MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 315, 16 July 1898, Page 6 (Supplement)

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Extract from composition exercise by small Canterbury school girl: "Kindness to animals. —It is cruel to cut off dogs' tails, as some wicked men do, for what God hath joined together no man must put asunder." A boy looking into the sea at the port of Wellington the other day saw two watches lying at the bottom of the harbour, and eventually, by diligent fishing secured both, one being a silver English lever and the other a gold Virginia watch with a small piece of a lady's chain attached. The silver watch was wonderfully well preserved ; indeed when wouiuhup it started to tick. It is thought that there may be some connection between this find and a recent Masterton robbery. Lieutenant Sharpe, of the United States Navy, was appointed to one of the vessels bought by the Government, and had an interview with the Secretary of the Navy. He observed that his new ship bore the same name as his wife, adding, with a smile, that she had hastened to remind him that it would be the first Josephine he had ever commanded. The Secretary seemed amused. A few days later the name was changed to the Vixen, and now Mrs Sharpe wants to know the reason why. It has never occurred to the average Spaniard, who in all ranks of life is a courteous and obliging gentleman, that his barbarous bull-fight is anything but a form of dramatic entertainment, as legitimate as those of the Lyceum or Comedie Francaise. They tell a story, says an English paper, which may probably be true, that when the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals proposed to establish a branch in a leading city of Spain, the municipal body courteously accepted the proposal, and offered to hold a grand bull-fight at once to furnish the funds ! Signor Cesare Augusto Levi, the Italian historian, has written to the Temps, says the Paris correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph, to state that he has discovered authentic documents about Othello and Desdemona in the archives of Venice, and among the papers of some Italian families. According to Signor Levi, Shakespeare and others have completely distorted the history of the Moor ot Venice, and of the lady who took such an interest in his battles, sieges and fortunes. It appears that De'sdemona's real name was Pahna, Even at social gatherings the J.P. does not fail to distinguish himself. At an up country concert, says the Press at which the chairman was a local J.P., the following startling announcement was made from the chair :—" Ladies and gentlemen, the next Intern on howr programme is a duet by Mr Handrews." Mr Andrews here approached the chairman with " I can't perform a duet by myself! If I played by myself that would be a solo. Miss Smith and I will play the duet. The chairman, rising aguiu with due gravity, said : —" Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Handrews says 'e's unable to perform a duet by 'imself, but Miss Smith and 'e will play a solo !" The new musical movement has admittedly brought down the fees; for teaching, says a London paper, and only recently somebody advertised a music lesson for sixpence, "including a bun and a glass of milk." It also seems to have had its effect upon the price of musical instruments. In a law case at Berlin on 4th May, the value of a violin was in question, and Dr. Joachim was called as a witness. It was sworn to in Court that the price of this valuable musical implement was 2s 9d, or with bow complete 3s (id. Furthermore the manufacturer swore that he had sold hundreds of gross at th's price in England, not as toys, but as bona fide violins for teaching purposes, and for amateurs. Where they wont to is another matter. Perhaps some of them figure in the " Widow giving up housekeeping" advertisements, in which a Stradivarius, with bow complete, is offered for a guinea. A potant factor in the prolongation of human life beyond the common span which has been unaccountably overlooked in recent discussions on the subject is the possession of a pension. Sir Andrew Clark has recorded the case of the chaplain to a London hospital who was pensioned off on account of heart disease, which it was thought would speedily slit the thinspun thread of his life, and who lived for nearly half a century afterwards, doubtless praising God, and, let us hope, blessing the enlightened liberality of the committee. But probably the most striking examples in illustration of the effect of a pension in promoting longevity are to be found in the United States, where a large army of veterans who fought in the great Civil War live on its spite of most complicated ailments, which would certainly kill most people whose constitution is not fortified by the elixir that dwells in a grant of public moneyMany of these veterans, like Artemus Ward, escaped a wound in battle because they were not there, but a disability contracted in the service does just as well, With a little ingenuity it is possible to dcvis3 pathological conditions of the most moving kind.