Interesting Facts.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 32, 7 August 1902, Page 29

Interesting Facts.

t L'Z'" 1 <°l Phosphorus heads J .000,000 matches.

A complete set of new stamps hasbeen ordered for the Orange River Colony.

It has been observed in tho hospitals that nails on amputated fingers continue to grow. The longest speech in the English; larhament was uiddo by Mr. Gladstone when introducing the Budget; in 1 85.3 He spoke for 5J hours. The whole of the celebrated forests of Vallombrosa, in Italy were planted by tho patient and ind>us-< inous monks of St. Benedict during; the middle ages. China has decided to establish a general post office and to turn over tho administration of it to tho marine customs service under Sir Robert Hart

It is- said that the flint which forms tho substratum of London is nothmig but petrified sponges An examination of the fossil sponge or flint shows its structure. A comparison lias been drawn in Norway as to tho profit of the fisheries m tho sea and in tho rivers, which shows that tho former nro three times as Keniuncrativo as the latter.

The alligator ne\er lea\es fresh water, while the cnocodile often goes! to sea, and in the West Indies has

sometimes been found many milea from land, heading directly for an island, possibly out of sight. Captain Perry speaks of tho great 1 distances that sounds can bo heard during intense cold. We often, ho says, in the Arctic regions heard peoplo converse in a common voice at the distance of a mile. Bolnia prodiucea one-twelfth oC tho world's tin, and is rich in copper ?,™ P lacer gold , yet it has only ~(K> miles of railroad for its 600 000 squaro miles of territory. The almost entire lack of transportation facilities has kept back its development. '