ROUNA FALLS, NEW GUINEA.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1699, 26 May 1883, Page 3

ROUNA FALLS, NEW GUINEA.

The Rev. W. G. Lawes gives the following description of the Kouiia Falls, in Queensland's new territory ;—; — They are not far from our camp at Taburc. About an hour brought us quite to thoin. The roar of the waters can be heard at a great distance. On my first visit to Munikahila, in 1575, I was told by an old chief of Port Moresby that I should hoar the roar of these falls there — at least ten miles distant. After descending about 200 ft the \ alley of the Laloke opens up. I have seen few sights to compare with the beauty of this. On our west side, rugged, rocky, broken ground, with stunted vegetation, sloped down to the river. On the eastern side, bold, iilmost perpendicular cliffs of fiom 50ft to 200 ft high, close the \ icw. At their base the river winds over a rocky bod, which forms a scries of cascades of spaikling, foaming water. You sec nothing of the falls until you are just over thorn, and then to look down is enough to make any but a native diz^y. The btrcam is biokcn just above the falls by a huge boulder lying at an angle of about 45 degrees. It would measure n bout 60ft long on its upper fice. Between this and the falls is si small locky garden, with creeping palms and tropical vegetation. Just at the bicak are several bare rocks, mid stream, although these aieail covered, the natives told us, whim the river is high. 'J he principal fall is on the eastern side ; the greatest body of water falls over here, but about 100 feet down it breaks on a flat perpendicular rock. On the western side there was less water, but it is a sheer fall right to the bottom, where there is a terrible cauldron, We had no difficulty in getting right down to the stream, and standing in the shallow water at the side looking over the fall itself. Our aneroids here ga\e a mean of 1200 feet, but how were we to reach the bottom to get a reading them? We inquired of the natives if there was any road to the boUom, without first returning the way we came. "Oh, yes! there was a road, but it was veiy bid and very difficult ;" and none of them would go. At last the offer of a tomahawk m ide the road practicable, and a young man volunteered to pro as guide, if either of us would accompany him. Mr Chalmers wont, butMisLnwcs and I not possessing Highland legs, did not uMitiue. He foun 1 the road bad enough, but i cached the bottom of the falls, u here the aneroid read 950 ft, giving 250 ft na height of falls. The boiling-point theiniomttcr, with conection forteniperalure, ie, gavc346ft. We could not drop a stone, but one thrown took five seconds to reach the water. It was not easy to time, but a dozen throws all give the same result. The liver at the heo-d of the falls is about 50 yards wide. In the* wet season, when the river is high, there must be a tremendous iu^li of water down this narrow bed. At the bottom the ri\er descends very rapidly by a scries of small falls. I hope next season to be able to get some photographs which may give some idea of the sceneiy in this valley of the Laloke.

Tin: aiming of the (J Tinan troops with the new Mauser wile lias h.xidly been completed when a necessity has aiisen for intioduuingn more formidable w eapon. and a revolving gun li.is been distiibuted to some of tlic regiments foi trial. Fiftlen Tuikish officeis ha\e gone to Berlin to seive for one year in vaiiud blanches, of the German army in order to study the system in all its details. At Chester (U.S.) Elizabeth Roberts has been remanded on a chaige of th lowing her child, 14 months old, on the fire. It w.iB alleged that while in a drunken frenzy on Sunday the prisoner threw the child on the fire thiec times. It was rescued by a neighbour, teriibly burnt. Ax Irish judge tued two most notorious fellows for highway iobbeiy. To the astonishment of the Court, as well as the piisonus themselves, they %\eic found not guilty. As they ■were being j temoved fion the bar, the judge, addressing the gaoler, said : " Mi Murphy, you will greatly ea^e my mind if you would keep those icspcetable gaitkmcn until ••even, or half-past pe\en o'clock, foi I mean to sot out foi Dublin at h\e, and I should like to ha\e at least two hoius!' &tai t 01 them." — 1> ith Low Tinu\. Somj', of tliu stoiokeepcts in Aineiica aic constantly alinojtd by childivn coming to them asking tor caids, emnty boxes and that sort of things. The cleiks are, of couise, down on the youngsters, and the waifaie never ends. The other day .1 littli 1 gill opened a stoic door and, sticking her head in, called out- -"Say, mister, have you got any empty boxes?" " No," said the clerk, not \i'iy politely. "Got any cauls?"' "No." "Got any almanacs?' "No." "Got any empty bottles?" "No." "Gotany pietuios? 1 ' "No." "Got any sense ? " "No — yes -no — yes — you miseiable little ivietch," and the cleik flew out of the door, and the youngster was up in the next alley making faces at him, and he cumc back madder than he has been since his salary was reduced, Musical Mattresses.— Nana's bed and bedstead, as described with such amplitude of detail by M. Zola, was a most wonderful effort of the cabinetmaker and uphnlsteier — a tour deforce, in fact ; but the Indian Rajah's bedstead, which by now has reached Calcutta, is really a much more wonderful etloitofait The fact that immediately the bed feels the Aveight of tin Knjih's form it will bm at foith into melodious selections fiom Gounod's most tuneful operas is in itself enough to make this new piece of fuinitnie count as an inspiration. This is not all. The Rajah scemes to be afraid that even the gaiden miibic fiom "Faust" will sometimes fail to sootii his peiturbed breast, so at the four corners of the bed a-c four life-.izeel female figures, which are in fact automata \\ 01 thy to ciaim relationship to Kcllar and Gunanl's wondciful family we ha\e seen at the Gaiety Theatre. Theßajah's young ladies do something more to the immediate purpose of their presence than play whist, or blow tiumpets, or diaw outline sketches of popu'ar statesmen, however. That is to sa}', they proceed on being wound up to generally fan their luxurious master, at the s>amc time, if the details received are correct, " making eyes " at him in the most languishing manner. But sleep, and we most of us know, is a capricious visitor, and we should not be at all surprised if the Rajah, in spite of his musical mattresses and his four fanning houris, had not to fall back on a do»c of chloral after all. The musical mattress, however, is likely to become fashionable, and several are already in use in London. But all who have to sleep on one should have complete personal control over the supply of music. This is an indispensable condition to its being enjoyed. A Business-mice Lovkk. —If a doctor is also a lover, can ho, in case of death, charge for visits of affection as professional attendance ? Such was the question decided by Mr. Justice Chitty the other day. The action was an administrative one, in which the next of kin of a maiden lady who left £4000 behind her complained of the charges made by her executor (a medical man) for executor's expenses and professional service*. It appeared that tho defendant had been engaged to be married to the lady, and tho igh the match had been bioken off, he continued to attend her for a complaint of which she eventually died. The Judge had to decide upon a charge of nearly £500 for medical services, of which £i>2 was for two visits a day for 277 days at 2s Gd each. The plaintiff contended that the vibits were made as a lover and not as a doctor j but Mr. Ju>tico Chitty thought that as tho charge per visit was very raodeiate, though the number of visits was perhaps excessive, he might allow him one visit a day as a doctor and, regarding tho second vi it as that of the lover, kno. ked off half the charge. As, however a charge of thiee guineas a day for taking the lndy for drives was allowed to remain, the dcotor's pocket has not suffered severely for his devotion,,