is being badly chaffed as the victim of a practical joke at the i hands of half-a-dozen graceless youths.

Theprosecution commenced by theSociety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

against a carter for over-crowding a load of dead sheop has been eclipsed by a grave and blood-curdling scandal, which, doubt less out of a discreet regard for the Society's funds, has been suppressed. A gentleman having oceasion to visit those commodious Chambers where the oilice of the Society is located, was horrified by a spectacle wliich my weak descriptive powers can do very poor justice to. A diminutive office boy, by one of those cunning devices which spring up like garden weeds in the virgin soil of the boyish brain, had captured an unoffend ing and innocent mouse, to the tail whereof he had attached a piece of twine. Passing the end of this hempen suspender over the handle of the Society's office door, at the very moment when the Gommittee were de liberating on rigorous measures against the oppressors of dumb creatures, the delin quent, with an expression of intense delight upon his beaming countenance, was wiling away the dull time by hoisting and lowering his victim, occasionally giving it a little run and bringing it up short by its caudal ap pendage. Having regaled himself with this sport,the little boy rewarded mousey for the fun he had given by allowing him to escape and play havoc with the Society's records. Perhaps some of my gentle-hearted readers will exclaim against the inherent cruelty of boy nature, while others of that sex to whom a mouso is the most horrid of crea tures will marvel at tho intrepidity of this white-headed juvenile. But what is his sport, or what tho cruelty of the cat which Elays with its little victim, to the monstrous rutality of those " gentlemen sportsmen " who cart out tame pigeons in boxes for the f un(!) of seeing the poor creatures fluttering in their death agonies from wounds indicted by their ruthless hands.

I am not very often affected by stories of love's follies, the onerous and literary duties of my avocation having a tendency to make me serious and austere. Nevertheless, there is still a little of tho old iiro of sentimen talism in my nature, and this has lately been fanned into a flame by something in the amorous line which was related to me. It is as follows :—A lady in Auckland who has been looked upon for at least a quarter of a century as thoroughly opposed per sonally to matrimonial affairs, lias actually becomo smitten with the tender passion ! Of all ladies, this ono has been regarded as tho most staid ; and tho mere montion of the fact that she has so far lost herself as to havo boon "caiurht" by one of tho-o stern and repulsive creatures—a man—will shock thoso who follow her previous course of " old-inaidism ;" indeed, it has already done so with thoso who havo learned tho fact. But it can't bo helped : theso things will happen ; nnd one lesson to be drawn from this affair is to impress the truth of those lines of Shakspero :

" With caution judge of possibility; Things thought unlikely, e'en Impossible, Experience often shows us to be true."

What makes this courtship more amusing is the fact that tho lady's worse-half (I sup pose this is right; for if the lady is tho botter-half, it "stands to reason," as the philosophers say, that man must bo tho worse—not worsor—half) is 15 years oldor than horself, and is crowned with that crown of glory, grey hairs ; in fact, the fientleman is said to bo 04, while his young ndy is ~0. Tho beauty of tho concern, too, is that tho pair aro as ardent as younger persons usually prove. Thoy may bo regularly seen taking their afternoon walk, and indulging in tho pleasantries of the engaged, All this amounts to nothing moro than a revolution on tho lady's part; for _o opposed was sho previously to tho intermixture of tho sexes that it was almost provorbial. However, I wish the young couple success, and cite thoir case as nn encouragement to the disconsolate to tako courage for their own prospects; for it is evident, notwithstanding tho assertions of bachelors and "jilted" persons, that there is something in courtship and marriage after all.

