For You to Know

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 261, 31 July 1937, Page 9 (Supplement)

For You to Know

A Column of General Knowledge Butterflies Over (he Sea. Norfolk children must have thought they were in fairyland a few weeks ago when thousands of white butterflies came floating over the cliffs and salt marches until they disappeared inland. They had apparently flown across the North Sea from the Continent of Europe. For hours the air was crowded with white wings lighted by the sun. They could be seen,-far out at sea, and, although the wind was against them most of the day, the fairy invaders moved steadily from north-east to south-w£st. An observer saw more than 20 cross the small range of a telescope in one minute. Nearly every bluebell was hung with butterflies resting, and thousands more were arriving from across the sea. I They did not seem tired, but no wonde/1 Had they not come to their land of promise? - Had a little bird told them that the British are a nation of cabbage-eaters, and that nearly every garden in England has the white butterfly’s favourite cabbage? The 100-Mile Lake. So much water has been stored in Lake' Mead by the huge Boulder Dam in Colorado that there Is enough to supply the household needs of the United States for the next three years. Thousands of farmers living in the ■ Imperial Valley below the dam can now rely on a regular flow of water. Before Urn Colorado River was harnessed they lived in continual anxiety of floods or droughts. Lake Mead, believed to be the world’s biggest artificial lake, now stretches for more than 100 miles and covers 72.200 acres of what was once one of America's worst deserts. It holds 11,000,000 acres of water a foot deep. Fish in the Bush. Fresh flsh is now delivered twice a week in some of the remote parts of the Australian bush. A short time ago -this would have seemed a miracle, but it has been made possible by tb.o weekly air-mail service from Adelaide to Port Darwin and back. Many people living in lonely outposts far from civilisation are now enjoying the luxury, and fresh-fish parties are the fashion during weekends. The flsh, which is brought from the north and south coasts of Australia, costs 3/3 a pound, but it is impossible to carry enough to meet, the large demand. After some successful flights along the ISOO-mile route a regular service was started. An aeroplane now leaves Adelaide every Saturday morning and reaches Darwin on the Sunday morning. It leaves for the south that afternoon and arrives at Adelaide on Monday. At bush- hotels travellers can now obtain unexpected dainties. Strange requests have been made at some of the stopping-places. One family asked for a tennis-net for a week-end party. A Royal Banqueting Hall. The banqueting hall of Eltham Palace, a few miles out of London, has now been restored, after undergoing many changes. It is part of a building. of which little but foundations now remain, which for 300 years was a" Royal residence: yet until two years ago .it stood empty, forlorn and almost forgotten. Locally it was called “Prince John’s Palace’’ or “King John’s Barn?’ (John of Eltham, son of Edward 11, was -born in the palace.) It was once used as a cart-shed, and later was converted into a tennis court. In 1933 a lease was granted to Mr. Stephen Courthauld, who also had permission to build a modern house, on the condition that the old banqueting 'mil should be thrown open to the public for inspection. The work has been finished now, and Thursdays have been set apart “visiting days’’ for the public to the’ hall. The hall was rebuilt by Edward IV (1461-1483). It has a superb hammerbeam roof of chestnut,