ALL ROUND THE WORLD.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 173, 9 November 1876, Page 3

ALL ROUND THE WORLD.

- ■ • The Pntm Mail says it has been favoured with tte following particulars, in connection with a rtctnt hshtng ixcuraion of Tito Kowaru's people, wtiicli, as an example of Maori custcin and Maon superstition, will no doubt ic of interest to many of «nr readers. It appears that they were about to start for the coast to gather shett-fiah, out before d*>;ii« so, Tito Kowani gave an order that no woman was to go unless she Iracl on a new c'letntse. The women asked if clean garments of that kind would not do. but the chief adhered to tits original decree that they most be nevr. Whether or not ne had confidential relations with some neighboring storekeeper who had a large quantity of these articles on hand or not, does not appear, tut the dusky dames and damsels purchased ttnsj onusual appliances in accordance with ttie edict, and went to the sea thus cloth.<l. T ; ie party had an unusually lucky time of it, when Tito volunteered an txplanation o; his order, to the effect that on their prtvi»tts excursion they were very nnsncje-tt-tut, in consequence of the women dirty, but as thty were dressed in cLati clothes on this good for'.tmj tvad attended them. In connection with the chief, we learn that a greensUm axs has been found, that one of Tito's ancestors planted, to prevent his children from coming into pes.sesa.ton of, no leas t.wn five gfecerattons figo. Ttie Kowaru and his people were all dressed in native mourntng to receive the strangely-ri-eovered "relic from thosu wFiw found it, and it was handled with absolute reverence by all the tribe. Why the strange old gentleman who hid the axu did not desire his successors to possess this property does not appear. The London correspond.nt of the Age 9a y a: _»- o» dit that you are to have another Victorian knight, and that Mr. W. J. Clark is to be the man. Mr. Clark is not going to pay LoO.OOO for the honor, or anything l.ke that sum, though I daresay he witl give qvfttj as much as it is worth. It is said tt.at te has arranged with Mr. Summers to make a herox statue of the Queen, Prince Albert, and the Princj and Trine.a* of W»l a—a group of four figtirts—for fonie £3,000, and tiael also arranged wit.i Sr Redmond Barry, before he left for Ph.t.tdelphta. tuat the snine sliould bs placed in the hall of the Melbourne Public L'.brary; the work to be commented as soon as Sir Kedmond has approved of the design."

There m said to W mnu'i talk in American scientific e'.r.,l;s abovtt the Keely Motor. Mr. Keely, a working tnan.deetares- tfval: by means of a machine watch he has invented he can, without the use ©I! fuel, and by m*rJy turning a handle, gynerate out of water a vapor so much inwre powerful than steam that with a gallon of water he can drive a heavy train from Philadelphia to San Francisco ; anil with « hogsheaJ he could imp„«l a Cinar.l steamer from Liverpool to Ntw York against a continuous westerly gale J The inventor, it is stated, has induce! Mr. Collier, a patents solicitor, to examine into the matter, who was aa atrtick with what he saw that he got a scientific man to verify it. Byth agreed that Keety did actually produce extraordinary results, but they covtd not tell how these results were obtained. The chief engineer of the Coked State* Navy, who witnessed the experiment!*, w?a equally assured ttiat the thing was actually done, bat equally at a lods to explain the doing of it. Mr. Collier then formed a company in New York. A small capital for carrying out the preliminary experiments was raised. Mr. Keely is said to have refused to receive a cent, until the world has be-jo thoroughly convinced of the reality of h s intention, and oatil patents have been secured in every country.—Well done, Ksely'. Attention has just been drawn in the Press to the slow rate at whic i t;te population of Francs increases compared with other nations. The question wa* first mooted by a correspondent of L'Exploratewr, who referred to a statement of the Bishop of Wellington, i»«ir Zealand, with

