THE EDITOR'S DRAWER.

CONDENSED CORRESPONDENCE.

Colonial PRonncss,—A correspondent, commenting upon a recentlypublished paragraph showing tho Vftsfc flocks and herds now grazing on tlra pasturago of Now South Wales, send? from an old book the -following list of. live-stock in tho colony of .'Sew South Wales on September Ist, 1796 : —Mures, 57 ; cows and calves, 101 ; bulls

•and bull calves. 74 ; bullocks, 54 ; sheep, U. 531; soat3, . hoßg, 1,309. The

■various prices in August, 1790, wore :— Costs, from fSO to £S4; horses, ;C9O to ri.oo ; sheep, £7 10a ; goats, £4 ; tea, £1 4s Jjor lb. : mutton, 2s per lb. ; o labourer re ceived 3s per day ; a woteian Is Gd per day. Land in cultivation, 5,41 i) acres.

Fiek Ficnmxn in Mhi.t.ouknk, — "An Old Brigader" writes from Jfjolbourne in reply to some remarks with '.•oTeronca to the Melbourne Brigade,rnad<> byMrG. P.Pierco, Manager of the TSevr iZoaland Insurance Company, at the banquet to the members of tho Auckland, and Suburban Brigade and Salvage Corps. Our correspondent says : " I am no. £reat admirer of tho Melbourne (ire departments, paid or unpaid, but being •early ati tho fire in question \McCullough's, Collins-street), and watching closely the ilispcrsitions made by Lieutenant Macdow, in t'ae absenco of h« chief, Superintendent Kood, I could find no fault whatever in that ollicer's judgment, considering tho limited forco at his disposal. It was, in fact, a vory difficult tiro to combat, and everything was dono that could woll havo been dono for its suppression, otherwise the front offices would have I'csn destroyed. Mr Pierce said thnt hod Mv Superintendent Hughes been at tho Pra, that heroic firoman would have prevented the destruction that took place. Now, if Mr Pierce wa? present nfc that fire he ought to havo known that both the ground and uppor iu'ors wero in ilnmea before tho brirrttdrw arrived, and HO donee and smothering the smolie that it was very difficult Indeed to find out the seat of the tiro that threatened the front pile of buildings. After tho tiro was oxtin- Ruished it was found that tho top f>tory of tha central building adjoining tho front otficoa was burnt out and tho roof off. The ground lloor was considerably damaged, &utt,hero was a considerable quantity of sal- V»go on this lloor, ov.ing to the determined pluck shown by two of Lieutenant Mac dow's men, unrlor most trying circum stances. The fir.it or middle lloor was scarcely touched by the fire, as al3o the large four-story building in front pre viously mentioned, tho officers' part of the promises communicating with the stores by woodon doors. Had it not been for a lift which carried tho flames to the upper story before tho brigade arrived, the fire would 3iot in fact have extended beyond the ground floor. It was generally admitted that the fire was a difficult ono to tackle, and was most successfully dealt with."

Por.EsT Conservation : Theory vt Practici:.— "'Observer," writing with ro ference to the deputation which waited upon Mr Ballance for tho purpose of ascer taining his views cs to the best means of \)revorjtin£r bu?h fires, says: "Mr Monk, wbrj headod the deputation, is credited with knowing how our bueh fires traval over the country, and he must bo an adept in tho bolus swallowing art if he kopt a porious countenance when ho received Mr Ballanco'a suggestion that fires might be controlled by girdling our bushes with a ribbon of cape-broom. Just think of it, ye bushmen, enclosing our forests with bolts of capo-broom! You who have seen the flames leap hundreds of yards at a time. What about the fires that start in the heart of a forest ? Ar.d what about the cost of supplying tho projecting film recommended by Mr Ballance T Millions of pounds would be required."

Sjiokb Nuisance—Mr T. B. Hannaford thinks some steps should be taken to abate the smoke nuisance, arising from factories and timber mills in tho city.

The Baskier Case.—Wehavoan accumu lation of letters on this subject, all of them, howover, taking oft-travelled ground. No good, would be done by their publication.

Tbamway Houses—"Humanity " puts in a plea for thcso hard workod animals. Ho say 3: —"I have seen their backs covered with bordos of fierce biting flies, and not the least attempt at protection ; a small spray of evergreen or light net is Eufficient. As to pro vidin" water 1 would urge that drinking troughs bo placed at either end of the journey, both in Poneonby, Queen-streot, and Newmarket, and the hnrscs at tendod to before starting. To sco that thoso horsoa arc well-cared for is as much tho duty of tho public as a whole and indi vidually as of the Company itself. Ask the driver when his horaoa had thoir last drink, how long they have worked that day, and if a poor, ill-conditioned brute is put on as a leader, to drag about GO or 70 paople up a steep hill, then got down and walk."

Eden County. — " Taihoa " comments upon a remark mado by Mr Ballance to tho deputation who waited upon him relative to forest tires and the Whau Creek bridge. He Bays: "I wish to express my regret that Mr Ballance should have said ' that it was a mistake to allow Edon to bo outside tho Counties Ant. The proper thing to do was to bring the Counties Act into operation by compulsion.' He had a sym pathetic audionce, and some who expoct to hold similar positions in Eden may well bo equally in accord. The Government no doubt find the chairmen of the com paratively few counties lees difficult to manage than are tha more numerons Road Boardß, especially when county chairmen are often "found holding offices in tho gift of the Government. The want is, bodies in touch with tli9 people, who will resist additional taxation, if such taxation ia to be imposed to add to tha already too numerous army of paid officials. This wretched bridge bnsiness with which it is Bought to drive Edon to tho Counties Act ought to have been settled long since. Tho Govern menthavß communicated with the Eden Road Boards. Most of them have replied that as the law provides for a contribution, thoy are willing, but desire a voice in authorising tho work, its cost, and maintenance when completed. For such purposes provision ia made, the Road Board Chairmen constituting the County Council, and as a council have been called together on other occasions, why not now; Mr Ballance's remarks supply the reason. Perhaps Eden may resist compulsion, and before allowing the Counties Act to come into operation, must be shown the advan tages of county over Road Board manage ment in the meantime."

The Gambling Spirit.

(To the Editor.)

Sin,—At the meeting hold on Wednesday, to hear the views of Sir Julius Vogel on a proposed inter-colonial exhibition to be held in Auckland in 1890, a well known Auckland citizen is reported to have given the following suggest/on: — " With regard to tho compotitionß among tho vOßsels, they need not have much ex pense over thorn, as they could ueo tho totali3ator." I presume this means that the gambling propnnsities of private per sons aro to bo ovokod, and may bo relied on as sufficient, to pay for something which we are either unable or unwilling to obtain in a legitimate manner. Surely, with all the examples which history affords of the ruin produced by State lotteries, it is hardly necessary to protest against such a suggestion being enter tained. It will be in vain for you and others to write against the gambling spirit of the colony, and tho commercial immora lity which it induces, if, as a city, wo are to use tho totalizator as a source of revenu? If it be desirable to hold tbe exhibition sug gested, let us put our bands in our pockets and pay for it honestly. Tr> " use tbe totalisator" would bo to pay for our pleasure and our profit out of the degrada tion nni corruption of the weak-minded or wicked.— Yours truly, W. Stkadman Aldis. Mount Eden, Feb. 4, 1887.

Post Card Proof.

Salisbury. Term., April i, ISSS. Gents :—I was afflicted with Berioua KldnM and Urinary trouble for twelve years. After trying all the doctors and patent medicines! could hear of, I used two botSJes of Hop Bitten and am perfectly cured. & r Boom

Washington, D.C., April 3,1883. To the Hop Bitters Co.:

Sirs:—l write this as a token of the frrcm npurociation I have for your Rittors. 1 was nffllcted with Inflammatory Kheumatiam oeven years, and no medicine seemed to ao me ans Kood until I tried three bottles of your Hos Bitters, and to my surprise I am aa wall to-day aa ever I was. I hope you may have great suc cess in this great and valuable medicine. Any one wishing to know more about ray cure, can lean by „* Si

Waitakerei Ranges, and the People's Park.

The author of " Oceana " (J, A. Froude) taught both history and philosophy when he wrote : " If it lies written in tho book of destiny thattheEnglishnationhasstill within it great mon who will tako a placo among tho demigods, I can well be'iovo that it will bo in the uno:;haustod soil and spiritual capabilities of Now Zon.land. .

