A Tour of the South Pacific.

,-nr CUMATS. RBSOUKCE3. * "•"■"JSwTaHP people of the ! bUU.dTradc^NottoDolt. ? i BO toß into a description of the I Bi roßKp.ang1 B ch . ef porfc of whioh : NiK° ißecureiyanchorf ! Iltft r , pJr yl ai tepUtl«-let me narrate :! Dl^i e9 tone 3 tUtbegailedth 9 WooCTtbe W T9les °f "the I tedlt" n,, . tl)e Tahitiao women, the chos" ; Samoa ladies, or the mingled at ! trflCfiT 9 « o«nat0«nat ; b at trhen "trade. 1 f'Ztin** W ear '" C°Cked> "^ : " ar . lur.ive fumbling* far pen ' Ti»d noto-book, in order that <he " , of wisdom may be treasured up. i *oti' " hurc h delegate toll, with : «• KCto the experience of .gentle i r jampliflntS u- Ca . terbur y, to show the """j "mlv lucrative nature of the Island ffOf rTigon«e>nan had sent a little-.0. trade. LalsJ cruise through the Islands "*£. tabS« with the native*. The w engage ■ in t]jat wlth]n fl month """i tto Sel *M back t0 f p°, rt WUh/ 520 Ol.wtMves- f the ds ro _ ffort h of copra .no^i CODCede fe d to be a ; BoUiogon "?^°- !n ord er to temper- the • W I^ligtaiuiof our Canterbury friend, "Hhe of o« party tell, the amusing Wf-Ltractiv* exparienc-9 of certain ""'m nd ikippers. of these gentle i ildlj S»" irabibed the idea ! T* the reel feathers in the tail of i "bo'sni bird "were worth half a-crown •• ; o the Auckland market, and ac ffiy be.rt«U with hamper. d«ly e «red for the purpose of packing hi* Sr» and landed on one of the least Stad Elands, where the gaudy *ird KiSfal. Her. with Ins crew, he ,lt throe weeks in shooting, snaring, and • nther ways capturing the silly bo suu L the bright red feathers being carefully ftdaddVcked^vay With bosom PSL. high the captain embarked wrth his 2taU which he calculated would Sim £1000 at least; but his hopes foil blwzero wb«n, on oftenns hn feathers I L Auckland merchant*, he found they «« almost TaUielaw. »nd he was S lad to It rid of them at any c pncej noth, er U-m«ster in the art of conducting the Und trade was cited in ilUstration of "ho* not to do it." Durinjr ono of his mvjzts this ancisat manner called at a cer tain M»ud to trade, but, to the surprise of to mite and crew, he almost immediately ieaatai without doing any business, and mUII , a a for Apia. There he purchased „ immense lot oJ pots, jars, and musjs, ■uch aa »re nsed in the beche-do-mer trade, md with these on board, sot tho vessel amjn on her course for the island he had so abruptly left AH this was carried out with theutmoifc secrecy, not even tho mate know init what particular little game the skipper bad dropped to. On again reaching the ■ island, blank consternation was depicted on ihaciptain'i bluff wage. Concealment was no longer possible, so, calling the mate, ho liked, "Where the hara nil -the tiih. gone to 2" " What fish ?' was the Terr natural albeit decidedly Scottish answer totnaquestion. "Why. thebeche-do-mer, ofcourtt/'replied the captain. "There were millions of them on the reef and lagoon when *8 were here before, and now there's ! BO t the shadow of ono to be seen !'' The ; Utter fact was nndoubted. There was not ivutiKe of the ugly sea-slug which delights Owepicuresof the Flowery Land, and which foittioneof the most profitable exports of ! tha Pacifle Wands ; but what was more sur prising, th» mate and crew averred that then never were any of the "fish "visible there! Certain uncharitable people have goat the length of asserting that tho tipliiswii subject to a peculiar kind of bines," in which myriads of buchode mor siifj before his distorted rision, in the am w»y »s rats, spiders, and rermin lorsini the areraga landsman in the "tears;" bat howsoe'er tlieso things mj.lm, h« returned from thattrip empty- Ked, and with rather confiued notion.-) on toe snbject of tha profits of Island trad jig. By contemplating auch failures as tee ire, the minds of tha commercial delegates gradually propired for the recep tion of positive knowledgo and beneficial hints on tin engrossing business which they hive on hand.

TONGA.

It) People, Politics, and Commerce. The Toqga group of islands, situated isttMa 18 s 2'-and 22* 52' south latitude, % leirer to Atiekland than any other raup of any magnitude—tha distance (dag" about 1,120 miles. The group is nbdirkied into three mintr groups, named ifter tbi principal island of each—the Tongjfcsbu, Haapii, aid Vavau groups iMpectirely. The seat of Government is at Nukualofa, tho port ofTongatabu, into which the Nbw Zealand mail steamer Janet NM qnittly stemmed on the morning of Friday, 28th June. The scenery at the entrance to Nukualofa, and in the town itself, i» nniqoe, but by no mßins striking or picturesque. With the exception of Eoa, formerly referred to, the different islands rtich dot the ocean a^o a? level as tables.' Tongataba looks like a great shaggy parallelogram sketched on a light green-tinted background; and various islets, front a lev hundred yards in circum fereiiM np to eereral- mile?, appear li^s floating nard»ns, as miraculous as those . hanging bowers which were the pride of Babylon. Brerywhere is the cocoa palm, toijejin^in rtately beneficence, s continual (Ounceu£ wealth to the natives. The most Jtriiin(s feature of the extended landscape ,Btbetowaof Nukualofa itself, is it liei ■ itretched »ut for tyro miles or more along s<a beach. The royal palase, the . ipwchai,. tlje - Government offices, the qjllegw, and stores, well-built, and in all the glory cf pure whitewash, present a (ietor^bich is doubly pleasing because totally niaipected. They mast bo no ordi ■fiiij people - tt)oso Tgngnns —to lave raejg^tfon.a state of perfs.p.t savagery and tftajjed to the hieh stage of ctvilieatipD : plcltth.ey evidently occupy. Sappose us ; S Ev^?P tij.ewharf, amune a little group of ! JtaidandeTs, fo closely allied by race and WW tothsfcowZealand Maori Themen , Wt'ilhan t«y, erect carriage like very :: ; JOTj of creatwn,"anddecidsdly handsome ; »their "full" dr,eps of white or coloured TOf-.olpth.anu short kilt of gaud.y calico. 'of? are more regular iv feature?, and by no ,9«ni 10 trupnlent fa appsarince, as the ;| J'Wa Maori; ther,s is a dash of haughty jl Wpepsenca in their manner, and they are | *»gether free from the childish cariosity I w "under so often manifested by un : JWred aborigines. One of our delegate?, j Wieiire fo be msious, made a laughable : "MJake. Walking up to the most dignified :■ "r 11"?, 0' » little uroap of natives on the "Stf.hl warmly .hook hi« hand and wished "'"Hootmiming, but the worthydoleg.'ite's t,! w, ni»yfa= im.-ig'ucd *i>«n he"found that- I J»»M«l«keB hands with a sitato prisoner, : .rf or6TOd his civility by pretending to I LK C?-T n, *ni clam?:'^ a fee of " 6no J? w.«!>rtfylanwogoflheii.oa\ Another |i oar nnmher made approaches to a stal | £, ? d 'enarable native, uho was s-.ipcr i W™tM ths proce» of putt ing together a i |.X A»*triaa bsnt-woo.l furnituro in a »»B' 4t tho shore end of the wharf. ' t|!bi n • Xoii &?< who responded most ' tlu k-^ afterwards ascertained to be ' m!»h.!,- nan^man ! After these two : ?ht*k M we resolved ti be more oantioui, J» §?y nc: respect to a Tonga mail's -good W, Ld!S" ifiP d dtmeaMur, unless ho fella. a haY a. Pair of boots, or an am-

