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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 243, 13 October 1891, Page 2

The secretary was instructed to reply t > Messrs Fell ana Atkinson.

One tenth of the world is still unexplored. The Suez Canal took thirteen years to build. ,

Only one man in 203 is over six feet in height.

Half of the surface of Russia is forestolad,

A rabbit can jump nine clear feet on level ground.

One marriage out of four in Japan invari. ably ends in a divorce.

Sparrows have become snoh a nuisance in some parts of Germany that a reward is offered for their deßtruofcion.

The Pope, like the German Emperor, speaks better English that many Englishmen, He seldom forgets a face.

The failure of reoruits to oome forward for the regular foroes and militia aoiually left £171,000 on the British War Secretary's hands.

From the vital statistics of the large cities in America, it appears that at least 10,000 children starve to death every year, A railway is to be built aoross England that will enable a passenger to make a direct trip from the Mersey to the shores of the North Sea. It will be about 150 miles in length, and the expense of purchase and construction will be at the rate of about £40,000 per mile. The Emperor of China doesn't permit any lawyers to fool away the time around his courts, He simply orders the beheading of ' all persons concerned in the reoent riots and massacres,' without bothering too much about the share they had in the trouble. A barrister, a dootor, an ez-oaptain of the Guards, an arohiteot, a professor of languages, a ohemist, and twelve short hand writers era among those who have found a refuge in General Booth's ' Elevator Homes ' in lion* don.

Austria has not only a high 'school of agriculture, but afteen intermediate and eighty-three primary agricultural sohools, beside nine Chairs of Agriculture in polyteohnio establishments and agricultural ex* perimental sfcatioda.

All the children in BOhool in 'Prussia, numbering 4,000,000, on a certain day were examined, and the color of their ayes and hair oarefully registered. It was tetrad that 4297 percent had blue eyes, and 2431 per oent brown, while no less than 72 per cent had blonde hair, 26 per oent brown, and only 1-21 per cent blaok hair. Only 6*63 per cent, again, are of bronette complexion. Queen Victoria's family oirole now numbers fifty living descendants, including sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaugh* ters, great-grandsons and great-graad daagh ters Besides these she has i sons-in-law, 4 daughters-ia««law, 2 grandsons-in-law and 1 granddaugh.ter-in.-law. There hare died 1 son, 1 daughter, 5 grandsons, 1 grand, daughter, 1 great-grandson and 1 Bon-in-law. .

In Darmstadt and other large German cities, pot-plants are given to eohool ohildron who live in tenements. Usually three of the same sissa are given, with printed directions how to o&re for them. At the end of a year exhibitions are held and prizes awarded.

A Chinese correspondent (says the Pull Mall Budget) sends us the following sketch of a Chinese execution :— The prisoners, having been landed, were placed in line on their, knees a few. feet apart. Whether, as is generally understood, these prisoners had been drugged, ie is not certain, but the major* ity seemed to evince but little interest ia what was going on. One certainly had the appearance of being drugged, or else was paralysed with fear. He was carried ashore in a basket, and on being placed in. line on the beaoh fell forward, burying his face ia the Band, , The viotims having been ' arranged amidst nmoh beating .dfc drums, slowly from the far.end of the line appeared the exeoutioner, preceded by two trumpeters. Thxa^ officer, with an attendant; walked slowly dowa the line and took up a position at the extreme right. Then the business oommenoed. Having selected a sword, his attendant takes up a position behind "the first, prisoner. The viotiia's head is thrust forward so as to make a, better mark for the exeoutioner, who, seizing his sword, with both' hands, .strikes with tremendous force on the outstretched neok. . A scarcely perceptible, yet a suggestively sickening, sound as the sword oleaves the neok, and the next moment a head rolling in the sand, jets of blood spouting in the air, and the attendant tumbles the body forward— a momentary quivering j>f the limbs, the spout of blood stops, the body stiffeß^/?nft. : Before #hi« has scarcely taken plaoe the exeoutioneVand ;' his attendant are making the'preliminßucyarrangements with the next niap,^ The same outstrebohod neok,;the same bmihoui sound, and^Rgaui''^Mwliher'^Bß4 v^||l'b(^>x^lJ^''v-i over. From one Ito ; ;^o|Ker^^^pftjfdeyS t Übex«tely;-^d^taol#;^wi/tiM^^^^oiK^ folding, and at each atrokeahead is seTored;: