NEW ZEALAND TO LONDON BY DIRECT STEAMER.

L O ,-.*«-r 8W™" Tomm-

r »».«•>*«:=,

.vwlMii traveller there is nowa- I^^EUd route3i eac h of which l^ saCTinT I" o^er to avoid the Sea, and being f view the nuich-talked-of harbour Janeiro, we selected the route by °mCl f Cal Hoi Accordingly we took *ay °« a "es by the Shaw, Savdl and **<£& steamer Tainui and- set Canterbury, on the 16th October, afternoon oi interpolated *»»*> whi ch, for jegarding,* 06 M ra3 our '-home The Tainui on »?., .„ ,^Q4 by the world-renowneu h* SJy Bothers, of Dumbarton, and :Srffl 2-ent four-masted steamer of L , asgeto*m horse-power, Her length is jbuilt througttffa* f t Her engines lare ° -I « cylinder pressure of IGOlbs. to type. wllh,. B aCS; The Tainui has -S furnaces, employs 35 firemen **T1 enmneers, and attains an average '"j^rm knots an hour, onaconsump f^MS tons of coal a day ; with carte ?lo fuel, she is capable of steam- ,-3 knots an hour. Her saloon 1S ¥«$ SfiS". *■ citadel built, and is 7Sfw£a ™si elaborate and f mp" Xle The staterooms are large, 'SJVd wwHed with every convenience. SSnteges to passengers of having the cZmand staterooms amidships is at once Zreat- a minimum of motion is experi- JSK the disagreeable noises and smells 2 the eDgiae-room are avoided ; and Xtisperhaps of most importance to those SfepM«i to sea-sickness the ceaseless &iou communicated by the propeller is then, is a brief description of the steamship Tainui which, com 2ded by Captain B. J. Barlow R.N.E., fman of tried experience, and having r board 24,680 carcases of sheep, and Ther miscellaneous consignments for Ldon and 4,500 sacks of wheat for Rio, and with about thirty passengers on board, »t sail from Lyttelton on the date already .mentioned, bound for old England via Cape Horn and the Canary Islands, The day of our departure was a lovely one, with .dear skies and warm sunshine, one of those balmy spring days so characteristic of the 'salubrious climate of New Zealand. On Saturday, the 30th October, we inched the first mile-stone, so to speak, in oiir journey-namely, Cape Horn. Only those who. haw made a lonS Y°yaSe can ;nnder?tand how eagerly a glimpse of land iislookedfor, and they will be able fully to 'appreciate pur feelings on the day we were iiroantl the " Horn." We were privileged ;t» have a good view of the cold, bleak, and 'desolate coast of Tierra del Fuego, for we rased within two miles of the Diego Rami- Wropk In a heavy gale, albeit in sails, :*» doubled the Horn at a distance of about !efeht miles from the land. Exposed to the ifjj&ferra of a piercing "south-wester," we■ stool on deck gazing at the uninviting jjjeak and valleys of Tierra del Fuego, Swth here and there patches of snow, I'WkQs .tha' heavy breakers expended their fury against the cold, grey cliffs of the tarrai shore. Off" the Cape the highest •temperature of the air by the dry bulb was ■ dcg.' Fuhr;, arid by the dampbiilb 41 deg. Tiki *nd the lowest 37 deg. and 36 deg. respectively; while the Surface tempera taoftjieaeawas at mid-day 40 deg* Fahr. (krfsinjng distance, from New Zealand jti dpi Horn was 4,686 miles. While Ipasfinf; through the Straits of Le Maire >reobtuned a'goad, view of Staten Island irith its snow-clad ridge and beetling cliffs. At 7 p.m. we altered our course to 5.W., whereupon we experienced a current raining N.E., at the rate of two knots an lot from Cape Horn through the Straits. (forconseiiQW lay for pur first port of call, andcoalihg station—Rio de Janeire. For tie neit five days we were sailing through aplacid sea, #ith light to moderate breezes, sod foij dear weather; the transition to this from lb.o cold, piercing gales and tre mendous seas we passed through prior to Wiling the. Cape was as welcome S3 it was ' remarkable. From the Cape to within twelve hours' sail of Kid te too " skimming across summer «"_ On Friday, sth. November, our attention was arrested by a dark-coloured sum on the surface of the sea, to which * imparted a curious appearance. This %we learnt was composed of fish spawn, Mormons patches of which we passed through. On the morning of the 6th we all woke elated with the prospect of being in win the evening. About 3 in the after- Montheman-on-the-look-out shouted "Land W the port-bow," ai,d our eyes were imme diately peering anxiously through the haze »fa glimpse of the coast of Brazil. Our forts were rewarded, although we could ]W faintly discern the broken outline of the ro- Gradually the picturesque entrance «io harbour burst upon us, and the glori- formed by those towering peaks •> Precipitous cliffs, bathed in the ¥Mourof a setting sun, will-never be ™»» Jroin our memories. Very soon we the lighthouse that stands LIT aU, isl and 5n the middle of tne ™nnej, and a few minutes later passed the w "V^ as we sfceamed up the toft i.The cUstMce run from the Cape ™.ar^ was 2,264 biles. When once bJ!W the Pillars of the gateway, so »&■; iewonderf «l panorama that pre- E? *&s t Meed a Bcene for Painters R?/ nd $ P°efc3 t0 speak of, but 3t, c! aV bler Pen than ours for its SS fcfif We had enjoyed the CvS J - rT? harbolir of which *Bl? !f tly prOHd ' and we had tie EM the t enchanting beauties of ilj* $ m, but" her« was a Klimed fIL ».natUral grandeur fairly «S2r f , all-,? Utlefc usafc leasfc 3,:; n teWon, Far away as farsZ mch stretche3 a sheefc of to o r *l On mi leffc« a« we steam Nl,C£ fl f gS slanted5 lanted Promiscuoysly o Jf'- an udP artly oll suany ■^ Se of uH harbolir ' range '<*l>ShM \!s the crests C 2 tL 1 • the miats'encircle tt^ BilTs.n^ grapdeur to the teDdßtheS" ?loa°d the seaboard JSJ^.Ptea to convey the 15 "*r and JS W° Port «g«es c iron ftffe'of , °Pe'sl mi»d the wim -0 loMenI oMen Hght, which ■sr-^brinSV f aI' eys on the opposite . Otgiant S lnfco Prominence itS^SeTfll^ 8 PrQceeded . ™ ™* WeJ complete

