CURRENT TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 15003, 25 May 1909, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS.

RADIUM IN ANTARCTICA.

Among tho minerals brought hack from Antarctica by tho Nimrod Expedition, says the

“ Sydney Morning Herald,” is a small piece of jagged stone with an orangecoloured metallic, smear lacrcos one faco. According to Professor David that smear is almost certainly vanadium. This rare mineral is valuable in itself, because it is used in certain processes of hardening stool, and it is the. more important because it is almost invariably associated with radio-active substances. Tho inference is, therefore, that uranium and possibly radium itself will bo l'ouud in tho Antarctic. Vanadium, Professor David explains, is asparagus green in colour, but it turns orange on exposure to tho air. The piece of rock has not yet been analysed, but there is little doubt that it contains vanadium. All tho minerals found in the Far South are to be analysed by Mr Mavvson, tJio official mineralogist to the Expedition, and it will bo six or seven months before full results are available. A good deal, therefore, hangs on Mr Mawscn’s work. If there are extensive deposits of vanadium and radio-active substances in the Far South they will almost certainly be worked, because these raro minerals aro enormously valuable. It would pay to work vanadium deposits in Victoria Land, and of course men will go to tlio ends of the earth now for radium ore. The minerals collected by tho Nimrod Expedition were almost all found in Victoria Land, near tho coast, by the Magnetic Pole party. Victoria Land was annexed by the Expedition, subject to tho endorsement of the Imperial Government, and any valuable mineral deposits there are in British territory. Lieutenant Shncldoton’s expedition had no commercial objects in view, but it is quite possible that the discoveries made may give some commercial value to the frozen region. * Indeed specimens of quartz were collected, which almost certainly contain gold. The world’s supply of vanadium is at present di-awn from Colorado and Peru. It has been found in other localities, bub not in payable quantities, and Mr Mawson discovered a deposit of carnotite, a curious combination of potassium, uranium and vanadium, in South Australia three years ago.

GETTING ON.

Although ho achieved d inti n c cion som ewh at

later in life than did same of out public men, Mr Henry Burling promises to become the most interviewed person in the dominion. It is a record lie well deserves. Ho is celebrating his one hundred and ninth birthday this month, and next year he will enter upon his twelfth decade. A representative of the “Dominion” who called upon this young-old gentleman at Ills little homo nestling on the slopes of tho coast hills at Waikanae one day last week found him full of health and vigour and ready to talk pleasantly on tho stirring incidents of hie early life. Ho was a married man with a family of seven when ho landed in "Wellington fiomo seventy years ago, and one of hid boys, with whom ho now lives, is close upon eighty, a halo young fellow who can hardly count himself old in tho presence of eucli a father. Who could? “ Wo sat down,” the newspaper man saya in telling of his visit, “ and presently there appeared in tho doorway a vigorous old gentleman, erect and stimly-lfl'Oking, with long, snow-white hair and a. crisp white heard which fairly bristled with vitality. His complexion was clear, his cheeks full, his neck firm, and there was hardly a wrinkle on Ilia face. One of his eyes, tho right, was blind—the result of an accident—and tho strain through the years which followed tho mishap had weakened the other. The same accident hadVvrecked the drum of tho right ear, but tho other did fairly good work folium. And yet ho was one hundred and nino years old; lie was barn five years before Trafalgar, and was a hoy soldier in the year of Waterloo!” For years Mr Burling carried tho mails and despatches from Wellington to the Manawatu, and during this time lie had many exciting experiences with the Maoris. On one occasion he took a message from tho Governor to the famous chiof Rungi, at great personal

peril, and very materially assisted in averting a eerious trouble between the Natives and tho Europeans. His own list of tho hard knocks ho lias received in his adventures by flood.and field is formidable enough. “ I’ve bad my ribs broken,” lio told the visitor, “ jawbone smashed, leg broken, nearly had my nock broken in a bullock chain thatblinded ono of mv eyas: and did for the drum of my car. But I’m hero yot—eh.?” Mr Burling appears never to liavo taken any special caro of his health, and even now is offending against most of the rules that aro supposed to conduce to longevity. Ho oats beef steak pudding and apple pie, “with unmistakable vigour .and relish, ’ drinks tea and smokos “all tho afternoon.” He has had thirteen, children, and claims to liavo about six hundred descendants.

IMRACST AXI) ' MURDER.

It was an extraordinary story that wasi investigated by tlio Fijian Courts recently, when

Joseph Mortlemans was found guilty of

piracy and murder. A little American schooner, of about fifty tons, named tho Neuvro Tigre, flying tho Italian flag, and engaged in the coastal trade of Callao, sailed about sixteen months ago. on a short journey, and as soon as she was out of sight of land, Mortlemans, who was employed as tho cook of tho vessel, planned the murder of both tho captain and tho mate, and successfully carried out his intention to steal tho vessel. Ho saved a young seaman named Jackson, who also went under tho name of Skerrett, and by threatening his life made him an obedient accomplice. The name of tho Vessel was erased and the schooner sailed before tho wind until at last she readied tho Gilbert Islands, where eh© was wrecked in February, 1908, on a reef in Apamama Lagoon. Neither Mortlemans nor hie assistant had any knowledge of. navigation, and they were ignorant of the locality where their vessel camo to grief. Within a. quarter of an hour of tho stranding of tho mysterious and nameless echo-oner tho island trading vessel Laurel arrived on tho (scene. Mortlemans could give no clear explanation of his presence, but ho and Skerrett were ultimately taken on board the Louise J, Kenny, with tho object of sending them to Tarawa, tlio seat of government. On tho voyage Mortlemans planned to seize this veestol also, but Skerrett managed to warn tho captain and Mortlemans was put in irons. Ultimately the two were sent to Fiji to bo tried. Skerrett, who turned King’s evidence, declared that Mortlemans had attacked tlio mate and captain of the. Neuvro Tigre with an axe, and after wounding them had given them tho option of jumping overboard or being shot. Both jumped into tho sea and wero drowned, the schooner being some- fourteen miles off shore- at tho time. Tho Fijian, authorities are now, it seems, considering an objection that their Courts have no jurisdiction in tho case. Tho affair is commonly referred to as tho “ Whit© Rose ” case, because when Mortlemans painted out the name Neuvro Tigre he intended to call the schooner the Whit© Hose. His idea was to sell tho vessel in Australia, but of course the wreck defeated liis plans in that direction.