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In in against the law in Mexico for any- one to read a newspaper aloud; but no one cares for that, as few people want tc read them anyhow. You can get more news in Mexico by sitting down half an hour at a popular cafe than you could get by reading a Mexican paper for a month. The way to gain a. good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.â€" [Socratem The latest prodigy ab the piano is reported iv The London Court Journal to be a quad- rumaueâ€"a monkey, that executes morceaux brilliantly with all four hands at once, while he gracefully turns over the leaves of the music with the tip of his prehensile tail. Queen Victoria has refused to send her autograph to a seeker after it who 13 deucrib- ed as " a gentleman in Wollaston, Mass.” Why doesn‘t her Maj zaty set a good example, and at the same time he1p to suppress the autograph fiend, by furnishing her sign- manual neatlv written withn rubber stamp ? Two Santa Cruz men went to law and their case went to a jury. While they were out the plaintiff said he was willing to dismiss the case and pay costs if the defendant would give a sum equal to the costs to the Young Men's Christian Association. This agar was accepted and the jury wasdismiss- e . Dr. Dowlirg. the new pxsbor of one of the Albany churches. evldenuly is well endowed with the gift of humor. In the course of a. statement of his belief which he read to his people a few evenings ago, he rem srked :â€" “ I believe there are some things which can- not; be answered by any theologian in the worldâ€"not even bhe youngest.” At the sale of the Robert Lenox Kennedy library in New York a Firau Folio of Shake- speare was sold for $1400 to a purchaser whose name was not made known. Mr. Pope of Brooklyn paid $475 for “ Purches, Hie Pilgrims,” for which Mr. Kennedy had given $750. A Herdouin missel of 1514, bound by Clovis Eve, brought $3i0. When the Rev. Edward Beecher, in 1854, ubliehed his book on the prevexislence of nman life, his father, Dr. Lyman Beecher, was asked what he thought of the theory. “ Well,” he replied, “ if the Almighty has been running tne universe on this plan all these ages and has succeeded in keeping in a. secret, I think it's a. shame for Edward to expose it." How sponges bore into limestone or shella is as yet an unsolved problem. Mr. Nesson- OE has investigated a new species of clione which tunnels oyster and mussel shells, and he believes that the boring of the canals and galleries is performed solely by the soft parts of the sponge. The penetration of the prolongation of the body of the sponge into the shell appears to be accomplished by the segretion of s corrodine liquid, probably an act . A tiny kind of shark that is met with off the shores of the Santhern States is a noted light giver. Specimens captured and taken into a dark apertment present an extraor- dinary spectacle. The entire surface of the head and body emits a greenish gleam that is constant, and is not. as in the case of most of these luminous inhabitants of the see, in- creased by friction and agitation. The smell- ness of the fins of this fish show that it is not an ective swimmer. and the assumption is that its light is useful in attracting its prey, on the principle of the torches used by my savage: in fishing. Sailors believe religioust that the frigate bird can start at daybreak with the trade winds irom the coast of Africa and roost the same night on the American shore. Wheth- er or not this is s. fsct has not yen been con- clusively determined. but it is certain that the bird is the swiftest of winged creatures. and is able to fly, under favoring conditions, 200 miles an hour. A flash-light signal for the rear of trains is being tested in England. It shows a fixed light for a. stationary train, and alter- nate flsshee of red and White when the train is in motion. so arranged as to show whether the train is going forward or backward. An experienced eye can also tell by the rapidity of the flashes the speed of the train. The lights are worked by the wheels. A Burlington boy, of the under-thenofa variety, pinned his sister's beau'a sleeve to her sash, and then told his father there was a man in the parlor who wished to speak with him. There was no end of fun for abonu two minutes, and it all turned out for the best, too. The young man proposed on the spot, and the very next night he brought the bad boy a jack-knife and two orangez. SPRING. Juab a tiny blnA-eyed msid. ' Newly