MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume II, Issue 55, 7 November 1863, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Walking through Water.—some interesting experiments were performed on Monday on the ornamental water in the Crystal Palace grounds to teat the power of a man to walk through water in an upright position. A number of scientific gentlemen assembled to witness the proceedings. The man who was to operate had one of Stewart's patent floats, which consists of two air-tight vessels, one fixed under the chest, and the other down the back, and communicating with each other by a tube. These being worn under the ordinary clothes were not visible to the public, and it created no small astonishment in the uninitiated to see a man endeavoring, but in vain, to sink himself. Having satisfied the company of the perfect buoyancy of the float, he next proceeded to put on a Eiir of Mr Stewart's propellers. These are a nd of small paddle neatly constructed to fix on each heel, and so arranged that when the foot moves forward it cuts through the water edgeways, but as soon as it is subjected to a lateral pressure the paddle shift*, so as to offer a broad flat surface of resistance to the water. This simple arrangement enables the man to walk about the same as if he were on land. Having gone through every variety of test that could be suggested, he took off the paddles and walked away, the general public wondering at his performances. The gentlemen for whose information the experiments were trieu expressed themselves perfectly satisfied with the result.—English paper. HOW THE NATIVE 9 OF THE ANDAMANB Bury their Dead.—When a member of any of their communities dies, the Mencopie make little if any demonstration of grief. There is neither weeping, nor wailing, nor gnashing of teeth. The body of the dead man, while still flexible, is tied tight to the knees, and then buried in an upright position. After decay has gone on for some time, and the body is almost entirely decomposed, it is again dug up, and each relation appropriating any bone of the deceased he may be able to obtain, they all commence howling over it, although so long a period has elapsed since the death of their relative. If he* was a married man, the widow obtains his skull, which she suspends by a cord round her neck, carrying it about as a lugubrious kind of ornament, which, for the remaining period of her natural life, is considered as a manifestation of the affection with which she regarded her deceased husband.— Researches among theXhdaman Islanders.