The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-07-19 00:00:00

Yarirtics.

A CANDID WIT:a...A.-- A witness on entering the
box had a testament presented to him, but he declined
to be sworn. /kin; asked his reason, for refusing, he
bravely replied, "lii toll a lio wi' ouy man in Eugland,
but I'll not swear to it."

A gentleman on circuit, narrating to the late face-
tious Lord Norbury some extravagent feat in sporting,
mentioned that he had lately idiot thirtythree hares be-
fore breakfast. " Thirty-three hares ! (exclaimed his
lordship); Zounds, air! you must have Len tiring at a
wiyl'
The cmtomers of a country cooper caused hint a
vast deal a vexation hy their saving, habits, and per-
aistence in getting all their idol tubs and casks repaired,
aud ordering but little now work. " 1 stood it, how-
ever." said lie. "until one day oil Sam Crabtree
brought in an 5.1,1 butt:hole, to which s said lie wantel
a new barrel made. Then 1 quitted the basilica in did-
go." . . . . . . . .

HIBEILNIAN. —An Irish clerzrinan having gone to vi.it
the portraits of the Scottish Kiii;:s in Holyrtmd 'louse,
vlaservol one of the monarch. of • very youthful ap-
pearance, while his sou wtui depicted with a lung heard,
and wore the traits of extreme old age. "Sancta Maria,"
eaclaimed the good Hiheruien, "ix it possible that this
gentleman was an old man when bis father wa. born r

A VialT TO lionliNsox Citumig's
on board the ship Golden Rocket, lying at Greenwich
Duck, we were permitted by Captain C. N. Pendleto&
to examine his log book, in which he gives an aixounT
of his visit to the Island of Juan Feniandez (Robiniem
Crusoe's island.) The ship was on her last pi...Lige to
this port from liestam, and had on board 55 parsengers
(25 of whom were ladies), who intend to make Califor-
nia their future place of residence. Getting short of
water, Captain Pendleton decided to stop at Juan Fer•
uandes for a further supply, and therefore shaped his
course thither—the island being nearly in his track. At
6 p.m. on the evening of March 24 they doubled the
eastern end of the island, and at 7 rounded to off the
Ray of St. Joseph, at the head of which the few in.
habitants now remaining on the island are located. The
facilities for loading water at the island Captain Pen-
dleton represents to be not very good. The casks must
be taken on shore and filled, rolled hack into the water
and parbuckleal into the boat. While the crew were at
this work the passengers rambled off in different direc-
tions to make discoveries. The island is about 25 miles
long by about 4 in breadth. The land is very high, rising
in rugged, precipitous peaks—one of thew, called Funk-
tine, 3,500 feet above the level of the sea. The peaks
, are generally overhung with clouds. The valleys are
I exceedingly fertile, the grass growing to the height of
bit or eight feet. Figs, strawberries, peaches and
cherries abound in their season. The Golden Rocket
was there in the season of peaches, and the valleys and
hill sides were full of trees loaded down with delicious
fruit. Captain Pendleton bought four barrels from the in-
habitants, and the passengers about as many more.
Strawberries flourish best in December and January.
There are three remarkable caves in the side of the bill
facing the harbour, about JO feet in length, 25 in width,
and about the =Me in height. This inhabitant' now
number but 14, of whom Messrs. Day and Kirkeldle,
from Valparaiso, are the chief liersons, they having
been appointed overseers of the island by the Chilien
Government. Formerly a penal colony, numbering 500,
was located here, and the caves above mentioned were
used by them, but the project was found to be imprac.
ticable, and the convicts were taken oack to the main-
bold. The Golden Rocket anchored on the opposite
side from that upon which Selkirk lived, and there be-
ing a mountain to cross to reach the Rubinson Crusoe
abode, no one ventured to make the journey. The best
landing is on the eastern aide, but the water is 20
fathoms deep at the bead of the bay, and in some places
so bold is the shore that a boat tied by her painter and
drifting to the hunts would be in 75 fathoms. An im-
mense number of goats are running wild over the island,
and an abundance of fish are taken on every wait.
The water is obtained from a number of never-failing
rivulets, trickling down over the rucks from the cloud'
capped mountaius.—San Francisco Times.
- -

THE WANDEROO.—A Wanderoo was for seine time
in the possession of Mr. Cross, at Exeter 'Change, and
had for a companion in the same cage • young Mandarill
which not having attained to the moroseness of the
adult, was much disposed to sportiveness and play. The
Vl'anderuo, though not so often " vein" for wanton
gambols, would, however, not unfrequently join its
companion, and did not exhibit that degreee of male-
volence attributed by sonic naturalists to the specks.
Its attention seemed generally occupied by anything
that was passing out uf the limits of its prison-liuuse.
Anothe. specimen in Wonihwell's collection of animals
was vu far gentle and sociable ad not to be confined
within a cage, but merely fastened by a light chain of
mine length, in which situation it might have found
opportunities had it been so disposed, of gratifying •
iiialiciouo and savage inclination. It may have been a
Wander., that rendered a remarkable service to two
Englishmen, brothers, who were pruccuiing frt..mt Dun.
dera Head, the southern extremity of the island of
Ceylon, towards Candy, in the iuter.or, about a hundred
and twenty miles northward. They started early one
morning, and travelled some distance, when Arthur
stopped, and, louiuig auximisly around, said, •• I surely
hoard a cry, as if wan, one woo hurt." They tlitrtfore
followed the moan, which proceeded from a group of
cocoa-nut trees Whet) 11.0bOrt the elder, laughingly
said, " Here it is, Arthur." as he pointed to a monkey
who was lying on the ground, suffering from a severe
wound. Robert was still more disposed to jest. sehtu
he eAw his brother carefully bind up his injured limb,
carry the monkey onwards in his anus, and declare
that he would not part with his patient till lie was
cured, and able to return to his forest. After travel.
hug two days and being still about sixty miles from
Candy, the heat became exceedingly oppressive. The
water, which had hitherto flowed over their path, was
dried up, and the brothers began to suffer from extreme
thirst. Great was their distress, and, on the morning
of the fourth day, when about thirty miles from the
place of their destination, they sank down at the foot of
a palm-tree absolutely exhausted ; and from the lips of
Robert rose the inquiry—" must we die here?" At that
moment, the monkey, that had been resting by their
side, *prang up, and ran eagerly forward, as if he were
searching for something valuable. Arthur observing
its motions, which were very singular, at length sum-
moned all his strength, rose from the ground, and slowly
followed the monkey. He soon discovered that it had
found the object of its pursuit—the monkey-cup,
as it is called, from its being sought after by
these animals, but more commonly known as that
wondrous plant of the East, wham leaves are
formed into natural pitchers, holding from a pint to
• quart of water. Each pitcher has a lid,
moving on • hinge, opening when the weather is moist,
and shutting quite close when it is dry to prevent
evaporation, while a hook is placed beneath
the lid of each pitcher, to seigss on some neighbouring
tendril that it may gain support • and the water that
supplies the pitcher often procured from a marsh is,
strange to say, perfectly pare. At this water the bro-
then assuaged their thirst, and proceeded on their way
with their little companion, now an object of interest
and regard to them both; ander they reached the circle
of their friends, one of their first exclamations was,
" Thai monkey was the means of saving our lives I"
Casscirs Popular Nafural History.