FACTS AND FANCIES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1639, 18 November 1916, Page 4

FACTS AND FANCIES.

AN ENORMOUS WATER-WHEEL. At one point in southern Chinn there is an old water-wheel of enormous size used for lifting water about dOft. to a bamboo aqueduct which carries 1 lie water to an irrigation ditch for rice culture. The wheel is self-operating, the swift, flow of the stream, diverted through a flume, being- sufficient to revolve the wheel and to lift the water in small bamboo cups to a trough that leads to the bamboo aqueduct. Although no metal nails were used in its construction, the wheel runs true after having been in use for

many years. RUSSIAN FORESTS. Tiie forests of Russia, exclusive of those of Central Asia, Caucasia, and Finland, are computed to cover a space of 478,00(1,000 acres, or alumt 10 per cent, of the total area of the Empire in Europe. Russian forests, however, appear to be very unequally disposed, woodlands in the dens el v populated region of Southern Russia being scarce, while a few years ago it was estimated that the four most northern provinces contained a ratio of approximately 70 acres of fores( to each inha hit ant. The disadvantage of this unequal disposition of the forest appears to he aggravated by enormous distances which separate the thinly-wooded districts of (he south from the rich forests of the north, matters which have from time to lime engaged the serious attention of the Government.

PRIEST HOLES. For a hundred and fifty years or so after the Reformation, Roman Catholic priests were relentlessly persecuted, and if discovered in the performance of the rites of his religion it priest Wits put to death. But in spite of this, there were during those times many priests in England who considered it (heir duty to brave death rather limn cease to do what they considered their duty, as did the Protestants when (hey were persecuted. Unfortunately religious toleration was unknown in those days, and the Protestant or Romanist weakest at the moment went to the wall. After the Reformation many priests were concealed in the country houses of the Catholic nobility and gentry; and their hiding-places wen* unknown to all except the master and the mistress of the house, and possibly to one or two old servants. As a rule the priest did not slay for long in the priest-hole at any one place, hut a certain Pal her Blackball spent many years concealed in the house of the Viscountess Melgum, in Scotland.

WHY DOGS DISLIKE CATS. The Koreans tell an amusing story in explanation of the enmity which prevails between eats ami dogs.

There was once, they say, an old man in Korea who possessed a magic stone, which had been given to him by a passing wayfarer, whom he had befriended. One sad day the stone disappeared, and the old man’s cat and dog, who were as much concerned over the loss as their master, set off on their own account to lind it.

After a long and weary search they discovered it, and started to return. As they had to cross a river, the dog told the cat to take the gem in her mouth and climb on his back, and he would swim with her. As the two were crossing, some children, seeing the strange

sight, laughed loud and long. This annoyed the dog, as he struggled along with his burden, hut it greatly amused puss, who, sitting' high and dry on his hack, began to shake with laughter. The result was that the poor dog swallowed a lot of water in trying to keep his head up, at which the wicked cat burst into such a guffaw that she dropped the magic stone into the river. The story goes on to tell how the faithful dog eventually caught a fish, in the inside of which the gem was found, Imt ever afterwards he cherished against the cat a hitter animosity, which was handed down to his descendants.