The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-12-07 00:00:00

CUTTINGS FROM AMERICAN PAPERS.

There is a man in Boston who has six or seven very
corpulent daughters. When asked how many children he
had, his answer was generally something of this kind
have three boys, and about thirteen hundred weight of
girls."

- Many of the white men in California will not sit at
a hotel-table with a Chinaman, but will follow him two miles
after dark to borrow money from him.
They shoot eggs off each other's heads, in William
Tell style, out in California. It saves hair-oil, says an
American contemporary.

- -
"Have you any boned turkey?" iviced a hungry
customer in an American restaurant. The proprietor laid
his hand on his revolver, and cried, "No insinerations here,
young man. We're honest here, and don't 'bone' nothin '
A Chicago paper remarks in its financial analysis
that money is so plentiful in St. Louis that young men are
wearing pantaloons with checks on them. And when money
Is scarcer probably there will be drafts through them.
" Yals,.stranger," said a Missouri steamboat cap-
tain, "George Washington was purty great an' high, an' the
father uv his country, an' fast in peace an' war an other
thil,gs' but he'd been nowhar in racin' any boat he ever
owned with this yere scudder, the River Queen, on whose
quiverin' deck you now stand."

A down-east editor says, "Somebody brought one
bottle of soured water into our office, with a request to
notice it as lemonade. If Esau was green enough to sell
his birth-right for a mess of pottage, it does not prove that
we will tell a four-shilling lie for twopence."

When Josh Billing; saw a negro smoking a new
meerschaum he exclaimed: "Why the pipe's colouring
him.

"The Sioux are not contagious," said an old fron-
tietman. "What do you mean?" asked a bystander. "I
mean that they are bard to catch," was the reply.
An Enoch Arden story says the long absent
"hubby" resolved to give the wrongly wedded pair a house
warming. On the night of 'his return he screwed up the
door and the windows of their house ai,d &et fire to the
home. Thus he cremated the incorrectly mated.
"Have you a card, Sir?" asked the man servant.
The visitor looked a little surprised, and answered, "Card?
No, I don't carry a pack." "Where are you from ?" in-
quired the servant " Nothe Carliny was the reply," "What
no you do in North Carolina when you go a visiting? Don't
you send in a card to the gentleman you want to see r
"No, if the door is looked we get a ladder and go in at the
window. It pays," said the visitor, with a wink.

-
A contemporary has been asked—" Can a man be-
long to a brass band and be a Christian?" It repitea :—We
see no impediment in the way. But .1 he is a member of a
brass band, anti is given to practising on bis cornet or trout-
hone at home, it is an inapotsibility for ths man living next
door to be a Christian."
The people of Johnson County, ludiana, f.ro ex-
perieucing the keenest pangs of mortification because, after
speneling forty thousand dollars on a new goal, a little
wizened chap was able to dig his way out of it, with a Jack-
knife, in twenty-four hours.

A girl in Georgia brought a suit against a recreant
lover, claiming ten thousand dollars daru.ges, but she com-
promised for tour bales of cotton and a new parasol. tier
lawyer took the Cotton for his tee, and she kept the parasol
to heal her wounded affections.

Etlistellancous ;Int c [lig entt.

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

A HINT TO FRENCH DUELLISTS, —French duellists are
frequently obliged to cross the frontier into Belgium
for the satisfaction of their honour, as the Bois de
Boulogne has become rather too well known for such
encounters. and zealous officiald are apt to stop a pair
of suspicious-looking carrisges (saps the Graphic).
An ingenious fencing-master, however, suggests an
easy expedient for evading the eye of the law. He
recommends duellists to hire a bride in full wedding
costume, with two respectable elderly gentlemen,
send the trio in front in a carriage, and let the two
vehicles containing the principlas and their seconds
follow close behind. Not a soul will then interfere
with the affair, as wedding parties taking an airing in
the Bois may be daily seen by dozens.

ANAGRAM FOR THE DAY. —DLSRAELI—I lead, Sir.—
Punch.

