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Waikato Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2295, 26 March 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

The Irish Privy Council, as at present constituted, is one of the most curious institutions in the kingdom. The wisdom of its members is supposed to assist Dublin Castle in governing the country. Prince Edward, of Saxe- Weimar, is a late addition to this assemblage of wise men, and the latest is an octogenarian, Sir J. Lentaigne.

Scoring a Bull's-eye Through a Max's Head.—A shocking accident has taken place at Cold Marcha rifle range, near Ruthin, Denbighshire. It seems that a number of the local volunteers went up to the range for practice, a private named Thomas Davies acting as marker. Another private named Peter Thomas was firing, ar.d when in the act of covering the target, the marker, Davies, ran out of the shelter-hut for the purpose, it is supposed, of picking up the tin which contained the paint for marking the target. But Thomas did not observe him, and tired. The bullet passed through the unfortunate mau's right ear, travelled through the brain, and out through the other side of his head, and then, strange to say, it hit the target right in the centre, making a bull's eye. Deceased alone was to blame for not hoisting the danger signal. Ouu Ix max Empire.—There are few who adequately realise the vastness of the British dominion in the East. The total population is about 250,000.000, of which at least 180,000,000 are under the direct government of the Crown, while the remainder, nominally under independent sovereigns, are yet practically under British control. A traveller arriving at Knrrachi, the proposed terminus of the mail route by sea or land from Europe, would take four days, travelling by railway, at an average speed of 20 miles an hour, day and night, to reach Calcutta. The railway journey now, from Bombay to Calcutta, occupies two days and three nights. The use of the English language is rapidly increasing all over India. The matriculation examination of the Indian Universities is in English, so that every candidate must be able to read that language, and thousands of young men every year appear at these examinations. It is becoming the litujuafntnca of the educated class all over the country, and it must be used more and more in schools, colleges, courts of justice, and all public affairs, so as to be the supreme tongue, to which all the native languages and dialects must be secondary. So far as the press is concerned, the demand for English books will be enormous at no distant period.— Leisure Hour.

The Sacred Hairy Family of Burmatt.—There are now being exhibited in the Egyptian Hall, the Royal Sacred Hairy Family, belonging to ex-King Theebaw, who have been brought into England by Mr Farini. They are four in number. Two of them are covered all over with long silky hair of divers colours. The other two are ordinary Burmese. Until lately they lived in the Royal Palace at Mandalay, but the British annexation of Burmah caused them to make other arrangements. The chief member in the quartet in Maliphoon, a little old woman, of 63. The poor creature is totally blind, and lier Face is covered with long silky hair like a shaggy terrier. Her son, Moung Phosct, aged 29, is the same, only more so. There is no possible imposture about this fact, for any visitor is permitted the closest inspection from the forehead to the feet the hair is in thick profusion, especially over the face, where it has to bo divided in order to allow the human eyes—for human they are—to see or be seen. On the man's face the beard is enormously thick, and measures in length over seven inches. The woman, his mother, who is 63 years of age, is also completely covered with air, which is now growing grey. They are certainty very curious specimens of humanity.