—British Medical Journal. At the United Service Institution, London, Captain Kennedy, R.E., Second Division Telegraph Battalion, delivered an address on the subject of wireless telegraphy. He remarked that the greatest sphere of usefulness of the system would be at sea. If lighthouses were equipped with a simple arrangement, electric as well as light flashes could be emitted to guide ships in thick and foggy weather, and ships properly fitted would have no difficulty in making the land in any weather. At important ports an incoming ship would be able to herald its approach, while outward bound ships could receive the very latest news. As applied to the naval service, information could in time of war be sent to port from great distances by placing intermediate ships as relay' stations. Passing cruisers could communicate with the shore without coming within visual range by day or niyht. A friendly craft entering a fortified harbour at night could make known its identity, and so escape immediate destruction. Orders might also be communicated between the various ships of a .squadron when, owing to atmospheric conditions, ordinary means failed. The system appeared to the lecturer to be invaluable to a fleet manoeuvring under cover of darkness. In applying that system on shore several difficulties had to be overcome, but it was not foreseen that it would at all affect the existing telegraphs. We have been bearing a great deal about the American Eagle lately ; and a few words upon that noble bird, the emblem of the United States, will not be

unseasonable. To begin with, the American eagle is bald-headed, and in view of recent events this appears to be all the more appropriate and einblamatic of the nation. The main strongholds of these birds are the "Great Rocky RaiH'e," the " Great Roans," and the "Bald" mountains, which vary from ,")")")() to (ifi.'iO feet in height. Many of these mountain solitudes and fastnesses of Tennessee are quite inaccessible to man. But for this fact, these magnifi cent birds would long since have been exterminated, for they realise big prices whether dead or alive. A nestling sells readily for forty dollars, and a really good adult bird is worth 300 dollars. As these eagles only lay two eggs—of a dirty brownish colour—in the season—it is'not possible for them to become very numerous, especially as there are trappers always on the watch for them. They are slow of growth, taking three years to acquire their full adult plumage, but they are reputed to live from SO to ItiO years—barring accidents. They hunt in pairs, and for this purpose have to descend to the valleys, where wild dusks and geese abound. It is a curious fact that the female is usually the stronger of the two, and she bullies her mate unmercifully, eating all the best of the food, and gorging herself to repletion before she will let him have a morsel. It may be due to this treatment that should the wife be killed ho becomes a hermit, anil never mates again—one experiment in matrimony has been enough for him. A good story has been copied in the papets from La France du Nord about a Cossack, ignorant of the French language and equally ignorant of fear, who was hired ac Moscow by the liontamer, Pezon, to clean the cages of his wild leasts. Their understanding, or misunderstanding, was arranged by means of gestures and dumb show, as that unfortunate Tower of Babel hindered intelligible speech between the Frenchman and the Cossack : and Pezon thought that the man thoroughly understood what he had to do. The next morning the Tartar began his new duties by entering with bucket, sponge and broom, not the cage of a tame beast, as his master had done, but of a splendid untamed titer, which lay asleep upon the floor. The lierce animal woke and fixed his eyes upon the man, who calm 1 }' proceeded to wet his large sponge, and, unterrih'ed. to approach the tiger. At this moment Pezon appeared upon the scene and was struck with horror. Any sound or motion upon his part would intensify the danger ot the situation by rousing the beast to fury : so he quietly waited till the need should arise to rush to thts man's assistanse. The moujik sponge in baud, approached the animal, and perfectly fearless, proceeded to rub him down as if he had been a horse or a dog; while the tiger, apparently delighted by the application of cold water, rolled over on its back, stretched out its paws, and purring, offered every part of its body to the Cossack, washed him as complacently as a mother bathes her infant. Then he left the cage and would have repeated the hazardous experiment upon another savage beast from the desert had not Pezon drawn him off with difficulty. RULE BRITANNIA. Although we frequently hear the first verse of " Rule Britannia " sung, it is not often that it is sung to the last stanza. Here are the words as originally written by Thomson : When Britain first, at Heaven's command, Arose from out the azure main ; This was the charter of the land, And guardian angels sang the strain : Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves, Britons never will be slaves. The nations, not so blest as thee, Must in their turn to tyrants fall; Whilst thou shalt flourish, great and free, The dread and envy of them all : Still more majestic shalt thou rise, More dreadful from such foreign stroke ; As the loud blast that tears the skies Serve but to root thy native oak : Thee haughty tyrants ne'er shall tamo ; All their attempts to haul thee down Will but arouse thy geu'rous flame Ami work their woo—hut thy renown. To thee belongs the rural reign ; Thy cities shall with commerce shine ; All thine shall he the subject main, And every shore encircle thine. The Muses still with Freedom found, Shall to thy happy coast repair; Blest isle ! with matchless beauty crown'd, And manly hearts to guard the fair. Rule Britannia, Britannia rules the waves, Britons never will he slaves.