IN OTHER LANDS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 351, 8 April 1911, Page 7

IN OTHER LANDS.

The seditious movement both at home and hi India may be said to have reached its culminating point in the murder of Sir Ourzon Wyllie at the Imperial institute, which has Vrought to light, it, is said, an association of Indians in London called "The Sons of Siva." This name is an equivalent to murderers, for every deed of blood in India is done to the greater honour a'id glory either of the god Siva or the goddess Kali, both of whom typify destrue-

tbm. From time immemorial murderers in India have mingled religion with slaying ; their weapons are generally dedicated to the god of destruction, and if robbery is part of their crime, a portion of their spoil is offered at the shrine. The images of Si. a have a most terrifying appearance. He has five heads, each with thro" eyes, and in his four hands he carries a bow, a sword, an arrow, and a club. Round his hair and wrists cobras are coiled, and his necklace is of human skulls. "I should not. be at all surprised," says a writer in the "Sketch," "'to hear that the two hours unaccounted for of the murderer's time on the fatal evening were spent in religious exercises—the dedicating of himself and his weapons to Siva." A crafty, bloodthirsty band of Indian assassins were the Thugs, who were stamped out by Sir William Slecman and liio assistants, who took their lives in their hands in doing so. Th? Thugs believed that in slaying their victims for gain they were doing an honorable and religions deed, and they offered a portion of their spoil at the shrines of the goddess Kali. To her the handkerchief or rope with which they strangled their victims was dedicated, and they worshipped this noose and the pick they used in burying them. Kali is as ferocious in her outward form as Siva is. She is often robed in red. and rides on a tiger. Other images show her as a black woman with earrings of corpses a nd a girdle of skeletons, her eyes starting from her head and her tongue loll'ng from her mouth. She is held to be Siva's wife, and even more terrible than her husband.

America's "Brooklands."

The construction of a motor racing avenue at Indianapolis is proceeding rapidly. It will be known as "Speedway Park," and has an area of 328 acres. There will be forty-one buildings, including grand stands, garages, aerodromes, refreshment and office buildings. The total cost will exce:d 350,G00 dollars. The circumference of the outer track and roadcourse is five miles. The track is gravel surface, using 300,000 gallons of asphalt oil. Over three miles of fence enclose the grounds. Four miles of six-inch gas-main have been laid to connect Speedway with the Indianapolis Gas Company for inflating balloons and dirigibles. Nine miles of gas-pipe will be used for the lighting plant for illuminating the grounds for twenty-four hour contests. Three thousand hitching places will be provided for horses. An electric timing and score-board will be erected at a cost of over 10,000 dollars. One mile and a half of siding has been built to accommodate sleeping and dining-cars of the Pullman Company, so as to accommodate those who come in private cars and the automobile touring pul lie. The entire grounds will hold 200.0C0.

Death the Price of a Kiss

Lieutenant £ withers, a young German officer who, while under the influence of liquor, attempted to kiss the fiancee of another officer, Lieutenant Granier, while escorting her home from a regimental ball, has lost his life in. a pistol duel with Lieutenant Granier. The conditions were the severest imaginable, namely, alternative pistol shots, with thirty seconds' aim, at ten paces, till one of the two should be unable to continue the combat. At the second shot Lieutenant Zwitzers was hit in the right chest, and expired a day and a ha'f later. The cause of the fatal quarrel was nothing more serious than an attempted kiss. On tht- Emperor's birthday, Lieutenant Zwitzcrs attened a ball given by hih regiment in celebration of the occasion. .Among the guests was a young lady affianced to Lieutenant Granier. and the duty of seeing her home fell to Lieutenant Zwitzers. On the way, under the influence of the liquor which he had swallowed, he so forgot the obligations incumbent on an officer, a gentleman, and an escort as to attempt to kiss his companion. She vigorously and successfully repelled his approaches. He then became conscious of the gravity of Irs fault, and apologised to the lady, who agreed to forgive it. Ihey arranged on her parents' doorstep that nothing was to be said to anyone about the incident, and there the matter was left. At Whitsuntide, however, seventeen weeks later, Lieutenant Granier came to Blankenbtirg on leave, and hit fiancee, for some reason or other, thought it best to tell him what had happened. The result, was a challenge and the duel described above. Veiled Ladies, The Church of Corinth understood the Apostle to intend' that all women, yo"ng or old, should wear veils during worship, and observed this as the usage. So did certain other churches in Greece and the barbarian districts adjoining Greece. Other churches held that the Apostle had laid no command upon giris-. and left the matter to the discretion of parents. Bui towards the end o' the second century, owins to the strong movement towards Asceticism, an effort had been made to bind the rule upon cirls also. Terfcullian insists that all girls of a