PRINCE BISMARCK'S SLEEPLESSNESS.—The Chan-
cellor's mode of life is peculiar. He gets up late,
towards ten o'clock, because he does not succeed in
going to sleep till towards morning. At breakfast
he takes tea and two eggs, and after that nothing until
dinner, when he eats and drinks freely. Bismarck
himself complains of such a regimen, but the habit is
formed. In one of the conversations he tells how the
nights pass. "My brain," he says, "is incessantly
at work. All the combinations of politics come back
to me as in a nightmare, and I see everything on its
dark side. I fall asleep as soon as my head. is on its
pillow, but I soon awake and remain awake until
dawn. Now and then a dream gives me rest for a
while. I see Varzin—all the trees that I know sa
well, and the blue sky, and I fancy that I am enjoying
it all." Little wonder that sleep should flee from the
Chancellor's couch !—Fortnightly .Review.
LITERAL.—Soft-hearted Grandpapa (to Tommy, who
has just been castigated by his mamma) : "And you
know, Tommy, it really pains Mamma more than it
does you / "—Tommy: Oh. yes, I know it does! She
says so! It hurts her hands 1 "—Punch.
THE HEALTHY CITY. Country-folk invariably
flatter themselves that rural spots are vastly better
for the health of the human being than large towns;
and of course they are to a great extent correct. Yet
they do not stop at this point, but go much farther,
and roundly say that London and all other cities are
decidedly unhealthy places. They take a question-
able pride in stating this supposed fact, and rather
glory in the notion that Londoners are sickly, white-
faced beings. As a matter of fact, it is the habits of us
Londoners that are to blame—our late hours, our
irregularity in the matter of meals, and our great-
coat and muffler stupidities (i.e., our irregularity in
donning them). London, we are accustomed to say
with proper pride, is the healthiest city in the world;
and there is every reason why it should be. The City
itself is now in a most desirable condition of what
the Yankee called "spanglorious health," and I was
assured by a resident doctor, a few days ago, that
really the faculty therein had little or nothing to
do. If these worthy gentlemen could only be induced
to emigrate beyond our boundaries, we should pro-
bably have to resort to the "noble red man's" prac-
tice of leaving the old people in the open air to die,—
City Press.

(H)EvicRLAsTiNG.—Old Party: "We've just been
over to (11)unsworth to revisit the (h)%unts of my
childhood."—Young Party: "Indeed! Are they still
alive? How very old and withered they must be!"
—Fun.

SHALL WE KEEP GOATS ?—A correspondent of the
Journal of Forestry gives the following account of the
habits of these animals :—" Adj ining my premises
are some young poplar trees, balsams, abeles. and
black Italians, from two to four inches in diameter.
They are planted round a neighbour's garden, and into
this garden a young half-grown goat was turned for
the amusement of his children. It was at first tethered
on the grass-plot, but it made such a perpetual wail-
ing cry, like a child in pain when left alone, that in
consideration for those within ear-shot it was, towards
midsummer, let loose to run about the garden at will.
Of course it destroyed everything green within its
reach except the grass, which it never seemed to care
for. Yet the food of its choice was the bark of trees,
and by the end of July it had completely pared all the
poplars of three or four inches girth up to about four
feet high, that is as high as it could reach, standing on
its hind legs. Up to that height from the ground it
left them as clean and as bare of bark as your office
ruler."
AN UN-LOCKY COUNTRY.—" There is another dead
lock in Victoria." Is there? Then why, in the name
of common sense, do not the Victorians get a skeleton
key and keep it ready for immediate use? By the
way, those repeated dead locks must be the result of
misunderstandings. Why do not the Victorians, then,
procure a Locke on the Understanding, and see if
that will help them ?—fun.
THE DISTRESS IN SHEFFIELD.—Most energetic and
comprehensive measures are being applied to the
alleviation of the distress which prevails to such a
grzat extent amongst the working classes of Sheffield.
The latest expedient is somewhat novel. A great
want amonget the sufferers is proper clothing, and
from lack of employment great destitution exists
amongst sempstresses. A Ladies Committee met on
Monday, at the request of the Mayoress, Mrs. Ward,
and deeided to employ as many sempstresses, factory
girls, and wives of working men out of employ as they
could in the manufacture of clothes; Mr. Alderman
Firth has placed at the disposal of the Committee
some large works which
.are not used, and the ware-
houses will be used as work-rooms for the women.
The clothing thus made will be lent to needy fam:.
lies for the winter. Relief Committees have been
established in all the parishes, and soup kitchens and
children's dinners are in full swing. The Mayor's re-
lief fund now amounts to nearly £5,000.

