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a__rf«_iWfc:_Mb_---*»MM-__-_«-*___M'»l'' ■»■•'■-——*< -i - •■!»-'■■■ ' Cl. „ -„_.. . -, ■ ' ' ■ = SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT BABIES. |ome Queer Things Tkat Ignorant Mothers Have Done For Ages. In Ireland a belt made of a woman's hair Is placed about a child to keep harm away, uad garlic, salt, bread aad steak are put Eto the cradle of a uew born baby in Holland. Roumanian mothers tie red ribbon* jronnd the ankles of their children to preserve them from harm, while Esthouian mothers attach bits of asafetida to the necks trf their offspring. Welab mothers put a pair of tongs or a knife in tb£ cradle to insure the safety of their children. The knife is also used for the same purposed *° m * P arts of England Among Vosges pea^s children born ai a new moon are suppu ,ed to have then tongues better hung thaC others, while those born at the last quarter ."« supposed , to have less tongue but better reasoning powers. A daughter born during W e wax- . Ing moon is always precocious. At the birth of a child in lower Brittany the neighboring women take it in charge, ■ wash it, crack its joints and rub itß head With oil to solder the cranium bones. It is then wrapped in a tight bundle, and its lipe ate anointed with brandy to make it a full Breton. The Grecian mother before putting her child in its cradle turns three times around before the fire while singing her favorito tong to ward off evil spirits. In Scotland it is said to rock the empty cradle will insure the coming of other occupants for it. The London mother places a book under the head of the new bom infant that it may be quick at reading, and puts money into the iirst bath to guarantee ita wealth in the future. The Turkish mother loads tt* child with amntets as soon as it Is born, aud a small hit at mud, steeped in hot water prepared by previous charms, is stuck on its forehead. And, according to Babyhood, which has thus summarized the customs of many nations, in Spain the infant's face is swept with a pine tree bough to bring good luck. Diamonds of Note. Apropos of the discovery of what ls conceded to be now the largest diamond in the world— the Jagersfontein Excelsior, weighing; over 971 carats, but uncut— one's intersat naturally reverts to other famous stones of this kind. Indian legend tells that the Koh-i-noor, tha largest on record, waa fonnd in one of the Golconda mines near the Kishna river and worn 5,000 yeara by Kama, one of the bwoes celebrated in tbe Maha bfc arata. By «u_skiliful cutting it was reduced trom it* . FAMO tm STONES. original weight of 973 carats to 186 carats. After a most eventful and romantic history it fell into the possession of Queen Victoria to 1860 and now belongs to the crown jewels. It was again recut, reducing its weight to 106 carats, but changing it from a lusterless mass scarcely better than rock crystal to A brilliant matchless for purity and fire. Tigs. 1 and 2 represent it before and after the last cutting. Fig. 3 shows the Shah of Persia. It was < presented by the son of Abbas Mirza to the emperor of Russia. It weighs 86 carats, and is perfectly free from blemish. It is engraved with a Pevsian inscription, and has a groove cut into Its edge. The Florentine Brilliant, Fig. 4, belongs to the emperor of Austria. It weighs 139% carats, is of a yellowish color, is rather thick, covered with facets like a rose diaa_ond, and pointed at top and bottom. The CConc is supposed to be one of those lost by Charles the Bold, duke of^Burgundy, at the battle of Granson. It was found by a Swiss soldier, who sold it to a priest for 1 tain. It finally came into possession of Vope Julian 11, by whom it was given to tke then emperor of Austria. I_i Xjrcs and Baf r of Two Famoos Men. Ifec color of George Washington's eyes, mtkrtfng to the best portraits of bim, was •dear, brilliant gray blue. The eyes them•lhw wne not very large, but their ex■nsston was direct and penetrating. His $afc» as seen in some earlier portraits in a MMBft r collection, was originally of a ehesta»fc brown, rather light in color. His comSwa was fair and florid. The fashion of > days was to cover the natural hair a powdered wig so that it was impos4Mcto determine the actual color. The — Irtftii- Gilbert Stuart portrait in the Mct-opelltiiu Museum, generally acoepted a_-Ji_fce<tt* best extant, represents WasbiMkß tn tbe above manner, says Tbe Art ■MMttttf. Ac ef cs of liapoleon were also gray, but «_r«ai «ntbwly different quality, their color Mac •• dMp sted gray, at times appearing akacet black from the largeness of the p-WU. His bair was a very dark brown, «l his complexion rather sallow, bnt clear. Nickel as » Metal. Nickel waa first obtained as a metal in Qertnany about 1757, but the ore was preftOßsly known to miners, who oalled lt Old Nick's copper, for the reason that, though It looked like copper ore, no copper could be obtained from it. Nickel when pure is ettvery white. It is- found in many parts of the world, but the principal mines are in Bassla, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Englmd and Scotland, and in the states of B-Onylvania and Connecticut in America. Wher • Acadia Was located. This is really not a fictitious name, but ee^ has beei- used as th« subject ofa fictitious Work lt is found in that class of namee. Acadia, which has furnished tbe subject of Longfelldw's beautiful poem, was the original name given to a tract of lend outhe east coast of North America, extending from the fortieth degree to the for-ty-sixth degree of north latitude. Thi_ tract was granted Nov. 8, 1003, to De Monte fey Henry H. of Franoe. The Invention of Playing Cards. The invention of playing cards has been variously attributed to India, China, Arabia and Egypt. There seems to be but littlo doubt that they originated in Asia and were introduced into Europe by tbe Saratens.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MH18960910.2.18.1

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Manawatu Herald, 10 September 1896, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,027

Page 4 Advertisements Column 1 Manawatu Herald, 10 September 1896, Page 4

Page 4 Advertisements Column 1 Manawatu Herald, 10 September 1896, Page 4

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