Year: 1861

A Chinese battle Is as goo as farce. Some
of the little fights at Shangbae were very amusing.
One day, when great many soldiers were out,
saw more Of the combat than was pleasant. Having
got into the line Of fire. was forced to take shelter
behind grave, the bullets striking the grave from
each side every second. Why they came my way,
it was difficult for me to discover, for they ought
to have passed on the other side Of the creek about
twenty yards distant, to the people for whom they
were intended; but to see the dOdging Of the sol
ders, then Of the rebels each trying to evade the
other, was most amusing. One fellow, ready primed
and loaded, would rush up the side Of grave or
hillock drop his matchbox over the top, and, with
out taking aim, blaze away. There is no ramrod
required for the shot they use; the bullet or bar Of
iron is merely dropped in loose upon the powder.
There was a fine scene when, on one occasion, the
Shanghae rebels made sortie: one Of the men
was cut of by an imperial skirmisher. who had
his piece loaded. The rebel had no time to charge
him, SO he ran round and round grave, which
was high enough to keep his enemy from shooting
him when on the opposite side. Hare hunting Is
nothing to IT, Redcap described hosts Of circles,
and the ROyalst was fast getting blown, when the
gods took pity on his wind for by some unlucky
chance he rebel trpped and FELL The soldier was
at him in moment and, to make sure Of his prize,
put the muzze Of his matchbox to Redcap's head,


fred and took to his heels as fast as he could GO.
IL
when Mr.. Redlcap did exactly the same. The bullet
that dropped down readily on the powder fell out
as easily when the barrel was depressed The rebel
got off with q good sngeing Of his long hair.
There were frequently, however, some very ugly
wounds and where surgery is at a discount, the
poor wounded must suffer severely. The Chinese
rarely, f ever, amputate: they use strong drawing
plaster to extract the ball.


II appears from recent work, Letters and
Conversations Of A. Won Humboldt" that for Q
long number Of years he was under strict sur
veillance Of the Prussian police. In one Of his
communications to q correspondent, in 1859, he
says all letters addressed to him had been opened
for years. This may account for snme OF the
contempt which he expressed for the great Otii-
cials who surrounded him.


The Augusta (Ga.y Sentinel thinks the deter
mination Of the Southern Congress to discontinue
some Of the little post Offices is wise, IL not carried
too far. Some Of them, it says, are merely post
Offices in name. For instance, We find that, for
the year ending Sept 80, 1859, the net proceeds
Of each Of five Offices in Florida was under ten
cents. Three Of them received four cents each,
and one Of them three cents.


DR.. E. ]. Fountain, Of Davenport Iowa, died
after an illness Of q week, q few days since, .
martyr to science. lie had been for some time
engaged in an investigation Of the properties Of
chlOrale Of potash as q cure FIR consumption.
II is presumed that he has been experimenting
on hnnsef with small doses Of THE medicine,
gradually increasing them until be took an ounce,
which proved too much for him.


Creditors never annoy man rs long as he Is
getting up in the world A man Of wealth only
! pays his butcher once . year. Let bad luck
overtake him, and bis meat bill viii come in
every morning. as regular As break hsr shd hun.
, cry children. Never plead guilty Of poverty.
So far as this world Is concerned. you had better
. admit that you'drs . sounded