testiNfitl of St. A ndrew was :elebrated at Eton College
last Saturday, with the usual observances, the match
"at the wall" between the Collegers and Oppidans,
and that in the field between the Universities of
Oxford and Cambridge attracting a large company.
At noon the preparations were complete for the wall
match, a game of football played in the ancient mode,
and differing essentially from the field games of modern
times. From the garden wall of the last of the college
buildings ropes were stretched upon stakes for a dis-
tance of 200 yard l in the direction of the orLamental
water in the playing fields, forming a boundary line,
and leaving a narrow space between the spectators and
the lofty wall. The Collegers, having gained the toss,
elected to kick from "Upper Calx," the Oppidians
having "Lower Calx "as their station. The•Collegers
made shy after shy till nine were recorded in their
favour to nothing on the part of the Oppidans, who
retired vanquished at the close of an exciting contest.

THE SUNDAY CLOSING BILL—IRELAND.—MaSter.
"But you know, Dennis, you can get in your whiskey
for Sunday on the previous evening."—Gardener.
"Shure, yer honour, wid a pint of it in the house—
Baled niver get a wink o' sleep! "—Punch.
AMERICAN CATTLE TRADE.—On Tuesday the steamer
Brazilian, of the Warren line, landed at Birkenhead a
large consignment of American cattle and sheep, in so
satisfactory a condition as to seem to set at rest the
question whether the Transatlantic trade in live stock
can be carried on safely during winter. Not a single
animal was lost during the voyage. There were
shipped at Boston 253 head of cattle, among them being
cows in calf; also about 40 prize cattle, each weighing
over 2,0001 b. The Brazilian also landed 1,100 sheep in
good condition,
DURHAM-TERRACE, QUEBEC,—The "summer season"
at Quebec, in Lower Canada, reaches its height in the
autumn, This would seem to be a paradox. It is
nevertheless true that, after Long Branch and New-
port are deserted, American tourists in Canada still
linger at Quebec, about 350 miles north. Many of
these birds of passage, indeed, fly northward from
Saratoga and Lake George, as the days grow shorter
and cooler in that latitude. Every spot chosen as a
"resort," however, has its own advantages; and there
are special seasons of the year when they are best en-
joyed. The Americans, eager to spend the brighter
months anywhere except in their respective homes,
have discovered that the autumn days at Quebec are
particularly delightful. The air is cool, crisp, and
clear; above all, the evening twilight is of very long
duration, and very beautiful. This latter effect in
nature is, perhaps, the principal reason why Quebec
has obtained such wide celekity on the American con-
tinent as a place to be visited in autumn. Tourists
from all parts of the New World may be found there
in September and October strolling about Durham.
terrace during the afternoon and far into the evening,
to enjoy the long, gentle, and delicious twilight.
Though at other seasons Quebec is one of the dullest
of dull places, at this time it is very difficult to find
apartments, either at St. Louis or at the smaller hotels.
There are few cities in either hemisphere for which the
romance of history has done more to give it special in-
terest than Quebec.—lllustrated London News.
Two RUSSIAS—RUSSOPHIL'S AND RUSSOPHOBE.S.—
Hug-bear and Bug-bear.—Punch.

