FACTS AND FANCIES.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 747, 20 February 1915, Page 6

FACTS AND FANCIES.

Canadian Caviare. It is not yen(jrally known that Ontario provides a big portion of tho world's .supply of caviare. Prepared from tho spawn of the sturgeon, caviare is exported in large quantities, and tho fish is so numerouij ah to have given its name to towns, such as Sturgeon Falls. Sturgeon of over L\)olb have been caught. A mature sturgeon will givo as much as 3- f sl!)s. of caviare. In addition to this, tlio flesh of tlio fisb bring- a good price. The Honeymoon. Tlio word "honeymoon" came from " tho ancient custom among the Scandinavian and other races to drink "motheglin" or diluted honey for g 0 clays after the wedding. On the Island of Rhodes honey is still a factor in tho marriage, rite. After tho wedding' the husband dins his, finger in honey and places a c loth over the doorway > of his house* before tho bride enters. Meantime, tho spectators cry out to the lady: "Ho always good and sweet as is this honey." The Forbidden Fruit. A fruit supposed to hear tho mark of Evo's teeth is one of tlio many botanio curiosities of Ceylon. lhe tree on which it grows is known by tho significant name of "Hie forbidden fruit, or "Eve's apple-tree." The blossom has a very pleasant scent, but the really remarkable feature of tlio tree, t>ho one to which it owes ils name, is tho fruit. It is beautiful, and lianas from ' tho tree in a peculiar manner. Orango on tho outside and deep crimson within, each fruit has the appearanco of having- had a piece bitten out of it. This fact, together with its poisonous quality, led the i\!elianiur. dans to represent it as the forbidden fruit, of tho Garden of Eden, and to • warn men.' against it. The mark upon the fruit is attributed to Eve. 'Why the bite of Adam did not also leave its mark is not known, but as only one niece seems to bo missing, its loss is ascribed to tho woman. Biggest in tlhc World. The extremes of age and size always awaken interest. England is well to tho fore in this respect, the largest dock in the world being at Cardiff, Wales; tho 1/irgcst •bank' the Bank of England. University College, Oxford, is tho most ancient college existing; it was founded ini tho year 1219. Tho largest bronze statue extant is that of lVter the Groat, which stands in St. Petersburg, Russia, 1,100 tons comprising its weight. Capo Henry, Virginia, has the distinction of possessing the largest, lighthouse, and tho mammoth monolith—■ lOCft.—is to he found in Egypt. ■ Paris lays claim to the largest theatre jj in the world, the Opera House there ' covering thfoo acres of ground. Historians adjudge the faraway city of Damascus to be the pldest in tho world. Tho tallest chimney is to bo found at Glasgow, and is 474 ft. high, whilst Washington possesses the highest monument, the height being 555 ft. .

Populated With Convicts. Tho Andaman Islands, which lie in tho Gulf of Uengal, has a convict population exceeding 20,000. The place, ill all intents and purposes, is ono enormous gaol, guarded on every sido by leagues of shark-infested waters. Tho object in view is to reform tho criminal, and turn him into a skilled laborsr and artisan.' For tho first 6 months •jf his sentence a prisoner does "separates." Ho workn alone his cell, under a rigid regime. Then, if ho has '.leliaved himself, he is sent to a station, where ho works with a gang under tho direction of expert officials, and for a year and a half docs hard and unpaid labor,. but is well fed, 'loused, and cured for. If his conduct .s satisfactory ho now enters 011 rather lighter labor, for which he receives a small amount of pay. Ho can use this to buy luxuries oi" to put in a bank.' At Last, after serving ten years, comes a big change in his condition. He frets a ticket-of-leave. If ho has a wife ho can now send for her; if ho is a bachelor lvc can get permission to marry. Curious Charms. Rheumatism, tradition says, can bo cured by carrying . in tho pocket tho bono of tho lraddock that lios under tho marks of Christ's fingers—tho two round black marks on each sido of thobody supposed to have boon caused by our' Lord's fingers when Ho lifted tho fish out of tho water in order to take tho tribute-money from its mouth. This bono has many other vntucs, and always works good to its owner; 'but it must not bo exhibited, and it should never be lent or touched, or oven seen, by any after tho possessor gets it. -The Indians of Labrador believe that they can cure toothache by wearing a haddock's bono around tho neck, whilo Lord Bacon says that "wearing on the finger rings made of scahorsy teeth" will cure cramp.

"Carry a lucky bono and nothing will harm you" is a common saying in Now England. This is a bono from ilio head of a codfish. It is shell-like <\nd narrow, with a length of three-qurM'tere of an inch. Tito edge is notched, mid tho color is a pearly white. If two bones aro •carried, it is supposed to make one's luck doubly sure. They should bo both! from the same fislr.