and Morality of the Tongaa '%»<?' p«">Pfc& J " " - "BTute*1 ™811' '— ** DPt S-° lmnd i,W. ' *en-a^ evcn a mo« marked ?*f"- Ma 9" •!-&« ' They SW«nddlyto (mlmpoint, they havea diirr,ii,l ml l]>- c '■onetrect, graceful, and <iSn ir"- agaa'tho «en. Both tWoK^^^^tyle^ndupto SBSttS lT? hu for a U triln. -V° tdl * b°y a K'rl ■ There i<mt S'' f v? p{ ftaturo ai);i complejion BRekK*J** l wou!d ?aythc iit,2^'.^ about sft. 9in., and the Ced on? ° ayß- U' hV «»troops wero that th"Tl ' ln °Ur Pre«nce' ! Vftried" hi c( Satute oE tho soldiers lian ~,!? .' ere <:f the yellow Mongo ni Zl'^l hld dinkier eoloar »W« »™i ieaturo of the tru° Malay, (kin. wfuik fir' had tl;0 coalb!'«:k ?• African TK '"^ *% ch™^V^ o' h*« Wrlnr. ho I tn? rrayh'y ':? the people 63511 ed t0 9 a» something know ts' 1 WeD t tion- bn* *«7 evidently "W 0 &^ u« of the Scot.ilh maxim" Ml*«Mcoiin* b-fore J {l' lk." and in their '"ooatfaatidwng could desire. The won-

der would be if anypeopleoonldTetnain moral it placed in thesamo circumstancea as these lvi am. Dwelling j u= t a few feet above the 8»a level (which L>r. Simma says is sure to lead to a 10-v type of morality), In a languishing climate of perpetual sumnisr, and in that state of idleness which is the peculiar dellghtof the mischief-loving-Fiond, it would not surprise me though the worst i have bscn told of Tongan immorality were stncil, true. The besettu g sin of tie 1 origans it said to b) saxu.il looseness, and this 13 eaid to be the chief cause ot the decrease in population. There are now some 22,000 natives in the whole group, whereas Mr Sterndale, in 18/4, estimated the population at 25,000. -I. he chief occupations of the natives are pulnn» cocoa-nut?, oranges, and bananas—it would be mookery to say that they cultivate these, as. they grow soon taneously—and in preparing the dried cocoa nut or copra for export. Their amusements (a« dutmguishod from their vices and in dustrial pursuits, though the word might fitly describe their whole existence) consist of going to church, learning mathematics music, and shorthand at the collet, eating drinking, hshing, and playing an occasional game at cricket. On Sunday church ser vicestarts at five in the morning, and bell ringing psalm-singing, and exhortation resound the whole day long throughout the entire tenet1! and breadth of "Holy Tcnfra.': The people are more earnest at their re ligious exorcises than at any other occupa tion in which we saw them engaged, and there can bo no doubt that he irhololds re ligious authority over them is the real poli tical head of ths kingdom. This indolent people, so averse to physical exert;on, have under tha impulse of the religious sentiment, been mn<ie to yield aa much aa £17,000 per annum in tho shape of " collections, " and it 13 wholly by religious agencies that they have been got to abandon *heir savage customs and adopt the manners of civilisa tion. Thoy are also earnest in acquiring knowledge, and the advanced claaa at the National College, under \V. Roberts, fairly astounded us by their proficiency. They took down sentences in Tongan with the rapidity and ease of practised stenographers - the system being a modification of Pit man's phonetic method, adapted toTongan by W. Roberts ; theysolved algebraic problems, including Sir Isaac Newton's well known " binomial thaorem, " with an intelligence and accuracy most surprising, and the"y ex tracted cube and square roots, sang at sight music written in a species of sol fa notation with figures instead of lottera to represent the notes, and performed other feats equally astonishing What impressed me most was the quiet earnestness with which tho whole college—about 120 stalwart men and youths—sarigcankey's hymn " Washed in tho Blood of tho Lamb" in their native tongue, the time being kept with precision, the parts well-balanoed, and the whole rendered with full-lunged rigour and apparent appreciation of the solemnity o the words. But when one comes to the ni

>ona of the whole affair, we wonder not at

theaptness of the scholars, but at the stu pidity of those who conceived such a syst»m of education as suited for bare-legged semi savages. Space forbids me indulging in reflections, but theso must suggest them selves to every intelligent reader. So much wore our party carried away by the admira tion of tho moment, however, that they sub scribed £j on the spot, which was handed over to form prizes to encourage thsse dusky pchulars to still further oonqtesta in tho " binomial theorem " line.

Tho review of troop*, got up for our especial benefit on Saturday morning, was a "brilliant ' if not au impjsing array. The regimentals, which oach man provides for himself, consiit of red singlet and white kilt— voiht tout, for ti;ore is neither head nor foot-gear worn. The men are armed

with musket?, but the officer*, besides wearing distinctively coloured dresses, carry swords, and ihe " colonel steps out in full rig of breeches, boots ep*ulett«d coafc, and cooked hat, a;

full of importance ai a French officer of tjeHucrmerie. The troops v, ere put through a variety of 'volutions in marching and counter-marching, followed by inteiesting ma.iaal and platoon exerci-ei Miss Methuen, our lady passenger, wbu ia an amateur photographer, took two views of the scene at tho review. "We also saw the Tonga jouths engage in a game of cricket, which they played with considerable skill,

though without any appearance of interest in it : they have not yet learnt how to "take their pleasure sadly" a I'Anglaft, Tho pupils cf the Girls' College were also turned out on the liwn, to tho number of over '200, and ?ang " Go<! the Queen " in Tongan. while the vis-il >rs, aa loyal sub jects of Her Majesty, s:ojd with heads ujicovere.l, Next the Tor.^ Brass Band went through a programme of musical selec-

tioo! for our delectation. Mr A. 0. Wilson, a musician known in C'hristehurchand othe.y parts .of New Zealand, i.i conductor of the baud, nnd considering that it is not a year since it was organised, has succeeded in bringing tho bind to a high state of proSciency. One Of tho pieces performed was composed by him-elf, and entitled "The March of the King of Tonga," but it vras chiefly an adaptation of " Sso

the Conquering Hero ( omes," with a spirited introduction. At the request of one of the visitors the bariid struck up " Tho

Cirl 1 Let Behind Me," aad the effect of tho.«e familiar played by tfc,e du*ky musicians, beneath the paid tvees' shade, wai pleasing in tho extreme. Sspaco would fail me to. dweribo oven briefly all that wo saw at Nukualofa : let me merely catalogue tho sight, and leave for some other oppor tunity the work of description. We visited the King's palace (presently untenanted, as King Oeorgo has for throe years and a-half beer? cotistsntly residing at Vavau); tho King's c'.iureh, closely aejilning, which has been so well designed by Mr Baker, and so splendidly finished under tho dreeticn of Mr Herbert, of Auckland; the Government offices, tho Polico Court, tha Government Printing ffllco (at tho latter very rickety structure I presented the chief printer with an en graving of the new office«), tho Premier's residencf, various State and YV'esleyan chapfrls, the British Consulate (.a perfect museum of l.»h»nal cutio«), etc. Divided into various parties, visits were also paid \o the Roman Citholic Convent anti settlement, the Wesleyan parsonage, the inland sea in the centro cf the island, tho -nerchants' stores, ft/id th.o res-idenea of the Princess Anaziene, grand daughter of tho King, and maeh information w.a ob tained of a carious and vil.ua.tJe nature. 1 have slid jo much in a discursive way of the people that I have but little space left for tho pofit,icsj ant! eowmercial branches.

