Traveller.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 362, 16 April 1903, Page 7

Traveller.

THE NILE BiSBEVOIR AT ASSOUAN KfSFHE purposes of tht Nila dam at JwA vl ABB ° awl 18 *° convert a ateetoh of 'Js&- r l^e river inte a great reservoir, where a certain portion of the flood waters will be stored for use, darifig the months of low Nile for purposes of irrigation, more particularly in Middle and Lower Egypt Early in 1898 the «rorks were begun. A contract was signed with Meters. Aird and Company on Feb. 20 of that year to construct certain works, including the Aeßouan dam and lock, the Assiout dam and lock, the Ibrahimieh canal, regulator, and lock. Tha total cost was to bo two million pounds sterling, and the contractors undertook to complete the works in five years from July 1, 1898. As a matter of fact they had beaten their contract by eleven months. The Egyptian Government promised to pay by half-yearly payments of J678,618 over a period of thirty years from July 1, 1903. The'sloHe was obtained from quarries which wo worked by the Pharaohs, and 10,000 men have been ia.ly employed. Eight thousand were Arabs} the remainder were Italian granite-cutters. The Great Dam has been constructed with nearly £OO sluices, which stretch in a straight line from bank to bank for a mile and a quarter. At low tide it will hold up a lake about 148 miles loag, and will cause the water to rise as far up as Korosko. The Lower Dam at Assiout not being intercepted by reck presented fewer; difficulties. The half-tide sluices across the Thames at Eichmond and those on the Clyde at Glasgow are perhaps the most notable examples of the Ni:e sluices. In tie latter case the sluioeß are 80ft. wide and 18ft. d«ep, and yet they can be worked by two men.

Navigation is provided -for by a series of elaborate and wonderfully engineered locks. I § .. i

The natives took "the very; keenest interest in the progress of the works, and fully realised the importance of this mastering of the Nile for the benefit of themselves and their descendants. SAMOAN OBSEEVATOEY.

Near Apia, in Samoa, will soon be established, under the anspices of the Academy of Science, of Gottingen, a magnetic otservatory, of which Prof. A. Nippoldt, the Berlin astronomer, will be.the director.. The reasons why Apia has been selejrffcd are because}it is to the south of the Equator jand because at an eqaal distance toithe north is the observatory of Honolulu, The meteorologists at these two stations will make investigations in regard to terrestrial mas netism, atmosperic : electricity, meteorology and seismology. That their labors will result in adding » goed_ deal to our present knowledge of these iubjects is regarded by European scientists as certain.

TUBKEY. Divorce is very easy in Turkey, and docs not require a judge and jury to settle the matter. All that .is necessary is for the injured party to say ' I divovse you,' three times, and the deed is done. The husband has to make his wife a proper allowance, and all is over. •--. POETO BICAN COCKFIGHT COREAL Very shortly, thanks to the humane sentiment of Americans, a most necessary reform will probably be well under~way in Porto 'Rico. Cruelty to animals will henceforth fce a crime. The Porto Riean is essentially cruel. Consideration for animals seems, to be • beyond his comprehension Horses and cattle there get Utile food and many <rblows. The only interference with the brutality 6vory where apparent' is by Americans as individuals. OMckens are tied together, sometimes in,,bunphes of from eight to a doztin, and are nnrled in a promiscuous heap on the sidewalk, or carried suffering for hours. To see a dog hurt is a pleasure to the average ~Pojrt4 Bic&n, and when a tired horse faUs and is clubbed, the [native spectator always guffaws. The most shocking sport of all, however, and one which the Hartzell bill is intended to ftVili.sV, 5p Eirery Sunday, vriihic a sb-o-n, di&i&nca of San Juan, this I ; m of it_c-cairdri attracts a crowd of natives and a sprinkling of Americans to Catano, Bayamon Santurce or Bio Piedras. Several hundred spectators, among whom are fifteen policemen, are,huddled, together in what is known as the 'gallinara,' which is: built like a prize ringi only.the:pit ison the ground. On our arrival two birds were fighting, and from their appearance they had been at it for some time. One had lost an eye, and both were bleeding profusely. As the birds became bo exhausted that they could no longer fight with vigour, they were taken up and water was sprinkled over their heads and backs. This was repeated several times before the fight was brought to a conclusion. The manner of transporting the wounded and dying birds after a fight is over is as odd as it is cruel. A bamboo rod with a bag at either end, and a bird in each bag. is carried on the shoulders of a man. The hfceding birds, half suffocated, are thus kept from view while on the train, and are carried to Catano. While waiting for a battle tha-cocks are kept tied to cfcakes in the open, the sun pouring down upon the hot Band and nearly baking them alive.

LaMPS THAT TALK. Electric lamps not only can be made to talk bat ale o to aing. An ordinary arc light can be made to produce Bounds in two ways. is by placing: the arc in the:-circuit i teiephone fnstejid of the ordinary receiver, and the other is by placing it in the circuit instead of the ordinary transmittar. In either of these positions it will pronounce words, which can be heard distinctly at a considerable distance. It naturally follows, also, that the electric urc can be utilised as the receiver and also as the transmitter of a telephone. CLEAN SHIPS AT SEA.. For cleaning ships an ingenious and simple device was recently indented, itß object being to clean quickly and thoroughly the bottom or aides of a vessel. It consist* of two separated brushes, which are supported by arms, and of a hollow body portion, which is connected with the arms. It has a hose coupling and a jet nozzle, which is so fixed that it is opposite to the front or cleaning face of the brushes, -It is this nossala whion spurs the blushes on to work and enabhs them to move rapidly over the b«ttom, and, if desired, the sides of a ship. This device can be operated by smvoaa, and those who hflTe-Been it tested say that it does its work remarkably well.