Even the Maoris, a mero colony of Poly nosian savages, grow to a stature of mind and body in New Zealand which no branch of tho race hn.s approached elsewhere." Thore is not any country in tho world so small ,11 New Z?s!xhd which ia so rich in natural wonders and virgin foroets, neither have the samo numbor of inhabitants in any country devastated their forests co quickly as tha New Zsalander" during the last fifty | years. Tho WaitakereS ranpes and the West! Coaat should be reserved for tho great western pa'.-k ot Auckland. A lino drawn from the foot of tho ranges opposite Waikomiti station to tho Pacific Ocean on tho West Coast, and another from Waitakerei station to the W rest Coast, would enclose an area measuring ten miles on each side, containing one hundred square miles of native bush, with mountains, rivers, lakes and sea-coast, also tho Nihotopu and Waitakerei waterfalls. Those hills con tain tho only nativo bush within ono day's walk or tlr.oo hours' ride of Auck land. The (Jovornmont still own large areas of land in this romantic district. It is to bo hoped that thoy will retain them, for even now efforts are boing mado to denude the hills of timber, and by tho aid of axe and fire convert this grand sanatorium into a treeless blackened waato.

To those who wish to visit the Kibotopu Falls aud tho West Coast, thoro is one route, namely, from Waikomiti station, tiionce over the ningoe. The distance is twelve miles to tho coast.

Tho highest waterfalls in tho district aro tho Waitakeroi Falls, which aro now vijitod by great numbers of people. On Now YeurV Day thora wero at least SO ladies and 150 gentlemen there. 18 ladies and 22 gentlemen woro at tha foot of tho Falls at one time, many of whom had walked from Henderson station ; thero were also eeveral families and picnic-partioa camping in tho vicinity.

Thore aro thrco routes to the Waitakerei Palls: Ist, from Henderson railway station ; 2nd, from Swanson station; and 3rd, from Waitakeroi station. Thefirat, from ITondor son, is most used, and until the Waitemata County Council have finished the1 new road to tho foot of the Falls, is no doubt the best to take.

Starting, then, from Henderson, keep the coach-road to tho foot of the hills, which is about three miles, then about threo miles over the hills by a good bridle-track, though somewhat hilly When you reach the Waitauereistream (it is not a river)you cross the bridge, turn to the right through a paddock knovrn a? Csntwell's or Lennox's leading to a smaller enclosure near an old house which has beon for some time de sertod. Tho Falls aro three quarters of a mile from this houso down tho Etream. There is a walking track throuch the bush to tho top of tho great fall, which is 350 feet high, and a track from the top to tho bottom of the great fall. 230 yards lowor down tho stream there is a second or lowor fall, which is about 70 feet high. Between tho two great falls there are several very pretty cascades'in the bod of the stream, high mosses of rock 50 nnd 100 tons in weight.

If there are fairies in these lands, they must bo hero, for you aro in au amphi theatre of enihanted ground. Abovo you tha water tumbles over tho black basaltic rock looking like a veil of silver fringed with sunshine; beneath you aro tho tiny cascades singing in their own sweet way ; behind you the lower falls, the waters of which plunge into a deop rocky basin whero the fabled giants of old would have loved to bathe ; around and above you is a frame work of nativo bush, with ita fifty suits of overgreen, from tho leafy recesses of which you hear at morn and noon the mueical "clink, clink" of tho boll-bird, and at eventide tho solemn tones of tho native owl. But still only those who can climh hills should attempt the journey until the new road is finished.

To reach the West Coast return to the paddock, and remounting your horse, go over the hills half a mile until you come to Mr Russell's farm, where you can stay all uight ora week, as they havo accommodation for visitors at moclcriito ciiarges. -b rots Russell's to tho wild West Coast is four and a-half miles by a good bridle track. Thero arj several settlers on tho way, namely, Mr Horlons, on who.so farm there is a lake of It acres : next Mr Bethel's farm, after which you cro^s tho Amiwata stream and roach ono of tho prettiest bays in tho district. Tho I'acifie Ocoan-is now before you, only twonty miles from Auckland, and you aro looking at and,listening to tho mighty ocean wave?, splashing and crashing on tho rock-bound shore, and in rough weather thewaveatoasthoirfoam hundreds of feet up the frowning cliffs, which at this Bpot aro from 100 to 600 feet high. Thero aro a few natives about two miles to tho north near where tho Waitakerei stream is lost in tho ?and3 of the shore. Dr Stock well's station is onomile to the south,and ten miles to tho south ia tho Manukau Bar, whero H.M.S. Orpheus was lost at mid day on Saturday, February 7th, 1803, when O"tof a total of 206 men ntid boys 187 were drowned, Kumbers of bodies cams aehore along the coast, including that of Commander Burnett, whoso body was afterwards carried over the ranges by the natives and interred in Auckland. Portions of wreckage are still to bo seen. A part of her mast was reported to me aa still visible along tho beach, but 1 could not find it; the wind, how6ver, had blown the sand from a pieco of Baltic or Canadian pine, in which 1 found four round copper bolts 10 inches long, and three broken square copper spikes, all of them bearing the Government broad arrow. Along the coast there are several small rocky islands on which the sea-birdsrear their young. The sea-shore in some parts is composed of steel sand, and it is curious and interesting to watch the black eand climbing the hills, as if endowed withlife. The prevailing westerly winds roll the minute particles of Bteel ore over tho other against the face of a cliff or hill. This, like most of the operations of nature, acting through long periods of time, goes on until the sand at an angle of fifty degrees roaches the hilltop, two or three hundred feet high, and pours over the other side in a fine stream, burying and destroying large tree?, covering large tracts of land. and diverting the water-courses. From some of the hilltops you can see three harbours at once, viz , Mimuxau, Kaipara, and Waitemata, with their islands, bays, and rivere. Seventy miles eastward you see the Coromandcl Range?, Cape Colville, and the Barrier Islands ; westward, the bluo Pacific Ocean without a sail or speck of land. The climate is very bracing, for you are at an altitude of about ono thousand two hundred feet. The contro of this district is only 15 miles from Auckland city, and if tha bush is destroyed it will in time become an arid sandy waste. Already largo areas havo been burnt and destroyed to get a few kauri trees ; in fact, the waste of timber is lamentable. A few months since several hundred acres were burnt by native gumdiggers. Let things alone, and in a few years farewell to the bush on the Waitakerei Ranges. When the bush is gone the water-bourses will fail to a great extent, and the waterfalls become 'iKe our lost Terraces—things of the past. Most of the owners would sell their land for £1 an aero, and if not, lot them remain. The peaco and plenty round about them remind ono uf " tho merry homos of Eng- I land."

"Through glowinpt orchard" forth they peep Kacn from its nook of leaves."

But an end should be put at once to tho wilful destruction of the forests. I boliovo that for fifteen thousand pounds tho public could again own the one hundred square miles of country mentioned, as the Govern ment and the Waitemata County Council already own a large portion of it. Beyond the purchase there need not be any further outlay at present. In the United States, public domains and endowments assume large proportions. Taking the average of all the States, one-fifteenth part his already been reserved as endowments foreducational purposes alone.

The citizons of Auckland wish to commemorate in a useful way our Queen's Jubilee. Lot them retain for themeelves and their children tho Waitakerei Rnngeß as they rsow are It would be a plnasing coincidence if Sir George Grey, who for GO yeara haR been making hi»tory in liie lanrlsof the Southern GrosK, performed on bahalf of Iho people of Auckland tho opening ceremony of the Great Western or Victoria Park, D. S. Chambers, Auckland. January 29tb, 18S7.

The Herekino Village Settlement.

Ita Present and lta Future,

On tho 21th December we published the ac count of tho first stage of tho settlement of the Horekino blooK, under the Village Settlement Scheme of Mr London. We then gave our readors a description of the passago cf tho 124 settlors (75 of whom are children) from Ooehunsja to tho sheltering nativo village in the Whangapo harbour, in tho good littlo steamer Oreti. As tho linnl resting place of tho new hapit (as the natives call tho settler?) is somo five miles distant from whero the steamer left them at Whangape, our special correspondent waa unabio to furnish us with his personal observations on the land at that time, aa the steamer left before any of tho party could visit it, althouch tho " Herald " man, being a more gifted individual, was ablo to sco through two mountain rangeaat 3 o'clock in the morning and do so for his paper. To make our readers fully understand tho phy sical and other features of the district, and judge of tho success likely to attend the enorgy of tho originators of the schome, we must first briefly describe tho one available oponing Herekino has ut presont with tho outer world, Whangapo harbour. Wo shall than, after dwelling on tho sito of the settlement itself, brielly sketch tho routo the road should take, in ourspeeiarHopinion, to join Herekino, by way of the valley lead Ing northwards through tho Orawhana Kange, with the main Ahipara and Mongo nui road.

To describo tho harbour of Whangapo then, tirst; whero tlio Oroti loft tho settlors amongst those most hospitable of Maoris—the jNgatikuri. Jin pnSmnt, por hups the story connected with tho naming of this tribe, us related to tho writer by tho well-known Mr Blytho, will bo interesting to some. Ovor ngainet tho sandhills of Tauroa, near Ahipara, on tho coast, dwolt a mighty tribe ot cruel pirates, whose fight ing pa was considered impregnable, Year after year had the neighbouring tribes wasted thoir braves ncaiust its in vuluorable forliticatiuii3. At last a "vil lage Hampton " put his brains to work and resolved to clear tho neighbourhood of tho terror in which tho wholo coast lay; for awful were tho " goings on" of tho Taurca men. A plan was proposed by the knowing one, and tho result was that no moro fruitless blood was spilt for two or more years, but instead, a mania seemed to havo seized all tho neighbouring villagers for breeding doga (kuri). Every village swarmed with them ; babies were starved that the dogs should have thoir fill. At lastatimo camofor theoompletionof thoplan of action. Some hundreds of tho " friends of man" wero slaughtered, and as night fell secretly thoir skins were sewn into the form of a mighty whale. As tho following morning's mists cloared off the hills round Tauroa', "the pirate crow" saw stranded, us thoy thought, upon tho shore, a whale whosu size made their mouths wator, Down nißhed the warriorp, but soon, ah ! too soon, thoy became whalors of a different sort to what thoy hud hoped to havo been. Our readers will havo already guessed that a Fimilar little joke to that of tho Horse of Troy had been perpetrated, and from tho belly of the shnm whalo poured forth a mul titude of armed mon upon tho defenceless pirates. The pa was taken, and the vic torious villagers took to themselves the namo o£ Isgatikuri, the people of the dogs. From the cairn waters of the harbour of Whangape, the hills rico on all sides, clothed with n grand puri bush, to some SOOor 900 feet, and a dark, narrow gorge, in some places only about 100 yards across, with rugged, precipitous sides, lets tho wators of the Wsiotehuo and Mangonio o Wao rivers, which flow into tho harbour, escapo into tho sea. At the entrauco to this inlet in .13 nasty and dangerous a bar aa over the writer of this couli wish himself clear of. Cerberus-like at the entrance stand thrco rocks, whoso angry teeth havo toru to pieces two voiselt already which have at temptod to paaa them. Uvor thoui camo the hugo rollers, in tumbling grandeur, to regather themselves a3 if for a last mighty offorfc to penetrate the silent waters of tho harbour, over the dangerous but defending sand bars nearer inshore. In entering tho inlot a vessel has to run acrosa broad eido on to these roller?, and very trying it in to the nerves of those on biard to find themselves flying along on tho crest of one them towards the foaming bar, tho end of which tho Oroti only just mauagod to paes in time.

That Whangapo will not bo tho har bour of tho settlement, ccla aus sans di,c—Umt is, of courso, in its present state, uud the Horculos who can subdue ita guarding rocks will bo too expensive a young man to employ yet awhilo. The road to tho now settloinont is nn cany ono now during tho dry foaaon, but crossing, r.B it does, sovoral swampy and mangrovo covercd Hats, will not bo such a comfort able ono to travel aftor a. month or two's rain. Leaving Whaogope, a slight rise carriea you through a thicket of titrec, find fhon a fruitful vislloy is soon, with larga native cultivation.) of kumara, potatoes, Indian corn, and tobacco, somo of the latter'a leaves being longer than tho writer's arm. After crossing theso rich, low-lying lands the track leadd across the foothills of a second range of wooded heights, and, wind ing up to some four hundred feet above tho sea, gives the traveller a fino view to the north and northeast over an open titree coverod expanse cf land of pooror quality than that already travereed. Everywhere tho tracks of wild cattle and pigs aro teen, and now and thon the animals themselves. Whether the killing of these by tho settlors will be tho cause of dissension with the natives remains to be seen, but surely thero are enough for ail. A "saddle" is now reached, and Here kino Harbour comes in view, and the road, a capital packing track all the way, about 5A mile?, slopes away at an easy grade down into tho Raratonga Valley, aa rich a piece of land as any tho writer has seen in New Zealand. Here, as the writer and his companion paaeod by some native habitations, some dusky maidens welcomed ub and showed us the way across the muddy mangrove swamp over which the rather obscured track ran. This swamp is part of that of tha southern inlet of the Herekino Harbour. Another mile, and the chief settlement of Herekino Harbour was reached, whero a native named Powborama met us with every expression of delight and pleasure that a single human countonance has room for at one time beam ing over his visage, and insisted on carry ing us one by ona ncross tho Puhata river, that enters the main waters of the harbour between thia settlement and the western point or township section of the block, on part of which a Mr Ryan, an old Australian gold-digger, has, with a dusky spouse, fettled himeelf for some years past. Herekino Har bour is about four miles or more in length, running, but for a sudden turn at right angles to the north-woßt where it joins the ocean, in a northeasterly direction. Its width variee from three-quarters of a mile about a mile from tho eea, to a quarter of a mile at various points. The principal rivers that flow into it are the Herekino, which enters it from the oxtremo end, ris ing iv the Orowhana rangos, and the Uwhiroa and Puhata, which take thoir Hfo in and flow through rich, low-lying titreo flats in the centre of the block.

Tho land tv be occupied by tho settlors, which i« now being cut up into sections by Mr M. Smith and Mr P. Ward for tho Go vernment, liea to the 3outh-oaßt of the har bour, a portion to bo sot apsrt for a town ship occupying a hilly promontory, which juts out into tho eamo. We have used tho word harbour as indicating that part of the low !and| covered with salt water at high tide, but no depth of more than some 3 feet oxists further in from the sea than a mile or co, save whero tho rivera have cut channols turougb tbe eand. These channels the writer has rounded, and supposing that the bar will allow of a passage for a boat drawing six feet, one with that draught can at high water reach a point some two miloß and a half from the eea ; at low water imr.ieneo pipi beds are exposed to view, and the harbour can be crossed on fooi anywhere opposite the settlement, tho nearest point of which, that allotted to the township, is about a mile and a-half from the eea. Iho land v undulating, and of first-class quality, puriri and totara being the commonest trees in the busb, whilst valuable flats of rich, deep soil aro found to the north and centre of the settlement. Plenty of nikau is at hand for wharo-building, the only want being that of water, which, after the lato dry season, is in all probability more than usually scarce. The harbour literally ewarm? with ti?h-echnapper, mullet, and )latfi-h being tho commonest, whilst tho rivore aro noled, say the nativox, for their enormous eelß. Tho great drawback at present to the pottle ment is its want of road communica tion, but that can, and in all proba bility shortly will, be made a thing of the past comparatively easily. One great fault the writer noticed in the general arrangements, for the settlement waa that

f>o common in cutting up land in Kow Zea land. The Bite of a settlement fixed on, tho authorities cut it up into sections without the slightest regard to tho physical features of the country. One man has all Bwnmp, whilst his neigh bour perhaps has the Bteep side of a hu»h coverod hill; wlieren«,if thn»f>orfo'ißhß<i been cut up by someone on the ground; portions of ewump laud, bush and hul could easily havo beou arranged foronch selector. It is to bo hoped Mr lundon will got some thing dono to rectify this, which may cause, and in fact haa already caueod, some disappointment. Having quite made up my mind that the Whangape harbour will not bo the future road to the outside world for Here kino, and not having tho moans at hand to to^t tho cap-abilities of tho harbour bar, tho writer determined to explore up the valley of tho Herekino river for nn easy grade by means of which a ror.d could bo formed to join tho main roads to tho ports of Awanui (sixteen miles distant) and Mongonui. From tho settlement to tho beautiful Maori village of Manukau, which lies under the kauii-crowuod range of Orawhano, tho road would run over level country for soino throe miles, then riso Blightly for another mile or bo ; thon grado along tho valley to tho point where the valloy ends in a low " saddlo," about five milos from tho sottlement boing vorv oasy. Hero, however, a hill would have to bo surmounted, but with littlo difficulty, and a gentle dtt-eonding grado would, in another two or three miles, brinir the now road out to the flat metalled ono to tho portu boforo mentioned. This road would, as far as tho writer could judge, open tho kauri and puriri Crown land forests, and cotno out at the n.-ttive settle mont of Wainui. Tho native cultivation, nt tho foot of tho Orawhana ihountain, at Manukau, waß a picture not easily to bo forgotten, and if half tho success which attends tho labours of tho Maoris thoro accompanies that ot tho now sottlers on their sections, tho lower ones of which appear similar in quality nf land, good crops may bo looked forward to with cor tainty. Tho Maoris at Manukau told tho writer that there was plenty of gum on the high ranges on tho northern nido of tho nar bour, and showed some which they had got in that direction : it was, however, of rather poor quality. To a porson acquainted only with tho bush of the Bay of Plenty, tho wealth of puriri in tho bush on tho settle ment ij most striking, tho trees being not only vory numerous, but straight and clo^n in tho bnrrel. At present tho onsiost way for foot-passengors to tho settlemont is by way of Mongonui, or Awanui, to Kaitai, and thenco to tho village of Wainui, whoro a track loads over the hills to t!io villago of Manukau. For packing, the beach road via Ahipara, to which a good motnlled road runs from Mongonui, is tho easiest route. That bo foro long a light draught steamer will call at tho Herekino as n regular thing, is little to be doubted, for it has been done, and dono safely. The bad name given to tho harbour bur seems to havo its origin in tho fact that H.M.S. Osproy camo to grief there, mis taking Hit harbour for Hokiangn, henco its namo of False Hokinnga. This vessol, how over, was of considoraDlo draught, and her fnte should not prevent propor means being at once taken to ascertain the real character of tho bar.

Tho question as to whothor tho settle ment will prove a success or not is, nf course, a somewhat difficult ono to answer, and maoh depends upon tho sottlf's thomselves. That many of thorn aro tho right stamp of mon for pioneers wo can testify from observation ; and that these aro satisfied with their chance of making a success of it wo may feol sure, as several, having visited tho block, aro now about to transport thoir wives and families t» tho plnee. As we have alroady Bind, tho main difficulty is tho want of communication ; tho pottlomont must havo a rond out of it. Lot tho eottlors bo trivon tho job of making this road by tho Orawhana valloy ns wo havo suggested, and not only will thny thon havo had time to establish therasolves on tho land, and havo crop-! to go on with, bvit also a firat-cla?* rond extending from tho east to tho west const, with a harbour nt either end, will bo the result. Taking it for granted that this will be done, wo look forward to a successful settling of tho rich and beautiful landa of tho Herekino block.

THE CHROMOSCOPE.

The Invention of au Auckland Sciontist.

Fob many years a well known Auckland goutluman, till lately computor to tho Sur vey Department hero, has beon working in

tho obscure paths of scientific research,

called by its students geometrical psycho logy. The labours of those years have re sulted in tho discovory of certain laws, which govorn tho uutiun of rays of light when reflected from the surluto of curtain gooinetricnl lurms is* revolution. Tbe.-s.« laws and tlieir bearing upon scientific ro search are embodied in a book oditod by Miss Elza Cook, lately published by Messrs llcdwuy and Co., of London. The dis covoror, Mr B. \\r. Betts, illustrates tbo action, of these laws by means ot a simple little machine (tho invention of himsolf), consisting of a spindle, which, set in a frumo, ia made to revolve certain cards by moaria of a handle. Tho nocessary appara tus can bo obtained at Messrs Upton and Co.'h, in ljuoen-streot. Tho cards aro eouerally ot a hoarfc or leaf form, with tlioir odgoa deeply serrated by various wedge shaped piocLs being cut thorefrom, wboso lines of direction are at a tungem; to the centre of revolution of tho card, which imitilx broad or "atalk " ond. On making one of these cards, which, as wo have explained, is shaped according to certain geometrical laws, revolve in tho machine, opposito to the observer in a dark room, with its surface illuminated by a ray of light (solar lifiht gives tho truest result), bandß of various colours are seen upon it, according to its shape. What is tho cause of the phenomena is at present a moot point, we believe, but ths fact remains that a certain form will, tho light being tho same, always give the same colour. Tho same conditions being osay to obtain, it seems as if there was at once a certain value attached to tho invention, as a means of securing a series of standard colours, hitherto, we balieve, deemed impossible. Whether the colourod rings are due to disintegration or polarisa tion" of tho light rays failing on tho ro volving card, or whether the effect of colour ia produced by a kind of fatigne of the eyo nerves, is not yot settled. If truo colours, as ordinariiy understood, are produced, photography should beable to prove the same. On the other hand, if the oye nerves are tired into receiving tho sensation of certain colours, as hereafter explained, chomicala would not be affoeted. Tho quick alternation of an illuminated aud a dark sur.'aco or background presented to tho oye tiros that organ, and to eomo persons, in reading print, gives an after effect of colour. The well-known experi ment of gazing at some primary cDlour (say red), and then transferring the direction of sight to a whito sheet of paper, when ita complementary colour (groen) will be ob served taking tho form of the rod object first looked at, i.-i a case in point. Tho eye nerves obtain tho effect of colour, which thoy transmit to tho brain, by moans of a uumbor of little organs called rods and coiies, which aro situated upon tho retina, aud receive tho rays of light ontoring the eyo. These rods and conea project from tho retina like hairs from a brusb, and each one is sonsitivo to some particular colour, some to rod, romo to blue, and so on. That tho=o tiny organs easily tire, and lo«o tho power of transmitting the effect of that colour which it is their function to communicate to the eye norvea, is proved by the experiment alroady men tioned aud many others. It Eeeme, then, to us that the explanation of the phenomena of coloured rings upon tho revolving carda is that tho quick alternation of light and darkness tirea out certain of these rodt and cones, when they failing to transmit their particular colour, or colours, to tho brain, that organ only receives the impression of the remaining coloured rays contained in the ray of light received by the oye, with the same effect, to all intents and purposes?, as if that reflected ray bad been deprived of one or moro of ita coloured rays by means of a prism.

In receiving a on the subject of State-aided emigration to the colonies, the Marquis o£ Salisbury dis couraged the idea. A nunagonarian farmer who committed suicide the other day is said to have been incited to tha rath act by tbe unremunera tive character of tha late harvest. It must have been poor indeed to drivo to distrac tion a man who had witnessed ninety-four pruvicu* in-gathcrinjre. An advertisement read as follows :—" A young man, eober and roiiablo, who has a wooden leg and cork arm, is willing, for a moderate salary, to allow his false limbs to be maimed by wild beasts in any reputable menagerie, as an advertisement. No objec tion to travelling."

SAN FRANCISCO MAIL NEWS.

'JTlie Queen's IScdmiiiK Years. New York, Jan. 3.—A " World's " Lon don special suys : Tho Queen is breaking very rapidly, and eho is conscious that her lifo cannot bo epured muny years lougar. Tho only shadow over tho jubiloo yoar is a goncral apprehension among tho people of England that the Queen may not live until the year ia cotnploted. The appearance of old age U mont clearly marked in her jubilee portrait, which has just been completed and placed in the gallery leading to her privato apartments at Windsor.

ADRIFT ON A RAFT.

THE WRECK OF THE HARVEY MILLS.

A Mato's Tlirilllns Story.

Tlioro ia always something picturesque about the story of a shipwreck when given in tho words of a seafaring man who has actually participated in tho scones which ho doscriboe, but the story becomes won derfully so when the peril has been of an extraordinary nature and when tho narrator is almost tho solo survivor of a largo crew. Such a tale related in such a pictur esque fashion ra? that told to a " Chron tclo " reportor yesterday morning by T. J. Cuf-hman, lirat mato of tho ship H&tvoy Mills,which foundored off Capo Flattery on December 12th lust. Tho mate, who ia a wiry little man of about 35 years of ago, arrived in Ban Frnncii'co yesterday morning at !) o'clock, in company with two follow survivors, on board tho Orizaba, from San Pedro, tc which port they had boen takon by tho barque Majostic. " We wore towod to Port Towneond from Seattle on Deccmbor 12th," raid tho mato, " and tho next day proceeded to sea in tow of tho tugboat Tyno. It was about day light of the 14th when tho lino was thrown oil, and, tho wind being fresh from the southeast, we raado sail and stood out. Tho Harvey Mills had a crow of twenty-five, tore and aft. Slio hud nea on to 3,200 tons of coal on bowd. Hor ro gidlcred tonnago wan 2,09" tons, so that, while I do not' mean to say that eho «» overloaded, you cm boo thataho was carrying all she conveniently could. Tho coul had boon well put on board, however, and I don't think it shitted v bit, because I noticed afterwards that whenever thoro was a lull in tho storm she righted and rode on .in ovon keol. This storm camo on about 10 o'clock on Tuesday morning, the Mth, and two hours nfter tho fore-top gallant eail went in two with ft report liko that of a cannon. Wo took in some of tho canvas then, but tho wind kopt on increas ing and wo furlod tho uppor topsails at 1 o'clock. All that afternoon the wind blew harder and harder, until it had risen to a shocking gale, the like of which I had never ox-porionccd. As tho evening camo on tho seas began to run very heavy, and tho ship strained and laboured and plunged as though tho would surely go to piocos. Slio stumbled along with her port tafTrail mostly under water, the wind howling worse than ever and tho waves hammering us liko fury. Working at Hie Pumps.

" Still I thought the ship would weather through all right, but about this time I h'ipponod to go into mi' room and found it full of water. 1 baled it out, wiped it dry, and had turned to fix tho port hole and grating, when, on looking around, I caw to my consternation that the room was oiico more full of water. Then I saw that the straining of the ship had done Bcmo feartul work, and after consulting with tho. captain wo eounded tho pumps and found ninoteon inchoa of wator. At S o'clock that night wo Bounded again and found twenty-two inehoe. Thon wo de cidod toman tho pump?, ar.d started them with tho ship tossing badly and now show ing a steady list to port. Every few min utes tho 6013 would plungo on the dock, sweeping overythiug movable. The port quarter boat was taken Hying out of tho tkids.und at every wave tbero would bo a shriek as some man was carried away from tho pumps. The decks were now continually under wator, the cabin was Htovo in and filled, and, as a lost reßOiirce, wo rigged the bell pumps and worked them from tho forward house. Wo could make no effoct 011 tho body of water that had got into the ship and was making her roll like a log, and at midnight wo decided that our on'y hope watt to keep hor off beforo the wind. Wo tried this, but she would not anawor to hor holm, and aftor losing a jib and staysail, wo gave up the job.

TalttaE to tho Boat.

•' Wo passed that night tho Lord knowj how, and when Wednesday morning came, and it comes soon aftor 4 o'clock in those high latitude.-!, wo found tho ship on her beam ends. To caeo hor up, if possible, tho captain had the main and mizzon ina.sfH cut away, but as our ill luck would have it, this only made matters worse. Tho niisosstimast in falling stovo in tho after houee, and that, an you shall hoar, wan the Balvation of thoee who woro saved. Tho mainmast stove in t'>e long bout, pounded away at tlio flap's fide, and water rushed liko a miU-etroura into the hold, and it was decided to abandon tho wreck. Tho only bout left, wus tho lifeboat, and as it waa being lifted from tho skids Captain Crawford told me that ho could not swim. On this, I insisted that he should got into the boat, aud that I would trust to the hip. Ho demurred at thie, but I forced itai, and as wo were thud arguing tho ship 'ttve a groat lurch and washed the boat iway. Aa it went tho captain and five mon jumped after it. There was a com motion ill tha wreck alongside, and up eume tho bout with all six clinging to it. They righted her, when another sea rolled them ull over. Aa she awupt by the mizzon gaugway, I saw but three clinging to her. Then camo another Lueakor, and as tho boat Hew away into the darkness, I caught a glimpse of tho captain and ono man clinging to tho upturned keel. Adrift on tlio Ocoan. " Ab well as 1 could make out it was now about 5 o'clock in the morning, and, turn ing to tho ship, I found that eleven of us were left, and for a fow minutes wo all clung to the starboard side of,.the after houso. Pretty soon I felt the ship tremble and stagger,and so rushod to the starboard rail. There was another heavy rolling plunge—a movement that seemed to havo all movements in it—and knowing that the end was coming I jumped out and swam as far as possible to bo out of the suction. When I rested.and looked around tha Harvey Mills was just going slowly down stern foremost. Aa toon as I saw that tho foundering wan complete I ewam buck to tho spot and with three other men got on a pieco of the aftcr-houee deck which had been loosened by the fall of tbo inizzen mast, aa I have descabed it to you. We drifted here and thero alt that day,and in the morning of Thursday saw another pieco of the after-house dock floating to our right with five men on it. They tried to come up to us, but owing to the fact that a skylight formed part of our raft it caught the wind and we drifted faster than they did. All day long they kept working away to get up to us, using pieces of scantling, and as evening eamo they managed to got alongside. I did not like their socioty at ull, for aa they camo slowly up to us 1 saw that they woro pinging, dancing, and having n regular fanrlaugo, and all apparently crazy as March hares. Thoy shouted that ono of their numbor had beeu lost, and sure enough they wore now enly four instead of rive as I had seen that morning One of their propositions was that wo should lash tho two fragments of the deckhouse to gether, but I would have nono of them. Then they wanted to ccme on to our poor raft, but wo beat them back, and bo night fall camo on and we never saw them again. Sulfcrings of tUe Wrecked. "The weather had not abated in tho least. The wind continued to blow great guns, aud the sea was so high that our ratt was nearly all of the way under water. It did not eink, however, for it had been so bat tered about that tbo tongue and grooved woodwork lay along the water like a sheet of india rubber. We had not a single thing to eat or a drop to drink, and yet 1 did not seem to seffor much. One reason why I did not feel any great degree of thirst, per haps, was that while the three seamen wore clothed with oilskins, I had only shirt, pantaloons and socks on. Conse quently my body was constantly wet while theirs wore kept comparatively dry, so that I enjoyed the benefits of absorption. At the same time I did suffer acutely from cold, and my feet even now aro so numb that I really do not know that I have any such extremities. So the 16th passed, and when tho 17th came it found us very weak, but hopeful. A rainstorm camo on, and while it la»ted we fat with our mouths open gaping like fo msny young birds. That: day, too, a barque hovo in sight, but though w« hoisted three pairs of pnutaloona on a' stick, and shouted until wo could scarcely whisper, she squared away and > left ua when only two miles distant.

Rescued at Last.

" When Saturday broke we were pretty nigh hopeless, but we brightened up as

we sighted a barqentino and taw that aha had noticed a signal. She ran for us, but (ho nieht came before sho reached ua. All nighb long she stood by us showing her lights, but though wo tried to make our whereabouts known, wo could not do so. Then a thick fog camo up, and when it closed in on us and shut out the friendly light, we asked to die. Soon after that one of tho failors Btcrted up from tho corner where ho had been muttering and mew incr, and saying hs waa going out to buy some straw, w:\lked overboard and wes drowned. When Sunday morniDg dawned the sea seemed full of ships, but wo could not movo. Tho sitrnal, however, fluttered away, and at !) o'clock wu saw a barquo bearing down for us. Thon we saw a boat lowered, and'in another hour wo wore on board the Majestic, cf San Fran cisco. Tho rescue came just in tima, and thanks to Captain Bnrgman and his wife, we wcro so well taken care of that whon we wore set ashore at San Pedro on the 6th, wo felt quite ourselves again.'

Labour Outrage.

A Passenger Train Wrecked.

i Tho aouth-bound passenger train on tho Missouri Pacific oxtension, which left Omaha for Kansas City on January 11th, and was due here this morniog, was wrecked noar Dunbar, Neb., about mid night. Tho wreck was caused by the loosoning of a rail, which was dono by parties unknown. Soveral spikes and fish plates hud been removed, and the train coming along at tho rato of thirty miles an hour, plunged fifteen feet down an embankment and landed in a snowdrift. James Do Witt of Wyandotte, Kans , tho engineer, was caught under the boiler and killed. His body had not been recovered at last accounts. Frank Mensworth, the express messenger, whose heme U in this city, was internally hurt and may die. A lady, whoso namo was not learned, was badly hurt, but the other passongors were not seriously injured, so far ac known here. All wero Phakoa up, however, and moro or less bruised. Tho entire train left the track, and tho probable loss of life would havo boon groat except for tho snowbank, which broke the force of the plunge.

The Missouri Pacific officials here state that the wreck is tho result of a third at tempt upon tho lifo of Da Witt, the en gineer. They say some of the men engaged in the strikes last spring cherished a grudge against De Witt, bocausa he was an active supporter of tho company during the great strike. They assert that tho wreck near Wyandottofor which Hamilton had justbeen tried was tho result of a plot against De Witt's lifo ; but his train was not tho first to p-iss over tho track, as they expected. Subsequently, they say, a eocond attempt was made, and last night was the third. Sevoral suspicious-looking men, it is said, wore eeon loitering about *he station at Dunbar on tho evening of tho wreck. Tracks wero found leading from the pcone of the wreck, which furnish a clue. Tho Sheriff and sevoral others are searching the neighbourhood, and a reward will bo offered for tho apprehension of tho wreckers. A number of California excursionists were among the party on tho train. D. S, Wilsoni conductor of tho wrecked train, s.iys that fifty-two passengers were aboard the train, and that their escape from death was almost miraculous.

The Liberal Conference.

Tho New York "Star's" London cable gram of tho 13th says : Tho private con ference ia the interest of tho Liberal re union at Sir William Harcourt's town houfe yesterday was adjourned until to-day. ilarcou>-t'a' friends claim the prospects aro promising for a friendly understanding. It is etatod at tho Reform Club that both sides show an inclination to accept tho resolutions of tho Lectls confor once.as a basis of negotiation on these lines is almost certain to bo tho outcome. The resolutions accepted Gladstone as tho Liberal loader and pledged support to Glad stone's efforts to give, a better govern ment to Ireland without committing tho party to any particular form of native Irish Parliament or homo rulp, assert ing tho belief that such efforts should be porsevored with. Tho other planks of the platform wero tho reform of tho land laws, legislation dealing with the extension of local self-government and free education, amended registration and reformed election snd license questions. The Nationalists claim that tho sonse of the conference was distinctly for homo rulo first, and this is the rock on which tho present conference ia likely to split, unless tho details are is adopted. A prominent Liberal member, representing ouo of the most important constituencies in tho country, stated that old Parliamontry hands confidently look for ward to Gladstone's roturn to ol'ioo soon after Eastor, if not before.

CHURCH SENSATION.

Strange Freaks of a Madman During

Servloo.

WoiwintTKllS nt the German Baptist Church, on Fourteenth-street, Boston, wore treated to a sansation recently In the middloof tho service, n tail. Blonder, sallow faced young man of about ;iO years rose in a paw in tho centra aisle, clasped a young lady who sat noar him by the waist, drew her face to his nnd frantically embraced her. They wero tho only occupants of that pew. Other members of the congregation looked on amized and inactive. The young lady soroaraod, but tho young man, not ro laxing his gra»p in the least, sect forth a succession of ear-spliting ehouts. The pnetor, Rev. G A. Schulte, who had pus pended hia ecrmon at tho tirst outcry, loft tho pulpit and camo down tho aisle. When he tried to take the young man out of tho pew ho found that he bad a big contract on hia hands. Others enmo to his assistance, nnd tho lady was released, and immediately fainted from excitement aud horror. Tho pastor walked tho young mau up and down the aisle, exhorting him in soothing tones to calm himself. This treatment was unsuccessful, the man be coming more violent each momont. He waa taken to the station-house on a strotchor, Imt when he got there it took j several policemen to hold him down. He wax evidently dangerously insane, and was taken to the Bellevue Hospital, where the furgeone consigned him to a padded cell. Dr. Kchulto, pastor of the church, says the young man has been a regular attendant thors fnr several years. He is Cornelius Ifendrickscn, a clerk, out of employment, living with a relativo at 13S, Essex-street. His mind has boen affected for a number of years, softening of the brain having re sulted from an old sickness. He was hitherto mild and harmless in his domeanor. Flo was absent from home all Christmas day, and attended the Christmas night service at tho church. Nothing out of the way waa then obsorved in his conduct.

A Famous Comedian.

RiiWtY Compton, tho woll-known actor, had it remarkablo knack of saying things which were not especially funny in thomsolvos in a way which mado them appear remarkably ro. Tho uttor nbeonco of any effort to be "droll" produced ,-.n effect altogether suporior to t!io comic remarks of the habitual joker. For instance, it is told of him that ono dny ho was walking through Kem-ington Gardens and he mot a friend, a clorgyman, who livod near him, and they fell into a conversation. Presently Compton said rather abruptly : — " Well, I can't stop talking any longer, as it's nearly 3 and I dine at 3." "Dear me," exclaimed the clergyman, " do you indeed I" "Yea, I do," rejoined Comptoo, severely, " yes, I do. Do you fee anything objec tionable in dining at 3?"

"Oh, not at all." replied the clergyman, : a little taken aback at tho seriousness of his companion's tono. "Is there anything about tho hour which meets with your" disapproval '!" again demanded Corapton, it possible more gravely than befcre. " No, no ; not, at all," stammered the other, almost afraid that he had trodden on a tender corn. "I consider it ia a remarkably good hour," remarked Compton, almostdefiaiitly; "don't you?" " Well, a—I—really " "Think it over, and let me know," ex claimed Compton, impressively,' aa he grasped the clergyman's hand and wrung it violently. A moment and the comedian was striding homeward through the tree 3, while tha clergyman stared blankly after him with a dim notion in his mind that he had been chaffed.

Prosecute the Swindlers! 1 If wkn yon cn,!l for American Hop Bltter« ISM arcen two of Hops on the while label and Dr. Soule'a name blown in the bottle), the ven dor hauds out anything but American Hop Bitters, refuse It and shun that vendor as yon would a viper: and If he haa taken your money tor anything else, Indlot him lor the fraud and sue him Jor dam&ssa for the swindle, and we wtHjW yon liberally for tbe cooYlctwni

Notables in the Campbell Divorce Suit.

Lady Colin Campbell.

Thk two Miss Bloods were always fine y°J£££ women, and made their debut at Brighton about twolvoyears ago, where they disported themselves at evening festivities in very

long gowns without sleovea—a costume then only known to ballet girls and the liko. Tho Misses Blood were again promi nent in Algiers society, creating a certain kind of enthusiasm wherever they went ; and finally the eldor sister married Major Goorgo Bolton, who hag since been known in San Francisco. Mrs Ballon took tho fleeting fancy of tho Prince of Wales, and was tho reigning belle of the hour, which lasted through the Goodwood and Cowol weeks of ono year. She died suddenly in ISS4, and her obliging husband speedily found consolation in the generous sym pathy of others. Gertrude Blood became a sister in-law to one of England's royal princesses, after having broken mnny hearts. Lady Colin Campbell ia very tall, and possesses a rather mascivo and dis tinctly magnificent figure, remarkable for its suppleness and fine outline. She moves with a robust kind of grace, in a way sug gestive of perfect health, and one might easily imagine her an Amazon queen. Her complexion ia vory dark, and her hair black, glossy and smooth, like a raven's wing ; her teoth are remarkably well shaped and white, and her arms and hands beauti fully modelled. Sfea is always be comingly and richly attired in iho newest of garments, looking as if molted and poured into hor clothes, though never over flowinc tho scanty evening bodices to which she treats us. Her ladyship sings with preat aplomb, playing her own accompani ments from memory, in the exaggerated new school of the De Lara order, which in dulges freely in the ///, appasionato ex pression, making full use of her languishing eyes meanwhile. The Duke of Marlborougn.

Georpe, Duke of Marlborough, is endowed with excellent taste ( as has been undeni ably evinced on many other occasions. He must be getting quite used to tho Intricacies of the divorce court and entirely at home within its walla. For off moments, how ever, his Grace possesses a charming house in Queen Anne's Gate, looking on the St. Jamea Park at the back. Thoro are parquet floors and Adams ceilings throughout tho house The drawing-room walls are hung with yellow brocaded satin and tho curtains are of the same material, with inner curtains of pale green ish-blue earcenet, which combination is effective and original. Those in tho hall and outside every door are of bronze corduroy. Tables chimney-pieces and cabinets are of Japanese workmanship, covered with jade, old bronze and other ornamonts. His Grace has a large, comfor table sancturc, furnished with very wide eofas and very deep chairs, the cushions matching in size and soft luxuriance. The Duke's bed and d»essing rooms .are well and artistically arranged with bamboo furniture,- and carved on the chimney piece is tho motto " Ardoret Honor above a largo portrait of Lady Colin. A Man of Taste. Hia (i race rejoices in an immeneo porce lain bath framed with bamboo, of which he seemed extremely proud the day he gracefully did the hononrs of his latest fancy in the house line. He never occu pies the same London abode much moa than two years. Having executed all th% improvements he can think of, ha looks out for new pastures wherein to expend tho resources of bis fruitful *rain—that fund of taste w.hich would have made the fortune of a decorator ii tbeso days, when all classes are striving to make their homes harmonioue in colour and arrange ment. Tho Duke of Ma'lborough is also tho possessor of Blenheim Palace noar Ox ford, and other property, which he periodi cally deprives of a few cartloads of valuables which go to tho hammer, and tho proceeds thon pay off mortgages on the heavily charged estates. Much blame in this matter soems unjustly to have fallen on Mb defence lees head, though death alono prevented his father carrying out his identical plan him A Pleasant Companion. Though a degenerate scion of ft noble house, ho does "not, liko his grandfather, league with his underlings to rob inquiring and appreciative tourists, but is delighted for every ono who is intorestod to see Blen heim Palace and its surrounding gardens at all times of tho year. His Grace eeoms to havo no lack of occupation, being fond of collecting old engravings, running up debts, making love and writing advanced Liberal articles. Being a Duke, and the eldest son of one, he is, of course, a red-hot Radical. I notice, however, that although he share 3 Henry George's opinion, he does not give up his title, nor equally divide his rent roll with lese-favoured brethren. He devotes one rocm to the work of ivory turning, which he manages well, making boxes, clock cases, and all manner of pretty things with tho skill of a professional workman. The Duke of Marlborough ia a man of excellent educa tion, being a fair scholar in classical and modern languages. His Knowledge of literature, old and new, is surprisingly thorough, and tho variable resources at his disposal make him a charming companion. Personal Appearance. He is small and thin in person, quick and nervous in movement, and rejoices in an exquisite speaking voice and cultivated accent, which are unfortunately too seldom mot with. His eyes are blue, prominent, and mesmeric looking It is a published fact that he mesmerised a dog, but I don t know if he goes in for subjugating animals of the higher clasa by this means. His head isoxposed to observation and draughts; and his wife, more mirthful than witty, once paid a delicate attention to this spot " where the wool ought to grow" by f placing a steaming batter pudding thereon. But somehow his Grace failed to appreciate the joko, and plainly expressed his senti ments ia Court, where her ladyship sought and obtained a dissolution of the gordian knot which flymen ties so carelessly.