THE EMPLOYMENT or MUM—An extended tria
is being made at Woolwich of Spanish and South
American mules in the rlaee of draft horses for mili-
tary transport duties. Only large animals have been
selected, some of them upwards of 17 hands high, and
the entire batch, which numbers about 150, have the
size and appearance of horses. The advantages
claimed for the employment of mules in preference to
horses are chiefly economy bJth in their cost and in
their maintenance, and their special adaptability for
travelling in wild and mountainous country. The
batch, having been specially selected and brought to
England for the experiment, have cost in the first
place almost, if not quite, as much as the same num-
ber of horses might be bought for, especially when
the expense of bringing them from Spain and Ame-
rica is added to the original cost; but if it is found
worth while to employ them on a large scale a suffi-
cient supply will doubtless be obtained at home to
save the necessity and expense of foreign importation.
The prevailing opinion is that neither in cost nor
usefulness are they equal to the common cart-horse.

AVERAGE PRICES OP BRITISH CORN.—The following
are the average prices of British corn for the week
ending Nov. 30, as received from the inspectors and
officers of Exaise :—Wheat, 41s. 3d.; barley, 40a. id,;
oats, 218. 3d. per imperial qr. Corresponding week
last year :—Wheat, 51s. 7d.; barley, 443. 2d. ; oats,
245, lid.
POREST STATISTICS.—The number of the Bulletin de
Statistique just issued contains the last foreLt returns
(says the Paris Correspondent of The Times). Of the
5'2,800,000 hectares of territorial surface in France,
9,185,000 (that is, 17 per cent.) are woodland. In two
Departments, 40 per cent, are woodland ; in eight
Departments, 30 to 39 per cent. ; in 17 Deplrtnients,
20 to 29 per cent. •in 42 Departments, to 19 per
cent. ; and in 18 Departments, 10 per cent. Compared
with other European countries, France ranks eighth in
point of proportion of woodland t,) total territory.
First stands Russia in Europe and Finland with 40 per
cent. She is followed by Sweden and Nerwiiy with 34
per cent., Anstria with 29 per cent., and Germany with
26 per cent. At the bottom of the list are Spain,
Belgium, and Holland, which have 7 per cent., Por-
tugal with 5 per cent., England with 4 per cent., and
Denmark with 3 per cent. Throughout Europe the
proportion is 29 per cent. Ton per cent, of forest
property in France belongs to the State, 22 per cent.
to the Departments and Communes, and eli per
.cent.
to private persons.

VALUATION OF TILE METROFOLIS.—A circular from 1
the Metropolitan Asylum Board shows that the totals
of the valuation lists of the metropolis were gross
values Metropolis £25,816,267; the City,
£3.843513; the Middle 'Temple, £13,144; making a
total of £29,672,924. Rateable values :—Metropolis,
£21,209,749; City, £3,222,393; and Temple. £10,929;
or in all £24,443.072. Last year the respective totals
were :—Gross value, £29,022,138; and rateable value,
£23,903,833.
THE RAIKES CENTENARY.—The committee of the
Sunday School Union have determined to commemo-
rate the centenary of the establishment of Sunday
schools throughout the country by Robert Raikss by
holding a great international convention of Sul day-
school advocates, to be followed by a musical festival
on an extensive F cilia at the Royal Albert Hall. The
celebration is to take place in 1880, and it is proposed
to raise a sum of £55,000 as a "Sunday-school Cente-
nary Fund," to be devoted towards the permanent
benefit of Sunday•schools.
FINDON HADDOCKS.—Mr Buckland wishes to know
the oregin of F•nrion as applied to smoked haddocks.
Findon, or Fiunon, is a fishing village, containing •
about forty houses and 200 inhabitants, on the sea-
coast six miles south of Aberdeen. It is celebrated
for its smoked haddocks. The smoking is eff.cted by
burning the green branches of fir, which imparts a
bright yellow colour and most agreeable flavour to the
fish. Haddocks thus cured are sent to all parts of the
country. For further information I send you cuttings
from Chambers's Journal of March 5, 1842.—David
Gray, in Land and Water.

