CROSSING SYDNET HARBOUR ON A ROPE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 89, 17 April 1877, Page 4

CROSSING SYDNET HARBOUR ON A ROPE.

* The Australian Blondin'a perform--aode ob a rope thrown across Middle Harbour ia thus described by the Sydney Morning Herald oi March 30j^ ; '■" - : ~\ -■ '•■'-■■: KL „ A party of gentlemen were invited yesterday afternoon to have a quiet tfiew of! Mr; L'Estraage'a experimenfal perfdrffaancea on the tight r6pe which h'^.hka 'Bfre!ched from cliff to cliff at Middle Harbor. Starting from the Circular Quay at a little after two o'clock, an hour's pleasant steaming in ttffeßritaribia brought the party to otie qfjtbe modt picturesque localities that can be conceived — vistas of forest and Watery bold headlands, and swiping bays opening oat in all directions, far and r near» Great was the gazing ahead as the visitors approached the gprge, across whioh the rope had been carried,, and all the field-glasses on board were brought into requisition to discern a glimpse of the thin brown line, high iq thV^Slong whidii 'Blotfdin'; was'Ho pass on ' his ' perilous j odr ney; ' Soon they were close to it, hbrooaed in by the fora«t-cJad shoreg, and alraoat ini'tnediately, as a piece of ordnance was dreii, t|i9 aatiflfaction was had of aeain^ the adventurous gymnast appearing on the soutb-eeaterh end of his hempen causeway, high op amongat the ropJfff and^rees. Burdened "as" he.was, J wYtt\ a^bj^bvor 601bs in weighf/he stepped otf, at firtit slowlv bat firmly, and* with afeoafideace -that was discernible by the spectators below. After wards lie walked at a quicker pace, until be arrived (at "an r.wkward place, extending nearly 20 feet, where two ropes bf nnequal thickneaa had been spliced. Here^a ' slow pace was requisite, but j^ferpasfliagthis spot, MrX'Estrange, iliickiag hicGßelt ectitled to a rest, extended himself on' the rope on bis ijiick, araidfit great {cheering. . Sjiriti£Ijttgliq- h(s feet, the remainder. ,of the aerial; passage was accomplished with alacrity and .apparent" ease ; Until the 'a^tito-weßt^rtt-; eod; of thb rope 'prokched, Wfc'fca, by feafioo of it& gravisstipgvbead,!feas others a visible asceat ; ■butthe gymnast evdhttiaUy riesged the <iorpW f of 'the tr'oeg 6n { ; tn'at ' sid^, and landed on the reck to which the rope is fnsteced. Thus was accompliahed «n estroordinary feat on the tight rope, at a prodigioaa height above the water, jarid over; a great distance from cliff io diff. The time occupied, including the rest, was about ten minutes. The party lauded, and clambered among the rocks and trees until they reached the iasteniog of the rope on. the northwestern eide of the inlet. From this -ajpFli picturesque view was obtained of the surrounding scenery, and of -the great curvature in the rope with its (Sixteen guys, in spite of the great tension that has been put upon it. 'Though hot so observable from the [ateamer, it &ere looked literally op and ,down hill, and from that spot a walk -'alotig it- seemed- a most formidable undertaking. Mr. .on ,al|gh'ting on terra Jirma, was greeted with -the cheers of those who by this .time bM assembled around him. ' ''Ha f WEB o qnit3 joHy.» soemed not' at ejl and wished that the rope had been twice as high and twice as ?iongi'' ; ■" -■■" •• "■'..■ / : -'■ ( •■'•-' l! ~ . The length of the cope is eaid to be feei, and its height above the water 341 feefc.

S'^Of'tha ingeßcitw of the Amsricans ia! the ; way of inventions, ] Gisborae ? hsß jp v ea enlighteaecl rather oonaiderabiy in aanjillway, esye " Snyder.Vi. tin the! ciPbverty fifty JTcrSaW; 1 Last week tfte'le '• came amongst us a travelier . i; 'frppi.ga.n! !Fi?ancißec, bis card introducing, binj 'io\ the trßders df itbe town as Mr J. A.; who, we believe, k . in \ no way related either by blood ori busineta lieu to Mr F. WhitakeT,i ?our most respected Attorney-Gepera).! MrJ. A. -Whitaker deale ia Tari-I kee notions; the Attornay-General ; also deals in notions which are not! Yankee. The notioua of the two i ■mia\Bßakes are quite different. Mr Whitaker, Atteroey-General, wil! shew : an Act of Parliament which caa be i made to read io a dozen different ways! and with no two ways alike. Mrj Whitaker, United Stfttea commercial! traveller, can produce something which, 1 like an Act of the General Assembly, | looks at first eight to be one thing, but| _on explanation is shown to be half a' dozen oiber thiogn quite liifferenJ, which : only'an Americea iuventor could have ! and reduced to e. roal|ty. ;

