DE OMNIBUS REBUS.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 267, 20 April 1875, Page 4

DE OMNIBUS REBUS.

The Tarannahi News is glad to learn that the Provincial Government have come to the determination of preserving a portion of the forest in the centre of the district. We understand that a belt of five miles wide is to be reserved around the base of Mount Egmont, and that the ranges are to retain their arboreal clothing.

Last advices from Poverty Bay, says the Harvkes Bay Herald , state that the boring for petroleum at the company’s shaft has reached a depth of 154 feet. When the rods are drawn out to be cleaned there is a strong escape of gas and mud, the latter spurting up to a height of twelve feet. Kock has not yet been reached, and only 56 feet of rod are now available. The New York Herald of January 24th writes:—“ We observe among the cases on the calendar an action against William M. Tweed to recover eleven million dollars, alleged to have been stolen by him, or others with him, Irom the Treasury of New York. So far as we know Tweed has not paid back a dollar of this money, although he offered, through some of bis associates, to return three million dollars, provided the suits against him were adjusted. Yet all this time he and his friends are beating at the prison bars and clamoring for mercy ‘to an old man confronted by a cruel fate.’ No one will deny mercy to Tweed, but is it not an insult to justice and reason to expect any mercy until he returns to the city of New York a part of the vast sum he took from its coffers? Mercy, by all means, but let us have justice first, and justice means restitution.”

We take the following from the Sydney Morning Herald: —“ The mechanism of the pianoforte is gradually being adapted to various musical effects, one of the most ingenious of its adaptations being that to an instrument, in all respects, like a piano, but sending forth the tones of a violin, violoncello, alto, and counter-bass. The latter imitation is perfect, and the quartette, when accompanied by the pianoforte, has the effect of a well-attuned set of stringed instruments. It is furnished with swell pedals, and the foot pedals cause a circular bar to revolve, which acts upon very fine strings that communicate with single steel strings. It is admirably adapted for the performance of Beethoven’s sonatas, or music of that kind, usually selected for quartette playing; but at the same time. the lighter character of violin music can be performed as effectively. Messrs Hoffnung and Co, of Pitt street, have imported several of these instruments, which are called the ‘Piano Quatuor,’ and they will be found an excellent addition to the music of the drawing-room.”

The Wanganui Chronicle says that Dr Duller has had a meeting with the Ngatiapa at Parawanui, for the purpose of making a presentation to Kawana Hunia, on behalf of Sir Charles Dilke. It may be remembered that when Dr Featheraton, in December, 1866, came to Parawanui to hand over the £26,000 purchase money for the Manawatu block, he was accompanied by Mr Howard Kennard, Mr (now Sir) Charles Dilke, and other gentlemen, who affixed their names to the deed of cession as witnesses. On his return to England, Mr Kennard sent Hunia (through the Superintendent) a very handsome Highland kilt complete, in commemoration of the event. Sir Charles Dilke has now followed suit, by presenting to “Governor Hunia” a valuable signet ring. The stone setting io a sardonyx, inscribed with the chief’s name, surmounted by a crown symbolic of his office as a Native Magistrate. The ring itself is in the form of a singlebodied snake, with two heads, with brilliants for eyes, in allusion to the union of the two races in New Zealand. The ring was accompanied by a letter aud photograph Um Bil Obifles-

An Ohio lady bases her claim for a divorce on the ground that on one occasion her husband put her to soak in the rain-water barrel.

A mathematical fellow of the Royal Society calculates that the society will be extinct in fifty years, the annual election of fellows being fewer than the deaths.