,
THE ELECTRIC LIGHT IN Rome—The Correspon-
dent of The Times, writing from Rome, says :--" The
experiments maoe by the Soci6te Gi6mirale d'Elec-
tiicit4 in lighting the Piazza dells Colonna and the
Via INTLlzionale during the past week have had most
satisfactory results. Last night the gaslights, which
during the previous evenings had remained simul-
taneously burning, were extinguished with apparent
advantage to the electric light, which seemed to burn
with additional clea.rnes3 and brilliancy in the absence
of the all-iisturbing contrast. A sufficient trial
having been made to demonstrate in Rome the be ,uty
and value of the light, no further illumination will, at
least for the present, be made in the public streets,
but within a month it will be put into practical use,
the representative of the society having entered into
arrangements with the majority of the shopkeepers on
the Corso and the Via Condotti to light their este-
blishments at a considerale saving."
A " BATTLE-PIECE."—A cannon !—Jude.

A CENTENARIAN.—There is at present residing in
the parish of Clwall, in the county of Hereford knear
to Brand Lodge. an old lady who has attained the age
of 102 years. The name of the old lady is Elizabeth
Saunders, and she was born at Hanley Castle on the •
15th April, 1776. Two months ago she walked a dis-
tance of more than a mile without assistance. Since
then she has lost her eyesight. Eveutsof 9U years ago
are quite as vivid to her memory as those of recent
date. She has two sons and three daughters living,
the eldEst son being 71 years of age, and there are
numerous great-grandchildren.

_
STAG-SHOOTING IN WURTESIRERG,—,t somewhat
singular accident occurred last week at one of Prince
Hermann of S txe-Weimar's battues. A young
Wurtemberg officer stationed in a drive of the forest
was suddenly seen by his nearest neighbour to fall
backwards; his gun went off, and he was heard to
exclaim, "I am shot!" Prince Hermann and several
others hastened to the fallen sportsman, whose face
was much lacerated. It turned out that the unfortu-
nate gentleman had not been shot, but that whilst in
the act of aiming at a well-grown hind the animal,
infuriated by the approaching beaters, charged straight
at him. The onslaught was so sudden, and the pain
so great, that the wounded man's first impression was
that he had received the charge of a neighbour's rifle.
The excitement caused by the accident enabled the
hind tu make good her escape. The wounds, though of
a very painful character, and likely to leave lasting
marks, are not considered dangerous, and it was
fortunate incised that the eye was uninjured.—A. G.
(Stuttgart, Nov. 26), in Land and Water.

_
A RIGHT REVEREND ONE.—The following is sup-
posed to have been made in the belfry of Saint Paul's
Cathedral, just before the consecration of the new
bells, by a High Church prelate, whose name torture
would not extort from JUDY*B lips :—When a minor
canon commits an offence against ecclesiastical law,
what ought to be done to him? Why, he ought to I);
let off, of course.—Judy.
ACCUMULATING WAR MATERIAL. Mayfair says
that the Russians are accumulating at Nicolaeff and
Sebastopol a vast quantity of war material captured
from the Turks. At the former place a St. Peters-
burg transport arrived a few days ago with a cargo
comprising one 35-ton Krupp gun. one nearly as large
of Brodwell manufacture, two 25-ton Krupp guns,
twenty-nine 8-inch Brodwell siege ordnance, fifty
ditto made by Krupp, eleven mitrailleuses, and an
immense amount of shot and shell. 6ailing vessels
with consignments of a similar nature are incessantly
arriving at the South Russian ports. One of them
last week had on board a cargo composed exclusively
of Peabody rifles, all brand-new, just as they were
taken from the Turkish armoury at Adrianople.
A STEEPLE CLIMBER.—A remarkable feat was per-
formed at Worcester on Saturday, when a "steeple
Jack" from Birmingham ascended to the top of the
spire of St. Andrew's Church. The object of the
ascent was to repair the lightning conductor, which
had been damaged. The ascent was effected by raising
ladder on ladder on the outside of the spire, which
was accomplished in three days, and on Saturday the
workmen reached the top and took off the cock which
surmounts it. The spire was erected in 1751 and is
itself 155 ft. high, being placed on a tower 90ft. high,
making a total of 215 ft. The diameter of the spire is
201 t. at the base, and barely 71n. at the top, where the
weather vane stands. One or two Worcester people
also made the ascent.