immunity from the pestilence. When we i-eached the wharf the sun was very hot in deed, so we betook ourselves to the Caf6 do Globo, there to refresh ourselves, and obtain, if possible, some directions as to how we should spend the few hours at our disposal. On our way thither we pas ed through the public market-place, where excellent vege tables, tempting fruits, and birds of every plumage were exposed for sale by charming South American negresses and filthy Portu guese. We reached the Cafe do Globo just as the bells were ringing for church, and save for their chimes and in the fact of our colliding with half a dozen padres at every street corner, there was nothing to indicate that it was Sunday. Arrived at the Cafe do Globo we were surprised to find a build ing which, so far as internal arrangements were concerned, compared very favourably with the average catY; or restaurant in Lon don. We were anxious to visit the famous Botanical Gardens,about eight miles distant from the town, and to see the world- re nowned avenue of palm trees which leads up to them, but were informed that the time at our disposal was too limited to per mit of our doing so. To mitigate our i-egret as far as possible, we resolved to pay a visit to the less pretensioua pleasure gardens in the town itself. Here we found broad, well-kept walks, beautiful lawns carpeted with rich green tropical grasses, cool shady groves, provided with comfort able seats on which to rest, protected by overhanging foliage from the burning sun, tempting pools covered over with the branches of stately trees, cocoa palms with their tapering stems and spreading leaves, and an endless profusion of tropical shrubs. Once more we took our seats on the car, bound for the Cafe do Globo, where we were to lunch before returning on board. To the repast provided for us there we did ample justice, especially those delicious wines and luscious Brazilian fruits. On ask ing for our bill we were highly amused on receiving a slip of paper stat ing that our reckless indulgences (our company numbered four) cost th 6 appal ling sum of ten thousand reis ! However, knowing that 1,000 reis are contained in one milreis, and that a milreis is equal to about two shillings our arithmetical calculations sufficed to solve the abstruse problem as to the English equivalent being LI sterling. So much for the currency of Brazil.

As the hour of returning to our ship ap proached we wished that the time at our disposal had been four weeks instead of as many hours, for what we had seen of Rio served to show how erroneous, and how far short of the reality, our preconceived notions of the city had been. Rio pos sesses many fine buildings, its principal streets are comparatively clean, and its shops are, in many instances, handsome, and, in all, thronged with customers. Bub nothing excited our surprise so much as its wonderful tramway system. Its lines of about thirty inch gauge ramify through out the entire city: the cars, most of which are open, of course, are clean and com fortable, the drivers and conductors are well-dressed and smart, and altogether superior to the same class at home; and jihe mules which draw the cars are well fed and respectable-looking animals. In short the tramway system of Eio is un doubtedly one of the finest in the world. Having purchased some souvenirs of the city in the shape of photographs, and feather flowers and fans, exquisite works of art in their way, we hastened back to our steamer, for, muoh as we desired to see more of Rio, we were unwilling to be left behind. The thermometer now registered about 90deg. Fahr. in the shade, and the surface temperature of the sea was 7Sdeg. Between 2 and 3 o'clock in the afternoon we weighed anchor, and made a start for our next coaling port, Santa Cruz, in the Canary Islands. As we steamed out of the harbour we were somewhat amused to see one of the quartermasters perched on the bridge for the man-bn-the-look-out holding up a* black board, on which were inscribed some mysterious hieroglyphics in chalk. On inquiring we found that every vessel on clearing at the Customs in Eio re ceives from the Customs' officer a password, which must be communicated, in the manner just described, to the military authorities in the fort, in order to show that the vessel has complied with all necessary rules and regulations ; the pass word is changed from .day to day, and made known tit the fort in the first instance.

Fora few hour?* we steamed along the coast of Brazil, which with its white sandy beach was a source of interest to us all. About eight in the evening the light on Cape Frio was abeam, and now,-striking off from the land, we shaped our course for the island of Tenerefie, with its wonderful peak towering 12,000 feet above the level of the sea. For the next eleven days we had an unbroken succession of moderate to strong head winds. But on the evening of the ISth of November, the winds fell, and at six the following morning we sighted the Canary Group. The famous peak was now the topic of conversation, but, as we drew nearer our hopes of seeing it were doomed "to disappointment, for heavy masses of cumulus extended down the. mountain side. Philosophi cally resigned to the adverse meteor ology that hid the peak from our view, we derived no little pleasure from beholding through our glasses the snug little village's that nestled on the slopes of the island, and the green cultivated patches that told of industrious husbandry. Gradually the town of Santa Cruz, its quaint, white! houses, with their roofs of reel tile, lighted up by the morning sun, came into view. In a very short time the Tainui dropped her anchor opposite .the town, which, though having no claim to architectural greatness, nevertheless formed a pleasing picture on that bright, lovely morning Whatever charms Santa Cr«z itself may lacki its surroundings are indeed pic turesque, and wear that sub-tropical as pect which is always charming. As the Tainui has had, on all her previous voyages homeward, the ill-luck to be quar antined at Santa Cruz, owing to the exist ence of yellow fever at her previous port of call, Rio, we have grave doubts as to the result' of ouf interview with the health officer, a, smart-lookjng Spaniard, who now came alongside in a he?it gig rqarped by a Spanish crew. However, as ftio, when we viSitM it, Was free from fever! and as we had a clean bill of health to show, we were at once granted pratique. A portly Spaniard now came on board who introduced himself as Mr Cqmacho and the proprietor 6f the best hotel in Santa Cruz. Being only too glad to place ourselves in the hands of such an excellent cicerone, we got into his boat, and set off for the shore.

We got on shore about eleven o'clock in the forenoon, and although the smi was warm., the .ajr was de.lightfujly dear and fresh, and altogether Santa Cruz Vas a much more pleasant plaeQ than Rio* where the atmosphere was so hot and oppVeasive.

Walking up the pi«r we saw numerous groups of miserable-looking Spaniards, con spicuous among whom were some agricul tural labourers* whose dress consisted of artistic trousers of many patqlies and colours, and an epormoua blanket reaching frpm the neck to the ankles, their legs and feet being fencased in thick stockings end brown shoes or sandals respectively. As the coaling of our steamer /\yag to occupy only three hours we determined to make the mopfc of puc time. Ai> the importunate solicitations of ah urchin, wo" entered a dingy-looking building with a gloomy gate way, which turned out to be a church; the interior of which was decorated most lavishly, though in *). rather inartistic man ner. Next, we visited an eftcjosm-e digni fied with the name of gardens, but which, to us, looked more like the refuse corner of a nursery at Home.. From there yve ttirned into the principal streets, which ar^ en tirely destitute of attracbionsi being miser ably paved; while the shopß are, at the best, email, and commonplace.

We now retraced our steps to Ccunacho's, where we. found an excellent lunch a\yaiting us, which disappeared, however, with in credible rapidity. Without loss of time we returned to the Tainui, and soon after we got on board the anchor was weighed and we started for Plymouth, each of us re joicing in the prospect of so soon setting foot on English soil. The Tainui finally anchored in Plymouth Sound at five o'clock on the morning of the 24th November, all well, and with our cargo of frozen meat in excellent condition. The total distance traversed from Lyttelton to Plymouth was 11,110 miles; the total elapsed time be tween these ports was 38 days 22 hours and 55 minutes ; and our actual steaming time was 37 days 20 hours and 37 minutes. Shakspere's maxim, " All's well that ends well " was especially applicable to the voyage we had just concluded, for we had made a journey of over eleven thousand miles under most propitious circumstances. Our vessel was one of the finest afloat; her captain an ornament to the merchant ser vice ; her officers a superior class, and re spected both for their gentlemanly deport ment and excellent qualities as seamen ; we had received the most sedulous attention from those responsible for our comfort; our table had been liberally supplied with food of the finest quality ; both necessaries and luxuries had been lavishly bestowed upon us; we had had a well-furnished library at our command ; we had been favoured with exceptionally fine weather from beginning to end of our voyage ; and sea-sickness had never once marred our enjoyment. There fore, he must be indeed fastidious who could have desired greater bounties from Fortune than these.—Abridged from the " Fifeshire Journal."

BISHOP MONRAD.

(Translation From " Scandixavien," June Ist, 1887.)

As stated in our last issue, Bishop Monrad died on the 28th of March, and our father land lost thus one of its best and most cele brated men. Monrad was born in Copen hagen in the year .1811. After having com pleted his studies in political science ai.d political economy, he travelled for some time through several foreign countries, while he, at the same time, contributed political essays to " Flyvende Blade,1' as well as to " Ftedrelandet." In the year 1840 he was one of the deputation which waited on King Christian Vill., requesting him to grant a free constitution for the country ; in 1846 he became the pastor of a church in Laaland, and in March, 1848, he accepted the office of Minister of Education in the Orla Lehman Cabinet, all the members of which he outlived. In the year 1849 he was appointed Bishop of Laaland-Falster, and shortly after was elected by a city constituency as a member of Parliament. He became in 18;")9for the second time Minister of Education, and when the Hall Ministry went out in 1863, he formed a new Cabinet, upon which fell the task of carrying on the war with the German Powers. On July the Bth, Monrad resigned the Premiership, and departed with his family to Now Zealand, from which he returned in 1869, and was im mediately reinstated as Bishop of Laaland. He soon re-entered politics, and was until a year before his death—when he was com pelled to retire owing to failing health— the most prominent figure in Danish poli tics. One who during a long and active life has been closely associated with Bishop Monrad, Auditor-General V. Homp, writes thus:—"My first impression of Monrad was a consciousness of his elevation above all the rest. As he moved among us and spoke to us, it seemed to me as if the generation which had passed away spoke to that which is to come after us. I never came in contact with anybody who made me feel the full extent of the dis tance which lies between the men of the period before '64, and those belonging to that after '64, as did Bishop Monrad.

" But even in his first political period—in the days of his earliest vigour—there was something- of the same about him. There are fish which remain perpetually quiescent on the bottom of the ocean ; there are others which frequently ascend to the surface, to breathe and look around. Monrad was like the latter. Parties could never keep him completely under. His vote was never 'safe,' but it was with him a necessity to rise now and again above his party to see what was going on in the world without. I do not think that Monrad thought less of himself than does a true National-Liberal ; but his self-reliance had more of a personal i tlian a party tone, for he felt clear that he was the man. Hi? was not that arrogant self-confidence on behalf of a political creed which ia the chief element in all National- Liberalism, and which springs from the consciousness of belonging' to a party whose foresight, patriotism, and political for mulaare unimpeachable in their superiority. This party prido Monrad never suffered from. His pride was not to be a true National-Liberal; but his pride was always to keep a certain distance apart from and in advance of the National-Liberals, and for that they never forgave him. Rich in knowledge and profound in judgment, he valued at their correct value the specialists who are great within their own little sphere, but totally ignorant of anything which lies beyond. " His politics derived its brilliancy from this superiority of individuality. Uni versal suffrage never frightened him. A true Liberal fears not to trust the people. When there was some talk about extending the franchise to agri cultural labourers Monrad said, ' les, why not? they are citizens too,' and very likely he added mentally, ' and to tell the truth I have known ministers and professors who are bigger fools than any of these illit erate labourers.' For- this reason he never bent his knee to Parliamentism. He did not lose his balance by the thought which filled t|jg minds of his contemporaries with such horror and indignation the thought that possibly the destiny of the Danish State might fall into the hands of men not born to rule, not belonging to the social circles from which >iH true statesmanship has emanated. But then, as an old Pre mier, he had had considerable experience as regards the men who were ' born to rule.' He was personally acquainted with many ministers, and it is not improbable that this acquaintance with those ' who are able to rule' had somewhat reconciled him to those who were ' not able to rale.'

y Hence he took his seat in the latter days of his life among us Radicals, fighting for the preservation of the constitution heTiim self had written. No doubt he was not the only one who maintained his conviction, bqt how in?ny had the courage to come for ward and fighfc for. it side by side with fche men of the Left? :.

" He was always in advance of his times. An original character Was his—priest and democrat, a dreamer and a practical worker the like of which seldom is found, a poet among politicians, a man of the world, yet standing alone in the world. Whatever he wrote and spoke was full of distinct indi viduality and originality."

A CHESTNUT "TURN OVER."

The f! funny roan we do detest

■pnail jag uo ptjKis oj pug ons ji Who aims at us his an lent jest— •AVOqaiuQß it 5B }o3 p.oqs avouji 9.M. A joke (?) so aged, stale and hoary— —pß3j iptiajiu s.a^s mood Biqj, The same old, weary, dreary story 3uft{}.rffJ * oj sjuad uo} ?aq lI.aM moiji Of how we curious daughters of Eve •A\Ol[S V JO PUJJJ }SB3[ 3D] ffjqij OIJS JJ (Though this la'tevfact. we deeply" grieve) 'MpqomQs suo i{ puu iLop %aq noS %uq Jlust stand on pur heads a point to find 5 Aioity 6% ibu iqgho ous Suimauios s.ii In these comical (?) .lines from the "funny man's" mind. -«" Art Printer,"

Terrible Scenes at Bulgarian Executions.

The "Daily News" correspondent at Odessa has sent to his paper the effect of certain conversations he has had with Madame Zelenogoroff, the widow of Captain Zeleno goroff, who, with eight others, was shot at ltustcb.uk on February 22 last, by order of the Regents. The saloon of Madame Ze lenogoroff, who particularly protested against the sequestration of her property by the Regents, would appear to have been" the chief rendezvous of the conspirators. She herself, she cays, was not permitted, by the Regents' orders, to visit her husband during the three days previous to his ex ecution. She, however, gained access to the prison in disguise. Her chief com plaint relates to the execution. She said to the correspondent:-My husband and the rest were sentenced to death late on the evening of the 21st, and shot at 4 o'clock next morning. On that morning I was prostrated by illness, and my husband had only time to write a few rapidly-pencilled words before he was led out to his grave. I will show you the note, which with this ring on my finger are the only mementoes I now possess. This is what happened. The nine victims were placed beforethei r shallow, short graves, which were not more than 4ft. in length and lift deep. My ! husband refused to have nis eyes ban-, daged, and tore open the tunic of his uniform that it might not be luddled, saying that his coat was guilty of no treason. The firing party numbered ninety, and yet my husband was left unscathed after the first volley. At the second and third discharge he was wounded and fell. Then the officer in charge advanced to give him the coup de grace, and emptied five chambers of his revolver before the "murder" of my husband was completed. Then the "crowd rushed in and tore the boots and clothes from the still warm bodies, which were pitched into the small graves and trodden down. My husband's feet were hacked off so that his poor muti lated corpse might be made to fit the grave. Jt was all very horrible. The dogs came in the night, and we had to sot guardians over the graves. Subsequently we erected crosses and headstones; but they were demolished by the brutal and vindictive agents of the Regents. Now things are quieter we have replaced the headstones, i Madame Zelenogoroff observed with much sadness that only a month before the ex ecution the judge who sent her husband and friends to their fate had dined at her table on the occasion of her birthday. The correspondent adds that the young widows and families of five of the officiers executed ! are now at Rustchuk — for tho present ; " pensionnaires" of the Russian Govern ment, i

Startling Episode of the Russo Turkish War.

The Paris correspondent of the "Times" says that the following gives an absolutely authentic account of an unknown episode Of the Turco-Russian war, and may be read in connection with his despatch published con cerning the alleged secret treaty between Austria and Russia : — " To understand the violent disappointment of the Russiansafter the congress of Berlin one must know of the following incident, which shows that Russia i thought at the end of the war that she was absolute mistress of the Turks and of Euro pean Turkey. Coun tSchouvaloff, then Russian Ambassador in London, repeatedly tele graphed to the Russians to enter Constan tinople, affirming that England would not raise a finger against the occupation of Con stantinople on condition that Gullipoli should not be occupied, and that no attempt to blockade the English fleet should be tried. Accordingly a telegram was sent from St. Petersburg to San Stefapo and to General Ignatieff. ordering the com manders to enter Constantinople and to occupy it at any cost. This telegram in cipher passed through Turkish territory, and before being transmitted to San Ste fano came under tho eyes ot the Turks. An- attempt was made to discover the cipher, but this trial succeeded only par tially. Nevertheless, the Turks under stood that the occupation of Constantinople was ordered by the Tsar. To gain time they mingled the ciphers of the Russian despatch in such a fashion that it became absolutely unintelligible and under this form transmitted it to San Stefano. There General Ignatieff vainly tried to discover the sense of the order, and after two days' hard working asked for an explanation. Meanwhile Musurus Pasha was ordered to inform* the British Cabinet of the designs of Russia, and to ask the help of Great Britain. The English Cabinet was sum moned in haste to a meeting, and an order was given to Lord A. Loftus at St. Peters burg to see the Tsar, and to inform him or his Chancellor that an occupation of Con stantinople by the Russians would be con sidered by England as a casu* belli ; and that he, Lord A. Lottus, would have in this case to ask for his passports. The Tsar then changed his mind; and when General Ignatieffs despatch asking for explanations reached St. Petersburg, the idea of an armed occupation of Constantinople had been abandoned by his Majesty. From this one may understand the bitterness of the Russian resentment at having been despoiled by the Berlin .Congress of nearly all the most im gortant advantages gained by the San tefano treaty. Austria alone, without a s'aot or the loss oi a man, kept her conquest by virtue of the draft of 1876 and of the treaty between her and Russia."

LIFE ON THE CONGO.

A People Who Have No manners ana Beastly Customs.

Thk domestic habits of the Congo negroes, as related by Explorer Taunt, are interest ing and often amusing. There ia a certain tribe who shave their heads, only leaving small tufts of hair. These tufts are ar ranged in all sorts of fantastic shapes, and give to the wearer a very unique appear ance. Then there is a chief of a great and powerful tribe in the vicinitj of Leopold ville, who makea his beard grow in the game manner and appearance as a Chinaman's pigtail. The manner of burial among the natives is very peculiar. Upon the death of a chief the body is swathed in clothes until it re sembles a hogshead. Then the head of the body is shaved clean. The body is left above ground in this state until the hair grows out, when the remains are interred in the ground. When about eighteen days' journey above Bangala, on the Congo, Lieutenant Taunt was horrified at the «jipht of the natives. He says they had anchored to cut some wood for the engine. In a' short time the boat was surrounded by a crowd of hard looking natives. The horrible feature of their appearance was that each had an ivory button on his upper lip. This extended some two inches over the lower lip, and the button, which was about the size 6f a quar ter of a dollar, was buttoned right through. While hunting in the woods he found an old tom-tom, or drum. It was made of a log about five feet long. A long oblong hole was pierced in the top of the log, which had been dug out as much as possible. When struck on either side of the hole with a stick the log emitted a sound which could be heard for several miles. The longer the distance the more unearthly the sound. '•'. ■ , .• The Congo method of execution }s most revolting. Among certain tribes the per son to be executed is taken out into the market-place, where he is buried to hij-i neck in the earth. His brains are thw dashed out, and a cord fastened around his neck.to whjch iR attached a fijtick. This is driven perpendicularly into tfis body, and both are left there to decay.

TRIAL OF THE NIHILISTS.

The Plot.

The St. Petersburg correspondent of the '1 Daily News " writes concerning the great political trial which will commence oh the 27th in the St. Petersburg law courts :— The trial will take place with closed doors, and not even the relations of the accused will be admitted into court. The following are the names of the accused :—

Vasili Osipanoff, from Tomsk, 26 yeafs of tfe; Pakhomius Andrejuskih, son of a üban Cossack, 21 years; Vasili Generaloff, spn of a Kuban Cossack, 20 years ; Mik hael Kantcher, son of a Court Chancellor, 21 years ; Peter Karghoun, a Poltava noble man, 20 years ; Peter Sheviroff, son of a merchant, 2$ years ; Alexander Oulianoff, son of a Privy Councillor, 20 years ; Joseph Loukashevitz, Polish nobleman, 23 years ; Eronislav Pilsoutski, Polishman nobleman, 20 years ; Titus Pashkoffski, chemist, of Polish extraction, 27 years ; Stephan Volokhoff, 21 years ; Michael Novox*ousski, Master of Arts of the St. Petersburg Theo logical Academy ; Anna Serdicova, school mistress, 27 years ; Maria Ananjina, physi cian, 22 years. The nine persons first men tioned are students of the St. Petersburg University. Three of them were carrying bombs. These bombs, on examination, were found to be chai-ged with dynamite and with small hollow letiden cubes filled with strychnine. The bombs were made to look like books. Two cylinders were placed in each. The largest of the three bombs contained 51b of dynamite and 251 small leaden cubes. The secdnd con tained 71b and 207 cubes. The third contained 31b and 36 cubes. The explosive power of the bombs was very great. The explosion would have blown down everything within a distance of six yai-ds, and the cubes would have been driven for a distance of thirty yards in every direction. The slightest injury by one of these cubes would have caused immediate death. Most of the accused are said to have confessed their guilt. It was their intention to kill the Emperor on his way from the Palace, according to a plan which seems to have been concocted at Wilna and in St. Peters burg. The young men selected to carry out that design were to be armed with bombs. They had to walk on the Neffski Prospect, three on each side, at rather long distances apart. On one side two had bombs, and one went in front as a spy. On the other side one had a bomb, and the two others acted as spies. One of these spies had to give a signal with his pocket handkerchief as the Imperial equippage was approaching. Then the three bomb bearers were to throw their infernal machines either into the sledge or under the carriage as might be most convenient.

