Traveller.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 364, 30 April 1903, Page 7

Traveller.

AN ODD DEBELICT

.»— TEIAL BY OBDEAL.

SkSN the Odessa District Court ef Euasia i|§ an extraordinary example of the jgpg; peasant's superstitions came recently before the public. A coachman named Andrej Oleynik had been robbed of 165., and suspicion fell upon an old Bulgarian, Peter Dutcho, who had been staying in the house overnight. Dntcho swore that he was not guilty, but Oleynik said: 'lf yon are innocent then sit on a heated stove!' Dutcho, to prove his innocence, willingly Bat on the red-hot stove; with the natural result that he received terrible burns. Still he protested he had not stolen it, and Oleynik consulted a prophetess, who also said that Datoho was innocent. His accuser then knelt humbly before the burned martyr, begged for forgiveness with tears, and offered 25.. as compensation. Dutcho generously forgave, and waa[taken to a hospital, where after some time he was released—a cripple for the rest of his life. Oleynik, however, was impeached by the authorities for 'mishandling,' but the case was remanded to await medical opinion as to Dutcho's sanity. TBOUBLES OF THE CZ lE. Verily we are tempted to smile just now at Lord Kelvin's iteration that the earth is *one solid inert mass,' and not as some scientists would have us believe, a mass of seething, boiling liquids, or superheated gases in its interior. It is certain that the latter hypothesis would account more satisfactorily in the imagination of most people for the present condition of the old world to-day, with politioal Keysets making their appearance in Belgium, politioal voloanoes on the eve of eruption in China and the Balkans, and various other unclassified phenomena in other parts ef Europe. And now the splendid throne of the Bomanoffs is shaken by an earthquake, comes the news, and their empire is threatened with political and social up-, heavals as it has not been since the time when Alexander 11. felt compelled to sign the liberal constitution set before him, which, however, owing to his assassination, was never put into effect. There is a good story going the rounds that ex-Speaker Eeed was recently congratulated by a friend, a newspaper man, upon having ' got out of the czar-business before it became so all-fired unpopular.' Possibly Nicholas 11., whose terror of lurking foes with drawn daggers is well known, may be wishing that he - had followed his fellow-autocrat's example ere this. For the emperor's difficulties are much greater than the meagre descriptions that have so far reached this country would lead one to suspect. The moujika are at too great a distance from the steps of the throne for the emperor or even the empress, most gracious and sympathetic of women though she may be, ever to understand the hardships of the millions of Eussian poor. But the bureaucracy by which the autocrat governs his empire is not regarded with the same superstitious awe as is the person of the czar himself, and, although of course the anarchist is as venomous in Bussia as he proved in America, the great majority of the Eussian people who think at all would probably be content with a more liberal government, and would rise in a body to to ward off any ißJury which threatened the sacred person of the little father. There are many rumours afloat to the effect that some form of constitutional government is about to be granted by the czar, and much speculation as to just what steps he will take in the present crisis. Although possessed of no great force of character he is a very amiable and intelligent young man, very liberal in his views for a Eomanoff, and sincerely anxious for the welfare of his country. Everyone is familiar, by picture at least, with Nicholas 11, In sharp contrast to his gigantic father he is slender of form and of less than medium height. He has a gentle and melancholy face, not very strong, perhaps, but one whioh you would instinctively trust and love. It is said that most of the reforms which have been introduced into the empire since his accession have been due to him rather than to any of hie ministers.

A tree adrift in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is the rare sight reported by a British steamer. Those on the ship's bridge made oat the trunk and limbs of a tree about twenty feet long, canted to one side, and the roots sticking out of the water. The body of the tree had been bleached white by the sun, and it was covered with barnacles. It evidently reached the sea by being washed down from some Atlantic coast river in a freshet. Many months apo a tree green with foliage, standing upright, was seen off Cape Henry. For this tree to reach its present position it must have been drifting about the ocean for nearly .two years. When this odd derelict went adrift it must have been picked up by the Gulf Stream and carried up the coast past Newfoundland. Then it was swept 3.000 miles across ithe Atlantic to the vicinity of the English Channal. Next the Gulf Stream carried it south past the coasts of France and Spain ann the north-west coast of Af rioa, a journey cf 5.000 miles. Here it drifted out of the Gulf Stream, and went into the very centre of the so-called Sargasso Sea, in the middle Atlantic Ocean, the scene of legends of the sea, where derelicts' are supposed to finally come to rest in a fabled sea of grass. The tree will doubtless be picked up by the Gulf Stream again, and be carried across the southern edge of the North Atlantic Ocean, through the West Indies, and up the Atlantic coast again. It is following the track of the famous derelict Fannie E. Wolston which was adrift nearly four years, and wandered 9,115 miles. She was 1,100 days crossing and recrossing her tracks and travelling round in circles. She was sighted forty-four times, and crossed her own track twelve times.