The internal politic? of Tonga are simple am! e»»ily understood. Nominally o limited monarchy, the Government is in reality an unmif.ig.ited da*potwm. Hie Consti tution of Tonga, granted on 4th Nor., 1575, and amonded at various timea up to ISS'2, is i» maly respects a noU* document. The first portion seii out with a declaration of rights, aa follows y —'■ Seeing it appears to «d the trill of God for all men to bo hee, as Ha has made of one blood Sill nations of mop, therefore, ghalltUepfOp^ofTongabo for ever freo, and -V- peppte who ro.«ido or mr.y reside in thia kuiffiiom. And the live* and bodiea and lira* of a! people shall be free to ro^s au/i acquire, property, all doing as they liko with the fiuit of their hand*, and using their own properly m they may deem tit." There is much in the same ctrain ; any slave shall bo '" at or.co free on putting: foot on Torgan soil ;" " there shall be but enn law in Tonga ;" " there ahall be freedom ot -peech and nawfpaper? forever ; _ "all nion arc free to perform their worship as they may deem fit,;" " the Sabbath day .hall be sacred in Tonga for ever ;" "the law of tifi writ of habtas corpus is the riphfc of aU the people ;" and the right of petition, ths> right of ifiul by jury, the li-ht to vote (manhood suffrage) and other privile-sjCHofafrce people are providodfor. fhp form of administration U declared to. be threefold, and to embrace (l.itthe King, Privy Counqil, and Cabnotj ancf),the Legislative Ami. Vy ; and (3rd) JMhU KiW GoprwTub. ... the pusent r, inning monarch, is declared to be a c m •titntloOil' pov^reien. and the raoMhlon descend* in the male line, Ming ufcioh the fcnv.le lino, failing tihtah the line of Henry Moifu, which the King (ball nominate his success jtlifc[the consent ot tl, ■ I Inuia of Nobles and failing nomination tL: Noble, Shall cboo,o one of their number to bo ttie commencement of a new Loyal lin« Thp King mimmonw tho A«embly, Lnc \\ Jpo^r lojdteolw the same and leave ihokingdom «itfcoutn representative body ■ onl"*P«oof three years, it so inclined The LeAlatlw Assembly consists of the Noble, "(nominated by ■ the King mn enua number of representatives elected by c p"o P l by ballot, and the m«mbm of the Cabinet, who art. nominated by the King The nominated membs*.- of the Cham berfre thus always ta a deoiderl ™grftj. Four Governova nominated by the lung to nfe'tpttril Of the kingdom are also entitled to m-w in the Logfclatire Assembly and the F.ivy Council ; tha Governors the K t» may remove at pleasure, or they may be impeached by the Legislative Awn"*- Though tho nob'e* v.d Chiefs «t in ono chamber, there arc various matters with which only the nrblea may deal. J" judicial power of the kingdom is settled in

the Supreme Court, Circuit Courts, and I oliee Court--. The Supreme Court Judges are nominated by the King and Cabinet, nnd thcee j u j gee ContTo i tho working of the lower Court*. Theoniy capital offences, 1 may here interpolate, are murder and hi"h treason, and no oae has been executed for several years, which gives high testimony to the loyalty aid law.abiding character ot the people. The soil ia declared to be the exclusive property of tho King, and though all 8a!o o£ land ia forbidde b ni the King has power to grant inlieritence to ™eh "°,¥ e3 or chiefs as ha thinks fit. Ine Cabinet determines the term of lease (n^ er. to exceed " year*).tha rent to be paid, So,, and no lease or sub-laase is valid I unless registered in tho office of the Minister I of Land* (Mr Baker). The offices held by Mr Baker, as stated to mo by himself, ure : —Fremiei, Minister si Foreign Affairs, Minister of Education, Minister of Landi, and Auditor-General. He has the appoint ment of Mayors of municipalities throughout tho group, the regulation of quarantine, the appointment of pilots and barbour-mastera, tho establishing of a c*aling sUtion for men of-war the appointment of returning officer, tax collector*, and other officials. From these particulars, readers muy aonclude for themselves how far the monarchy of Tonga is " limited," and whsther tho >-eal piwer rests with King George or with the tui tea, or Wliite King, a^ tho natives call the Premier.

Foreign Relations of the Littlo Kingdom

Tho asternal politics of tho little island kingdom may seoin to tho outside barbarians of small moment, but to tho enlightened Tong.ius, and moreparticularly to the happy whites who have a finger in the Tongan pie, "foreign relations " are matters of the utmost importanco. It is, of course, well known that King Georgo of Tonga has entered into solemn treaties with England and Germany, and it is also an open secret that at tho outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war His Majesty wrote to his august cousins assuring them that Tonga would maintain a strict neutrality in that unhappy quarrel. (Of course the alliance of a power with astandingarmyof 20men, Militia num bering 900, and "reserves" unnumbered, would have assured victory to the side that secured its friendship), It was however, reserved for us to discover the mighty influence exercised by Tonga on tho recent Afghan frontier difficulty. This was expounded to us in all seriousness by a gentleman of English extraction, now in tho service of tho Tonga Government, and though hia argument is too elaborate to ro produce in full, I give the heads of it. Frinco Bismarck was an old schoolmate of Goddefroi, tho South Sea trader, and when Goddefroi's bu«inetS was lately handed over to a Company the great Chancellor took a good few shares in the concern j therefore he was interested in pushing German interest! in tho Tacitic, and had got a mail service subsidised. Just as the Auglo Russian difficulty wi s being patched up tor the.rirafe time, a " Semi-attache " of the British Consulate at Tonga —a man who ran messages and dug the garden—offered an unmentionable indignity to the rovcrond Premier of Tonga, and drove that insulted dignitary into tho hands of Germans. "xnow, mark you," concluded my informant, "immediately after this took plnco the war crisis became intensified, and if hostilities had broken out between Englaud »nd Russia, i 6 could have been traced to what took place in Tongafcabu ; for of course Bismarck was eggiug on Russia to fight England iv the hope of' striking a blow at British commercial supreniacV." That beiny demonstrated, let mo ulide gracefully into a subjuct of Ton«ancom merco. Th« Produots nnd Trade of Tonga.

It vas not n hopeful augury to tiud, on our arrival at Nukualofa, that tho orjly foreign vessel in harbour was the Oar*nan

schoouer Deutschland, which sailed w^tb .-» cargo of copra the day nfter wo c.*st anchor. Wo weiro re-'issured, h'jwsrer on making inquiries as to the trade* of

the port. Wo found that in )3SS (the latest year for which tomplot.- return." were availablo), 28 "English vessels had Tuited Tnnga, IT German, one American, and one Norwegifln. Of the English ve^elr't 13 were trading from Now Zealand, and the remaining ISfiom Sydneyand Fiji. During the eamo year the total value of imports to Tonga was £10j.I)00, and of exports i)B5,00O. Of the imports £61,000 warn from England »nd her colonies. £24.000 fram Oori7ij«ny, and £15,600 from America ; whilo of the cxperti, England and hfr CiilonicD received ±'35,000, and Germany CijO.COO, nothing bt'ing sont to America TII9 Kngli.«h trado reached a total of

£90,000, against £S+.oOo for Germany. Tho-s figures, I should explain, »re only approximations, for there iieinj: uo Custom's Depart men tyetorynniied there is DaetFcofive system nf pottintr .•emmerci.il *r.ati«tios. In this connection I may mention tho gratifying fact that ail harbour and pilotage flue were gracefully remitted in tho n.ise of the Janet Nicoll. In tho course of conrersistion Mr B.»kar infffrmod mo thar ho will Vinvo * Cus tom Def»rtment in working order by nest year, and h» further a"sur..ti mo that re ciprocity woaid be tho b,i.«is of commercial treaties with other countries and colonies. This will proTe of immen«9 adv»ntar;e to Now Zealand, for the reciprocity plank is a strong one with colonists \t preeent, and an excellent arrangement oould no doubt be made with tho T»nsa r;.-.vernmcnt. Tho exports frow Tong^ nrr almost oxclnsivoly made up of cojr.i, <rhich account* for the excess of '.'crnun over English ex ports ; but m>ii:« Messrs McArthur and Co. havo started lighting tha fiermatis with their own weapons, by shipping copra diract to England, khey have wrcsrerl a large portion of the trado from Oodflefroi's Company, and it is start<l I>j the British Consul that tho rotunis for ISS4. now in courso of completion, will *how Kns:li»h ex ports at lc.i?t equal with tbe Germnnii. Tho chief articles oi import <ire cotton, -printc. *nd bread«tuJf*. Tho former N*w Zealand cannot touch in the menntirae. but in the laitsr she should quickly obtain all th« tr»ie. If Vavau or Nukualofa w«re made a last port of c»H of t!io Janet Nicoll on her round: trip, a good trade in fruits could bo established with Now Zealand. Sea Island cotton, for which there is a steady demand at, remunerative prices, could be grown fa thii group luxuriantly, and tho labour difficulty would bo orercomo by Mr Baker setting tho p'isoncrq to work on Gorern rnent plantation". To punijh a Tongan for some venisloffenne which is no crime among Europeans is the Bnly effective way of wotting him to work, which goes to show that obedience to authority 'a one of his highest virtues. Theva is no opening in Ton;<i for mor» traderj in tho raoantime, bui copra and cotton plantations might prore inoifc r« muneratir*. I>and of excellent quality c«n, I ara informed, be obtained (Prettier vi^mte)' at a rankal of Is fld per acre par annum for a maximum of :2."> years, Traders who cannot buy oopra have to contend rritW the villainous currency, which is chiefly b.iso Chilian cninnge, the dollar of which, though only worth 3s 2d, ii declared Ifga'. tsnder for 4s. Bat all the rest abouts the com mence of Tonga, »nd how New Zealand trade i« to bo increasad, shall it not bo written in (lie book of the chronicles of tho commercial delf gates !