Jubilee Record in Ireland.

A book lately written for the Jubilee of the Queen, for the purpose of showing the progress of the nation during the fifty years of the Queen's reign, made It clear that while all other parts of the empire had flourished the condition of things had been most disastrous in Ireland. The author says under the heading of Ireland the present reign has been the most disastrous $ince that of Elizabeth, as the following Statistics show:—Died of famine, 1,225,000 ; persons evicted, 3,668,000; number of emigrants, 4,18,6,000. Evictions were more numerous immediately after the famine, the landlords availing themselves of the period of greatest calamity to enforce their r rights." Official returns give the number of families, and these averaging seven persons we ascertain the actual number of persons evicted : — . year?. Families. Persons! 1849-ol .. 263.00** .. 1,811,000 3851-» ~ XIO.uOO .. 770.0>:Q Wd-K) ~ ' 47,093 .. 3£0,0Q0 1871-86 .. 104,0(0 .. ihMO Total .. 524,006 .." 3,668,000 The number of. persons evicted is equal to 75 per cent, of the actual population. $0 country, either in Europe or elsewhere, has suffered such extensive extermination.' Last Quarter's Evictions. The following figures' show the agrarian evictions in Ireland during the quarter ended April 6th last :— Families. Persons. Ulster 115 .. .. 619 Leinster 113 .. „ 690 Connaught.. ~ ..189 . t .. 953 Munster* 531 ..... 2,880 * 1.008 5,042 *In Kerry alone 306 families, or 1,766 persons, were evicted.

Lion Taming and Magnetism.

Some 200 journalists were present on the 11th May (states an English paper) at the Folies Bergeres, where a &ort of general rehearsal was given of a seance of magnetism which took place in a cage containing two fine lionesses, Saida and' Sarah, and an immense lion, Romulus. The cage, says a correspondent, was placed on the stage, and the lion tamer, Giacometti, having entered it he made the animals first per form in the usual way, but the great attraction was the entrance into the cage of M. de Torcy and his " subject," Mddle. Lucia. This subject was not more than 20 years of age, plump, and what may be called plain. She was dressed in white, and had her hair hanging loose over her shoulders. After presenting her to the spectators, M. de Torcy told her to go into a cage placed against the one containing the lions and communicating with it by a door. He followed her in and made a few passages in front of her eyes.- In a minute Lucia seemed to be fast asleep. Opening the door leading into the lion's cage, JV{. do Torcy entered it, and in obe dience to his order, wss fqllqwed by hia subject. She walked straight up to the lions, which were kept in respect by Gia cometti. Romulus seemed to be half asleep, Sarah appeared afraid, and pnly Saida kept on roaring. M. de Torcy tihen made Lucia kneel down in front pf the lions. Her arms were stretched out towards them, and the expression of her countenance changed from thftt of astonishment tp joy. Roused up by Giacometti, the lions now began rushing and bounding round Lucia, who remained motionless. The lioness Saida was then made to stand on her bind paws. While Giacometti held her jaws wide open, M. de Torcy ordered Lucia to stand up and walk up to the formidable animal. The subject obeyed with the utmost composure. Two heavy arm chairs were then put into the cage, and assisted hy the lion tamer,M. de Torcy placed Lucia, who was no w as rigidly stiff as a, board, wfth her head resting on the back of one and her feet on the back of the other. This was the barrier over which the Uona were made to jump with mpsV formidable roaring. Tjie gas of the establishment was turne.d.lqw, Etengal fires were lighted, and the lions urged on by Giacoraetti's steel whip, roared louder as they continued to leap over this barrier of human flesh and Wood. From the begin ning tp the end there waa something terrible in seeing the young woman, in a state of unconsciousness, place herself in what ap peared imminent danger of being devoured,, a.nd the unpleasant feeling w^s considerably increased when at the last jump the lioness Sajda failed to clear Lucia, and sept her rolling on the ground, &he }eU heavily, but remained inert till M. d^ Tqroy, woke her up by blowing on her forehead. Gin opening her eyes Lucia appeared more astonished than frightened in finding her self aniong the wild beasts. The perfor mance, was over, and Lucia M. de Torcy and Giacometti left the cage and were greeted with, hearty, applause by $he, spec tators. It is announced that the same mjxture of lion taming and hypnotism is to form paj-b of"the pgrfprajsnce 'gWfiß pightljf at the Folies Bergerest

AN UNPARALLELED CASE.

The Conviction of a Blind Man for the

Crime of Murder.

A remarkable trial closed at Tiffin, Ohio, on May sth, in the conviction of Charles K. Games, a blind man, for murder in the second degree, probably the only case of the kind on record.