In a prosperous community like that of Auckland, thc frequency with which the Police Court has its attention occupied with cnsos of wifo desertion must bo regarded as a phenomenon of a peculiarly unsatisfactory character. The old adage, " Marry in haste and repent at leisure," is all vory well in ordinary talk, but in most of these unhappy cases tho greater part of the re iientnnco seems to be ou tlio feminino sido. to doubt many men marry on insufficient means, but if both parties were to struggle on hopefully, making reasonable conces sions, aud loyally helping and encouraging each other, fortune would, sooner or later, *Binile on them, and thoy might ultimately find a way out of their difficulties. Tho husband, howevor, in numerous instances, boliovcs in his beer, nnd will havo it, showing no manly disposition to faco his difficulties. His beer cannot be dispensed with, and his comparatively small earnings only reach his wifo after having boon sadly diminished at such places as the "Topers Head" or the " Larrikin's Nest." It is not only the newly-married, however, who desert, or aro deserted, nor is it exclusively the unskilful and ill-remunerated workmen who run away from their wives. A very large proportion of defendants in the main tenance cases which como beforo the Court belong to tho better-paid clnsscs of society. They are men who can always command abundance of employment, and it is ques tionable whether tho general prosperity is not a positive calamity to them in that they become discontented with their lot and seek for new pleasures and increased liberty of action ; or perhaps the wife, no longer in her first youth, has lost tho bloom and freshness that attracted the husband's early regard, and in the more abundant leisure he has gained by the limitation of his hours of labour, he finds tho necessity for a larger amount of recreation, and seeks it too often in the society of women younger and fairer than she whom he once promised to leve and cherish ; and as his means will not suffice to keep up what should be his homo in addition to dallying with his fair enslavers, he must choose between the two, and his choice too often falls upon thc latter, while tho outraged wife, the mother of his children, is abandoned to her own resources,' or the tendermercies of a cold world—cold enough in most cases.

number of written pages, it is impossible to tell who wrote which. Now, this is just thc mischief of the whole business. It is, of course, a good thing to write legibly and with stylo, but it is an evil for every body to be writing tlie same style. Just think what inconvenient results might happen. It is my misfortune, let us suppose for illustration's sake, that I write just like Bill Stubbs, and that Bill possesses my style to admiration. He one day gets hold of my cheque-book, and in a fit of abstrac tion signs my name to the bottom of a cheque or two. T))fy bank teller is deceived, as Bill is __ch an ex cellent copyist, and lam robbed. This is the first evil consequence. Presently, perhaps, I find out the little manceuvre on examining my pass-book, and then it goes hard with Bill, who feels the sharp edge of unhappy result No. 2. Now.all this might havo been avoided had neither of us, or only one cf us, ever set eyes on that diabolical "compendium "—no offence to the adver tising " Gaskell," for I am only supposing. If Stubbs and myself had been taught to write naturally, had our native bent been guided and formed, these unlucky incidents would never have happened. For lam per suaded that there is a natural bent and manner in handwriting,' which is subject to the law of heredity, as well as so many other things. In tho caligraphy of many families there is a recognisable similarity, traceable through moro than one genera tion.

This striving after a villainous and impossible uniformity is bad enough in Gas kell, but what are wo to think of tho Board of Education which has declared that all the boys in the public schools must write ex actly like tho examples set in Vero Foster's copy-books, or bo plucked in their Standard examinations ? Yet lam authoritatively informed that the Inspectors absolutely attempt to carry this rule into force, in spite of the remonstrances of teachers. Now, what is sauce for tho goose is sauce for the gander, and I would suggest to tho Board that it should pluck every member of its staff who does not come up to tho standard which has been arbitrarily laid down for their youthful wards. Do tho Inspectors, tho Secretary, or tho teachers write Vorc Foster, or could they if thoir lives depended upon it? I guess not; thou why expect it from tho boys ? Tho Auckland educational authorities aro tho only ones iu tho colony, and probably in tho world, who have soriously insisted upon such an absurd rule.

Though I havo formerly alluded to tho now famous New Zealand colt in thiscolumn, no ono will grudge me another shot with tho doublo-barrelled Martini-Honry. Ho is still the hero of tho hour—tho all-absorb ing topic of conversation all over tho Aus tralasian colonics. His victories havo cast into tho shade all local subjects; and oven tho burning question of annexation and tho heart-burning question of tho Irish Convention at Melbourne aro toin[)oraiily eclipsed. Whon tho Auckland-bred colt won the Derby, it came uron many pcoplo as a " boil - over;" but his really splendid and bona fide performance in that nice mode tho doublo a " moral " for him. The " books," badly bitten by tholirst event, havo been quite demoralised by the second victory ; but it will doubtless impress upon them the useful lesson not to undervalue in futuro tho aunlity of our New Zealand thoroughbred stock. Our colony is beating the older colonies of Australia in every sphero in which competition is possible Our frozen meat fetches Id to 2d per lb. more in London than theirs ; ourfootbnllors beat their team hollow ; a Now Zealander has given " slops " to their champion " walkist," and now a New Zealand horse casts all theirs into the shade. In ono rospoct I must own, they claim to bo ahead of us, nnd that is in the matter of big land-jobbing transactions, nnd this supremacy I nm quite willing to concede them.