our of Eiun strayed ; Lips, a bud n se-tinmd rare, And the sunl.ght in her hairâ€" He: e is Spring! Leaves are few to make her bowera, Bunches bright of lee fleas flowers Are by baby fingers placed bide by side, in hAppy haste- Little Sprirg I Tip-toe stands, with parted lips, Cannon reach their swaying tips, Brushes past in April gristâ€" Ses l The underwood in leaf 1 Gardens dark wish winter gloom, All at once begin to bloom ; Budding branches, lifted high, Laugh and Whisper in the sky, .1nv,uA,h, n,, n She will reach their stately heightâ€" What to her are bmasoms bright? Little Spring. in haste to pass, Let: them fall among the grassâ€" Eager Spring I Fairy Spring ! She is growing tall and slim, And her eyes are darkly dim, Deepening with the deepening sky. Darkening _with_ the blue-hell’s dyeâ€" “ Is it Spring? They are wide. and nndismnyed, Timid now. and veiled in shadeâ€" Comes a sound of hurrying feet, She is flushed withfoaes sweetâ€" Happy Spring 1 Ah I lastrromenb here she stood. Gone forever 1 Through the wood Come young Summer, and in bliss Died she ’neath his burning kissâ€" Fnrewell, Spring 1" AS YOI' LIKE IT; " Waâ€"lcome, Spring 1” MARGARET VELEY. . Mrs. John Fletcher, a chubby little Eng- lish women. lives a mile and a quarter from Lakewood, N. Y. Her husband is the village cobbler, and as cobbling is a rather uncertain means of livelihood during the summer months, Mrs. Fletcher devocea a portion of her time to the raising of chickens for market. Her broilers haven Will-earned reputation among the hotels and cottages here. They come early and they come high, but there are only enough left over at the end of the season for the funcfions of mother- hood for the next: year's crop. Along iu J.\nnary Mrs. Fletcher begins the gating of hens, and keeps on setting them until about the middle of March. This system gives her a rotation of crops and keeps the stock young and fresh. The mother hens brought forth the regulation number of trends at the regular times during the present season. Mrs. Fletcher never took better care of her chicks. A smaller number than usual died, but a much larger number than usual were missing. This was particularly the case with the February and March broods. Mrs. Fletcher was for some time unable to account for the mysterious disappearance of so many of her young Dorkings and Plymouth R )oks. She began to investigate, and one day she saw a large bird swoop down and gather up a pullet that was almost fit for the spit. She thought the bird was a hawk of un- usual size and of a chicken-thieving kind which abounds in this vicinity. Mrs. Fletcher called her suspicious Lfl' some col- ored people from a distance, and determined to havea settlement with the sharp teed cflender. She borrowed a gun from a neighbor. It was an old-fashioned, muzzle-loading Iarm, a trifle rusty, and somewhat the worse for wear. Mrs. Fletcher had not shot a gun in a good many years, and her recollection of the quantity oi ammunition proper for a respectable charge was almost as shaky es the breech of the gun. She meant business, however, and resolved to take chances. Pouring out seven drams of powder from a teacup, she turned it into the gun and ram- med it into place with a fragment of a bone- set almanac for wedding. Then she poured a handful of shot from another teaoup :and sent that home. Next she capped the tube and was ready for the hawk. She hadn’t long to wait. The large bird came, and saucily seating himself upon the limb of a deed tree near the henery, was apparently selecting the choicest broiler in a brood of ten or a dczen. While the bird was running his gaze over the flock, Mrs. Fletcher was elevating the fowling piece and running her right eye alone the barrel of it. She didn’t like to keep the visitor waiting. so she touch- edAthe trigger. She waited less than a half second for re- sults but she ha‘l received only partial infor- matlon when, a few minutes later, she sat up and pulled herself together. The youth- ful John Fletcher, J r., a block of five, who was holdino fast to his mother’s dress when the partial report was made, crawled out from beneath her skirts when she got up to pursue the remainder of the particulars. Mrs Fletcher is a plucky little woman, and, unmindful of a pain in her shoulder and a bee hive in her head, began to look for the destroyer of her chickens. Her aim had been good, and the hawk was found within twenty feet of where he was sitting when she pulled the trigger. He was only slight- ly disabled. The youthful John saw the hawk from a safe retreat, but he no longer held fast to his mother's dress. While she was pondering whether to attack the hawk with a broom or a club, John Jr., slipped out around behind the bird, and while it was defying his mother be grasped it firmly by the back of the neck. He did not know the accomplishments or equipment of the hawk or he would not have been so pre- cipitate. When he took hold the bird clutched one of his legs in one of its talons and hooked the other talon into a section oflhe boy’s coat. The little fellow was gone, and as the tal- ous went into his leg he tightened his grip. Mrs. Fletcher, new thoroughly frightened, gathered both boy and hawk into her arms, and ran with them to the house. When she reached there she put down her burden. Her plucky son \x as still clinging to his bold, but the hawk had let go. He was dead, and the boy wasshero, with three or four wounds on one of his legs. Mrs. Fletcher forgot her own injuries, picked up the gun, and return- ed it to its owner with her thanks and the story of her acoomplirhments as 3 marks woman. The next morning when Mr. Fletcher owe to the village 8he brought along the bird. Presenting it to the local bird fancier and proprietor of Johnson’ grocery, he said : “ ‘Ere, Johnson, ’ere’a a. 'awk l" “Hawk, the mischief !" replied Johnson ; “ why, man, that‘s an eagle.” And so is wns; a genuine bald or white- hesded "Hslthus leneocephslus." The bird measured seven feet. snd six incnes from tip to tip of wings, and weighed. after about 2. month of fessting upon Mrs. Fletcher's Plymouth Rocks and Dorkings, exactly thirteen pounds. The eagle is now in the hands of s. taxidermist, and will upon its return depose the long-necked blue heron from the post of honor on the cheese cage. The lot of a French farmerlis neither happy nor jolly. Be fares frugally on soup and the thinnest of ordinary red wine or cider. lhe stock of his soup is bacon, and he eats butcher's meat only twice a weekâ€"that is on Sunday and market day. When he at- tends market he mall es a succulent dejeuner and drinks a good deal of beer afterwards at the cafe. This is his only cheerful time. At ordinary seasons he in morose, troubled, about the weather, the conscription which is going to take his son into the army, and about politics, of which he understands just enoush to he in constant dread of revolu- tions. He is conservative, that is to say, he upholds the Government of the day, whatever it is, for fear 0: anarchy, but no Government is popular with him, for every Administration finds it necessary to lay on taxes. The climate, however, is in his favor. A bad harvest is not acommon thing in France, and a succession of bad harvests never occur. It is lucky for the French farmer that this is so, for there are few French landlords who would be in a position to remif any part of a year’s rent after a bad hartest, The rule in Erance is that farmers' rent must be paid as punctually as Iodgers' rent. If it be not paid, ejection is resorted to at once, and nobody thinks of looking upon the tenant as an ill used man. â€"Waverley Magizlne. The shortest life In long enough, i! it lead to a better, and the longest life Si: :00 short if it do not. - (Cohan. A Woman Shoots an Eagle. Ftench farmers. lie Tells How the flunkles Kill the Levi- athan and Blow fllm l'p. “On Aug. 2,” writes Lord L’msdele. “we determined to meke a trip to Liverpool Buy. I persuaded a Huskle to put on civilized clothes and to take out his ‘Laberettea.’ with a view of disguising himself. (The teberettes are two pieces of serpeuzine, shaped like buttonsâ€"one very large and one small. Th3 larger one is worn on the left of the under lip, close up to the mouth. and the smaller one on the other side. The Indians prizy them v:ry highly and value 'them at $50 each). The clothes he put on I had given him before-hand as payment for guiding us to the Huskie setzlement. As we rounded the point into Liverpool BAY I hoisted the unionjack and my white ensign. and my man hoisted the Hudson Bay Company’s flag, and thus bedecked we exiled around the point and into ‘ull view oi the wooden and canvas town of the Huakiewnux, dis- tant about two miles. “We no sooner hove in sight than I saw, with the glasses, all the Huskies come flocking down to the beach. Four men put: out in kisoks to meet us as an advance guard. Three of them were armed with bows and arrows and knives. and the fourth car- ried a. fan. About 400 yards behind them came fully 300 others. We could see that; there was agreed: commotion among them. As we advanced so did the kiacks, but when As soon as he spoke they recognized his voice, and I halloed : ‘To-go-toochl-nack' (the nearest approach I can get 00 spelling the chief's name), when they readily came up to us, followed by the others. We were now about 100 yards from the shore, and to take time I lowered the sail and we were 320 yards from them they suddenly stopped paddling and. would not come any nearer. I called and hailed, but all to no purpose. I saw they were distrustful, so I sold our Huakie to bail them. Our Huskie now told them who and what I was and made them along speech, and sent them ofi‘ to tell the others, which they in. ntantly did, apparently in great glee. We went slowly on purpose, to give them a good chance of having a talk with their pals. There were about 175 men and 250 women and children now waiting for us to land. Weno sooner touched the beach than I jump- ed out and shook hands, having taken care previously however, to load my revolver and put it in my pocket. I shook hands with all the men and the chief. The chief was named Ta-wah-tsack and his sub Kag- ley. The former was a well-built man, with an active gait, diabolical countenance and fleshy eyelids, which left only tiny holes through which his black, ill-tempered eyes peered. But he was very civil and said he was glad to see me. The mosquitoes were so troublesome that I asked him to conduct me to the 'Kishawa,’ when he disappeared, returning in two minutes arrayed in his robe ‘ of state and accompanied by his three wives, lin similar array. He then led the way and Kagley, Billy and I followed him. Billy stayed only a few moments in the council chamber, as the atmosphere did not seem to suit him. " After waiting a. few minutes about seven- ty or eighty natives arrived, all in their best clothes and beads. ngley and our friend (whom I was now told were the councillors. and more respected than the present chief) then came in in very smart clothes. When the room was full the chlef made a speech, to which all listened with marked atten- tion. He told them (so I learned THROUGH OUR INTERPRETEB, himself a Huskie, taken from his tribe when aboy by the Hudson Bay Company) that the chief told them to welcome us. That we were the first white men who ever visited them. He had hear} that white men were brave, ‘ but if they are so brave,’ continued he, how is it that they have not come to us before? Still,’ said he, I think they must be brave, and we will try them.’ They then showed us how a man was killed by them. Four men seized the victim. Two held him by the shoulders, another placed his hands against his back and the fourth pulled his head back, when another man would draw a knife across his throat, and all was over.’ The Huskies then tried to intimidate Lord Lonsdale by rushing at him with their knives and then putting their hands over his heart to feel it: best. While in the middle of this interesting performance," said Lord Lans- dale, “ we heard a man calling ‘ Hoo-roo-e- e 000 l ’ (or that; is wuah it: sounded like to me), which immediately threw everybody into confusion. Everybody rushed out; and the chief called upon me to follow. The interpreter told me we were going to a. whale hunt. “The cry still came at intervals, and I found out afterward it came from sentinelu who had been placed to watch for the com- ing of the white whole. The Indiana wait until they come into the shallows, and then attack them. a K r ' “We all rounded the corner in silence and there, moving un toward the shallows, were ten white whales. The Indiana in their kiaeks extended in akirmishing order. at the same time keeping up a. rolling sound with their mouths and apleshing the water. “Toe whales were graduflly driven into shoal water, and then began the attack. First one man in his kiack would make a and then another would follow suit. Each herpoon has a bladder filled with air at- tached to the end, so that it will float if it should fall out of the whale. The line and order kept by the Indians was something wonderful. They never got in each other’s way, and no two men would make a rush for the same whale. Ewh man carried but one harpoon, and when these were all exhausted they attacked the enimnls with their spesrs. When they were all killed they resembled porcupinee more than any thing else. LONSDALE'S WHALE HUNT. “The chief put his two young wives and myself into an 0 me- -ach (a. large), flat- bottomed boat made out of whale skins), and we rowed in the direction of the cry. The women are not allowed to put their foot in- to a kiack, because of an Indien supersti- tion which says tlmt the art of hunting leaves the man who owns the kiack if such a thing should hapgeq.