A TERRIBLE DISASTER.

Many Peraons Killed and Injured in a French Town.

Pari.", June 11, - At Thiera, a town 'in tho Dapartmentof Pcy-ds-Uome. a murder trial has been in progress foraomo days. Yester day, the last day of t,he trial, tho court housa was crowded with mon_ and women anxiou3towitnesstheclo3ingscen»3. When tho peoplo were leaving, immediately after the adjournment of the Court, and wore jammed upon the stone stairway leading to the street, tho lofty staircase foil. Tho scene which followed was appalling. Im mense mas6B-? of maeonry from above crashed down upon fie struggling people below, uriuding through their flesh and bt>ne3, and maiming them in a horrible manner. The fall of tho pt;iire«so and screams of tho people I}injj helpless in tho ruins caused a panic in tho courtroom, am! there was a rush for tho now wrecked exit. Those who wero in front wx-ro unable to withstand the pressure Sroni behind, and were hurled down upon tho men and women who were crushed in tho fall of tho staircase, and whom the people on tho street were already p'riving to rescue. When at length the p:iic had exhauorrl iL-elt and the massive stone steps of the fallen staircase had been removed, twenty persons were taken from the ruins dead. Tho •fajured numbered not lesa than sixty, and uinnv of them will die.

Later:—Later di«patche3 fiom Thisrs makes the courthouse calamity there yes terday far moro disastrous i:i its conse quences than tho tarlier dispatches indi calci'. The dead already number twenty four. The total numbn- of injured is now placed ;«t Ifi3. Of these fourteen are very f eriously injured and some will die.

A QUACK'S MISTAKE

A Novel Method for Curing CoaaumpUon That Did Not Work

A paktt of uieu sat in the wineroom of the Continental Hotol last night telling stories. Onu of the number was a young doctor, who id a resident physician ut the Pennsylvania Hospital, andhadju.Ur.atunieJ from a vacation trip to the caves uf Lur.iv. When it camo his turn to tell a story, which was supposed to bs founded on an incident in his own experience, hs said : " 1 am too younx' in the profession to giva you *ny «turtlin>; experience of my own, but 1 can reU't a curious incident that occurred io Virgiiu duri;ij_'my Yi-?it there. It hap pened in liockbiid^o County, not many miles from Lexington, and was told to me by a thoroughly raputublo and veracious citizen. ' A tew w«eks apo,' ho «aid, ' alon^ kaired individual drove into town and en gaged two rooms io the loading; hotel. That night hoviiited the local printintfoftice, and the next morning tka towu was Hooded with dodgers announcing »ho arriral of Dr. Suiecure, who frutiranteed to cur* all cases of conwmption by hia ureat and irapi orod compressed air trontment. I was curious to hiiow what the treatment counted of. and called o« th« doctor the i»sxt day. In the meantime he had eou«truott>d a ajsnll airtight compartmeiifc in » corner of his olHce. When I urirctl ha waa adjusting a pump-like orrausemen* to i»hra»» hole in on« of.tho partitions of thacompan men t. \V hen ha had finished hii work b« turned to me uud faid : " Jioiv, sir, I am ready for work.'

' I explainod to him tliv.t I wii* not a con sumptive, but had simply oalUd to inYoMi gnio his method of treatment out of curio«ity. He was very urbane and accom modating. He explained to me iv scientific language that consumotiou was simply a collapse nnd drying up of the air cells of the langs, and that the only thing :;ecd«d to re store the breathing apparatus to its normal state was the opening of theso cells. "This sounded reasonable •n'JUgh to me, and I asked him how hn was going to bring about this result. 'By coinpiesscd air," he said, rUpping his palm against hi* chest. ' Compressed air is th« only sovereign remedy forconsumption.' He then showed me the air-tight compartment, which wa>? lin«d with plates of tin, and esplaim-d that the apparatus od the outdide wa*anairpump. Bin treatment was simplo and consisted of placing tho patient in the compartment, into which would be injected a certain number of oubie feet of pure air. The air would force iU way into tho noll« of the Iringi nnd inflate them as a bladder i.« inflated by a quill. Tliii treatment, h« argued, if con tinued long enough, would restore the diseased lums to their normal condition.

"Tho doctor had hardly tini.'hed Ilia ex position before a yean' man, with the seal of the fell disease stamped in his sunken cheek? and hollow eyes, entered. He told tke doctor that he wanted a doso of com pressed air. The doctor conducted him to the adjoining room, and told him to direst himself of eTerything with the exception of his nnderehirt. In the interval the doctor threw np every window in tho room to ad mit thetresh air, and asked mo to wait to see the thing work. The young man waa nshoreri into thn compartment, and the doctor and my.'elf manned tho pump. We werked with a will for about five minutes, and could hear the wind rush in with a shrill whistle. Then wo waited for two minutes, and the doctor Slid: 'You can h»t that air v inditing his lungs liko a balloon.'

"Then ho tried to open the door, but, couldn't! budjfe it. Then he looked alarmod and got mo to help him, but our combined strength did-n't phiir.* i^. Then wo called in a colouml porter, and our united effort* opened tk« door vrith a rush and landed us in a heap iti the cornor. Looking into tho compartment, we hit a b.ilio»n-like, fl{»h coloured object lying on the floor. I looked ak the doctor for an explanation. Ho was a3 white as a sheet, and locked like ono stricken with tho paUy. ' ily God !' ho gasped, 'I havo adjusted tho pump to ex haust she air,' and, slamming the door phut. he hastily made #omo altorution in th> mflchaniemof tho pump, and together we worited the handle until wo wore compelled to stop from sheer exhaustion. When ho' opened tho door (this time with ease) th(< patient* body had returned to about it.s normal size and he had recovered conscious ness. Hs was sent homo in a carriage and died a fe v days later. Tho affair beoarmi noised about, however, nnd the doctor lek town between two days-"

POISONING BY WHOLESALE

Tarents and Sister Murdered, and Still

Not Satisfied

Chicago, Juno 10.—Mary Kleman, a girl. confined in the gaol hero, who hag horeto fore persistently asserted her innocence of the crime with which .""he is charged—than of administering poison to tho family of Mra ilichcal Freercs, lier cister. with whom shg had made her homo for a short time, ar. Hose Hill—confessed to-night to a " Dailr News" reporter that she wiii guilty, not only of the attempt upon their 2ive.«, but of causing the deaths of her mother, father, ant^ another sister in Dubuque, la. her mother died in July, last year, her sister Lena in August, and her father, Michael, in March ofthis year. Sho assign? no motive forhor climes o'her than that sho wa3 impelled to commie them, and is evidently insane. Mary Kleman is less than 22 years old,, ►lender, rather pretty, prepossessing i;.. mannerand an invalid, having but partial user ofher lower limbs and feet. She has an inno cent expression, and looks OTen more youth ful than sho is. Her eves have the strange, bright, fixed loik so oHen »een with a 6U ea.«ed mind. For the past two months sh» has lived with hor sister at Rose Hill, tn whom tho camo after the burial of her father in Dubuque. Sevtraltimes tineeah.. haa Uved with her sister ehe has prepares.

tho mo.'ils, :ind on nearlyorery occasion when sho had done so tho family, conaUtins of Michael Freeres, his wife and two small children, have bc«u taken ill with vomiting immediately afterward.

MLahael frcerea fuiind a pachapo of greyish-coloured powder in tho yard i\ week *$o last Tuesday morning. When ho ate hia soup at noon ho «aj seizod with vomit mi;, and observed a lodiment in his toup plate corre-=pondin;; to tlio powder in ap penrance. VJpuu further exawinatiun more of the samo substonoo »».' found in !ii^ wifo'.-< and children's plated. He carried both th« platet" to Kvniiston for analy«iK, aud called in a physician to attend to the fumily. Tho result shewed tliat tho ponder wa* poison Mary Kleoivi was accordingly arrestad, and after a preliminary ht.irin^ before Justice Chapman in EvaiiHton was broug.t'herc and lodged ia the Cook County (Jaol.

