A Column for the Curious.

Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist, Volume 2, Issue 32, 14 March 1844, Page 4

A Column for the Curious.

The Press.—' I'm sure that every person will be willing, as I am, to acknowledge in the most ample terms, the information, the instruction, and the amusement, derived from the public press.' — Lord Lyndhurst. Sir Robert Peel was born in 1788, Lord John Hussell 1702, Lord Stanley 1800, the Duke of Wellington 1769, and Lord Brougham 1779. At least 1800 years ago tbe Chinese practically understood the art of constructing catenary, or suspension bridges ; an invention claimed, by our kinsmen of the United States of America, aud introduced by them into Great Britain ; as tbey also ditl the powerful Genii of the steam-boiler, and of Tcclotalism. Early iu the first century of the Christian era. a Chiucso Mandarin constructed a stupendous suspension briJge over a rapid torreut, which must, previously, have rendered impracticable then the direct high road to Yung Nang, in the province of Kwa Tchaou. From the overhanging summits of two rocky mountains, between which Ihe ton cut rushes, four principal chains are susI, and being conneoted transversely by smaller chains, give suppoit to a flooring of limber aud plauks. Many other suspension bridges haVo been at vaiious times constructed in China ; bot the Yung Nang bridge is probably tbe most ancient now existing, and is kept in a state of thorough if tko exclusive policy of China has Bail this Miup'e, but very useful invention for y (< ntiuies, it may, reasonably be inferred, iliat we may soon expect to arrive at the kuowlcdge of other, peihaps as important, desiderata. It is supposed there ate many processes in tbe manufactuie of China ware, ttat arc as yet sec.cts to the British manufacturers. Au old gentleman of the name of Gould I rj a very young wife, wrote a poetic epistle to a frieud to inform him of it, and concluded it thus .- "Soyoti see, my dear Sir, though I'm eighty years old, A Girl of eighteen is in love with— old Gould." To which his friend replied : "A i may love Gold, it is troo ; Rut believe me dear Sir, it is Gold without 11." Lord Chancellor lUrdwich was very fond of entertaining his visitors with tbe following' story of his bailili", who, having been ordered by his lady to procare a sow of a particular desoriptiou, came one day into the dining room when full of comptny, proclaiming with a bnrst of joy he coahj not suppress, ' I have been at Royston fair, and I have got a sow exactly of yonr ladyship's size,' When the Emperor Francis made bis entry into Douay, iu great state, uuder festoons of flowers, and triumphal arches, the Magistrates to do honour to the occasion, pnl a clean shirt upon the body of a malefactor that was hanging in chains at the city gate. New mode ok Catchino Rats A gen tormented wiih these destructive vermin, which flatted his pigsty, and robbed tbe grunters of their food, determined to put a atop to such proceedings. He accordingly took a fishing rod, with a line and hook attached, and, having baited it with a piece of bread, he stood at a little distance from the pigsty, and threw in the lilie. In about six minutes be succeeded in catching do less than •be rais. Cork Examiner aaya, *At present the Scotch poor arc not fod ; th*oy exist on the reoolle. what tlwy ate in former years.' Tiik Fiki.d of Roßodink.—Fifty days after the battle of Borodino, no less than 20,000 ot th« n slaiu were fouud lying where they had fallen ; aod the whole plain was strewed with half-buried cars cases of men and horses, intermingled with garments dyed in blood, and with bones gnawed by dogs and vultures. 'As we were marching over the of the battle,' says Labaun card a piteous sound at a distance, and, on reaching die spot, we found a French soldier stretched on the ground, with both legs broken.' ' I was wounded/ sail be,' on the day of the great battle ; and fiuding myself in a louely place, where I could gain no assistance, I dragged myself with my hands to tbe brink of a rivulet,and have lived nearly two months on grass and roots, and a few pieoes of bread which I found among tbe dead bodies. At night I have lain in the carcasses of dead horses ; and with the flesh of these animals I have dressed my wounds. CiitTtoAL Niceties.—ln speaking of numbers of flocks we must say a herd ot deer, a bevy of roses, a sounder of swine, a rout of wolves, a richness of martens, a brace of bucks, foxes, or hares, a couple of i ibbits, a covey of partridges, aud a nide of pheasants. There are also terms for their lodgings, a hart harbours, a buck lodges, a roe beds, a hare seats or forms, a rabbit sits, a fox kennels, a marten I trees, an otter watches, a badger earths, a boar I couches, a partridge lies, a pheasant roots.