‘ s ,uiihh rush forward and “The women‘s pub of the work then came in. They first of all gathered up all the harpoona and then pnllad out all the up can. As each spear was withdrawn 9. blowzplpe was pushed into the wound sud MADE THE MEN PULL DRIVE IN HIS HARPOON, the men blew into it, after which the opening was tied up. When every wound had been treated in this manner the whale resembl- a menu windbng and floated high in the water. It was thus easily towed around opposite the village. 7'01: our way hick the natives were very quiet, as they said: ‘If other whales are about and we make a noise they will hear us and go back to the deep water. Whales hear well.’ " An issue of the Pekin "Gazette" contains an ofiicial statement respecting the health of the Viceroy, Li Hung Chang. It seems that at the end of last autumn he caught a severe cold, which produced great thirst and redness of the eyes. He obtained first twen- ty days’ leave, and was subsequently grant:- ed two extensions of a month each, on both of which occasions the Emperor expressed great: solicitude respecting his health, and urged him to procure the best medical aid available. Prince Chuu. the Prime Minister, sent him twenty pills, which had been spec- ially prepared in the palace. one of which was to be taken every day before food. “Ex- ternally he applied a lotion to dry up the tears in his eyes. and internally he took med- icine to relieve his kidneys and promote cir- culation. ' ' ' The doctor’s bulletin states that disease is already eight parts gone. With the mildness of spring he will be able to get out once more, and under the vivifying influences of that health giving season his muscles will resume their proper ‘ functions and the dryness of the mouth will l disappear." Li expresses himself profoundly grateful for the many tokens of regret which he has received from the throne, and assures the Emperor that notnin is further from his intention than to ta e his ease at such a moment as the present. ”Though he has been on leave for the past month, he has been daily occupied in transacting business and seeing his subordinates, and has often forgotten to take his food until after the go- ing down of the sun. All through the still- ness of the night his mind has been troubled with the thought that his sickness might cause some miscarriage of public business.” Upon this report the Emperor writes with his own hand: “We have carefully perused the above, and must again urge the patient to be more careful in sparing himself anxiety and labor, and to continue a course of med- ical treatment in the hope that his early re- storation to health may remove the earnest solicitude which we feel on his behalf." flow the Late Bishop flannlngton Faced Llons Fearlessly. Among modem heroes I find no more worthy of the name than the late Bishop Hannington, the “ MArtyr of Usaga,” the story of whose ‘ife is more fascinating than fiction. In him seems to have been ccm- bined all the elements of an ideal hero. He inheritei wonderful strength of body, so that he was ablefio do and hear what: few men can endure. He [was fond of athletic sports and possessed a courage that bordered on recklessnele. He was fond of natural science, and in his explorations seemed to Edelighb in perilous scrambles on the : edges of precipibos clifis. Indeed, danger possessed a fascination for him. He did not know the Emeaning of fear. Nob even an encounter with the king oi beasts in the jungles of Africa could quell him. On one occasion when he hm shot a lion's cub, and the enraged parents with terrific roars bounded toward him. he coolly fixed his eyes upon those of the infuriated beast, and slowly retreated backwards, until he had put a safe distance between himself and his enemies. But he went back for the skin of that cub; finding that the lions had not bit, he ran forward, threw up both arms and shouted, whereupon the astonished animals turned and fled and the bold hunter carried away his prim.