MISCELLANEOUS.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 23, 10 November 1883, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

Atnetifan papers report the death of | " thi 1 fat e^t woman in the world," Fanny • Oonley, a member anrl one of the special curiosities of Ni^.an'a Cleveland Qircua Sim was found dead, lying on her face, in the sleeping waggon of the company, and the pivsumuti<<n,,w«i9 that she was unable to turn in h.-r b^t-without assistance, and was so ?uffoc.»t -d. She woighed 4971b5. A wiiter in <\ German pap*r states that it is the custom in offices in that country to have a sliced potato on the desk for us© * as h ptjn-wip -r, and to clean steel pqns. It removes all ink crusta and gives a peculiarly smooth flow to the ink. Now p -U8 aliuti'd oe pa? -ed two or throe* times turoujfli th<j j?as, or any other flame, to remove the jrrea>e with which they ar« -oaied bafore packing. Tiie ink then will flow freely. It may not be generally known, aaya the World, that L or<i Wolaeloy has "for inuiy yi»ars bsen extensively interqsted ia xi|Matting pursuits in Australia as the partner of his younger brother Fred. Mr Fred Wjls^lny is a squatter of great •<in<*rgy and skill, of much enterprise, and >f some recklessness. Tho partner !>nit;<ers have be^n vory .wealth^ #nd' igain, because ofbud seasons and uflluoky/ vonturos, " the hits has-been-' V^ry • shorty?* Co uao ua Australian pluaso. It is under-

etood that" Sir GnrnrtV Aehantee batta of £25,000 wuh snatched ut one fell awonp to meet a gquatting indebtedness of the cowirtnery. It was sent out to swell its . kiuk account ; but brother Fied hod not been prospering, the balance woa henvil\ the wiomr way, i»nd the bunk absorbed the batta, and even, like Oliver iwiM, naked for more. At present affansare pro*pering. The French will have a fine opening for developing their culinary skill so booh se their arnrieß have over-run Annam. Whatever «*lse one may think about th. relations between the two countries, theie can be no doubt that the science of eastionomy would find n very congenial aoil in the latter country. It appear*, from a French bonk on Tonquin, recenth quoted by the Figaro, tlu»t gormandising is-one-of'the most national characteristics 'of the Tonquinese. It is always said that jou can gather the character of h people from its metaphors ; and the Tonqttinefie, it seems, talk of " eatini? a shop " for" going shopping," and " eatinga theft " for" stealing." So, too, ,f you want to say " How do you do ?" to a native, you should ask him how mam platx he had for break fust. But although the business of eating " occupies (as the French author says) no large a part of the imagination of the Tonquinese." the\ have little conception of t^trnnomy as a fine art, «nd their taste is for quantity rather tlian quulity. The Imperial chef it a persort of great consequence, but lit can have little time for the higher walks of his art when he. has to verve uu twelve or fifteen dinners to the Emperor daily. Public dinners are a great institution, and when the guests can eat no more they carry off the r» muinder of the dinner with thexn " without secrecy or shame."