General News.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4808, 6 June 1884, Page 2

General News.

The Arcbceological Society at Athens has decided to make researches at the bottom of the sea in the Bay of Salamis, where the famous naval battle between the Greeks and Persians was fought. The water is not very deep irr the bay. As the present state of technical science enables tho society to adopt efficient means of investigation, and as the Association possesses the necessary financial strength, it is hoped that the enterprise will succeed. Since the Greeks lost about fifty and the Persians nearly two hundred galleys, which have been lying undisturbed at the bottom of the sea, it is thought that it may be possible to bring up some complete specimens, or at least portions of them, which may afford more accurate knowledge of the Daval architecture of the old Hellenes and the Persians than can be gathered from their writings, The attempt is looked forward to with great interest.— London Times.

" Good morning, John," said one of tho leading pastors in Scran ton to a young friend whom he met in the street the first' warm day of the season; " how does your father stand the heat ? " The young man made no reply, but went away with a clouded brow. And when the good pastor learned that the young man's father had died only a week before, he understood why his cordial greeting was met so coldly.

There is a rumor that the Kussians have had, after all, to fight for Merv, the importance of which announcement is that they will probably make an excuse for keeping a larger force near the Anglo. Indian frontier than will be quite agreeable to England. Paul Friedrich, brother of the Grand Duke of Mecklenberg-Schwerin, hating been converted to the Catholic faith, has renounced his hereditary rights in favor of his younger brothers and their offspring If the brothers' families become extinct the throne is to revert to the family of Paul Friedrich provided the successor becomes a Protestant.

Mr H. H. Hayter, the Victorian Government statist, has compiled returns showing the progress of the colony duringLord Normanhy's governorship. It appears that during the past ,'five years the population has increased by 104,000, and the revenue by over £1,000,000. The imports have increased by over £1,500,000, and the exports by nearly the. same amount. The miles of railway hare increased by 510, and 500,000 additioaaJ acres have been placed under cultivation. There has been an increase of ti>>ooo,OOQ> bushels of wheat; an increase in horses of 77,000; in cattle to the extent of 117,000, sheep by 56,000, and pigs by

Protnenaders in Washington (say* an American exchange) often stop to look at a pair of high-stepping, black, blooded horses, attached to a high road-waggon, driven by a handsome, military appearing man of some fifty years, who is invariably accompanied by a handsome matronly lady, and two or three brigbt-eyed little girls. The driver is Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte, grandson of the Bonaparte's eldest brother Jerome* and possesses unv doubtedly the right to whatever claim the Bonapartes may have to the Imperial throne of France. The lady is Madame Bonaparte, grand daughter of Daniel Webster. .

_ There is shortly to be in Paris an exhibition of the French Crown jewels. Among them will be the famous '• Regent," which was valued at the beginning of this century at twelve millions of francs. According to the method of valuation which appears to rule in the diamond market, this famous diamond will now be valued at a figure swelled by the amount of the' interest of this sum during the course of the present century. The Regent, on account of its exceptional character, will be disposed of privately; the other stones will be put up at auction. They are at present in an iron safe, from which they have been removed only three times during the past six years, viz., in 1878, when they were on view at the Exhibition iv the Champa do Mars and twice since, when submitted to the* inspection of the two Chambers.

Some gum trees in Adelaide streets have had to be cut down owr 4j p to the ravages of the goat moth [cossus), the larvse of which were perfecting the wood so extensively as to ma.k& it dangerous to pass beneath the Umbs, even in calm weather.