JOTTINGS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 131, 2 June 1875, Page 2

JOTTINGS.

The Late Sir Charles Ltell.— In the death of Sir Charles Lyell, the world Las lost one of its greatest geologists. His remains hare been interred in Westminster Abb^y, a filling resting place for so great v man. A large number of eminent men of science and others were present at the funeral. Carriages of the Queen and Prince of Wales joined the procession, among the pall- bearers were the Duke of Argyle, Sir Edward Ryan, Mr Justice Grove, Dr Hooker, and Professor Huxley. Iq the sermon which D^an Stanley preached at the Abbey, he paid an eloquent tribute to the memory of Sir Charles, and, referring to his doctrines respecting the Creation, eaid that they could not be expected to agree with the words of the Bible, which coul;] not be taken as literal, matter-of-fact descriptions of the beginning of the world. A Valuable Pistol. — Barnn Adolplie de Rothschild has recently become the proud possessor of a strange work of art— a pistol worth £2000 Mr Leckan, decorator of the Peris Opeia, bought this weapon at Constantinople, some twenty years ugo, for a few poundp, and on his recently selling it at a public auction, it was "knocked down " to the baron at the fancy price above named. The works of the little weapon are enclosed within ihe hilt of a Turkish scimitar, and the barrel runs alone: the buck of the blade. The hilt is of brass, inlaid with silver, after the style of the Renaissance, and evidently clue to a Venetian woikman. Tho whole is no exquisitely balanced and artistically contrived that Baron Rothschild doubtlees considers ha has acquired it at a modest price Others may be of a diilereot opinion. Deception Exposed — Spiritualism at Suu Francisco has received a curious check. It was announced that one night the spirit of " a young Indian warrior " would appear to a select circle. When the lights were turned down, and the medium had retired to his cabinet, there came a tremendous crash from the ceiling to the floor, and the timid spiritualists " skedaddled " downstairs, tumbling over and over each other in panic, lest Diabolus ipse Had grjwu rather tipsy. Some of the bolder remained. The lights were turned up, a large hole was visible in the ceiling,, and " a young Indif n warrior," admirably dressed for the parf, was groaning on the floor with his bead broken. The (ableau was complete when the medium emerged from his cabinet, and exclaimed angrily — "What made, you step between the j'ists? That's just bust the whole business." That medium has just informed San Francisco that he is invited by a ecieuiific society of spiritualists to visit London. It is to be hoped he will take with him a yout>g Indian warrior — the laßt of the Mohicans, if practicable. Railroad travelling in Massachusetts must be regarded as wonderfully safe, if we are to rely on the published statement that out of 42,000,000 passengers carried over the railways of that State in 1874, only one person waskilled and seven injured, except by personal carelessness. Long life in Great Britain, according to recent statistics, is on the decrease, and centenarians are much less frequent than forty years since, despite the increase of population. The two millions of population in the south-eastern counties produce 1086 nonagenarians; but London, with a population of three and a quarter millions can only muster 834 persons above the age of nicety, aud Lancashire add Cheshire, with a similar aggregate population, only 585.