ODDS AND ENDS.

Jubilee : Te Tiupiri, Volume 1, Issue 3, 18 January 1898, Page 6

ODDS AND ENDS.

Two violins formerly belonging to the famous M. Alard, have been sold in Paris. One, a Stardivari, fetched £2,000 and the other, a Jacob Stainer, £250. Among the many curious things which Stanley brought back with him was a necklace made of thirty-eight human teeth, which was found on the neck of a young warrior. This curio was presented to the Odontological Society. It is stated that some necklaces contained as many as 400 teeth. The popular fallacy that natives of Africa have perfectly sound teeth is exploded. Mr L. Davis has been arranging with the Northern Steam Shipping Company for a through shipment of the celebrated canoe Omapere from the Bay of Islands to Wanganui. Owing to its great length, which is something like eighty feet, thes. s. Glenelg will have some difficulty in shipping her here. The agents in Wanganui have corresponded with headquarters in Auckland about the matter, and it is to be hoped will receive a favourable answer, for, with a canoe of the Omapere's size, against our local canoes, it will make things very interesting in our coming Regatta. Mr Davis informs us that she is made of kauri, and out of one log, and is capable of carrying sixty warriors. A document, which was in the library of Sir R. Macdonnell, once Governor of South Australia, has recently been secured by the British Museum authorities; it is the title-deed of the sale of the site upon which Melbourne was built. The land was sold by Australian aborgine chiefs to John Batman and others for " 20 pairs of blankets, 30 tomahawks, 100 knives, 50 pairs of scissors, 30 looking-glasses, 200 handkerchiefs, 100 pounds of flour, and six shirts," and the purchasers were also to pay a yearly rent, in which the six shirts became fifty suits of clothing, and the ioolbs. of flour five tons. Some of this same land was recently sold for per square foot. We think this compares very favourably with New Zealand land purchase records. A curious and practical illustration of the force of water was made the other day in an American town. In a drinking bar a bet was offered that the strongest of men would not stand a quart of water dropped into his hand, drop by drop, from a height of but one yard. A great stalwart fellow rushed at the bet, thinking he could easily bear such a small matter; but, before five hundred drops had falten, he roared out he Jjad had enough. Each drop seemed to crush his hand, and a great.blister was formed in the centre of it. A very simple matter, but a good illustration of the old adage, " Constant dropping wears away stones."

It is the mark of a low nature when a man regards money as an end, and not a means, and finds his chief delight in gloating over his gains. The discovery of Christopher Columbus's logbook, which tradition says was lost during a violent storm on the return voyage from the New World> has, "it is alleged," been recently recovered by a Welsh fisherman while trawling near Tenby. The well-known St. Bernard dog "Rector" has died in America. He was sold for when he left England, but subsequently the monstrous price of was paid for him. He was originally sold by his breeder for ;£io. With the Maoris it is a belief that people born on a Monday are jealous; on Tuesday, honest; Wednesday, quick-tempered, but soon calm again; Thursday, mild; Friday, talkative; Saturday, hottempered and quarrelsome; while Sundays, children will be parsimonious. We look forward with great pleasure to the forthcoming Championship Meeting which takes place here next month; especially will we welcome young Hori Eruera of Auckland, we do not forget that he is one of our own colour. We Maoris are all very proud of our champion, who is able to give inches to the best man in the whole of Australasia in a pole jump. The Shah has started a racecourse at Teheran. His Majesty himself is senior steward, keeper of the match book, clerk of the course and scales, judge, and handicapper. Whenever he has a bet, he places two guards with drawn scimitars beside the bookmaker. The Shah won't take less than 20 to 1 about anything, and the layer invariably pays out on whatever wins. We think the guards and scimitars business is a capital idea, and ought to be brought into force in Wanganui sometimes; it would save many disappointments. A Southern paper gives a very sympathetic obituary uotice to an interesting character whose death has caused great grief to the Government. Here are the particulars: " There died at Wellington, recently/a somewhat notable youth named 0. A. P. William, who from his birth, was afflicted with impoverishment of the exchequer and general inconclusiveness of the system. Under the care of a near relative—a Dr Seddon—he was kept alive, when his case appeared hopeless, for several days upon a diet of milk and water, flavoured with the extract of promised beans. Under this treatmeat he revived slightly, was thereupon removed to a higher grade hospital, and entrusted to the care of Dr Grace and other practitioners. The change of scene was not beneficial, however, as in a few hours after his admission to the institution he rapidly sank, and expired as above stated." The deceased was better known as " Old Age Pensions Bill."

Na e pouri ana matau mo te rongo kua tae mai kia matau i te ata 0 te 17 nei, kua nukuhia te tunga 0 te kooti whenua Maori kite 19 0 tenei marama, i runga i te taimaha 0 te mate 0 Tiati waari, e koana hoki matau kia rongo matau, kua hoki mai ano tona ora kia ia.