- ing a flower that had attracted his attention â€"he beheld the fiery eyes of a. lion glaring at him. He returned the lookâ€"waiting, however. to procure the flowerâ€"and, as in the other instance. made good his retreat. Many stories might be told illustrative of his greet physical courage. But his moral heroism was sublime. As a missonary to Africa he threw himself into his work with all the enthusiasm and zeal of his ardent nature. Young. gifted, pop- ular, with a large field of usefulness open so him in England, he was willing to sacrifice everthing for the sake of what he believed to be duty. The records of those journeys read like a romance of heroism. and never does he appear more the hero than when, exhausted by fever and having sufi'ered every manner of insult: from the savage soldiers of the Afrisau king, Mwanga, he was finally led out to die at their hands. Protest Against Colonial Adventure. It is a striking coincidence than just as the Samoan Conference opens at Berlin there shonld‘be an outcry in Italy against her colonial policy. There was a demonstration of 10,000 people at Turin on Sunday to pro- test against Italy's “ Adventure ” in Africa. The whole time the manifestation lasted cries of “ Down with the Colonial policy 1" were uttered by the crowd. The Italian peo- ple are tired of seeing the Government waste money in ambitious and sterile Colonial schemes. The bulk of the nation would be glad if n cordial entente between Italy and France could be established, and they know very well that the Gayernment’s colonial ventures are as like‘y as not to land them in aconflict with their neighbours ; while, on the other hand, no conceivable advantlge for Italy can be derived therefrom. The prevail- ing opinion on the Continent is that Ger many too would have done well to leave Colonial policy alone. So far, at all events, it has brought her much trouble and no pro- fit whatsoever ; nor is Germany’s Colonial future promisino, even if considered indepen- dently oi the fee: that before long she may have more than enough to do at home. OTTAWA, MAY 23.â€"Miss Myrtle Harm, aged 10 years. was accidentally drowned in the Ottawa river here the other night while playing on logs near the Chaudiere. She latelv arrived here with her father from Oswezo, N. Y. Mr. Hanna moved to Ottawa to assume the foremanship of Barnes' Manu- facturing Co.’s box factory. The body of the deceased has been recovered. . Census in the tax a man page for being amine”. Li Hung Chang’s Illness. THE MARTY}! 0F USAGO. A Little Girl Drowned An Observer Snys Be "as Seen It doneâ€" How Snakes Swallow Frogs. Three difl‘arent incidents of snakes charm- ing birds have fallen under my own obaerve- tion. Once I new a bluejsy charmed by what is commonly Know as the “blue reoer" snake. The next inetsnce was a redblrd. charmed by 11 "blue racer,” and the next woe is cathird charmed bve “cowencker.” As these snakes are clesaed es rim-poisonous, they could not rnve bitten the birds and then quietly awaited their death. In the first cue the bird was in an apple tree, some ten or twelve feet from the ground, when its attention was first arrested. The other two were somewhat under the influence of the eneke‘e charm when first observed. I would judge that it takes from one to two hours tor a snake to bring a. bird completely under the spell, which they can most certainly do if not disturbed after the bird’s first attention is once gained. I have never seen A snake chum e frog, though I have seen them catch frogs often. They are more then a metoh for the frog in a footraos; consequently they have frog legs to eat whenever they wish, provided the frogs can be found. The greatest trouble is to swallow the frog after catching him. The frog is swallowed heels first. Whether this is a preference on the part of the snake or whether it is beoeuse this is the first part overtaken and laid hold of. i do not know. When caught the poor frog cries out in the most pitiful terror. Then the struggle of life and death begins, with determined animal instinct on the art of the snake; may, I might say with evilish triumphâ€"for he knows that victory is sure in the endâ€" and almost hnmsn horror on the froFs part. The instant the snake sefz as a bind eg it is swallowed, and the hard part of the job is to get a hold of the other leg without roles! ing_the one he already bee. The frog soon finds It useless to struggle to release the leg already swallowed by the snake, and seems to realize that its only hope is to keep the leg that is free out of that horrible month which has such wonder- ful suction power. I once saw a garter snake push a frog over thirty yards endeav- oring to force the leg of the frog that was