A South Pacific Cannibal's Feast.

Osu winter season the chiof Ngaapaima rokura (usually shortened into Apai) re solved upou aa immense even of ti roots In preparing it he was assisted by his younger brother Rimanao and the clan gen erally. A great holo waa dug, the Btonea heated red-hot, the rods (four feet in length) lent leaves to ksep them from scorching the whole covered in with abundance of leaves ; finally, earth and stones were piled on the top. to keep the heat and stoam. They had now to wait twenty-four hours ere the eweet roota -would bo ready. Apai desired his Uncle Angene to improve this spare time by catching a son of Kado to eat with the ti roots—the parents havine been disposed of on a former occasion. Ac cordingly the victim was brought to Apai, slain, singed and cooked. When the ovens were opened the whole clan received equal shares of ti root and the victim. The feast ing over, the Chief said to Angene : "To morrow you will fetch the reet of that family, as a relish for our intended oven of plantation roota." Early thofollowiog morn ing the killing party started off for tho two remaining lads and their sister. Someone had given them a hint, for they had run oft in the night to anothor Chief, Votatini, for protection. They were kindly received, and were told to remain with him, although serfs to Apai. The reason for this was that they wore nearly related to Vokatini's wife. But aa the day wore on they were desired Ito no to a neighbouring plantation be longing to their new master to get food. The young men were on their way back •with their loads, when, at a place called Pue, they unhappily fell in with Apai and his armed party carrying in a long basket the body of a boy partially concealed with leaves of the Solanum oleacerum. This victim was intended as a substitute for the runaways. The delighted Apai said to his followers: " Here are the pigs we were in search of." At this the young people criedout: "Alas, we too, shall be siain!" The cannibals surrounded and led the victims to their own district, Kilkii, and there prepared the oven. Rimanao was about to club the eldest when Apai stopped him, saying that it would spoil the eating. He waa directed to stranglo the poor fellow by pressing a Btout stick on the throat, the arms and legs being held down by the clan. As soon as the body was ready for the oven the brother was strangled and prepared. The stick was just upon the throat of the sister, a girl of seventeen or eighteen summers, when happily Vokatini (who had a misgiving that something waa wrong) came upon them and snatched her out of their hands, paying: "You hava enough there already, 1 soe. This is mine." They attempted to coax him, but Votakmi was firm. Being well armed and having a great reputation as a warrior, he succeeded in saving the girl. She henceforth lived in his family.—W, Gills/ Jottings from the Pacific."

THE LIFE OF HOBART PASHA.

A Little Trading.

Bisfobb leaviDg England, I had met a Southern lady, who, on1 337 inquiry as to what was most needed by ber compatriots in the beleaguered States, replied curtly, -"Corsages, sir, Ireckon." So I determined to buy a lot of articles she referred to, and on arriving at Glasgow (tbe port from which we originally started) I viatod an em porium which scorned to contain every thing in tbe world ; and I astonished a young fellow behind the counter by asking tor a thousand pairs of stays. Such an un usual request sent him off like a rocket to higher authority, with whom I made a bargain' for the article required at Is. Id. per pair,' to be delivered the next day. At the eamo titno I bought five hundred boxes ci Cockle's pills snd a quantity of tooth-brushes Well, hero 1 was in Wil mington, with all these valuables} on my hands. Tho corsages were all right, bat the horrid little Cockles wore bursting their casements and tumbling about my cabin in all directions. I was anxious, with the usual gallantry of my cloth, to supply the wants of the ladies first. The only specimens of the sex that I could see moving about were coloured women, who were so little encumbered with drees that J. began to think I was mistaken in the articls re commended by my lady friend as being^ the most required out here After waiting some time, and no one coming to bid for my ware, I was meditating putting up on tho ship's side a large board with the name of the article of ladies' dress written on it 0 piJl-box for a crest, and toothbrushes aa supporters—when an individual came on board and inqmrod vrhsther I wished "to trade." I greedily seized wpoa him, took him into my retreat, and made him swallow three glasses of brandy la succession, after which w? commenced business.

" I will not trouble my reader with the way in whinh wo traded regarding the corsages; suffice it to say that he bought them all at what seemed to mo the enor moua price of 12i each, giving meaprofit of nearly 1,100 par cent. Elated as I wan by my success, I did not forget the Cockles, and gently insinuated to my now somewhat excited friend that we might do a little : more trading. To my disgnet he told me that he had never heard of such a thing as Cockles pills. I strongly urged him to try half adozon, assuring him that if ho once experienced their invigorat ing effects he would never cease to recom mend them. But the ignorant fellow didn't eeem to see it; for, finishing hia brandy and buttoning up his pocketß, he walked on shore. I never thought of naming tooth brushes, for what could a man who had never heard of Cockle's know of the luxury of tooth-brushes ?" Torpedoes. In addition to these precautions, I put a barrier of booma ahead oi tbe ships lying in the port, placed guard-boata £c? watch it at the entrance of the harbour, and herring done all this, I bided my time. For some nii'hts, rather Eleepleas to me, though to iiiy disgust I hear my officers snoring all round me, nothing happened (though, aa- I hoard afterwards, a good deal had been going on outeide the harbour), when, at about three o'clock in the morning of the third or fourth night after I had received the warning, I heard a row going on in the direction of tlje guard boats and an explosion near to one of the outlying ships. 1 had hardly time to think, when something struck the chain of my flagship and Eeemed to spin past like a fish in the water. Then dead silence. I im mediately sent orders to tho two faat cruisers, which were lying with steam up, to go to sea and reconnoitre. " Suddenly I heard people on shore calling out (I forgot to montion that ships in Batoum Harbour are always lashod to tho shore). I sent my officer to recon noitre, who found a gaping crowd standing round what they thought was a large fish lashing bis tail, but what in reality was an unexploded torpedo with the screw etill in motion. On things being calm, I went myself to see what had happened generally during tho attack, and I found a torpedohad struck the bows of one of the ironclads on the belt, at tho water-line, at an angle, had exploded, and scarcely left a mark; that a second torpedo had, after passing through the planks of the defensive barrier J had placed, diverged from its course, and had gone quietly on shore as far as the left of the squadron j that a third, as I said, had struck the chain of the flagship and not gono off, but had run on to the beach. Tha parts of another torpedo were afterwards picked up, it evidently having exploded somewhere down below. So we could account for fonr torpedoes having been fired at us without effect; probably there were more. Those that were on the beach were in a very perfect state, and, as soon as we had rendered them harmless, we made prisoners of war of them. Now, I have been since informed of what went on outside Batoum. It seems that for three nights two fact Russian steamers, carrying torpedo boats, had been looking for Batoum, and, as one of my informants aaid, "Wo could not find it for love or money." A couple of hours before daylight they bad steamed off, so as to be out of sight before break of day. At laat they had bribed a man to light a fire io the hills behind tho town, and so on the fourth night they got somewhere near it, but they could not make out the Bhips on account of the dark land behind them. The time for steaming off haviDg nearly come, they de termined to have a shot at us, so fired five torpedoes into what they thought the centre of the Turkish fleet, with what result we have seen."

Nomenclature of Iron and Steel.

Pig-iron is melted direct from the ore in the furnace, and contains from 3 to 5 per cent, of carbon. When melted it is called

cast-iron ' or " metal."

Spiegel iron is precisely the same, but contains in addition from 5 to 15 pef cent, of manganese. Bar-iron, often called wrought-iron, is pig iron which has been smelted and de prived of nearly all its carbon, either in a puddling furnace or by the Wallon, Lan cashire, or other analogous processes; the spongy mass or ball of iron is usually ham mered or rolled into a bar.

Puddled Bteel is precisely the same as " bar-iron," except that the process of pud dling is stopped when rather more than half of the carbon has been removed from the pig-iron. There are consequently no hard and fast lines between bar-iron and puddled steel, the one intergrading to the other by imperceptible degrees. Although there are an infinite number of intermediate stages between the softest bar-iron and the hardest puddled Bteel, and although it 13 impossible to state the exact percentage of carbon which marks the dividing lino between the one and the other, it is usual to call all pud dled bars which cannot be hardened in

water bar-iron, and all those which can puddled steel. This dividing line falls somewhere near a mixture containing J per cent, of carbon.