She lus wopt contiguously till the b.t day or two fince her incarceration there, aud a<*."erted tliafc her -•L-'tcr hud preferred n false charge aji»in.«t dot" for tho purpo*o ol obtaining a tmall amount of money (81d0) which sbo rlaimfd nia had. When her lawyer went to Ho«e Hill to t»ko powei-sion of her eit'ecti her money x>uld not be found. Tho homo of tho ({id1* 'amily was at l.'iS'f, Mnple ftreet, Dubuqu«\ l\. Sho has two uncles lining thcrr, o»« a brother of her father, and another * brother of her mother. Tho name of her fa'.ber'd brother i=> Jos >ph Klcuian, and UU re#idenco i« -'."hS,. iliyh etrcnt. Thn name of her morhai''» hrnfbnr i.-' John l'eville, and hs liv«j on Centre Arenua.

TORTURED BY BURGLARS.

An Old Man Farced to Giro tip His Money. Nkw York, June 14.—A "Times" special from Pittsburg, fa., says: A party of macked men entered tke hnugo of Leonard Bonner in Baldwin township, on Friday night, and gaggec find cruelly tortured the □lumbers of tho 'atnily until Bonner dis closed the hiding-place of his money. The victim.1! sufFered fearful agony. Tho robborv was committed in tho early part of Friday ni^ht, and the victims were not re leased from tUeir bonds until Saturday morning at S o'clock. Tha burglars gained an entrance to the place by fir^-t killing thu watch d:?ir. Biinnsr w»s awakened by the

barktngof t'lo dug and wa» about to get up and call it to hiii when tha noi-ie ceased suddenly. Tho burglars hid killed tho dog. Banner fell asleep, and when he aw; ke a second ;imo his bed was sur rounded by four masked man. "Get up, old man, and tell as where your money LJ," said tho s'pokesmin, jorkinp him roughly into a sitting posit on. Bonner replied that hs had no monej, and then tfiey pulled him clear out of bed and told him not to lie or they wnuld blow his brains out. The sound uf his voice awakened his ajjed mother and two children. The woman screamed, a? alfo Jid the

Three of the mci loft Bomicr and silenced tho woman and girls by gagging them, and then returned to ftrture Bonner. Ho had only his nightclotbes on, and in this way he was bound to a chair and gagged. The lamp was turned up high and placed under tho chair. Tho toituro was intolerable, and when the fiands s-w him sulfur for a while they asked him if lie waa ready to disclo.-o the hiding-placa ol his money. Ho nodded assent, and they pulled the lamp from under him. took taa Lag out.of his month, and Bonner told them that ho hud §1,500, the saving** of his ife time, concealed in an old canistsr in the bedroom cupboard. They took possession of the money, securely tied and j.-isjged Bonner i>gain, and then ransacked the henso down stairs, whtro they got about §jOO, worth of jeivdlleiy. They then lefb, the hou*e, leaving Mm Bonnor, who was over SO years of age, tied to the bed with ber face downward, w\th one of lic-rgrand daughters on each fide of hoi. The country in being scoured for tho robbers

SOUTH AFRICAN AFFAIRS.

The Annex ition of Bechuaualand by Groj.t Britain.

F.uiL .Ufc*nr, Colonial Minister in the Cabinet of Gladstone, in an official communi cation to tho Government of Capo Colony, haa intimated his approval of the action of General Sir Charles Warren in the annexa tion of Bechuanaland. This expansion of the Cape Colony excites interest in England subordinate only to tho resignation of tho Gladstone Cabinet, and th.s interest is made oven greater by tho glowing descrip tion being publi.-hed of tlio capacity and possibili ii.f of tho now territwy.. The London " Time?," in an article describing Bechu.inal.-i.nJ, eftya that in territorial ex tqnc it i.-s much greater than .Spain. It is well provided wiih wood and contains the beat pastuie l.nd in South Africa. "It will grow anything," s:iys the enthusiastic writer, " from wheat to oranges and tho finest of jrr;>p 9. It will furnish bsaidea many thouaaiida of farm? for settlers." The " Spectator," alaimed apparently at the possible outcome of thin annexation o! territory, c jmrmuts at pome length on the sut jecc, and says : "In tho«irua week England assumes a protectorate over tho Lower Niger and annexes the vast province of Bechuaua. Can anything be said now about tho rapacity of Germany in wanting the territory of tha Sultan of Vita, or of France in claiming the Congo country ?" The Government of the Transvaal Hspub lie U inc:ufcd at the annexation of Bachu analatid to the Capo Colony, and will seek an alliance with tiibes in Maehualand, just north of Bechuans, nnd try to foment war with England, in the hips that Bechuana may be rec'ainud in the Transvaal territory

A FORTUNE SQUANDERED.

Tlie VfiH. Careor of a Younff Man

of Tocncsseo.

Nashville, Juno 23.—A man with a history wns buried hers yesterday. Before the war one of the richest, if not the richest, planters in the South win Harry Hill. He waj kno.vn all alonj; the Mi-sissippi and Ohio Rivers', from New Orleans to Pittiburg Hia. plantations extended for miles alonf< the river, ond were tilled by thousands of ■ilaves, l.\ hen ho died hU astute was worth about $3,000,000. His only son inherited rhis va«t wealth. Like all young men of that day who kad rich fathers, ho was givon the benefit of a European education ■iml for years traveller! on the Continent with a private tutor. Ho had been bounti fully supplied with money, but when hU father's! death threw ail hi? wealth into his po.=*c?yicn his extravagances knew no bounds The scion of a rich Southerner, he had carried letters which placed him on term« of intimacy with tho nobility. Tew men of title could boast of ».■< ample a fortune, and none could excel him in l.ivi.-h [less. It *. »8 in the theatrical world, hoiv •jver, that lie attracted tho mo.H attention. L'lio le:idit)j,' lights of the Parisian atage were eager to claim his friendship, for it meant v<tlu>iblo prcs>entd. Owtly gifla of diamonds and jewellery to some favoured irtitjt uxrea common thing with him, while Ilia n'ctr.jvagant dinnnra »*»oniahed oven tho ;_'*y T roneh c.tpital. One supper in pur tiuular is to have cost between 88,000 md $10,000. Few mon were more com petent as critics in inattors of muAc and art.

Even Ilia colossal fortune could not stand .•*uch drains, and when the war came it s>vep( away the remnants. From a million aire Major Jimmio Dick Hill became a de pendent on his relatives for the absolute necessities of lifo. In his wild career he met and marriod an actress— an Italian ! ady Thounion wai not a happy one. She was a Catholic, and about three years ago instituted proceedings in Now York for a The case attracted great atten tion at tho ti i c, and column after column in the daiiy press was filled with accounts of Major Hill's romantic life. He becamo a writer for the papers, particularly those of .sporting' proclivities, and his norn deplume,

"Climax,"in "Turf, Field and Farm," made him familiar to turf men all over tho country. Nearly two yeard ago ho received one day a telegraniotatinfjthata gentleman ha.l died suddenly in Memphis and left him hi.-j ?010 heir. This prooved to bo true. It w.is his old tutor, on whom he had spent thousands when in Em'ops. The bequest amounted to about .$40,000 worth of pro perty in this country and England, and placed him a;jain in comfortable eircum atnnuea, Major Hill wasafamiliarfi^ureon the streets in Nashville, and was exceed ingly interesting in conversation. Ho would never express regret that ho had ?quandored hiu millions, but wa3 exceedingly bitter when speaking of tho friends in his prosper ity, who had deserted him when his money was gone.