IMPORTANT FROM MARIE LANT,I. In consequence of
4.0 e aepresseci tate of the home markets," says a re-
port, "tea is going down steadily." But, when you
come to think it over, is it not the tendency of tea
always to go down ?—Judy.
HOSPITALITY RRWARDED.—A notable instance cf
hospitality being rewarded has just occurred at Inver-
gordon, where an old widow has inherited a small
fortune (says the Court Journal). Some three years
ago an old man, in apparently poor circumstances,
while travelling through Ross-shire, calted at the
widow's house in question, and asked her for a cup of
tea. This she hospitably gave, He then asked to be
allowed to remain in her house overnight. This, too,
she did not refuse to grant, On departing next morn-
ing, quite unexpectedly he insisted on his entertainer
accepting a pound note. With some reluctance she
consented. His parting words were he would never
forget the kindness he had received. Shortly after a
letter containing another sum of money was received
by the widow from the stranger, and at short intervals
afterwards other and larger sums continued to be
forwarded from the same source. Not many days ago
the Free Church minister at Invergordon received a
telegram from a lawyer in one of the east coast towns
requesting search to be made for the old lady, and it
tures out that her guest, who Ins died, and who
appears to have had no near relatives, has left his pro-
perty to her.

TOYS AND THEIR TEACHING. - Lady Customer.
"My little boy wishea for Noah's Ark. Have you
one ?"—Toyman. "No, M'unl, no. We 've given
up keeping Noah's Harks since the School Boards
come in. 'They was considered toD denominational,
111.'um !"—Punch.

PRIVATE TORTURE.—It is not without reason that
the Home Secretary desires to put a stop to the in-
jurious practice of publishing graphic accounts of the
floggings which take place in her Majesty's prisons,
not unfrequently embellished, as they are, with com-
ments complimentary to the " pluck " and "endur-
ance " exhibited by the felons unsler punishment. At
the same time, it cannot be considered in accord with
the spirit of the time and the tendency of "public
opinion" that the lash, having been re-introduced
shall be administered in private. Of late several
hangings have been carried out in secret, although it
was distinctly understood, when public executions were
abolished, that the public should be in some way
directly represented in the interests of humabity, This
is we think, a most regrettable violation of prudence.
If the " press " is to be excluded, the most hideous
barbarities may, for auht the public can tell, be
practised. If any accident or malpractice cccurrel
there would be no one present except servants of the
Government and the ()minty, and it would be too
much to expect that the tenons burdened with official
responsibility should betray the secrets of their own
prison house. The matter of the "cat" is especially
delicate in all aspects, and we feel sure the Secretary
of State will influence the interests of public justice
most advantageously if he rescinds the order by which
it has been recently ordained that the administration
of this powerful agent shall be private.—Lancet.
A SINGULAR ESCAPE AT SEA.—Our Plymouth Cor-
respondent telegraphs (says Tuesday's Pall Mall
Gazette) :—" While the steamer Warrior was off an
island in the West Indies, but out of sight of land, a
human cry was heard, and the carpenter said he had
seen a man struggling in the water. The engines were
at once stopped, and a boat put off. After a long pull
in the direction noted the cry was again heard, and
half an hour later a man was discovered and picked
up. He proved to be a native of Jamaica named
Alexander Hughes, and said he had been three days
in the water clinging to a clothes chest. lio was one
of the crew and passengers of the schooner Tile Little
Minnie, which capsised at sea and sank while on her
passage to Colon. The accident occurred sixty miles
from where the man was picked up. He was the only
survivor."