free against some obstruction, that it might git a hold upon that also. It finally suc- ceeded, and the struggle was soon over after that. When both hind legs are once in the snake's power a. deeper horror seems to take possession of the poor little creature who has battled so hard for life: its eyes dilate with terror and assume a glassy stare, its whole body is stupefied, paralyzed with an awful dread of its impending Rate. The snake does not swallow ; it crawls over its prey. It does so by means of strongly con- tracting muscles in the throat. CAN SNAKES CHAR“ BIRDS? The history of one of the Ballarat claims, called the Blacksmith'sClaim, becauseits first owner belonged to that craft, reads like a. page of romance. The blacksmith, with a party of eight, all novices, sank the shaft in so irregular and unworkman-like a manner that it was absolutely at the risk of his life that a man made the descent to the bottom. Without opening out a regular drive, they washe: all the stuff within reach, and, after realising £12830, offered it for sale ; but so wet and rotten was the ground, so badly sunk the shaft, that at first no purchaser could be found. At last aparty of ten pluck- ed up courage, and bought all right and title to the claim and tools for £77. They entered into possession atnoon one Saturday, and long before the sun set had in their pos- session £2,000 worth of gold. By working day and night in spells till the following Monday, they raised thisto£10,000. Then, after the usual reckless manner of lucky diggers, they left this mine of wealth, and went on the spree for a week. Their ten- ants made good use of the time at their dis- posal ; they opened up two drives, and, before the week was out, were the happy possesscrs of £14,400 all taken out of the claim. The other partv than re- turned, and after a week’s work, during which they realised £9,000, they sold. out to a storekeeper for £100, who put in a gang to work in shares, and these, labouring in desnltory fashion for a fortnight, took out £5,000. At the end of that time one of the party, an old hand from Van Diemen’s Land, underminded the props, and next morning, on returning to work, the men found the whole of the workings had fallen in. The rest of the party appeared to have taken this misfortune very calmly, and to have com- pletely abandoned the claim, for no mention is made of their further proceedings ; but it is related how the author of the mischief coolly marked out a claim 24 feet square on top of the rnln, and working with a hired party, sunk a shaft straight as a die for the gutter. The first tubful of wash-dirt they raised turned out 40lbs. weight of gold, and and the next two averaged lOlbs. each; and, as Ballarat gold was, and is, superior to any other at all times, fetching at least £4 an ounce, those three bucketfuls of earth were worth £2,880 to their fortunate possessor. Altogether, out of that small area, hardly larger than a good sized room, was taken in a few weeks gold worth nearly £60,000. The Vienna. “ Palitisohe CJrreapondenz " publishes intelligence from Sofia, derived from what it describes aa a source worthy of credence, stating that Russia has lately been endeavouring. through the intermediary cf a third person, to bri \g about a change in the existing relations in Bulgaria. These efi'orta have, it is added, been so far successful as to convert M. Stamboulcfl‘ to the Russian point of View, by referring to the change of feeling in favour of Russia. which has set in in Servia and Rmmania, and by pointing out that Russia. must prepare herself for a. great set- tlement of European affairs, and in view of this eventuality, ie enxioue to regulate the situation in the Bxlksns in her own interests. Russia. would, however, at the decisive mo- ment, make no special demands upon her friends in the Balkans. but would content herself with the latter holding Turkey in check. An underatending between Russia and Bulgaria is, adds the correspmdent, therefore quite easy of attainment. the only hindrance being the presence of Prince Fer- dinand, who would certainly have to be re- moved. At the same time it is pointed cut that in the course of his address to Prince Ferdinand on the occasion of the Enter re- ception, M. Stumboulofi declared that all the efforts of Russia would be futile. this de- claration sounding like an open rej action of ell attempt: to rep mate Bulgaria from Prince Ferdinand. The Fortune of Gold Digging. The Situation of Affairs in the Balkans.