respect to the rapid increase of the white population in that Colony. T f > v - cV*--.••-■'■'■■ that had it belonged to the FrencJi, the European population would probably now he counted bv hundreds instead of thousand. In support of liis statement tiie hi JJEsiwmieiir refers to Marquesas, to Mayotto, with its admirable roadstiad, to Nossi-be, the gateway to Madagascar, and other French possessions, and says that it has already became a question whether these islands must not be abandoned. The native population is becoming extinct, and no Frenchman can be induced permanently to settle there. It is suspected that fashionable ladies in Paris commence io indulge in arsenic eating, in order to make them " beautiful forever." Dr. Boillctt advocates its use as a stomach stimulant, and an aid in respiration. In parts of Austria people use arsenic like tobacco; they crunch it and suck it like a bonbon, till their bodies, like that of Mitlrridates, become imired to the poison. Araenic imparts an agreeable fulneS3 to the figure, and a youthful, animated expression. It makes horses more vigorous, cemftrs on them shining coats, and produces foaming mouths; oxen, sheep, and pigs, when slightly dosed with arsenic, acquire an i xsellent appetite, improved digestion, and hence fatten rapidly. An Italian vesssl struck an anchor, filled, and sank, at Sydney. She was immediately condemned, and sold for 600 dollars. Tiie nex. day she was raised, repairs cost ten dollars, and was insured for 4 >,OOO dollars, and sent to sea by her lucky purchaser.

Opium-smuggling is carried on to a extent in San Franeiscr. Large steamers present so many hiding places for small parcels of the costly drug t;.at detection is exceedingly di.licult. Tue latest plan hit on by tie Chinamen at work on trie Pacific Mail Company's dock is smuggling opium ashore in the wellknown tfiick soles of the shoes they universally wear. It is said that one shoe can have half-a-potind of opium concealed in its sole ami not look any diilerent from others. A large quantity could thus be carried ashore in a single day by the usual gang of worfcm.n. It is smuggled in toys, in bamboo caius, in mei c.iandise, and although there are fifteen watchmen at the Pacific Company's dock, the number is represented as inadequate. Un the return trip of the City of Tokio a Chinaman told t.te officials that lie could smell opium in some coco.uiut oil-cans in the lower dock. It was actually found that the cans had false bottoms, and that the intermediate space contained opium. The nose that could smell the drug through two thicknesses of metal should be invaluable to a detective, and it would be a pity were its IR>33es3or not to turn to practical account such a remarkable gift of nature.

In the village of Borgstsedt, nc: r Ttendsburg, in fe'chleswig Holstein, an ancient cremation graveyaid lias been discovered containing a vast number of urns. These urns, some of which are wrought with considerable art, mostly contain, not the as :es, but the bone-splimers of corpses which had not bien entirely consumed on the pvre. Between the bone-splinters t'tere were found small articles in bronze and iron, probably serving as means of fastening the various parts of garments together: also uiiutite glass-like things winch may have been used for beads. Tite urns on th-.-se extensive firo-burial piacos were ranged closely together. An important discovery has just been made at Pompeii. It consists of a number of objects of gold and silver, and close to them the carbonised skeletons of two men, who would seem to have been borne down in the storm of ashes while endeavoring to escape with their valuables of plunder. Among the things found are ergot rings, six pieces of money, two fMtrs of earings, two large armlets, each ornaiu ntsd with thirteen pairs of half globes, with little shells upon t icm, held together by chaiuwork, and a necklace of c. ainwork", all of gold ; a silver ring, 332 of silv. r mo i ,-y, a casserole of the same material, and three bronze coins. Chester Cathedral 1 as been re-opened for public worship after undergoing repairs whic 1 lave cost £830,000, and have occupied eight years in completion. Ifcndlgo Independent says : —" It is reported that two young girls have bee.i found in a state of nudity on Flora Hill, at the rear of the Jiack Creek cricket ground, by a miner returning from his work. It appeared ti at two young men appointed this hill as a rendezvous, and, alter some conversation with the girls, placing a covering over their eyes, and completely undressed them, taking away their clot lies. The man woo found them was unable to find any traces of the missing dresses and other unmentionables, but procured a few bag 3 and scraps or cloth, with which the young woman were enabled to r t *ach their home."