CHARITY AND PHILANTHROPY REWARDED !—The
Detroit Free Press says :—A lonesome-looking boy was
yesterday hanging around a wood-yard in the northern
part of this city, when the owner of the yard, having
lboth charity and philanthropy for boys with tears in
their eyes, asked the lad why he didn't peddle apples
or do something to earn a few shillings. The boy re-
plied that he had no capital, and the wood yard man
took out a nickel, and said Now, my boy, I'm
going to start you in life. Take this nickel and go
and make a purchase of something or other. I'll buy
it of you for ten cents, no matter what it is. Come,
now, let's see what sort of a business head you have on
you." The boy took the nickel and went off, hut in
ten minutes was back with a gallon jug which he had
purchased with the nickel. "Well, you are a keener,"
said the man. "I never saw one of those sold for leas
than tifteen cents to anyone. I want such a jug, and
here's a fair price. Go now and lay out your fifteen
cents in apples, and I'll buy half your stuck." The
boy did not return. Perkaps he fell into :4 sewer
somewhere; but you can't make the wond•yard man
believe so. When he lifted the jug from reder the
table where the boy had carefully placed it, be fouLd
a hole in the bottom large enough ti let in a black-
and-tan terrier.

THE Corrom TRADE.—On Saturday afternoon a
meeting of self-actor minders was held in the Bkating-
rink, Oldham, to take into consideration the compro-
mise of a reduction of 5 per cant. in the wa,gts. About
3,000 operatives attended the meeting. It was unani-
mously resolved to resist tie reduction of 5 per cent.,
as the operatives do not believe that the pres,nt state
of trade necessitates such a reduction of wage,, and are
of opinion that if any remedy is prescribed it should
short time. There is thus the likelihood of a pro-
tracted struggle. lhere are. at present abor,t. 15,000
operatives on strike. The distress in the town will be
very great if the strike is not brought to a speeclY
termination,


I

I

(From Wednesday's Times.)
MEETING OF AFGHAN CHIEFS.

'ii

The Correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says :—" Infor-
mation collected at Lalpoor, Bakke,. and el.ewhere confirms
the opinion that Share All relied upon All Musjid enduring
a protracted attack surd:lent In duration to excite disturb-
ances in India and to influence the wavering Bhyberees
against us, thereby tiding over the present interval of fine
weather. lhe sudden collapse of the defence, together with
General Browne's rapid advance to Bakke., has utterly de-
molished the Afghan plans as regards the Khyber portion of
the campaign, and the Ameer now places his hopes of resist-
ance in Cebu]. Itself.

(From Monday's Daily -Yews.)
FESHAWI7It, Saturday Night.

The hillmen continue very troublesome about and below
All Musjid.—Night attacks on the camps there are increas-
ing in virulence. Fighting men from the tribes far and near
are converging on our communications —A convoy, yester-
day, coming down, !ought its way through with loss
News has Just arrived that General Appleyard is heavily en-
gaged below All Musjid, and that reinforcements are needed.
General Appleyard has doubtless been sent back by his chief
to clear away the obstacles to communication, and was
making for Jumrood when thus beset. A party of troops
from Jumrood has gone out to create a diversion and open
the Pass—The Mairwarra Battalion went to Jumrood last
night, but the troops were worn out by alerts and convoys.
—Peshawar is left almost bare of garrison.—It seems im-
peratively necessary that Siande's division should be brought
up to relieve the strain on the maintenance of General
Browne's communications.—There is much anxiety here
about forwarding reserve supplies in face of the hindrance
to the convoyr.

Shortly before the outbreak of the Anglo-Afghan war
Sher° AU called an assembly of the Afglmn chiefs to Cabul.
Two hundred and fifty chiefs appeared. On the day assigned
for the meeting Shere All entered the hall at the head of a
large and brilliant suite, and made a speech on the relations
between Russia, England, and Afghanistan. Russia, he said,
having always been friendly to Afghan traders at the fairs of
Orenburg, &c., he—Shere Ali—had thought it his duty to
give respectful reception to the Embassy the Czar
had sent him. He relied upon the friendship of Russia,
whose power, greatness, and right would be explained
to them by the Keeper of the Great Seal. After this
the dignitary mentioned read a lengthy memorial on the
riches and military strength of the Russian Empire. He
then complained of injuries received at the hands of the
British G wernment, closing his speech with these words,
" Return' to your brethren, sharpen your swords, and saddle
your horses. Be ready when I call you to make war against
the enemies of our countries." After this the assembly held
two more sittings to discuss military resources and tactics