Amazon Troops For Afghanistan

Tub Dowager M.\haranee Jaums B«l of Bai od.i. to judge by tho terms of her letter to the Viceroy of India offering the services of a corps of amazona to assist in solving tho Afghan frontier difficulty, appears to tin as fully alire to tho fitness of her sex to compete with man a.i the most distim guislied advocates of women's rights in this country. "The fighting capabilities and horsommship of tho Maharattoe ladies can," she «ays, "bo no secret to your I xcellcney; and I hope that the offer vrhichl make, and which 1 am prepared to carry out at the shortest notice, will be accepted, and that it will prove a preeedont to the Indies of India and of England, end show tho prowess with which the raoe of fomales in cable of bearing arm?, and that wo can tif^Wt side by side with tho military forces of tho empire." This hint will not be lost on those who are in terested io the deration of woman to her proper poM'ion as in every respect the equal of man. That many ladies in England, and no doubt iv India also, are possessed of con siderable fighting power which might be turned to vuluabio account if concentrated id beyond a doubt. A regiment of strong minded women, led by one of themselves ir. whom they have contidence —Miss Lydia Becker, for instance - would bo a formidable addition to tho British army ; and tho meie knowledgo that it waa contemplated to bring such a forco into the tield would probably do mote to bring Ru-sia to hor senses than any other "military prepara tion " that has yet bsen made.

Russian Offenders.

A young pnct had written a most scurrilous poem, in which he had de.?cr ibal and libelled not only tlio Empress, bat also all the Grand Dukes and DirEhcs.>Ci>. Some one, the condor of tho press, went and told the Empress. ''The man had better bo sent oil'to Siberia at once," he said ;"it ia not a case for delay." "Oh, no," said the Empress ; " wait a little, but tell tho man I desire to se<) him at six o'clock to-morrow evening." When tho poor man was told thi?, he fell as if the hsi hour was come, and tlint the Emperor (Alexander if.) must intend kimielf to pronounce a sentence of external exile. He went to the palace, and was shown through all tha grand state riomsone after another.withouh seeing any one, till at last he arrived at a small couimonplaco room at tho end of them all, where there was a singio table with a lamp uponit, andherehesiwtlieEmpress.theEm peror, and all the grand dukes and duchesses whom he bad mentioned in his poem. "Hew do you do, sir?" said the Emperor. "I hear you have written a most beautiful poerr, and I have sent for you that you may read ie aloud to us yourself, and I have in vited aW the grand dukes and duchesses to

come that they may have the pleawre of hearing you." Then the poor can pros trated himself at'theEmperor'si'det. "Send me to Siberia, sire," he said ; " force me to become a soldier; only do n«t compel me to road that poem." " Oh, sir. you are cruel to refuse me the pleasure, bit you will not be co un^allant na to refuse tho Empress the pleasure of hearing yovr rerses, and she will a>-k you herself." A.id the Empreis asked him. When he had finished the said, "I do aot think ho will write any more rerses about us again. J< Te need not go to Siberia just yet." A no^'eman had entered into a conspiracy ag»mst the Emperor, and was «mten«ed to Siberia. His eyei wore bandaged, and he ru put into a dark eirrinjjc, »"d for seven days and nights thoy frave!l«d on and on, only stopping to take focd. At l»8t he felt they must hare reached Siberia, au<i, in tha utmost anguish, he perceived that the carriage stopped, and the bandage wan taken off his eyes, and .... He was in hii oirt, home 1 He bad boon driven round and round St. Peters- Burp the whole time; but the fright quite cired him. Alexander 11., the liberator of •orfri, the man who wat able by his in dividual act to benefit a greater number of tlio human race than anyone who ever lived, met with a more frightful end than any of his predecessors, but the sympathy and Uriel of Christendom followed him to tho grave in which he lies with the hair of his morganatic wife, Princess Dolgorouky, out off after his death, upon hla breast. Hia .•oveophafjus is covered with a pall, inscribed simply, " Hia Imperial Majesty Alexander II."—" Studies in Kus»ia," by Augustus Hare

The Human Cost, or the Ameri can Civil War.

Tuk result) obtained by Mr Eirkley, a statistician of the Adjutant-General's office, who is eompilingiromallattainablesources a list of the deaths on the Union side during the war, possesses a melancholy, bat very strong, interest at this time. It has been a very difficult task to gather the names for this roll. So many perished unseen and unknown, so many rotted away in Southern prisons of whom every trace Is lost, that the compiler might well despair of ever completing bis task with anything liko an approach to accuracy. Patience and perseverance hare at last accomplished the difficult task, however and we have in Mr Kirkley's tables what is at least the most accurate and complete death-roll y»t published, if not one that i< absolutely without error. The registers of a dr»en Southern prisons hare »ot been se cured - those at Americas, Atlanta, Au gusta, Charleston, Lynchburg,M»con, Mari etta, Mobile, Montgomery, Savannah, Shreveportand Tyler—and only partial lists were obtained from Cahawba, Columbia, Florence, Millon and Salisbury j but, witk these exceptions, the roll is substantially complete. One of the most remarkable results ar rived at, at least to the reader who knows nothing practically of war, is that mort than twice as many men died from diseases in tho army as from the shot, shell, bayonet and sword of the enemy. One hnndred and ten thousand and thirty-eight officers and men were killed outright or died of their wounds; but 224,*86 died of disease. The numbtsr of those who are known to have died in captivity r acho3 the appalling total 0f29,495.

Another remarkable fact is that OTer 50 per cent, more men were killed in action than died of wounds, the respective num bers b0ing62,5°6and40,777. Atleastthree fourtli3 of the wounded must have recovered, partially at least, ao that they did not die during tho period covered by the inquiry, which ceases with the mustering out at the oiid of the war. How many Teterans there are still among ub who carry about on their bodies the marks of violence suffered during tho war, let the long pension r«Ua testify. Tlie grand total of known deaths in the Union Army was nearly 360,100, Adding as many more for the rebel losses—probably not an over-estimate—and taking into ac count the navies on both sides, and the prisoners who died uncounted, we reach a total of at least 500,000 men as the cost of that war to this country—nearly one-oighth of ifs'o.i tire voting population.—"N. Y. Mail andExrrjss."

Why the Pretty Soprano Didn't Sing.

Iy one of tho towns of Litchfiold county ia a soprano of a Congregational church noted for her fine voice. The other Sunday tho clergyman lined out the opening hymn, and the organist, after a lingering glance at his necktie in tho little mirror, cockfid his bead on one side, slammed both hands down on the keys and kicked at the pedals. The ohuir stopped laughing and cleared tlieirthroats and aroee to sing. Theystruck into the hymn in good etyle, that is, all ac ropting the soprano. Not a sound from lur musical throat. Her pretty faoe wasat a red Hush nnd her jaws were working cob vulsively. Whan it camo to her eclo part phe was dumb. The choir couldn't believe their ears, the congregation craned their necks at the choir, and the clergyman pushed his epecs up on his forehead and stared. By this time the soprano was at a red heat. At last, with a final yank, she yanked her teeth apart, and exclaimed in an undertone: "If I ever ketch that Jones young'un that gave me that hunk of maple taffy, I'll break his neck." " Let ua pray." said the grey-headed clergyman, solemnly. But everybody within earshot of tha choir stopped to grin first.—" Hare ford Times."

SMILEY'S SCARE.

Bill Smiley, was - lisiht lingered, enter-

-Tiaiisg young man, who improved his leisure by appropriating other people*!

property whenever he got a chance. He

wag a jobbing aarpenter by trade, but his chief occupation was that of a railway thief. The method he adopted was to travel short distances on the different suburban linei, with the object of picking up stray umbrellas, handbags, and other portable articles, which were insufficiently guarded by their owners. He had an innocent way of rushing from a railway carriage just as the train was moving off, seining in his hurry and con-

futiea somebody elia'e hat-box or umbrella from the rack. On the comparatively rare

ocMitom when hi« mistake was diicorered before it was too late to rectify it, his pro fuse apologies were generally aaeepted with more or leas credu'ity. But, a? a rule, he managed to get clear away with his spoil. One evening, feeling inclined for a little excitement, he took a third-class ticket at Charing Cross Station on the District Rail way, and strolled down on the platform. Keeping a sharp look-out, as ha lounged about waiting for a train to ths West End, his attention was attracted by the suspicious demeanour of a tall Yankee looking man, whoseomed anxious to avoid observation, and made his way to the far end of the station. Hs carried a carpet-bag, which he cirefully placed on the ground while he walked up and down In front of it. As the result of deliberate observation, he came to the conclusion that the myfcterious stranger was not easy in his mind aljout having the bag in his possession, from which it was not difficult to aurmiso that he had not come by it lawfully. While these reflections were crossing Bill's mind a train came into the station, and in the midst of the confusion

