THE OLDEST FAMILY IN THE WORLD.

Grey River Argus, Volume LVII, Issue 9493, 14 July 1896, Page 4

THE OLDEST FAMILY IN THE WORLD.

(o) About a dozen of the 400 barons in the British House of Lords date back to 1400, the earliest baing 1264. The oldest family in the British. Isles is the Mar family of Scotland, 1,063. The Campbells of Argyle, to whom belongs the present Duke of Argyle, began in 1190, Talleyrand dates; from 1199, Bismarck from 1270, the Groarenor family , the Dukes of Westminster, 1 066; the Austrian house ofjHapsburg goes back to 952, and the house of Bourbon to 864. r J he descendantsof Mohammed, i born 570, are all registered carefully and authoritatively in a book kept in Mecca by the chief of the family. Little or no doubt exists of the absolute authenticity of the long line of Mohammed's descendants. In China there are many old families, also among the Jews. "But when it comes to pedigrees, there is one gentleman to ■whom the world must take off its hat, not only as facile princeps or primus inter pares, but as a great and only nonesuch. This is the Mikado of

Japan." His place has been filled by members of his family for more than 2,500 years. The present Mikado is the 122 nd of the line. The first one was contemporary with Nebuchadnezzar, 666 years before Christ. Of the seven great religions enumerated by Max Muller as possessing Bibles, the Mikado family ir older than five. If any member of the Imperial family lives out of Russia for more than onefourth of the year, then his or her income is considerably reduced. G A whole week will be devoted in Vienna to Mozart's memory. A grand concert will take place, and the Emperor will unveil a Mozart monument. Paris bakers are to exhibit in their windows in future a lisb of actual prices side by side with the price the municipality thinks ought to be charged. Shades of the Doges ! English coal (12,000 tons a year) is used to "rescue" land from the lagoons near Venice; the reclaimed land, which- becomes very fruitful, is generally drained by steam power When very full the biggest ocean liner in the world is said to be able to carry L 30,000 worth of passenger's on a single journey." The profit on coinage of silver and •bronze is at present prices more than sufficient to cover the whole .expenditure of the Mint.