FROM MANY PARTS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12265, 11 October 1902, Page 1 (Supplement)

FROM MANY PARTS.

FOREIGN OR BRITISH SHIPS. The foreigner in the fo’castle is evidently not confined to British ships. The official reports to the United States Bureau of Navigation eiatv! that during the past fiscal year tho shipping commissioners at (he seaboard shipped 108,551 men on American vessels. These figures include, of course, the repeated shipments of tho same men on different voyages of. the same vessels, tho returns stating that the number of individual seamen involved did not exceed 20,000. In regard to tho nationality of the men shipped, it is interesting to note that 31,957 were ‘ born ’ Americ-ns, and 14,915 were ‘naturalised’ Americans, the balance being made up of 10,313 Scandinavians, 13,897 Biitish, 5610 Gormans, 2297 Italians, 576 French, and 19,957 ‘ other nationalities.’ TOUGH TRADITION.

It is recorded that the ancient Irish shanachiea or story-tellers were in the habit, 'from time to time, of meeting together and repeating their well-worn tales in common assembly. There was reason for the bardie assemblies, for it was through them that the tales and genealogies were preserved pure and uncorrupted, at a time when writing was either unknown or but little practised. Without some such arrangement some amount of gradual change must surely have occurred, however great the care exercised ; with it one gathers that the records were handed down with extraordinary accuracy. There is a tale —we believe perfectly accurate in all its details —that a certain narrative, unknown to be otherwise preserved, was taken down from the lips of one of the last of the shanachies by a person interested in such matters and subsequently published. Years after, an ancient 1 manuscript, centuries older than the date of the occurrences just mentioned, was discovered which contained the identical tale, identical, not merely in outline and incidents, but in sentences and language the two almost word for word coincided.—The Monthly Begister.

THE SUFFERINGS OF INSECTS. The effect of tlv's ‘ summer’s ’ weather upon the insect world must have been, from the insect’s point of view, simply disastrous (says Country Life, an English publication). We set so little store by the diminutive, many-legged folk that we do not notice their sufferings. When the cuckoo, whom we all like to hear, is driven away from us before he has even changed his tune, we sadly notice the fact; but who sorrows for the insects, which die by millions from the same cause that speeds the parting cuckoo ? Indeed, if we think of the matter at all, it is with some sense of vindictive satisfaction, and we count it for virtue even to the profligate cuckoo that he‘destroys insects.’ Still there are some insect) which compel one to notice them ; and we have to be grateful to the weather for the fact that earwigs, which had been multiplying horridly for some years have been reduced to reasonable numbers ; that wasps seem scarcely as numerous as the queen wasps themselves were in spring; that house-flies—although there is still plenty of time for them to become a plague as in other autumns—scarcely muster 20 per cent of their usual strength in A ugust.

PILCHAEDS AND PRODUCTION. Although pilchards are found in such large shoals, they are not exceptionally prolific, each matron considering her duty done when she has introduced 30000 of her progeny into the world. A ling may be the mother of millions. Pilchards and herrings diverge in habits from their very cradles, the eggs of the first floating at the mercy of waves and tides, while those of the latter are attached to rocks and stones at the bottom of the sea — Longman's Magazine. DECEIVING THE CUSTOMS. Tourists and others are apt (says the Outlook) to wax very wroth because of the inquisitiveness of the Customs official. Yet there is something to be said for the official, as witness the recent experience of a well-known New York physician. On preparing to leave Paris for home, he found that his wife, who was remaining abroad, had packed in his trunk a number of gifts for American friends and relatives, expecting him to smuggle them through. He refused to be a party to the deception, and insisted on their removal. On arrival at New York he told the Customs officer that he had nothing dutiable, and hie baggage was passed with only a formal inspection. Peaching homo he found awaiting him the following letter, which had oome over on the same boat with him :—‘ In the inside pocket of your grey coat you will find a case containing a turquoise ring; this is for Cousin Alice. In left sleeve of same coat is roll of ribbon for Elsie In left leg of trousers of same suit is silk dress for your mother. In right leg is a scarf for my sister.- In various parts of brown suit you will find other articles, each marked with name of person for whom intended. Please have them delivered at once. —Your Loving Wife.’

INTELLIGENCE IN WAE. A lecture delivered by Lieu-tenant-ColoneL E. N. E. Eeade to the Canadian Military Institute at Toronto is printed in the United Service Magazine, and contains several noteworthy points. ‘As an example of how a small item of news, promply acted on, may lead to decisive results, I would instance lord Methuen’s attack and capture of Yillebois's commando near Boshof, in April, 1900. Two natives coming into Boshof mentioned the propinquity of a small hostile commando. The news was brought to Lord Methuen, who, without further delay, moved out with his mounted troops in the direction indicated. As you know, the result was a most successful one, for not only was the foreign commando annihilated, but a bold attempt by it to blow up Modder Eiver bridge was also frus. trated. . . . Often out of a mass of letters, newspapers, and telegrams valuable news as to the enemy’s plans and dispositions may be gained This work, however, is fatiguing and takes time, as the bulk of postal correspondence in civilised countries is enormous Even the energetic De Wet found such work beyond his powers. Eor you may recollect that when he captured the English mails near Kroonstadt in June, 1900, he spent several hours trying to gather intelligence from the sacks of cqrrespondence. It was too much for him though, and he gave up in despair, saying he had never known before that there were so many love-sick women in England,’

