GENERAL EXTRACTS.

Evening Star, Issue 3150, 25 March 1873, Page 3

GENERAL EXTRACTS.

Sir Arthur Helps has been giving the people of Portsmouth advice on the subject of inaccuracy in language that may have startled loose thinkers and hazy observers. “ If,” ho said, “ a superior being were to come to me and ask whether 1 would rid the world of inaccuracy or lying, I would say, ‘ Let us get rid of inaccuracy.’ All the intentional lying in the world does not do one quarter of the mischief that inaccuracy does.’'

M. Marietta, a Frenchman, has invited attention to a process of meat preserving, which consists in dipping the fresh meat into melted butter, and then packing it in salt. A meeting was held on D comber 5, at the Cannon street Hotel, to test some of this preserved meat. 'lhe results are said to have been satisfactory. It has been asked, in what does this process differ from that of dipping meat into melted paraffin, which answered well in the temperate zone, but failed in the tropical regions ? Under the heading of “Christmas Round the World,” the Daily 'Telegraph, on Dec. 24, devoted several columns to a series of telegrams from most of the cities or settlements in which Britirh communities oust, or in which British people at home take p-rsonal or commercial interest. These representative telegrams brought Christmas greetings and Christmas incidents not merely from the capitals of Europe, but from the cities that form the chain of communication with our Eastern empire, from China and Japan, from the Australian colonies, and from San Francisco and St John’s.

On December 0, a large meeting of the clergy and laiiy of the Church of England was held at Wolverhampton, to bid farewell to the Lev. J. B. Sehvyn, son of the Bishop of Lichfield, and the Lev. J. Still, who are going out as missionaries to New Zealand, to

labor ultimately in that portion of the mis-sion-field occupied by the late Bishop Patteson. A sister of the murdered Bishop was amongst the audience. Speeches were delivered by the Bishop of Lichfield and the two missionaries, to whom purses of money were pre.-ented. At the Watford Potty Sessions, a navvy was brought up in custody, charged with marrying a young woman of respectable appearance, whilst his first wife was alive. When apprehended, the prisoner at first denied the charge, but afterwards made a statement admitting the former marriage. He did not live very comfortably with his first wife, and at Watford, while she was in Loudon, he was informed that she was unfaithful. He returned home, unexpectedly, on one occasion, and ascertained that this was the case ; and he then sold his wife and furniture to the man whom he found in the house, for 10s. The prisoner repeated this statement before the Bench, and was committed for trial. The Americans have some reason to boast that, next to the Mont Cenis tunnel, they have the largest railway tunnel in the world, 'i he Hoosac Mountain stands in the northwest corner of the State of Massachusetts, and blocks the direct way from the great port of Boston to the West. So long ago as JS4B, a company was incorporated to carry a railway through the mountain by a tunnel live miles long, and ever since, the Hoosac Tunnel has been in some sort of progress. Hie process of drilling the tunnel has been very similar to that of Mont Cenis. As at Mont Cenis, too, it was begun at both ends, or rather at one end, and a short distance from the other, and the skill of the engineers has been sufficient to bring them to meet in the middle. The two headings met almost exactly as they wore meant to moot; and the engineers hope to complete a clear way through the mountain in October next. The total length of the tunnel will be 25,031 feet, and the bore will be 24 feet wide by 20 feet high, with a gradual and slight incline from both sides to the centre of the mountain, as in the case of the great Alpine tunnel. The Emperor of Germany has presented a telescope to Gommander Edmund St, J Garforth, commanding coastguard, Hastings, for services rendered to the Bremen steamer Baltimore, when run on shore in a sinking state off Hastings on the 23rd of May last. The Sandwich Island language bas twelve letters in its alphabet ; the Burmese, nineteen ; the Italian, twenty ; the Bengalese, twenty-one; the Hebrew, Syriac, Chaldee, Samaritan, and Latin, twenty-two each; the French, twenty-three; the Greek, twenty, four ; the German and Dutch, twenty-six eaeh; the Spanish and Slavonic, twentyseven each ; the Arabic, twenty-eight; the Persian and Coptic, thirty-tvv® each; the Georgian, thirty-live ; the Armenian, thirtyeight ; the Russian, forty-one ; the Muscovite, forty-three ; the Sanscrit and Japanese, fifty eaeh ; the Ethiopia and Tartarian, two hundred and two each.

