Traveller.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 372, 25 June 1903, Page 2

Traveller.

FROM SOUTH AFRICA. ACCORDING, k to l|tf§ftM ' | the Gbap#%<s: civilisa- * tion "was first' introduced among the South African natives by one Andries de iJVilliers,* ag Boer. This 'is. the Btoty ]oT ; h©# the tracer overcame 'the initial of * the' colonrod gentlemen who declined both the 'chimjnpy-pot' sand the less pretentious bowler :-| ' »6ae viriaby yeais ago: J)a Villiers- chancedj m. Port Elizabeth ito come across a consignment of damaged hats offered for a mere song. He bought■-;the whole lot,-packed-them away in his waggon. and.Vtaeted for Kaffirjand; | j . "When he''reached Tenhbuland; he unloaded, .his. stock,, opened his jkegs of lienor, without which no trade was doSer-itf those days, and began business, j Bat he found his ventnre likely tq'proVe an unprofitable biie.'Tha natives l did not want hats ;they wanted blankets and beads and iookiqg-glasßes arid ab6ye;all liquor, but t&y'looked askance at; the hats. I Then a 'bright ides, came to Andrieg. He wanted to introduce these hats. He did introduce them. His simple i expedient was not to sell anything to a Ksflir unless he bought" a hat. The Kaffirs wanted his goods, so they bought the hats. „y . ] When a Ksffi- buys anything he feels bound to make use of it. The natives therefore donned l their headgear and returned to their kraals. Now appeared

;the ■ bfclliaMcy of the trader's idea. /Fashion rules the world. It is as strong in Africa as in Europe and -when those who had st&yedlat.home; saw \the travellers retnrn'in* all Tthe glory of| hand and old-fashioned. Their desire to; possess the latest thing in;hats became paid Andries*a viglt, and' sfecejio longer hang heivy r Hands, hats were soon sold. '#. : ' This happened some time ago, and now every trading store keeps a supply of hats constantly on hand- Tbey are said to he manufactured expressly for the native?, and no one who glances at the wearers will doubt it. THE GEISHA .GIBLS. OP JAFAN. , \ ,v'Geisha,? .the proressional ';gir|Jejater* tainer of Japan, really means ' actor,' but it-haa come to mean only those girlaia, Japan who are trained to entertain by dancing and singing to the shamisen and koto, the usual musical instruments for Mgl t entertainment* and«they ara also, trained to converse agreeably on topics of "the day. The Geisha -'farfy trained to entertain men, and not their own They are the professional entertainers of the cities of the empire, and are will paid ;for their services.. The^wqmen,of/Japan, unlike those of Western countries, have little-part in social, functions, and the' enjoyments of the men aria'not shared by their wives and daughters. /When a man cr a party of men wish to. arrange somo Bociaj. entertainment, they expect the amusement of the occasion to be furnished by pretty and altogether charming Geisha, Generally these affairs aire held in the houpes, and it is customary to engage Gsisha who are generally known by what would be called in the Western world their stage, names. These are names of flowerß, gemp, seasons, or, indeed anything of great beauty and attractiveness, and are generally known as ' flower names.' Such names as 0 Kiku Sin, which means the 'Honourable Miss Chrysanthemum;' or 0 Tama San, which is the ' Honourable Miss Jewel;' or Ha'ru S*b, the 'Honourable Miss Spring." The,,\o,' which means 1 honourable,' is used : only before words of one or two syllables. -'Miss; Camellia,' for instance, would be Sjubaki San, . merely. These girls are possessed, of wonderful charm, and play havoc with the hearts 'of tb eyourig men of Tokib ' aind the other : cities.' Many of them marry distinguished men, and the wives of some of the most prominent men in Japan today were Geisha. They are especially luring to the youag college man of Japan. Some of the universities have found it necessary to make very strict rules in regard to the students .consorting with the Geisfia, and. some forbuTit entirely. The Geishas make a very pntty show in the gay life;of the cities, as they are trained to bear 'themselves well, and be vivacious, at all ; times, and they dress .luxuriously and in exquisite style. They have the principal boxes at the theatres and at all public places; but they have no social rank. It is probable tnat the Geisha will disappear before the enfranchisement of women in Japan. Formerly the Japanese woman was not permitted to take part in social entertainment, and this function fell to the - professional entertainer. - Men found the Geisha far more, amusing than the women of their own acquaintances in society, and this led to the creation of this peculiar class. Now that education is accomplishing go much for women in France, England, and America, 'it is evident' that the day of the Geisha is passing...... ....... ;;

