MISCELLANEOUS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 270, 5 March 1877, Page 4

MISCELLANEOUS.

Jt MXS&VtAC* JfiTtTRAt FORMATION. About 2120 milea front Los Angeles, on th« Pacific coa.-t, there is a dry b««t of a lake, completely surrounded by very hig_h Mountain*^' the approach fr> which is through a canori or divide in the mottntaina; in this b«d there is a deposit of carbonate of soda about five miles in length, and it ridge of common salt fight miles long, ami some thousands of acres of thia same dry lake is covered with borate of soda and pure borax ; the latter is in a solid £OO9B three feet thick. The lake has til* appearance of .an immense mass of •now ; it ia Feivrt*'ltiy hot there, being 106deg. to IJESdeg. ia the shade. ROY AC. F.TtQ'J E'CTE. As evidence of the etiquette* insisted Upon by the Priii c;; tJonaort, a writer in the iV«iiOTti MitiJ. says, withirt lib own knowledge*.the huty wuo Wii3 under-nurse in the iteyal nursery, and hud the immediate care and attendance on the .lioyat children while infants, was forbidden to kiss them, 'She l.as stated tf> ttvo writer that it was one of the greatest trials of her life to have to> llotd these chi'dren in her anns and yet never to be allowed; to emBrace them. One ot' her duties wm to attend the Queen and l*rince on their evening: visit to the nursery, on which occasion she had to walk backwards down ft long corridor with a heavy silver candlestick m each hand. A .rtnr-ffijfttß aENttrg. Ernest Hntcheson, aged five years and ft few months,, ia the son of Mr. David Hntcheson, of Carlton, and the little fellow i» fsays the Tde<jm>ph<) undoubtedly a Stredigy. The child was introduced to a 8W musical people the other day at Mr. Allan's in Collins-street. Perched on his knees in a chair,, he performed the fanta»in f by Gantiee, from El Trovatore fantasia, by tho same composer, from m Db» Giovanni:" the " &t*.<ge of Eiochelle," by Choteck ; " La &ympathie," by Commettant and a number of other difficult selections ; and the execution, time, and'expression i >t' the performances •were more than extraordinary. The child had not maaewtar strength enough to bring out the full tones of the piano where they were repaired, but he proved that he knew exactly what should be done though he could not do it. M. Julius Hers tasked hint severely by striking chords on the piano *.vhen tus back was t© the instrument, but the chill named •very note in each ease without the least hesitation* and never ma.de a mistake. It is tan months since lie tirst touched a piano, and he has had no tuition further than what he has rec. ived t'r.uu his father, who states that the boy has ** el welly taught himself." tie sus down to the piano,, and plays sometiims for tour hours without stoppin.% l * reading" t.w most difficult music with ■»[. Ueftf w.ll probably take charge of the 1nt1..; w>>n* demand it will be interesting to watch hie career. TOM eivtt SBBvcc'K <vr «?r.tttjrri-T>jr. Some tiuie ago «« v,\ ru enabled to publish a report ot the proceedings of a tertain dinner eonveiu-.on whery the IL-aiU of JDepartments, in solemn conclave assembled, ftsolvtd to establish a Utvd Swrvice Bellamy's, us a tueans towards the «lld of instilling prop, r deference on the part of the jiuwot members of tue Service towards their superiors. A committee wa» then appointed to make thy neeuss;u-y arrangements, and these, we leant, are now nearly Complete. The small building >t the back of t! e main one, f.>rinyrty occupied by t:.o Colonial Architect, is to be the Bellamy's, and here ail the officers of the Service are to bo comp.sited to lunch daily, at a fliarge only litfcy per cent. above the price at winch they would get an excellent, luncheon at the Criterion; Hotel, just (ippoKite. All oti'icers will bj •trictly fovbiuiien to have the buddings Without a pass during otiice hours, an.l it isi in conteniplai ion to place porter* at all the doors to enforce compliance with this Mgnh»6ion> and, to report ev\ry ca..v ot violation of it. It o:dy now ruptires tliat themcmbfera of the Uivii Service shoidd be provided with a unif"vm, and each man bel'ow tile I'ank of an i r uder-Secrutavy be distinguished by a number instead of a name (after the manner of convict establishments),, in order to reduce the service to » proper state of discipline and ethoiency. Probably these points will be Considered when the promised reorganisation takes place. A CSffiFCt. Struck with the idea that a strong reaping and mowing machine could be so conMtructedaa to tnclui le hedge-triiuming as one of its uses, Mr. Jo! in Jfosworth, EdgeMHy near Riverton, Sotitii Australia, communicated lib ideas to an English manufacturec, Mr. A. €. tVamlett, Vorkshire, who has. recently sent the machine out to Mr. Byaworth, accompanieil by the following fetter t— 1 " E am much obliged for til* idea yen frave given me, and have ' constructed a machine for reaping, mowing,. and hedge-cutting, which I have : lately tasted on thorn hedges of one, two, and thtee years." growth. It answers this 1 purpose remarkably well. Several of our : farmers, have seen, and highly epprove of tt y and ! have no> doubt but it will lead to a largeiaade even in England, The only difficulty ia in driving the horses, and it wtll be advisable to> protei-t the itvside horse ,fcy some kind, of clothing from proJtekmS' thorns.. As a combined reaper P' and mower, thb machine has, dttun; ftve ; proved itself very etticient in work, tabw ©t light draught and easily ki pt in | stpMR. I enclose three pfiotographssuowrin® it arranged aa a reaper, a ntower, and I'Etowise a» a hedge-cutter. In tids photo. Ltß« porta marked! if are nsed only for Mr. Bosworth announces E that to. give all Lofurtnation labout these machines.