To return to our horse-flesh, however. Next to tho " books," tho Spiritualists havo been most completely sold by Martini- Henry. Moro than a month ago, tho " Herald" gave the "straight tip " for tho Melbourno Cup to its reader^, and especially thoso of tho Spiritualistic porsnasion, on tho authority of a couple of clairvoyant " mediums." According to tho vory likoly story told by your contemporary, a person at To Aroha, whilo under tho influence of " the spirits," foretold that First Domon would win the Melbourne Cup this year. Of course, the medium did not know any thing about horse-racing, or that tlioro was such a horso as that named; but the " spirits " know all about the subjoct, wero deeply interested in it, nnd camo from thoir " mansions abovo " —or below—to enlighten frail humanity concerning it. To tho believers in modern revelation this was quite sufficient, but tlie " Herald " clinched it with " confirmation strong as Holy Writ," by adding on its own authority thc testimony of a certain Ponsonby medium that he also had had a " rovolation " that First Demon would carry off tho Cup. Ir reverent critics might suggest (as tho ancient Jows reasoned on a notable occasion) that tho spirits "tipped" a demon by tho powor of tlemons;" but such a theory was scouted by the faithful, who to a man backed tho opinion of their "spiritual guides," and laid their money on the prince of devils. A high authority has said, " Put not thy trust in princes," and the credulous Spiritists who have " dematerialised" a goodly pile on the demon leador (who was vory far from leading in tho race) will probably pay moro attention to the precept in future. Another good formula which thoy too often forget (but which the gentleman stocking his wine-cellar pays heed to) is that which enjoins us to " Try the spirits." These sporting spirits of Te Aroha nnd Ponsonby havo been " tried" and found considerably under proof—though the incident is full proof—that is, proof of tho utter unreliability of the "Herald's" sporting prophet and his spiritual "touts."

A rather amusing story has been related In certain American periodicals ono sees to trie at tho expense of a dealer in tapes advertised " Gaskell's Compendium " for and calicoes, who, it would appear, has not teaching writing. The " compendium," I yet thrown in his lot with the Blue Ribbon believe, contains instructions and set copies, or Salvation Armies. His premises, like which the student has to follow and imitate, most other places, require sweeping out "Gaskell," the presumable Instructor-in- occasionally, and tho small boy who was Chief, publishes also specimens of tho wont to perform this very necessary opera caligraphy of his most successful pupils, tion at an early hour every morning, was about which there is a remarkable family in tho habitof layingthe dust by sprinkling likeness. They all copy the exemplar so the floor with water from a bottle. Thus closely that thoy all seem to write alike, it came to pass that on one eventful day the Tom Jones might have signed Jack Smith's small boy had great difficulty in finding his name, and vice versa, for the style is watering-bottle, and he determined to identical. Idiosyncrasies seem to have search diligently until he found it, for he been merged altogether, and, given a well knew that were he to sweep the floor

without laying the dust there would ht> "an awful shine." His perseverance at length discovered a bottle carefully stowed away in a corner near his employer's desk, and. seizing it eagerly, he whipped out the cork and|scatteredaboutapint of tho watery-look ing contents over the shop floor. Then that boy paused, a guilty look overspread his youthful countenance, and he impiously ejaculated, " Good Heavens ! whisky." He put tho bottle away after carefully corking it up, sincerely hoping that his employer would never find out what had happened. In a few minutes tho "boss," who had been out for a short ramble, stepped into the shop and commenced sniffing vigorously. He looked all round, then fixed his eyes on the floor, and just when the boy had given up all hope of escaping punishment, he said, " Pooh, what a terrible smell of gas !"

Three weeks ago,in noticing the lamented deatli of Professor Denton, I mnde allusion to the fact that since his visit here he had been currying on psychometric investiga tions through tlie agency of a number of clairvoyants, and that one of tho band was p local resident. It may now interest my readers to know that this personage, who is a respectable, elderly gentleman in the lower walks of life, with no pretension to educational attainments, bnt gifted with much shrewd, common sense, lias placed in my hands for review the letters he has re ceived from the deceased geologist. They range in date from August, ISS2, till June, 1 SS.I, and appear to have followed each other at short intervals—in many cases two having been written the samo week. Pro fessor Denton was occasionally sending over 'specimens for the psychometrist's investiga tion, the lines of research pursued having reference : (Ist) To the fossils in Kent's Cave in Devonshire ; (Hud) The cause of the glacial epoch in the world's history ; and (3rd) Tlie primitive history of Egypt. A few extracts from these letters will suffice to show their general tendency, and may, at the samo time, engage a certain amount of public interest.