wiich ensued he saw the stranger take a steo forward and accost a passing guard. A few -words were exchanged between them, daring which Bill jielded to a sudden im pulse which prompted him to seize hold of the stranger's bag and make off with it. Before there was a chance of his ddinquenoy being discovered, Bill had leapt into the train, which was already beginniig to move. He felt a little bit dismayed at what he had done, for he was accustomed to act with much more circum spection. The chances were that the stranger would immediately communicate his less to the railway officials, who would

at oice telegraph down the line. This unc<mfortableprospect caused Bill to break «nt< a cold perapiration, for familiarity with the danger of being apprehended for roSbery had not bred contempt for the oideal. But by degrees he began to breathe taore freely as he recollected the stranger1! reticence. If, as Bill euspectcd, the man had reasons for desiring to conceal his identity, he might prsfer to put up with his loss rather than create a disturbance. But still Bill did not feel at all comfortable, and he hastened to stow the bag underneath the seat, so that it might not attract the attention of the guard in case he was warned to look out for it. While he was thus occupied the passenger who was seated opposite to him observed facetiouely— " That ain't dynymite, is it, mate ?" " No," replied Bill, with a grin, though he was secretly vexed at his movements kavisg been noticed; " it's the coat I'm agoin' to wear to-night when I have supper with the Prince of Wales and the rest of the Royal Family." But, strange to Bay, the facetious remark of his fellow-passenger made an uncomfort able impression upon Bill Smiley, by suggesting to his mind a very disquieting suspicion. Now he came to think of it, it was possible that the contents of the bag might be very different from what he had bargained for. This view of the queetion assumed an ominous significance when he recollected the demeanour of the stranger and his outlandish appearance. Supposing the stranger belonged to the dastardly gang who vent about causing death and desolation by means of infernal machines ! Bill could not help shifting uneasily in his seat when ho thought of the bag reposing snugly underneath him The facetious Mlow- paieeogor, remarking Bill's perturbation, which plainly showed itself in his pale face, good-naturedly asked if he was ill, and offered to put the window down. ThU friendly interference caused Bill to collect hiu scattered wits, and to reflect seriously what he had better do. His impulee was to seize the bag and hurl it into the darkness. But he was restrained from doing this partly from fear of the consequences, and partly from a lingering hope that his booty might be really valuable after all. If an explosion resulted from the bag being dropped into the tunnel, he would bo immediately apprehended as the author of the outrage. On the other hand, some fiendish machinery might be at work inside the bag at that very moment, which rendered his hesitation almost suicidal. This las* reflection brought on a sort of frenzied desperation which impelled him to take immediate action. He felt he could not sit still another moment, and risk being blown up, even on the chance of his booty proving valuable. He resolved to get out at the next station, and leave the bag to its fate.

On reaching the next station, which was Victoria, he euddenly Jumped up and got out of the train; but before he bad time to make good his escape he was hailed from behind by several voices, including the guard, who came and touched him on the shoulder.

"Hi! You've left your luggage," said the official, curtly. Bill turned round involuntarily, and beheld his facetious fellow-passenger stand ing in the doorway of the carriage ho had just left, holding the fatal bag in one hand and gesticulating violently with the other. It was a trying moment, for while Bill shrank from laying a ringer on the bag, ha did not know how to avoid doing so. To repudiate all knowledge of it would at onoe arouse suspicion which would lead to unpleasant disclosures, inasmuch as several persons had seen it in his poisession. A wild idea of seeking safety in flight crossed his mind for an instant, but on looking round he perceived that several of tho passengera in the train, and nearly all the people on the platform, inoludmg tho porters and guards, were staring at him. This publioity ■was too much for Bill Smiley'e modesty, and he hastened to put an end to tha scene by claiming his property. He walked up to the railway carriage, and received the bag from his late fellow-passenger, who remarked—

"Young man, if it hadn't been for me you would have had to dine at Marlborough House in your second-best suit, which would hare been a p'ty I" Bill thought thi§ was the moat ghastly joke he had ever heard in his life ; but he did not say so. In fact, he was too agitated to apeak at all, for directly the bag was pat into his hand? he heard an ominous rattle inside it. Ha thought he should have drop ped the bag, ?o frightened was he by the pound. Bat all the while he wan conscious that a good many people were looking at him, which was a new source of danger, for, as we know, he had the strongest reason for not obtruding himself too much upon the public gaze. He, therefore, made hia way as quickly as possible through the cro'.vd and up the staircase. Once in the street he imagined he would have no difficulty in disposing of the bag. Meanwhile, however, every time hi moved, the rattling sound inside it sent a thrill through his nerves, and ha almost gave himself np for lost So oruelwashissuspenae that an ex plosion would have been almost a relief, if it had left him in a condition to realise his sensations. At length he reached the street, but under the first lamp-post stood a policeman, who eyed him vety suspiciously as he approached. Bill would have handed over the bag with his moat fervent blessing if that would have satisfied tha official; but, of course, it would have been sheer folly to do so. The \ cry nature of the contents of • the bag might get him into serious difficulties. There was nothing for it but to assume an air of bravado, and swagger past as though he had a perfectly easy conscience. This he succeeded in doing to his own satisfac tion, but unfortunately the constable still seemed to have hia doubt about him When Bill glanced over his shoulder he perceived that tho officer was strolling leisurely after him, apparently for the purooso of keeping him in view. The vigilance was especially embarrassing, for it compelled him to avoid any appearance of haste, and prevented him from carrying out his design of depositing hia burden on the first convenient doorstep. Half dead with sheer fright, and in a fever of suppressed excitement, Bill made hia way in the direction of Victoria-street, holding the bag with the utmost tenderness, yet longing to drop it and take to hia heels. On turning round uhortly, he perceived that the policeman waa still steadily following in his wake. Probably the truth was that the officer was only pursuing his beat, and had forgotten Bill long ago. But unfortunately this soothing reflection did not occur to Bill at the moment, and in his desperation he availed himself of an expe dient which suddenly presented itself. The street door of a houae happened to open just as he was passing, and a maid servant came out on the door-step and

looked up and down tho street. Before she had perceived him, Bill had coolly placed the bag iv iier hand?, and was preparing to hurry away. "Hi!" exclaimed tho girl; "what is this?" "For your master," answered Bill over his shoulder. " I ain't got no master ; hi I" cried the girl, raising her voice as he vanished. "I fay mate, somebody's calling of you !" said an officious errand boy, as Bill plunged across the road. " Hi! stop there ! You're wanted !" cried another passer-by, in stentorian tones. There seemed to his excited imagination ft general disposition on the part of the bystanders to impede h*s flight, and he hastily csncluderi that it would be wiser t) yield to tho hus-and-cry. He would stick to his story that ho La 1 b:cn told to leave the bag at that particular house, and probably would succeed in making the girl believe him. With this object he re traced his steps, gathering assurance as ho walked, but, as ill-luck would have it, who should alro'l up at the fame moment but his vigilant enemy, tho constable. " Hi! . You've made a mistake ; this doesn't belong here ; there is no namo on it/ said the girl, as ho approached. "What is the matter':" inquired the constable in a oagual way. " Oh, nothing; I've made a mistake, I suppose, as the young lady says so." He mechanically held out his hand for the bag a? he spoke, but failed to gra?p tho handle, and it fell through his lingers on to the ground. Bill started back in conster nation, fearing his last moment had come, and simultaneously he felt himself collared by the constable.

"Hullo, young fellow, what doo3 this mean ?" exclaimed tho officer.

Bill, who had closed his eyes in an agon/ cf apprehension, ventured to open tbrfri again, and perceived that the shock of the fall had burst open the bag, the contents of which were scattered upon the doorstop. To his amazement they consisted of a miscellaneouß collection of silvtr plate and jewellery, which made quite an imposing display. The articles had ividently been bundled unceremoniously into the bag, and were, no doubt, the proceeds of some recent robbery. The constable naturally" con cluded that it was his duty to escort Bill-to the nearest police-station to make the necessary explanations. During the journey Bill's reflections Inclined to bitterness as he realised how foolishly he had abandoned a rich prize. The metallic rattle which had startled him had clearly been due to care less packing, and altogether he perceived that he had fallen a victim to a'senselesa scare. Needless to say, his ingenious story of having received the bag from a nameless stranger was not considered satisfactory, and as the valuables were identified by a pawnbroker in the Strand, whose premises had been burglariously entered during the evening, Bill received the full credit of the transaction, and was rewarded accord ingly.—"Priie Tit-bit."

