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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 289, 7 December 1874, Page 4

The Melbourne Argus 1 special correspondent, in his report from Fiji relative to the session, makes the following remarks : — It will have been noticed tbat some of tbe replies of the Kiog were marked by ranch cleverness and wisdom. Tbe Fijiuns are at all times wonder fa Ily ready in debate. On tbe occasion of Commodore Good'ehoogh's first visit to the island, Cakobao was explaining tbe position of tbe country as regards Maafu — how tbe wily Tongan bad entered the islands a foreigner, and bad gradually, by craft and decision of character, forced himself into a position in which he was now actually ousting tbe natives from iheir hereditary rights, and establishing himself in sovereign power. The commodore pointed out tbat tbis was what took place every day all over the world, and said, " Look at the hermit crabs on yoar coral beaches; tbey take tbe shells of others." " True," rapped bat Cskobau, " but the be trait crab always takeß away tbe empty shell." Maafu very happily hie off tbe great blot ,io^ tbe Fijian Government-— the utter -want* of proportion between its expenditure and tbe results achieved. He had. come, alongside the Dido in bis pretty little yacht, the Zarifa, once the pride of Port Jackson. After admiring for some time one of the two enormous gnns the Dido carries amidships, he said to Captain Chapman, "Zarifa .carry that gun, eh, captain ?" " Ob, no," replied Captain Chapman, "Z±ri.a . i«o small. Put tbat on Zarifa, and Zarifa go down; gun too big " "All same poor Fiji," rejoined Maafu, "Fiji Government too big — Fiji go down." When tbb same chief of Lav was asked by Commodore Gbodenough why be would not send his taxes down to tbe Government in Levuka, he gave a pointed answer, not at all flattering to tbe authorities. " Why should I?" be asked. "I live in the Windward Islands. When I cut down a cocoanut tree it floats down to the Leeward Islands, but like the tuxea, no part ever comes back." * ; Science, tbat true assistant of labor, promises to provide a simple remedy, which while giving ample time to the workmen to get beyond tbe reach of danger, also greatly lessens the labor, substituting an almost instantaneous process of bringing down large trees. This process is the application of gun cotton compressed into disks. Tbese disks are placed round 'tbe tree in a oontiocous band the edge of each disk touchiqgl that, of the disks adjacent. Tbis band is exploded or detonated by means of a stroke from a spring bammer so arranged as to permit of ali persons concerned reaching a safe distance before the detonation is effected. Tbe Engineer t which recounts the experiments by this system of goo cotton disks, says tbat *' a band of these disks was placed round tbe trunk of a very large tree at Upnor, and detonated," the result being tbat the tree "was insUoeoußrjr severed as though felled with an axe." This is the trae agent

for felling the giants of our forest. It is simple, easily handled, requires only due care and attention, and delicate manipulation, just as does a steam engine. The rapidity of the action of these surpresßed disks of gun cotton may be understood when it is stated tbat by experiment it has been ascertained that the detonation proceeds with a velocity — that is tbat on the disks being detonated, it communicates with those adjacent with a swiftness inferior only tbat of electricity or light — at tbe rate of nearly four miles per second, which for all practical purposes may be reckoned an iostaneous process.

, An Indian native woman with her Angers and spindle alone, and a native Vnan witb his toes aod bamboo loom alone, will spin a thread and finish a piece of muslin which cannot, by the application of tbe most delicate machinery, be produced outside of India. There is one quality of Dacca maslin, lor example, which is termed " woven air." It is made only for king's daughters. So short is the staple of the raw material, and so brittle are its fibres, that it must be spun by a woman under 25, and before the dew has left tbe grass in the morning. As a substitute for natural moisture, the evaporation of water from a shallow pan is sometimes used, but the quality of the work in tbat case is inferior. A piece four yards in length and one yard in width often weighs less than one ounce avoirdupois. The muslin is very durable, and will wash.