A TERIHER’d ADVENIURE. A fox-terrier, belonging to M. Stuart Smith, of the Bridge Hotel, Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire, has had an extraordinary adventurer The dog was lost and advertised for, and after being absent 12 days was found buried in a rabbit hole, where he had apparently bean for that period. Some men who were passing heard a whine, and knowing that a dog was mibsing from the hotel, fetched spades and commenced digging. The dog was got out alive It appears that he had worked into the rabbit hole, and had thrown the earth behind him, thus blocking the entrance. The animal, of course, was thin and weak, but with careful feeding he got all right. QUEEN WILHELMINA AND TOE tCHOO .BOYS. Two little schoolboys in Holland sent Queen Wilhelmina a quaint little Jotter, which, translated, reads:—‘Dear Queen, —Do, please, say that our teacher is not to be sent away. She is so good to us, and we love her so much, and really she hasn’t done anything. Father says you are powerful and good and that you even pardon murderers, because you wish had people to become good again.’ Queen Wilhelmina sent a reply promising that the lease of the teacher threatened with dismissal should be investigated.

NEW TORE’S FOREIGN POPULATION.

According to official figures, in the city of New York there are only 737,477 white persons born of native parents, or but 2LA per cent of the population of tho city. This statement means that out of every hundred persons living within the municipal boundaries of New York 78 are either foreigners, or the children of foreign-born parents, or colored people It is also stated that there are in New York City more males under 21 years of Slavonic parentage than of any other people, and the number of Slavonic men more than 21 years of age exceeds that of any other nationality except Germans and Irish.

ELECTRICITY IN THE AIR. There is always a certain amount of electricity in the air, though the kind varies from time to time. Recent investigations seem to show that systematic study of the electrical condition of the atmosphere may be used as an index to the character of the forthcoming weather. It is easy to understand that distant thunderstorms can be detected before they actually pass over a place; and instruments have been set up in Europe with the express purpose of obtaining early notice of the approach of such disturbances. Hailstorms, which are related to electrical effects, can be detected in the same way. Attempts are being made to discover electrical changes which are precursors of other aspects of weather.

FOREIGNERS ON BRITISH t HIPS. Of the whole fleet of 211 British ships which touched at Braila (Roumania) last year, five masters, nine mates,. and three engineers were foreigners (writes Mr ViceConsul Noroop). Of the petty o Ulcers 110 boatswains and 26 carpenters were British, to 70 and 87 foreigners respectively. There were 493 British engaged as able seamen to 706 foreigners of that rating; 40 British to 28 foreign ordinary seamen; 457 British to 177 foreign cooks, stewards, and assistant stewards; 648 British to 708 foreign donkeymen and firemen. A great increase is to be noted in the foreign element as regards able seamen, as compared with last year’s report. There were 61 apprentices—a large increase on last year.

ABOUT ME BALFOUR’S CL' TUBS. The dress of Mr Balfour is—like everything belonging to the new Premier—being discussed. It has been stated that he is as careless as Lord Salisbury in sartorial matters, but according to the Tailor and Gutter this is not so. He dresses well, but. apparently prefers ap easy? fitting style of coat to the creaseless tin-soldier coats of many of his fellow members. He has been known to play the part of a quickchange artist by cycling down to the House in a golfing outfit, and then appear in a few minutes in his ordinary frock-coat suit.

PROBATION JUDGES. In Scotland the practice that B newly-appointed Judge shall undergo an examination before actually taking his seat on the Bench still prevails. Taere, a new Judge is at first a “ Lord Probationer.” He sits, without robes, with one of the Lords Ordinary, and hears a case tried by the latter in the “ Outer House.’’ He then reports to the Judges in the “ Inner House ” as to this case; and it is not till after they have approved of this report that the Lord Probationer becomes a Lord I'rdiuary. In England (says the Law Magazine ) the omission of this examination, together with the appointment of a bar.ister, about to be created Judge, to the office of Serjeant being reduced to a mere formality, ip order to supply a colorable compliance with the statute requiring that none but Serjeants shall be made Judges, has perhaps led to the occupation of the Bench by some to whose learning their brethren might not have been altogether prepared to previously testify.

BEIAN B IRD’S FLAG. Kingstown is called the ‘ premier township in Ireland.’ At the last election, owipg to a split in the Loyalist party, this Unionist district was, for the first time, captured by the Nationalists, who, however, did not carry out their threat to name the handsome fountain erected to commemorate the visit of her late Majesty “ De Wet Fountain.” To-day, says a correspondent of the Fall Mall Gazette, I attended a meeting of the body, whose chief labor was the consideration of a new township flag. An ardent Nationalist member moved to have a green flag, with harp and shamrocks, substituted for the present emblem, portion of the design of which is the cross of Saint George. Another Nationalist argued that the true flag of Ireland was of blue with a harp on it, and backed his statement with the historical fact that Brian Boru carried such an ensign when he set out to fight the Danes. After a discussion that partook of a nature that is indigenous to Irish local boards, the motion to have a green flag, with the harp and botanical trimmings was carried. When the Loyalists get into power again, as they will next year, there will be another wrangle over the bunting, and the present township flag will once more float over the Town Hall.