The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-30 00:00:00

Fight between a Terrier and a Cormorant.

An old sportsman writes as follows from Australia :
—" I was engaged, in company with a friend, in my
garden, when my attention was attracted to a little
bitch of mine, by name Topsy, who made for the brin k
of a cutting some 10 or 12 feet deep. Upon looking
down I saw a cormorant in the water. My little
dog showing great anxiety I encouraged her,
when, after finding a convenient place to descend,
she at once took the water, and made for the
bird. Upon approaching it the bird at once dived ;
Topsy vainly looking for it. At length it rose, and
the bitch again made for it, when down goes the
bird again. This was repeated some ten or a dozen
times, when at length the bird came up stem on .to
the bitch, to about a foot from her head. The little
canine at once snapped at the bird, but missed, re-
ceiving in return for her attempt a very smart blow
straight between the eyes, which so astonished her
that she turned tail and made for the shore, the bird,
ad interim, having gone to the depths below. But
no sooner did Topsy catch sight of it than in she
was again, and the same diving and sinking con-
tinued as before. At length the bird rose close to
the bitch, but, as before, she failed in her kind in-
tentions. But not so the cormorant. He seized the
little animal by the side of the ear and thrust her
head under water, and dived with her, as near as I
can judge, to the depth of a foot or 18 inches. This
he repeated three times, my little Topsy appearing,
as I fancied, half drowned. I was about to rush .to
the rescue, when I stayed my interference upon ob-
serving she had seized the cormorant by the pinion.
And now began the tug of war. Round and round
they went like a teetootum, now this way, now that,
the bitch trying all she knew to get the bird to the
shore, and the bird as knowingly trying to avoid it,
but unable to dive, the bitch sticking to her like Tom
Sayers did to Heeuan. Now you could see the bitch
was getting the best of it ; in spite of all the bird
could do, she was gradually and nearly approaching
the shore. At length, having descended, I took the
bird by the neck, and so exhausted was it, that it
died in my hand without a struggle ; Topsy also was
much spent. The combat lasted, as nearly as I can
judge, a good half hour. The bird was weighed by
a storekeeper immediately after, and weighed four
pounds less an ounce ; Topsy weighs ten pounds and
a half. I must state, as my friend and I stood di-
rectly above the combatants, we could distinctly see
every motion. Neither bird nor dog ever let go their
hold after once taken. The breed of Topsy—dam
Skye terrier ; sire not known.
" Rocky Lead, Sept. 5."

LONDON GAZETfE—Last Evening.

FOREIGN OFFICE, DEC. 26.

The Queen has been pleased to 'approve of Mr. George
J. Holland as Consul at Hong Kong for his Majesty the
King of Denmark.
WHITEHALL, DEC. 27. _ _ _

The Queen has been pleased to present the Rev. James
Fleming to the church and parish of Glenisla„ in the pres-
bytery of Meigle, and county of Forfar, vacant by the
death of the Rev. Peter Cameron.

WAR-OFFICE, PALL-MALL, DEC. 29.
Royal Horse Guards—Cornet David Milne Home to be
Lieutenant, by purchase, vice George Ernest Paget,,
who retiresi Gilbert Stirling, Gent., to be Cornet, by

purchase, vice Home.
Bth Regiment of Foot—Lieutenant Charles Dudley Ryder
Madden to be Captain, by purchase, vice John William
Hughes, who retires • Ensign Arthur Fawkes to be
Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Madden ; Walter Bell
Marley, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Fawkes.
9th Foot—Ensign Richardson Mounteney Jephson to be
Lieutenant, without purchase, vice Ellsworth Fursdon,
deceased ; Gentleman Cadet George Michell Seaton,
from the Royal Military College, to be Ensign, without
purchase, vice Jephson. 4!
12th Foot—James Montgomery Williamson, Gent., to be
Ensign, by purchase, vice lthenins, transferred to the
76th Foot.
16th Foot—Captain William Charles Bancroft to be Major
by purchase, vice Patrick William Sydeuham Ross, who
retires ; Lieutenant Cecil Godwin to be Captain,'by pur-
chase, vice Bancroft; Ensign Henry Jenkins Croft to be
Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Godwin; Arthur George
Duberly, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Croft.
19th Foot—Lieutenant William Wookey, from half-pay
late Turkish Contingent, to be Lieutenant, vice William
Read, who retires upon temporary half-pay ; Ensign
George Oakes to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Wil-
liam Wookey, who retires; Ensign Charles Garling
Drury, from the 43d Foot, to be Ensign, vice Oakes.
31st Foot—Captain and Brevet-Major James Burnie Lind,
from the 46th Foot, to be Captain, vice Brevet-Major A.
Gammell, who exchanges.
43d Foot—Gentleman Cadet Charles Garling Drury, from
the Royal Military College, to be Ensign, without
purchase, vice O'Brien promoted; Charles Clifford Pease,
Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice C. G. Drury,
transferred to the 19th Foot.
45th Foot—Lieut. Frederick Theophilus Goad, from the
72d Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice R. Garnett, who ex-
changes.
46th Foot—Captain and Brevet-Major Andrew Gazinaell,
from the 31st Foot, to be Captain, vice Brevet-Major J.

B. Lind, who exchanges.
72d Foot—Lieut. Reginald Garnett, from the 45th Foot, to
be Lieutenant, vice F. T. Goad, who exchanges.

COURSE OF EXCHANGE--Last Evening.

Amsterdam Short. 11 17i 11 181
Ditto 3 Months. 12. 1 12 2 ±
4)i

Rotterdam - 1 12 2-
Antwerp — 25 47i 25 55'
Brussels
Hamburg
4) 7

Paris
Ditto

... Short 25 10 25 .I."‘
... 3 Months. 25 42i25 47i

Marseilles _
25 42i- 25 47i
Frankfort on the Maine 10
10 8
120 f 12
Vienna — 75 oio
Trieste — 10 75 10 80
Petersburgh - 291 301
Berlin
Madrid
Cadiz
Leghorn
Milan ...................... : — 25 60 25 65
Genoa
Naples — 25 62} 25 67}
25 60 _ 25 65
Palermo
'Messina —'2s 60 25 65

THE LITTLE GRAND DUCHY of Baden is one of
the States thatt has profited by the American war. It has
taken to cultivate tobacco, andthe quantity raised this year
will be 50 per cent. more than that of two or three years ago.