A FAMOUS FKENCH PBISON. Pari?, like London, is losing a familiar and gloomy landmark. This is the St, L9zare Prison, in the Eue du Faubourg Saiat Eania, and with it will disappear one of the oldest buildings in Paris. It -was founded about the end of the eleventh century,, and was Srst used as a hcspital 'BrMitpeiß. .'<■ Abbut : 632, leprotjy having almost -' completely disaT from .France, the Prior of the Canons.; of Skint who~6 wh"r"d the"building, handed it over to Siint Vincent de Paul. It was here that the famous monk died. The room in which he breathed bis last was transformed into a chapel, and is to-day tbe>: oratoiy of Mary, and Josepfc,%ho look after the prisoners. c ■; «| g Its , ,Grim A sj3p^iat,ions During the early, days of the Eevolution the convent was 'sacked by tha mob. Three years later,; during the Terror, it was first used, as a prison, and was one of the antechambers of the guillotine. Andre. CI enier spent, the last days of his life' here. The Consulate first established the St. Lazare Prison as a prison for women, a use.to which it has been devoted ever since. There is only ono escape on recoid, that of an Englishwoman named Kate Plee. She was first imprisoned for six months for complicity in the robbary of a jeweller's shop in the Palais Boyal. When, her sentence expired sae was ex- : KAte.: PiiEe's Escape.

;Jsh&returned 'is.- 1873 was again arrested for period of imprisonment. One day, about four o'clock, it, waslnoticed)that K*te Pteev jbtfd tdisappraretti, ;Tts -/prison -was searched from top to bottom, and finally her prison l dresß was discover ed in a wooden box. It transpired that she bad by some means or another obtained possession of a nun's dress, and.thus disguised had managed to make her way to 1 the street. How she managed to get past the various gates aid iron gratings, which are kept locked night and day, is a mystery that wag never explained. In iß7* 'there was: a woman confined at St. Lazare -who was kno *n as the ,' doyenne.'', j3he w,as then ninety-nine years of age, and had been arrested 118 .times.) Another prisoner, who died some time ago, was born on the 9 th Thermidor of the of the First Kepublic/' *' ; \Y-" Ai ~'-', j f*

n ' A SPINSTER'S EE TEEAT, ■« ■ln <Noiway-and Sweden there are many institutions established for the care lot spinsters who have not incomes of their own scfflcient for their needs. :The finest of theee homes has been';'in existence for two hundred years,| and;,is occupied by the* descendants of an exceedingly rich old man, who bequeathed the greater part of his fortune to its establishment.. r . . i r i j-. He directed in hi a will that any old maid descended from; him, directly or collaterally should have the right to live in the Jiojnoi and it is a matter of. record that the institution is always w°ll filial, j , Is ib a. superb building^elaborately maintained,' and W B m'a^age3 * by paid trustees; ■ : --''" !: '-' ) ' l **"* i»™*3P' J j iw- :■'., From the number of applicants for ; admiesionit.would seem that the old gentleman's, foundation baaactqd as a premium on'single blessedness'among' his female descendants:""'''"'■■.' : '■■'■"'' . ' QNE J OBJ.THE FINEST.' A remarkable instance of the loss and recovery of speech is recorded in Glasgow. -Apoliee constable was arrested on a series of charges of theft from warehouses, and as the result of the Bhock caused,by his He Was 'found inetf guilty of the charge laid againßt-him, but being dumb was unable to resume; his duties/ as a policeman, and a gratuity pt£63 was given him. of speech has returned to him. * ; i