GENERAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8064, 21 March 1906, Page 4

GENERAL NEWS.

Indian inl-is „,ade in China, and India has nothing whatever to do with the jet -lack, smooth slicks of the finest dark ink tint is made. It ~ h , : .|i,. o f,-,;] ot se . Jlimum which is expressed f,„in the poisonous seeds ot a tree that, is extensively giown in the valley of the To this oil varm-h and pork f.,i , IR . ~,1,1,,,, , uu , „„. lamp-black made hy ,!,, cumbu.-tion 0 f ,|,,„. materials,sda.ed according t„ U,e excellence of the ingoshcuis and the time t-kc.ll in tne process o! manulacturc. It is possible i„i ;1 „y Chinaman, or Cuiinwoman to become a "deitv" by paying for the honour. A few years ago a rich and devout Chinese lady died at Sooehoo Her friends thought that an apotheosis was no more than her due, and communicated with the priests, who discovered tiiat the God of the Left Little Toe Nail hud no wife. She was accordingly married to his gods'hip and is now emollcd as the "Goddess of the' Left .] i , all, Tllc distinction cost the old lady's estate over £I,OOO.

It is rather curious to know just how much pressure an egg will stand. The following tests were recently made public, and may, says "Science Sittings," cause some surprise. Eight ordinary hens' eggs were found to give way under an evenly distributed pressure of between 400Ibs. and 5001bs. on the square inch of surface. When the tests were applied internally to twelve eggs they yielded at pressure of 321hs. to SOlbs. n square inch. Pressure required merely to crush the eggs was between tOlbs. and 7-Slbs. a square inch. The average thickness of the shells was thirteen one-thousandths of an inch.

The pleasures of death by banging are vividly set forth by a. correspondent of an Indian contemporary, who has heen eoiJeetbig the experiences of persons who have Seen rescued from that generally supposed painful death. One old woman had thought herself in a green meadow, a gentleman who was brought to life by an attempt at direction had been wandering in a beautiful field", and i criminal saved hy the breaking of a rope declared he had seen an avenue of splendid trees, and on being offered pardon, refused it. considering it a most enjoyable thing to be hanged and the easiest possible mode of death.

The Kskimo, it is stated, count hy their rineeis-onc, two, three, four, five. Above live and up to ten they use the second baud ; thus, six is "the first linger of the other hand." Above ten, they employ the toes. Thirteen, for instance, is "three toes upon the oue foot," and eighteen, "three toes upon the second foot." Twenty they describe as "a whole man." They seldom go 'urther than tills, but they can do so if necessary, for example, they ospicss twenty-two by saying "two on the second man''; thirtyseven by "two toes on the second man's second foot"; forty is "the whole of the second man." According to ))r. Nansen, they cannot, or do not, count beyond one hundred, which in their estimation is "the whole of the lifth man."

The piano, as wo know it now, has been gradually evolved from such earlier kindred instruments us the clavichord, spinet, and harpsichord, in wliieh the resonant wires were plucked |iy quills or hard points of leather. About the year 1710 a keyboard connected with striking hammers was perfected by Cristolovi, .in Italian, an improvement which resulted in a fuller and wider range of tone and modulation. This pianofoiie. as it was called, was introduced into England by Tschudi, a Swiss manufacturer, about the year 1732, and there is record of a public performance upon the new instrument at the Theatre lloyal, Covcnt Garden, on May 10th, ]7li7. As lime went on,' John Broadwood. a Scotch mechanic, married bis master's daughter, and so became Tschudi's partner, and the founder of the famous firm which has taken a leading part from that day to this in perfecting the piano. Many .other makers on both sides of the Atlantic havo contributed particular points of excellence to this favorite instrument.

Laughter setms to be a specialised form of either the scream of a startled or injured animal or the cry of triumph common to many beasts of prey. In children, the cry of terror and the shout of laughter often shade into each other, and a young child escaping from pursuit will scream with laughter or fear, according to bis chances of escape. Some unexpected event, that causes slight alarm short of actual terror, is the commonest cause of children's laughter, but in adults, some sudden event that gives a sensation of triumph over others has much more influence. Eeally clever jokes seldom cause laughter, and it has been pointed out that a man chasing his hat will produce, laughter far more hearty in character than the best clTorts of the cleverest wit. The sight of ill-fortune in another causes by contrast a feeling of triumph in ourselves. The ticklish parts of the body are, for the most part, the sites of important blood-vessels, and the laughter produced in children by "tickling" is cveu more closely allied to the cry of pain.

. The first college for women in Japan is only two years old. yet it already has more than eight hundred pupils. Of this number many come from the furthest parts of Japan, girls and women of all ages, from the yougest pupils of the high school (twelve years old)' to students in the university classes of more than thirty-live years old. According to the "Indian Review," somo have been teachers themselves for years, others are looking forward to a long career of usefulness as such, and manv hope to vi.-it England and study for a time'at one of the universities before returning to Japan to be come lecturers and literary workers in their turn. The college is undenominational—all religions are lorFrated, none arc taught —and the staff comprises Christians, Khiutoists, and Buddhist, while among the students the same variety exists. The whole number of lecturers is forty-one, including the president, and of these the majority are men and Japanese, one German wuniaii, one American Bid two English women being among them. There are three departments—English language and literature, Chinese and Japanese language and literature, and the domestic department, in which sewing, cooking, tho tea ceremony, flower arrangement, and similat •tilings are taught. Music and gymnastic drill arc also among the subjects taught, and creditable progress in thesa is bciue, made,

' A BOON TO DAIRYMEN ' A hail lias heen patented by a T'aranaki linn, which is fur in advance of any other contrivance for securing cows while being milked. J| is operated from the hack of the cow, ami she can be hailed up or released with the greatest ease by even the smallest milker. Uairviucn will liml llicsc bails are n.d only great time-savers, lint arc j reliable, easy In hx, and never get out ,'d repair; in tact, can be fixed with ■.little alteration in any shed in which . old bails are at present in use. The I articles supplied are :—2 screw pulleys, I I lit of cord and ring. 1 iron bail; and I the cost is only a few shillings. Messrs Robertson and Bond, of Linrdet-slreel, New Plymouth, are the patentees and , vendors. An illustrated leaflet, mid | all estimates or. particulars, will be j provided to enquirers free. The lollow- | mg letter just received speaks volumes : j —Messrs. Robertson and Bond, NewPlymouth. Dear Sirs,—l hare pleasure m stating that the new cow bails you supplied are giving every satisfaction. They are easy to fix, and effect a great saving of time. I firmly believe if they were used continually for twelve months they would more than save their iirst cost. I can confidently recommend them to all dairymen. Wishing you every success, I am, faithfully yours,—Eobjjkt Clsmow, Oinata, Tarauaki