RUSSIAN "MOUCHES" IN EDINBURGH.
The daily papers tell us that—
"The clouds of small black flies which were observed in many places of the island about a fortnight or three weeks ago, again presented themselves on Wednesday morning in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh."
These black flies have—we understand upon good authority—preceded Mr. Elihu Burritt from Russia: and are, indeed, only another evidence of the magical influence of the harmonious blacksmith. These black flies were—only two months ago—wasps, Russian wasps, encountered by Elihu in the environs of St. Petersburg. He was on horseback, when his horse's foot sinking into a wasp's nest, brought a cloud of the destructive insects about the head of the traveller. Every wasp had his sting out when—Mr. Burritt delivered himself of one of those marvellous orations which it had been his mission to deliver to the Czar's bondmen. In twenty minutes, the eloquent peacemaker had talked every armed wasp into a harmless small black fly. Thus, can there be any doubt that the peace orators of the North will, in like manner, talk the Russian army out of its bayonets?