ns arrirgeable age. that is to say above twelve years, should be covered. Apparently he wished them to wear the veil in the streets as well. as i i church, and even at home.— From "The Origin of Christianity." Getting Lost in the Tropica! Forests. The trackless land is as difficult to travel without a compass as the tuaeka ss sea. The Chief Engineer of the Honduras National Railway cautions engineers to take special precautions against being lost, as in the tropical forest one speedily becoriC3 1.-i v. iidered, and without a corniass there is absolutely no way of determining direction. The sun is always invisible, except possibly when directly overhead. There is no moss on the trees to serve as a guide, and any neighbouring elevations are hidden by the density of the foliage. It is further pointed out that there are sunny plains w T here also the compass is much ne:ded. On the treeless llanos of South America, with no hills in sight, the sun indicates direction when it is near rising and setting, but at mid-day it gives no clue, as it is directly overhead, so that a man covers his own shadow. Go into any public school in any American city, and you will find the boys and girls assembled in a. quasi-military formation. At a si nal they march off to their classrooms. Above the teacher's desk hangs the Stars and Stripes. Before the day's work begins the -pupils ta'-e a vow of allegiance to their country. The oath varies from school to school. Here is one that Mr. H. G. Wells came across in an alien East-side school—-"Flag of our great Republic, inspirer in battle, guardian of our homes, whose Stars and Stripes stand for Bravery, Purity, Truth, and Union, we salute thee ! We, the natives of distant lands, who find rest under thy folds, do pledge our hearts, our lives, and our sacred honour to love and protect thee, our Country, and the Liberty of the American people for ever." And here is another which I myself heard taken by some hundreds of potential Hannibals in the Metropolis—"l pledge my allegiance to this Flag and the Country for which it stands, one Country, indivisable, with Justice and Liberty for all." —Sydney Brooks, in the '"World."

The sacred beetle of Egypt was so called because it was considered an emblem of fertility, and is thus worshipped by the curious fellahs of that curious land. Its habit is to roll little balls in which its eggs are hidden and bury them in the soil, where they afford nourishment for the crops. This amazingly industrious beetle may be seen on the road anywhere in the summer, rolling these bails of manure with great labour, and with instinct sufficient to call help when the path is too steep for one to do the work.

S:njer Snubbs Plutocrat.

Roger, the celebrated French tenor, on one occasion was engaged for the sum of fifteen hundred francs to sing at the house of a rich financier. Roger sang his first song magnificiently ; but no one paid him the slightest attention, and the guests talked their loudest. Presently the host thought the time had come for another song, and sent for Roger. He could not be found, and that evening was seen no more. Next day a note came from him, accompanied by the sum of two thousand francs. The note ran thus : "I have the honour to return the fifteen hundred francs which I received for singing at your party ; and I beg leave to add five hundred francs more for having so greatly disturbed the conversation of your guests.—"Royal

Magazine." How Waltzing Began.

Germany has the honor of producing the waltz, the exact elate being in doubt, but lying between the last of the seventeenth and the early eighteenth century. It was first; danced very slowly. But when its popularity spread to Vienna her musicians quickened the pace and gave it the form which rapidly was adopted throughout the civilised world. The city of Vienna deserves the chief credit for the promotion of this dance, because the finest waltzes ever written were by Viennese composers.— " Scribncr's Monthly."

Never Satisfied.

A. gentleman in Dublin, speaking of the Irish, said that nothing ever satisfied them, and that he was willing to prove his words on a wager that if he should go to the door and call a cab, no matter what fee he would give, the driver would ask for more. The wager was taken for ten pounds sterling. The gentleman called a cab, drove about a quarter of a mile, stepped out, and handed the driver half a sovereign, the legal fee heine one shilling. Cabby drove oft. The gentleman who bad taken the waejer was exulting in his triumph, when suddenly the cabby returned, and. touching his hat, said : "Piea-'c, sir, have ye a durty thre'penny bit about ye? It would be such a pity to break a bright piece of gold like this for a drink!"