The Journal de la Societe Centrale d'Horticulture de France contains some interesting particulars on the artificial colouring of natural flowers: —“Those that have a violet hue will gradually change colour and turn to green under the influence of the smoke of a cigar. This is easily seen, for instance, on the petals of Thlapsi, or shepherd’s purse, Iberis umbellata , or Hesperis matronalis. This change is owing to the ammonia contained in tobacco. Starting from this cir cumstance, the Italian professor, L. Gabba, has made a series of experiments on a variety of plants with that alkali in its natural state. His apparatus is a very simple one, merely consisting in a plate into which he pours liquid ammonia, covering it afterwards with a reversed glass funnel. The flower to be tested is inserted into the tube. In this way he has seen violet, blue, and purple turn to bright green ; intense carmine red (of the pink) become black ; white turn yellow, &c. The most extraordinary results were afforded by variegated flowers. When the latter, immediately after this exposure, are dipped into pure water, they will retain their new colors for several hours, after which they simply return to their former state. Another curious discovery of Professor Gabba’s is, that the flowers of aster, or starwort, that are violet, and have no smell, acquire a delightful fragrance, and turn red under the influence of ammonia We know that the Japanese, by means of injections which they keep secret, can color or whiten flowers, and obtain wonderful variegation. The Chinese have also secrets of their own, among which is one for reducing large trees to a dwarf size. The Garden of Acclimatisation has at this moment an orange tree, a hundred years old, and imported from China, no bigger than a rose tree ; its fruit scarcely attains the size of a cherry.” The Paris correspondent of the London Standard writes June 6th:—“ A singular case of forgery and lunacy came before the Seine Assizes yesterday. The Count de Labrosse belongs to one of the best families of Alsace. In 1865 he was with his regiment at Fontainebleau, when he met with a terrible accident. During some manoeuvres he fell from his horse, and a whole squadron of cavalry passed over his body. When picked up he was found to have his skull fractured, and, after suffering several months, the unfortunate captain was placed on the retired list under the heading of incurables. From that moment the Count began to show symptoms of insanity. First, he lost his memory, then his mind became obscured, and he indulged in all sorts of follies, which ended in the squandering of his fortune. The war arrived, and we find him writing in a wild manner to Gambetta, demanding a command. Being now without resources, he forged several bills, some signed ‘De Ladoucette,’ others ‘De Fleury,’ and on discovery fled to Brussels. But he was soon caught and brought before the bar of justice. Here, however, on account of the idiotic manner in which he conducted himself, the case was postponed, and did not come on again before yesterday. The medical evidence was contradictory. One doctor declared that the prisoner was not sound enough in mind to be judged, while another contended that, although suffering from hereditary lunacy, he was sufficiently sane at intervals to receive sentence; that one of those intervals had now arrived, and that it would be wrong not to take advantage of it. The Court, however, sided with the first doctor, and the prisoner’s case was once more adjourned, much to the annoyance of the Count, who demanded loudly to be judged on the spot.”

“One of the most extraordinary scenes that ever occurred in a public place of amusement was witnessed,” says the Sydney Evening News of March I6th, “by the audience of the Victorian Theatre last night during the performance of the * Shaughraun.’ In consequence of the crowded state of the house there was a number of persons as usual leaning on the stage from the stalls. Amongst them was a gentleman who had a number of sheets Of blank paper, upon which he was apparently taking notes after the manner of reporters. Soon after the curtain rose in the famous ‘ wake’ scene, this person placed his foot upon the side orchestra partition, leaped upon the stage, and, throwing himself on his knees at the feet of one of the actresses, addressed to her some fervid but incoherent terms of endearment and promises of eternal love. Whether this passion and infatuation was of sudden growth or long standing, of course we cannot say; but the effect upon the dramatis persona and audience may be better imagined than described . The corpse of Conn stared in amazement, the teeners were puzzled, and the audience, after comprehending the nature of the affair, burst out into yells of laughter, disapprobation, and finally applause, as the manager ran the offender out at the wings, where a dozen willing hands were ready to push the unfortunate wight down stairs and out at the stage entrance into the street. The gentleman so suddenly overcome by the sight of the object of his passion is said to have once held her Majesty’s commission as an officer, and has ample means.”