Charles K. Games was born in Sycamore, Wyandofcte county, fifty years ago. At the age of 4 years he one day wandered from the door to the barn, where his attention was attracted by a litter of pigs. These struck his fancy and he at ohce appropriated one, and this so enraged the sow that she rushed at him and mangled him terribly, . his eyes being destroyed. The child was rescued and re covered, although his eyeballs were entirely gone. In a few years he de veloped a remarkable sensitiveness of touch, smell and hearing. Ho had a strong tendency to precociousness, and before he had grown up he became the terror of the neighbourhood. He would wander about, night and day, without a guide, and was never known to get lost, jie knew where every,melon patch was, where the beßt apples, peaches and plums grew,1 and where the best berries ripened, and was never backward about helping himself to these or any other delicacies. While yet a boy he was presented with a pair of game chickens by an old minister named Spofiord, who resided at Sycamore. The blind boy took great interest in these chickens and raised more. It was not long until he had several game cocks trained for fighting, and would take them about the country to pit against others. He would bet on his favourite, and nobody could fool him about the result. Standing among the crowd, he always knew whether his chickens were getting the worst or the best of the fight. As he grew up to manhood he learned to drink whisky, and became ugly and quarrelsome. In 1871 he married Medora Sprague, a graduate of the Tiffin High School. For a time he was sober and industrious. Presby terians got hold of him. He joined the church and made temperance speeches, greatly moving his audiences. Many are the strange things he has done. He has been seen on a steep roof nailing on shingles and working as well and as fast as the next man. He could find his way with perfect ease anywhere ; could recognise an acquaintance at some distance before he spoke, rode horseback recklessly and played the violin. His career as a temperance ad vocate was short, for he soon went back to drinking and abusing his wife and children. the climax was reached last August, when he went on a protracted spree and his wife ordered the saloon-keeper not to sell him any whisky. The next day, August 19th, Games and his nephew, Nathan Echelbery, got drunk on hard cider and then went to the saloon and demanded whisky. Failing to get it, they left and tried to borrow a re volver, but could not get one. Then they returned to the saloon, each with a large stone, and a^ain being refused whisky, they killed the saloon-keeper with the stones. The police arrested Games in the canefield, who was brought in hatless, coatless, shoeless and eyeless. With long hair hanging over his shoulders, and six feet tall, he looked like a wild man. For eight months he has sat in gaol amusing himselt with his violin. His nephew and accomplice was sent to the penitentiary for life, and his own conviction now follows.

Ancient Guilds.

The guilds of Europe represented civic freedom combined with military strength that were of the utmost value when the liberties of a nation are imperilled. The defeat of the Invincible Armada was due in a great measure to the rich guilds of Eng land, who aided with their wealth and influence in organising the naval defences of the kingdom. But under the regimes of regular armed forces, the guilds have gradually been reduced to the advance ment of' manufactures and trades, com bined with benevolent institutions. One of the most celebrated of these guilds was recently dissolved at Ghent. This was the Ancient Crossbowmen, whose charter dates from the eleventh century, and to which many monarchs and illustrious men belonged. This guild takes the mind back to the times of Duke Alba, the Prince of Orange^ and the great struggle against Spanish supremacy in the Nether lands. In the days of the Prince of Orange the crossbowmen's guild was in reality a band of highly - trained soldiers, who combined the art of fighting with the manufacture of cross-bows, and were1 often conspicuous in the eventful history of the extraordinary city of Ghent. Motley, the historian, des cribes the workmen going to and from the factories of Ghent, as resembling an army on the march ; and had their leaders been less feeble, the war with the Spaniards would probably Have been decided in favour of the friends of the Prince of Orange at an early, period of tha struggle. The most precious possession of the guild, a chased silver cup, presented to it by the Archduke Albert and the Archduchess Isabella, has been sold to Baron Rothschild for 25,000 francs. After a final banquet there remained a sum of 20,000 francs, which was handed over to the Charity Commission at Ghent for the purchase of bedding for the poor. The remaining pbjects of historical interest were placed in the custody of the town of Ghent. At Brussels there still exists a crossbowmen's guild, which is nearly as old as that of Ghent, and the members of still practise with the old weapon, the rifle of the Middle Ages.

How to Get Rich.

Live up to your engagements. Earn money before you spend it. Never play at any game of chance. Drink no kind of intoxicating drink. Good character above all things else. Keep your own secrets, if you have any. Never borrow, if you can possibly avoid it.

Always speak- the truth. Make few promises. Keep good company or none. Never be idle.

Do i\at marry until yqu are able to sup port a wife. Keep'yourself innocent if you would be happy., Ever live (misfortune excepted) within ypur income. When you speak to a person, look him in the face.

Make'no haste to be rich, if you would prosper. Save when you are young to spend when you are old. Avoid temptation, through fear you may not withstand it.

Never speak evil of anyone. Be just before you are generous. Never run into qeblj, unless you see plainly a, way tq get out again. Small and s.teaqy gaina give competency with tranquillity of mind. Good company and good conversation are th.c very sinews of virtue.

Your character cannot be essentially injured except by your own acts. If anyone speaks evil of ■, you, let your life be so that none will believe him. When, you retire to bed, think over what you hay© Been do;ng during the, day. If ydor heads, cannot be? usefully em ployed, fttl»»4 to tbi^ultiy^tioM pi youx mind,

THE LONDON OLD LADY.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sings Her Praises in No Uncertain Strain.

The afternoon tea is almost a necessity in London life. It is considered useful aa '" a pick me up," and it serves an admirable purpose in the social system. It costs the household hardly any trouble or expense. It brings people together in the easiest possible way, for ten minutes ot an hour, just as their engagements or fancies may settle it. A cup of tea at the right moment does for the virtuous reveller all that Fat staff claims for a good shems-sack, or at least the first half of its " twofold opera tion :" "It ascends me into the brain; dries me there all the foolish and dull and crudy vapors which environ it; makes it apprehensive, quick, forgetive, full of nimble fiery and delectable shapes, which delivered over to the voice, the tongue, which is the birth, becomes excellent wit."