Blister-steel is bar-iron which has been converted into steel in a converted furnace, and varies in the amount of carbon which it contains from Jto 1J per cent. Bar-eteel is blister-steel which has been tilted or rolled down to the size required. Cast-6teel ia steel that haß been melted in a " pot " and poured into a " mould," thug becoming an " incot," which is afterward hammered or rolled to the size required. It may be of various " tempers," varying in percentage of carbon which they contain from j or less to 1J or more.

Disuse of the French Language.

A writer in a Belgian contemporary traces the decline of the French language on the Continent. Flemish ia driving French out of the University of Antwerp and the Aca demy of Ghent, from the Belgian Mint and Postoffice, from the Legislature and the tribunals. French haa ceased to be the offi cial language of the German Foreign Office; but it is not so well-known that even tachni cal terms of French derivation have been arbitarily substituted in the postal and tele graphic services by words of purely German manufacture —the reeult of an organised movement to effect the came results in all departments of life.

Mr F. F. "Vernon, of Middlesex, is selecting in England a mixed team of amateur and professional cricketers to visit Australia next season. He is acting on behalf of the Melbourne Cricket Club.

Some poor fellow, who had been jilted, we ehould judge, and brought to grief by come fair one, thus revenges bis wrongs :— "Eve did not know as much as her daughters of the present day. Had they been in her place, inetoad of being deceived, theywouid nave deceived tho devil,"

Ur. Blitz: How is Colonel Blank ? Dr. Mites : He was getting along finely, but yesterday he took a relapse and died within ten minutes. Dr. Blitz: What caused the relapse? Dr. Mites: One of , tba papers published a woodcut of him, '

"Drat the Boys."

(ByMaxO'Rell.)

Begins life as a Soldior.

The proudest day of a young Frencfo officer's life is the day on which he goes out in tte street for the first time with all hio ironmongery on, his moustache cireied up, has cap on his right ear, hia sabre in his left hand. The soldiers he meets salute him, the ladies seem to smile approvingly npon him; he feels like tho conquering hero of the day : all is bright before him ; battleß only suggest to him victories and pro motions.

On this first day his mother generally asks to accompany him, and takes his arm. Which is the prouder of the two, the young warrior, full of confidence and hope, or the dear old lady who looks at the passers-by with an air that cays: " This is my bod, ladiea and gentlemen. As for you, young ladies, he can't have an of you, you know. Poor young officer I Dear old mother I They little knew, in 1869, that in a few months ona would be lying in a military hospital on a bed of torture, and tha other would be wondering for five mortal months whether her dear and only child w»s aoad or prisoner in some German fortress. la Wounded and Disabled.

At the end of the year of grace, 1871, my position was very much like that of my beloved country, all seemed lost, fors I'honneur. Through my friends, however, I was soon offered a choice between two " social positions." . . Tho first was a colonel's' commission in the Egyptain army (it seemed that tha state of my right arm was no objection.) I was to draw a good salary. My friends in Cairo, however, warned me that salaries were not always paid very regularly, but sometimes ailawed to run on till cash cam© into the Treasury. It was during the good times of Ismail Pasha. This made me ft little suspicious that my salary might per haps run on bo fast that I should not be able to catch it. , . ~j, The other post offered me waa that of Lon don correspondent to an important Parisian newspaper. Leaves Paris for London. On the Bth of July, 1872,-1 took the Lon don train at the Gare dv Nord, Pans. Many relations and friends came to th» station to Bee me off. Some had been in England, some had read bookß on England, but all seemed to know a great deal about it. Advice, cautions, suggestions were poured into my ears. "Be sure you go and §cc Madame Tussaud's to-morrow," Baid one. "Now," said another, "when you get to Charing Cross don't fail to try and catch hold of 0 fellow-passenger's coat, and hold fast till you get to your hotel. The fog is so thick in the evening that the lamplights aro of no use, you know." All information is valuable when you start for a foreign country. But I could not listen to more. Time was up. I Bhook hands with my friends, and kissed my relations, including an uncle and two cousins of the sterner sex. This win sound strange to English ears. Well, it Bounds just as strange to mine now. I do not know that a long residence in England has grsatly improved, me (al though my Englißh friends say it baß), but what I do know is that I oould riot now kiss a man, even if he were a bequeathing uncle ready to leave me all hia money.

Loaves an Hotel for Lodgings.

Sly boxea are packed and ready to be re moved—to-night, I hope. . Will pay my first visit to the British Museum.

I hail a cab in Regent circus. " Is the British Mußeum far from here? I cry to the man seated on a box behind. " No, sir ; I will take you there for a Bhill inff," he replies. "Oh ! thank you ; I think I will walk then." Cabby retires muttering a few sentences unintelligible to me. Only one word con stantly occurring in his harangue can I remember.

I open my pocket dictionary. Good heavens ! What have I said to the man t What has he taken me for ? Have I nsed words conveying to hi 3 mind any intention of mine to take his precious life? Do I look ferocious? Why did he re peatedly call me " Banguinaiio 5" Must have this mystery cleared up.

Last Words of Great Men.

Scareon (the French wit), faintly to his weeping friends—"Ah, mes enfass, you cannot cry for me as I have made you laugh in my time."

Gbotius— '

•" Be serious."

Gojthe-(turning to his wife) called lor " Light, more light." Talma (the great actor) exclaimed piti fully as he went—" The worst of all is I cannot Bee."

"Is your mind at ease?" Goldsmith wae asked by his physician. " No, it is not," was the mournful reply.

Robert Bubns gasped with his last breath " Don't let that awkward squad fire over me."

Dr. Payson—"The battle's fought, the victory's wou for ever. I am going to bathe in an ocean of purity and benovolenco and happiness to all eternity. Hold out, faith and patience."

Thomas Paine—" I wonld give worlds if I had them that the ' Age of Reason' had never been published."

John Locke —" O, the depth of the riches of the goodness and knowledge of God." Dr. Adams, Rector of the High School of Edinburgh—" It grows dark, boys (stretch ing forth his hand); you may go."

Wesley—' us."

" The best of all is, God is with

Petrarch died silently and suddenly in his library, his hand upon a book.

Dr. Wm. Huhter—" If I had strength to hold a pen, I would write how easy and pleasant a thing it ia to die."

Hobbes—"l am taking a fearful leap in the dark."

President Edwards—" Trust in God, and you need not fear."

Beethoven, whose soul was filled with harmony, was deaf. As he drew near the closing scene he exclaimed, "I, shall hear."

Oeokge Herbert —

"And now, Lord,

Lord, leoeivemy soul." Peter Mill —"Had I a thousand tongnep, they should be employed in praising God, and had I a thousand lives, they should all be devoted to Him." }, /

Nelson —' duty."

■"I thank God I have done my

William Pitt—'

•" Oh, my country, how I

leave my country." Hapoleon—" Army and France."

Socrates (to a friend, when about to drink the cup of poison)—"Krito, we owe a cock to zE«culapius; discharge that debt, and by no means omit it." Pizaeko—"Jesu," at that moment he received a wound in the throat, and reeling, Bank on the floor while the swords of Rada and several of the coni>pirators were plunged into his body. " Jesu," exclaimed the dying man, aud tracing a cross with his finger on the blosdy floor, he hent down his head to kiss it, George IV. to Sir Watken Waller, who was assisting him to a seat when death came—" Watty, what is this ? It is death, my boy, they have deceived me." Prince Albert — "I have such sweet thoughts," Altamont—"My principles have poisoned my friend ; my extravagance has beggared my boy ; my unkindness has murdered my wife.; and is there another hell ? Oh, tbou blasphemed yet most indulgent Lord God, .bell iteelf ia a refuge if it hides me from Thy irown."

Dr. Arnold—"Thank God for giving me this pain. How thankful lam that my head is untouched."

Thomas Jeffeksok—" I resign my soul to God, and my daughter to my country." Thublow—" I'm shot if I don't believe. I'm dying." Bichaed Baxter—" I have pain, there is no arguing against sense—but I have peace ! I have peace 1" Boiiieau—" It is a great consolation to a poet about to die that be has never written anything injurious to virtue." Lobd Btbon—"Shall I sue for mercy? Come, come, no weakness ! let'? be a man to the last:"

La Fontaine—"lt is notorious that I have published a book of infamous tales, lv compoaios" it I had no idea the work would be ho jiornioious as it has proved. I mishit was in my power wholly to sup press it." Lamb, from his death-bed wrote, "My bed follows are cramp and oough; wo three sleep ia a bed." (No later- words are ' reconiod of him).

THE AUCKLAND EVENING STAR, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1887

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