INTERESTING ITEMS.

Northland Age, Volume 3, Issue 21, 2 January 1907, Page 5

INTERESTING ITEMS.

Every ship in the British Navy, from first-class battleships down to third-class cruisers, is being fitted with wireless telegraph apparatus. Detachments of the various Public Schools Volunteer Corps will this year form a brigade camp at Aidershot from July 30 till August 8. * It is again being freely rumoured, in Service club circles that Lord Kitchener may shortly resign the Indian command, owing to friction with the civil element on the Council in India*. * The decision has been arrived at to re-arm all the modern forts on the coast of the English Channel wittt six-inch naval guns, in order to briny about more complete fighting unity between the sister services.

A j A regiment cf Grenadiers was firsfi formed in the reign of King Janjeri 11. They derived their name from tht* fact that they carried hand grenades! in pouches* with which they were? equipped for that purpose. j. No one knows why the 3rd Buffo (East Kent Regiment) were call the "Nutcrackers," but its other* nickname ot‘ the “Resurrectionists'V. y* is derived from its lvoppearance or« the bat+lcfHd of Alhwhpra .after having been cut up and dispersed by & body, of Polish Lancers. * \ I The boatswain's pipe, which ha« j been displaced in the Navy by bugla I caltls, is to be restored to favour* I The Admiralty have agreed lo thoi f supply of pipes to enable systematic? instruction in their use to be given) to petty officers and boys. Twelve; pipes, of six different compositions*; are to be supplied to the "Exmouth"l flagship of the Channel fleet, for trial 4 as to the best type for the Navy. ; - 'l j Promotion in the Royaft Horse and Field artillery up) to the rank of sergeant is in future to be made in each brigade under the J orders of the lieutenant-colonel commanding. Promotion to battery staffsergeant will be made throughout * home, and in South Africa by — G.0.C.-in-Chief, and that to quarter# master-sergeant by the officer in charge of records. — 4* — The improvements in the dietary of naval seamen continue apace, and threaten to outstrip the half-hearted! efforts which are being made t - mi- . prove the soldier’s messing. Not is the new turbine battl<*hip /f * . nought’’ fitted with a w< ,1 ped bakery, in addition lo usual cooks’ galley, but i the Navy arrangements anmade to supply the men with fresh bread every morning for breakfast. —i — I £SOO a year is distributed in »dow- B lies to the girls of the town of Ilach- ■ mann, in Germany. A Polish noble- * man left the money for this purpose, and the amount of the marriage- 1 portion that each girl receives is regulated by the measure of good looks that she possesses. A plain bride is given £SO, and the prettie/j a girl is, the less she receives frornj this fund. The donor's aim was to equalise tho chances of marriage of tlw plain and the The woman who possesses the lcngi eat head of hair in the world is said |to be Mercedes Lopez, a Mexican. I Her height is sft., and when she, I stands erect her hair trails on the! ! ground 4 p t. Bin. The hair is so | th'ck that sue can completely hide herself in it. She has it cut very frequently, as it grows so qui'kly. enabling her to sell large treses to hu.ir-d-*lerd every month. 3*.* is the wiie of a poor sheep-herder. J During 3904 the King did not make a single peer, jo *hat no peer or his j descen ants * 11 ever be at I.- to say ; that this peerage dates from the year j 1904. Since 1880 130 c w peel# have been created, and in the sumo period seventy-five peerages have become extinct. The last year in which no peer wae created was in 1883 Thousands of elephants arc* slaughtered e‘ ery year to supply the world witn ivory, and one-fifth of the who!.* . number comes to the markets of / ! Great Britain. The average weight 1 of ivory obtained from a single elephant is about 50!b. Tusks we. ,I*ing 1001 b. each have been known, I/:; these are very rare. The most, pensive tusks usually cost abou>