Among other inventions shown us were ;a fire kindler which at the expense of a jfartbiog burns for 15 minutes; a clothes iline holder which dispenses with all iknots or tying; a Bash tightener which ■keeps out dust, supersedes weights, and {keeps windows from rattling; a potatoe jdigger that will dig a row of potatoes jas fast as a man can walk; a self-open-Mg gat^ t\ a /woageifful 'faffra'pv iwhlcffVhe'fal is caught by fancying he J (sees a brother raj;., when it is only his own reflection in a looking-glass ; a thimble., ..with implement attached wnicii threads' a 'needle Vri'ari'inata'tit;^ 1 8 'SIP!^ *d veutiop for preven.ti.ng laodpa f?Bm^lb'didg-' :r: ThW W 1 J piece of furniture which Mr Whisker ! will bring with him on his nex't 1 visit 1 . [It is at first sight a chest of drawer?. [Turn a winch and it becomes, ftjjbad* ! stead. Fold over a flap and there is an | easy chair. ttJnaV > aJsjaaJJoAstening and there is aa oval table. Turn it up* side dowP l t .s]KUa;gprlbg,7^en it bei corned a B'ida?hofti;d TJ w^h, several cupI boards. Do something else very simple, landrbejiqld-a.ljooKTcaaq. Turn a hinge ! and there again is the original chest of j drawer^, •;-, gjuch are^ Aj-.-ft.^ ..ioj;< the • Amsrican inventions Mr Whi taker is ' exhibiting to the colpfljysaß specimens < of American invention, handicraft, and | The correspondent of the bydney ' Morning Herald writes: — The musical world of Paris has just esperisnced a "sensation.**; r, A<rj;ths benefit jusl given in favor of «n excellent actor, Laurent, who is retiring from the stage, a young: violinist, named JDepgremont, only nine years of age, "mads his firel appearance,, ao^- will cfjrtayily become one" of the musical' celeorities 'of ri tue age. He is .of French origin, but wna bora in Brazil, and is said to have Rlaye# th? violin almost Jroru,hia cradle with' ' £ba 3 'Banfc J fWcfiifcy nti* 'the hirde sijigf £ha£ iss> .;s,ay, f wj.l£oufc , r jteacirerj Sivoori took him aa a pupil for a "short tfrte^'an r d fo'h^s' sirifce* t>ddb -for three naq^th^^ua^sr-;^ car&;,of 4he, yoilicis! Leonora.' ' "When the" childisfr "figure was SBerij^enterrUpda-ithe atagain iia costuma of black velvet, wearing the silrer cross of a Bri&ih'an' bi'der'i' 'tin's his little violin. under his arm., a murj mur of surprise Iran through the house. But this astonishment eoqn gave way toaWa^o^nl and^admill^tiSnl r'foyphe boy^is^nof 6nly~ rt a won'derfiii-pllyer for his age," but he. is, in the,, fullest acceptatipnjofjihe- terin^ k-;gre&t: attist, and bids fair to become the leading violinist of the day, ...-.,-, , r . .:• ! . -v t i.f t■ . tj.j •, j 1 1, The Levity Marionettes Company ' opened at Ballarat, on the night of the | 2nd inst., st the Theatre Royal, to a i crowded house, numbers of country i people being in the place. The audience evidently disliked the perfor- | mances, and condemned it as an i imposition. Shortly after the curtain i was drawn up hooting and hissing 1 began. Throwing of fruit at the per- , formera followed, and the .dem.Qns.trai tione o^ f the,. audience got very .'_ warm. i At last ffo'me p'eia'ple b^gau ! to c geton the i stage. The, lights were r then turned j out t and a' ic'ene of the 'widest uproar I foHbWe&/ ;:;i ! Temporary Irgh'tal obtained. The- 'gaselier globes were ; smashed^, the. tyisHjons were ior,^ tc | .secsß ia/.mauy!placeß, th^sc're^n's^weire [ torn cfown, and -the rausic-jMandi? , ; war'e I $br#jOT.A'dOn ..the, ; stage, many^boigg I broken. sAnsi&qiiiniigjbpirit having ! asked where the:' proprietors of the I marionettes .Were^stayidg;;' aHd being told at F&ss'eilVHtotflj'j fc'-jjre/rt crowd inarched to .thathouae,; yelling and hooting ail itheitkimei ,r Arrived at the hotel the nldb^decJfitfded ihdir money back, sM the^ffffuriated. crowd seemed to^hfeUten serious miaohief. It r waa some 4|me f bpfpre the ,n ol;ce arr^ed^bu t even ttrall^a' JPosse oaniei"dbwni : And-tbe f6otpa'tb: waß'" y clla^ed"of ' tnia-' riotclia a|3emb,la^ei : : Tlie rio(era ! had scarcely been cleared off the footpath before 6tonethrosving ; comiaenced»,to a liraiied extent certainly, and onebf Fussell'a platej-glaas window had a. stone thrown ih,r.Oßgii iii -The police ,B'qop. managed i to oliaar awaytbe mob, ,but : not before matey ' serious- threats were 'uttered against Levity f tba 'proprietor of the m r aridn9tteß, and if that person 'had made bi£ appearance at the time the mdbnama ddwo, the chauVeßare th'a't ; he would have beeri severely ill-treated, if, not kilieiQ. The .mob CQntinued to derhand their money back, but could not. get it. ; Quia?neas was, nt la^t restored ; but -the affair was very, nearlv being a aerioua riot. • A sportsman in the Highlands B'aving remarked 'to hia -attendant that it was a vorv wet' season. Sandy replied: " Ay, Aveet enough —only five flry days tj)is month, and they've .niaifetly/a'- beeh'nippifc up by the Savj-baths;"