In a recent issue of the Berlin MUilay Wochenhlatt , the official army paper, we are treated to these interesting avowals ; —“Niue years hence France, under her new military laws, will have a most compact and reliable array of at least a million men. To produce this great result the new laws have a retrospective effect, subjecting hundreds of thousands to the conscription who had ceased to be liable to it under the old laws. The French nation does not conceal from us that it hates us most heartily, and that it meditates revenge. Under these circumstances we are forced to watch what is going on on the other side of the V osgos, and to guard against under-estimating the resources of our neighbors. The German army, we arc sure, will not allow itself to commit such a signal mistake. It attaches no undue importance to its former victories, but on the contrary, earnestly endeavors to complete and perfect its own organisation. It is devoutly to be wished that all classes of the people should remain alive to the stern realities of the ease.” In keeping with these sentiments, the erection of a new line of forts at Htras. hnrg has just been taken in hand. There will be live principal works at from 7,000 to 8,000 metres from the city, a distance sufficient to exempt the place from all dangers incidental to a siege. Now forts are also being erected on the sand-banks at the mouth of the vVeser, as well as at Kiel and Friedrichsort. The latter place is to be armed with fifty guns of the heaviest calibre.

Why one should take a Turkish Bath.— Note : Subsequent experience shows me that Turkish baths are generally taken for the following reasons Ist. Because it passes a coup'e of hours away easily. 2nd. Because it gives you an appetite for dinner. 3rd. Because the taker has felt a little “chippy” (as Budd calls it) all day, and thinks it will set him rLht. 4th. Because you’ve not taken one before, and want to know what it’s like. sth. Because you took one a long time ago, and forgot whether you liked it or not. Gth. Because the one you had a year since didn’t agree with you, but you rather think it was your fault, so you’re going to give it another chance. 7th. Because the one you had the other day didn’t do any good, and you were told that it’s the second which is really beneficial. Bth. Because the first Turkish bath you had agreed with you wonderfully. 9th. Because you’ve been saying you’ll take one for the last two years, and haven’t had time, 10th. Because you like it. 1 Ith. Because you don’t like it, but think it will do you good. 12th. Because another fellow takes it regularly, and wants you to go with him. 13th. Because your doctor thinks it a capital thing. 14th. Because yourdoctor says it’s the worst thing possible, and you -want to show him he’s wrong, 15th.'Because it’s a wet day, and you might as well be in a Turkish hath as anywhere else —better. 16th. Because its a fine day, just the day for a bath. 17tL Because it’s a hot day, and you want to get cool. 18th. Because it’s a cold day, and you want to get hot.

The Nelson Examiner says : —The progress this Colony is making was w r cll exemplified by a few striking figures which formed part ofjan article, in a recent issue of this journal, showing how the Colonies have gathered wealth from the fertile fields and rich mineral deposits of what was only a few years ago a comparative wilderness. It was shown how our live stock and our produce had increased j how our imports of 1871 doubled those of 1860, while our exports, which amounted in 1870 to close on five millions sterling, were nearly nine times the value of those in 1860. We learn now, as an instance of still growing progress, that Otago, during the year 1872, exported produce to the value of L 1,770,642, or about 22 per cent in excess of the exports of the previous year. And while these exports are a sign of prosperity, there is a further fact that they do not show. They do not by any means display the real value ofour productions, inasmuch as avery large amount of these enters into home consumption, for, in addition to the ordinary articles of colonial manufacture and growth which provided for our own population, we arc now lessening our imports by producing manufactured articles, for which we had hitherto solely to depend on the mother country and neighboring Colonies. As yet, most of these manufactures are still in their infancy, but their rapid growth and great success, especially in some comparatively small articles, are the best warrant of a hopeful feeling in the future that those manufactures, which this Colony is so well adapted to produce, in consequence of its large mineral deposits, avill one day, and that sooner than even sanguine minds may anticipate, exhibit a flourishing luxuriance. We may have times of depression, that is the fate of all countries, young and old ; but the material and the energy are within our borders, and the future of the country may be viewed with a feeling of trustfulness for ourselves and for our children who shall come after us.