But it must have the right brain to work upon, and I doubt if there is any brain to which it is congenial and from which it brings so much as that of a first-rate London old lady. I came away from the great city with the feeling that this most complex product of civilisation was nowhere else developed to such perfection. The octo genarian Londoners has been in- society—■ let us say the highest society—all her days. She is as tough as an old macaw, or she would not have lasted so long. She has seen and talked with all the celebrities of three generations, all the beauties X)f afe least half a dozen decades. Her wits have been kept bright by constant use, and as she is free of speech, it requires some courage to face her. Yet nobody can be more agreeable, even to young per sons, than one of these precious old dowa gers. A great beauty is almost certainly thinking how she looks while one is talking with her ; an authoress is waiting to hava one praise her book : but a grand old lady, who loves London society, who lives in it, who understands young people and all sorts of people, with her high-coloured re collections of the past and her grand maternal interests in the new generation, is the best of companions, especially over a cup of tea just strong enough to stir up her talking ganglions.^— Oliver Wendell Homes, in " Atlantic. "

HIS BOYHOOD'S DAYS.

An Artist Relates Some of the lie* miniscences of his Childhood.

Out in the village where I was born we had a crowd of boys whose life was a con tinual round of pleasure, as I look down upon it.now. Swimming, boating, hunting, wandering in the fields with a boy's pro prietary feeling of ownership of the whole earth equal to Jay Gould's and an ignorance of everything equal to an art critic's, we still got into mischief. "Si" Pickering's father owned a calf which roamed in the field behind the barn. On this calf our wicked eyes fell one day and we organised an indian deer hunt. Theo Beck and Joe Doty drove the calf into the lame, where about a dozen of us were scattered along behind the fence, a> mcd with bows and sharp arrows. The calf, or deer, as it was supposed torepresent, came ambling friskily along, when the Indians opened fire. With a startled bellow it dashed past down the lane, followed by fierce, blood-curdling whoops, to where "Si" stood with an old gim loaded with bird shot. H Si•" waa reprer sehtihga white settler, and was expected to shoot in the air, of course ; but in the in tense excitement of the moment, 'as he saw the deer plunging toward him, with.eight or nine arrows sticking in him in the region of the tail, he shot his hide full of small holes:. At this interesting moment his " old man" rode up and "Si's" face was a picture of surprise. He seemed quite agitated as the old roan i-eached for him iii an earnest manner. I was getting well toward the next country at the time, 'but I heard " Si's " explanatory remarks even after I waa in the woods. The calf lived to be a respectable, sober old cow, yet I never could look upon iier white face in after years without recalling " Si " floating in the air as he held him aloft by his suspenders and fondled him in the most approved Biblical manner. —W. H. McDougall in "New York World."

Ghastly Relics at Washing ton.

Beside the pistol there is still retained the bullet which penetrated' Lincoln's brain, as well as portions of the skull which was fractured in the vicinity of the wound, the dagger which Booth flourished on the stage as he shouted "sex semper tyrannis,!'and the saddle on which he rode when he made his escape. The large bullet is flattened somewhat by reason of the resistance it encountered in penetrating the skull of the President, and on one side, al most indistinct, may still be • seeii the letters " A. L.," which were marked for its identification at the time of the trial of Mrs Surratt, Puyne, Harold and Atzerbodfc.

The clappings from the skull are pre served in a small circular case like a but ton, an inch and a half in diameter, a small glass like a watch crystal permitting a view of the pieces of bone without danger of their, being losfc. The dagger is a two-edged affair with a deer's horn handle and blade about as long as one's hand. A leather case much worn and broken at one end usually covers the weapon. It was with this dagger that Booth turned upon Col. Rathbone, whose tragic end in Germany was chronicled a few months ago, when the latter tried to seize the murderer and prevent him from escaping.—" Cleveland Leader."

SCIENTIFIC SCRAPS.

The diamond is found imbedded in hard, rocklike, bluish earth, believed to be o

volcanic origin.

Experiments made indicate that the light of midday during fi>,e weather penetrates the water of the sea 1,300 feet.

Fifty thousand tons of soot were taken from London chimneys last year. Its value was set at £40,000—as a fertiliser.

The curious fact that friction does not' produce heat in metals under the influence of magnates is now being discussed.

" Featherbone," an article prepared from the quills of geese and turkeys, is largely taking the place of whalebone in the manu facture of whips, etc., for which whalebone was formerly used exclusively.

A pement very much used at the present day in China and Japan is made from rice. It is only necessary to mix rice flour inti mately with watei; and gently simmer the mixture over a clear, fire, when it readily forms a delicate and durable cement. ... Jo

Cold-air machinery has been successfully1 used in the construction of a tunnel M Stockholm by freezing the gravel before the excavation and keeping it in that condition until* the lining was. in-position. In this way several largebuildingshave been under mined.

Accordingto the " Moniteur Jndus,brielle M ■ a mixture ot oil and graphite , will effectu ally prevent screws becoming fixed, and, :mOTe.Qxer, protect, them for years againsfc rust. The mixture facilitates tightening : up, is an excellent, lubricant, and reduce the friction of the screw fnife eocKet, ™

SHE "'"AUCKLAND EVENING- STAE, SATTJEDA^ JTJLY 16, '"!&?.

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