Writing on September 4th, Professor Denton nays: "I am delighted with your last descriptions. Their accuracy surprises me, accustomed as I am to such examina tions. lam desirous to know what was tho cause of tho cold of the icy time, and what caused it to disappear ? " This information he evidontly received, for on October 12th he writes : " Your description of tlie com mencement of tho glacial epoch is very graphic. I havo all thc notes I took of your examinations and all you have sent me.and 1 intend to write a volume embodying them and other examinations. On October 30th ho makes further reference to his literary intentions, and also says: "You have tho right idea. You uro recording the history of tho raco that onco inhabited what is now England, in a timo more ancient than the historian has dared to dream of." On Novomber Bth, ho reverts to tho glacial theme, nnd remark.! "I am delighted with what you havo dono, and I think you aro right about tho fall of a meteor being tbe grand cause of the icy timo. The meteor or comet was, in my opinion, the cause of the terrible storms and change of climate. Mrs Denton saw it strike the earth, and Sherman (his son) described the storm His descriptian is in the second volume of 'The Soul of Things.'" From Melbourne, on December 4th, ho writes to say that his promised volume would not bo got out till ho reached England or the United States, as it would mako a bigger book than he had anticipated.

After this como the researches in Kent's Cave, and of the local psychomctrist's dis closures, Professor Denton is pleased to say that ho had scon a great deal more than I'cngelly, the author of a learned book oa the subject, had yet dreamt of, besides sur mising in a subsequent letter that a man whom my elderly friend professed to havo seen making nn examination of the cave was none other than Pengclly himself. On January 30, ISB3, ho writes : " In Nov. 10 you refer to a sight of tho sun when it looked liko a dish of molten fire, but had no reflection. If you havo a chanco again I wish you would examine that carefully. See if there is any fog. If not, try to dis cover the cause of this peculiar appearance, and give all tho light upon it that you can." In further communications thoro are re ferences to primitive types of men that had been seen, to huge mammals, and so on.

About March Inst the study of Egyptian history scorns to have been entered uiion, for on tho loth of that month, writing from Brisbane, Professor Denton says :—" What I am desirous that you should do is to find tho timo when the Pyramid [of which a specimen had boon sent] was built. Watch and describo tho process, but not very mi nutely. Find tno King of tho time and follow him to his death and burial ; but not in groat detail. Find his successor—be careful that you do not lose tho thread— and follow him and his successor, nnd thus come down the stream of Egyptian history. Describe what you see that is most interest ing from reign to reign." Then, in Inter lotters, tho patient and unlettered explorer is informed that a certain granite e_ifice he had seen was a sarcophagus; directions are given for recognising tho King ; his state ments that many of tho stones for thc Pyramids were quarried on tho spot and that somo camo from a distance nro en dorsed; and pleasure is expressed with cer tain inlormntion about tho model of the Pyramids and the raising of tlie massive stones to their positions. The Professor also states that the information will bo of great value to his clairvoyant friend by giving him "a knowledge of the history of Egypt and of surrounding nations such ns no other man will possess." Writing from Townsville (Queensland) on May 28, the unfortunate gentleman foreshadows the fateful journoy to New Guinea, saying, "Wo are slowly making our way North. Thursday Island (Queensland) will be our address for some time, as we intend to go from there to New Guinea and return."

The last letter was sent from Townsville on June 17, and expresses sati..f..i-lioii with the data forwarded him re the building of the Pyramids. Wo know the melancholy ondingto theNewGuineaoxpedition. It was commenced early in July, and on tho Slitli of August Professor Denton succumbed to an attack of malarial fever. His psycho metric labonrs aro doub.lcssincomplcto,and their value remains to bo proved. Possibly both ho and his assistants were the victims of some strange hallucination; but the par ticulars I have heard, if true, would seem to suggest tho idea, that the world is on the eve of a discovery of unparalleled value—a discovery which would lot in a flood of elec tric light upon the hithorto impenetrable haze of the past, and solve for ever our spe culations regarding the genesis of things.