HUMOUROUS GLEANINGS.

Too Dry to Stick Together.

The minister last Sunday morning had preached a very long, parched sermon on the creation of man, and one little girl in the congregation was utterly worn out. After the service she said to her mother :

"Mamma, were we all made of dust ?"

"Certainly, my child." " The preacher, too ?" "Of course. Why do you think he waa not made like the rest of us ?"

" Oh, because he is so awful dry, mamma, I don't see how the Creator oould make him stick together."

Bluffing a Waiter.

"Whilst travelling in South Carolina," writes a_ gentleman who recently visited that eection, "we were joined by a judge from Pittsburg. I forget what court he was judge of i but he had been travelling South for hia health, and had just figured up that he had paid twenty-five dollars in fees to waiters, and was mad over it. He vowed by his baldness that he would riot pay another cent. And we encouraged him as bard as we could. When we went up to the hotel, the landlord gave us a large room with three beds in it. A big negro brought up tha trunks, and when he was ready to go, the judge called to him, and began. "' Coloured person, stand up ! Now I want to say to you that I shall expect prompt service without fees. You have brought up my trunk ; that's all right-it was your business. I shall want water, and I may want a fire, and I shall probably ask you to go of errands ; but if you even look fees at me, I'll throw you out of the win dow !'

" We were there two days, and the waiter was vigilant, humble, and willing ; bat, B9 we made ready to depart on. the morning of the third, in came a constable with a warrant to arrest tho judge for throats of personal violence. It had been sworn before a justice ten miles away, and the complainant wa3 the neero waiter. It took two of us to hold the judge during his first paroxysm; and when he had cooled off a little, the negro slipped into the room and said : " ' White man, stand up ! Now I want to «ay to you dat a five-dollar bill will settlo dis yer case just as 1 feel now ; but if you goon to callin' names or pullin' hair or kickin', I'll stick for tw^ty-five dollars. Dat justice am my own brudder, an' he's just achin' to send some white man ter jail fur six months !'

" We- held the judge again foi aDout twenty minutes, at the end of which tin*, j^ handed over the amount, and was pi. nounced sane."

The Comet.

Tte comet is a kiud of astronomical parody en tho planet. Comets look some like planets, but they are thinner, and do not hurt so hard when they hit anybody as a planet does. The oomet was so called because it had hair on it, I believe, but of late years the bald-headed comet is giving just as good satisfaction everywhere. The characteristic features of the comet are : A nucleus, a nebulous light or coma, and usually a luminous train or tail worn high. Sometimes several tails are observed on one comet, but this occurs only in flush times. . Wken I was young I used to t think I would like to be a comet in the 1 sky, up above the world so high, with nothing to do but loaf around and play with the little new-laid planets and have a good time ; but now I can see where I was wrong. Comets also have their troubles, their periheliona, their hyberbolas, and their parabolas. A little over three hundred years ago, Tycho Brahe discovered that comets were extra neous to our atmosphere, and since then times have improved. I can see that trade is steadier and potatoes run less to tops than they did before.

Soon after they discovered that comets all had more or lesi periodicity. Nobody knows how they got it. All the astronomers had been watching them day and night, and didn't know when they were exposed; but there was no timo to talk and argue the question. There were two or three hundred comets all down with it at once. It was an exciting time.

Comets sometime? live to a great age. This shows that the night air is not so injurious to the health as many people would have us to believe. The great comet of 1680 is supposed to have been the one that waa noticed about the time of Cesar's death, 44 b. c, and still when it appeared in Newton's time, seventeen hundred years after its first grand farewell tour, Iko said it was. very well preserved indeed, and seemed to have- retained all its faculties in good shape.

Astronomers Bay that the tails of al 1 comets are turned from the sun Ido not know why they do this-whethor it is etiquette among them or just a mere habit.

Some worry a good deal about tho chances for a big comet to plough into the sun some dark, rainy night, ani thus bust up the whole universe. I wish that was all I had to worry about. If any responsible man will agree to pay my taxe3 and funeral expenses, I will agree to do his worrying about the comet's crashing into the bosom of the sun and knocking its daylights out.

THE GOOD-NATURED GIRL.

I do not sigh for the stately rnr|t Though her face be e'er so (JS For tho truth to tell, I am '"»# tf»i,7 Of thergirl with the hangta/liT There's a sweeter charm, a rarer araT> That homage will always win. ' 'Tis found In the bright and smiling face Of the girl with tie double chin. Somehow or other everybody some timo or other wants to sing, " Auld Lang Syne ' and only one man in a million knows the words. And he only knows the first verso and he doesn't sing it rieht. *

SEASONABLE RHYMES.

Tho time draweth nifcb. When the harassing fly— In summer tie worst of humanity's foes— WUI skate up and dowa nl ,. .0° J* c smooth polished crown Of the bald-headed man when he'gtakiiira doze. * WhensmnmerisbreathingheraweetfatdeUpht And nature la everywhere burdened with bloom, 'Tis then we must spring from our couch in tha night. To phase the mosquitoes all over the room

THE AUCKLAND EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, ACeHTST 1, 188 C.

5



FLIES AND BUGS,.^--J;^^, &^



"ROUGH ON COnNS."-.v-k f..r Wniiv. •■&«-.$, ~n bun on«. KtuDtUoniß, Pruiser & Co., Atenti, AucklauO.



EXTEAOEDIS"AET SJLLB I I JP<\ SMITH & CAUGHEY, //x // WHOLESALE AND RETAIL DRAPERS AND CLOTHIERS, J^^^/^ Now submit the whole of their Valuable Stock of j^/ /C V y^v-v or\ j&S j. \/ /P§- & C. ( DRAPERY ) jsf A. X y/ E9SDectfullT FOR SALE \ DEESS FABRICS \ VQR SALE J/ x;- -V ytf nt f\V?l ) nx rvrTiTvn ( jp/ "n. /^^ intimate that the At their Premises, 289 Queen Street, and Newmarket. jff ( 1 /^^%^l *°r °noe again J^^^ /dr oSIiV'xn ° to tlieil Custotll -jJ/ , j/$ &X an(i tlie Pablit at Sale SWEEPING REDUCTIONS >^ A their compatatively May be expceted on every Article and in erel^ Departmenf:. Jy /L/r //T^^ ANI) CLEAN STOCK Ms j/^ ny yy (laifgelj their own importing), and &/ s\//^h° aT' nnoi o as ifc does a reputation for Evsrything will be marked as usual in Pl*in Figure, V v^^CEUJNCB and CHEAPNESS, , . X X^ anses from tne fact tnat tneT are compelled * J/^ to make room for an entirely New Stock of ' lV^ v^^^l'i'ins an<l Summer Goods, now being purchased Showing the genuineness of the Reductions £f A by Mr Caughsy in the vaHous d_!' ..^^ fxy^^ Brit' sfl and Cont' nental Manufacturing Districts, 3sro scEcoisriD p'BiCES. >^^/^«!»A /* SW^ v^ces respecting which they expect to receire by the ~" Jr/ A& incoming San Francisco Mail. 3STO DISCOTJN"T. j&V . V' /& /W^' aml G< haVG U° sl)Ccial lots t0 offer in tlie slia Pc of Soiled, /^/^} /j? Damaged, or Unseasonable Goods. °^ Jsf J\. SJF lie Re(luotions ma<^° embrace the entire Stock, thus affording ig j^ s^a^S^ EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY ° j^y fl /Jr ■ F°l' rßP lenismnS' Household Necessaries and Articles of Personal demand. i j^/\. jW STOREKEEPERS' HAWKERS, & OTHERS, J/ <\f > *' /%P Buying Parcels for trading purposes, are urged to shop in the fereboon. 'A \*iS/yP —JL.T—



PI" ' You Can bb Hippy if you will stop all yom doctoring yourself and families -with expensive doeiora or cure-alls that do only harm, and use Nature's Bimple remedies for all your afl menta, you will be well and Sappy and gave great expense. The greatest remedy for this, tl]« great, wise, and good will tell you, is Hoy Bittters. See.