OTHER LANDS.

Northland Age, Volume IV, Issue 47, 13 July 1908, Page 7

OTHER LANDS.

CRUSHED BY OCEAN'S WEIGHT. I A scientist who is an authority on toarine matters remarked on the enormous pressure of water on the earth's crust at the bottom of the ■ea. At a depth of two miles, he pointed out, there is a pressure of more than two tons to the square Inch. & The sea monsters who live at such freat depths have bodies specially adapted to meet the conditions. They Can only live under a tremendous pressure, and if this is removed, pither by their swimming upward or being dragged to the surface by a dredge, they explode. As for wrecked ships in the deeper j parts of the sea, even when constructed of the toughest steel, they pro gradually pressed into a shapeless mass as they sink, and at last are ground to powder. TOO MUCH PHYSIC. A remarkable movement is that to Which several eminent doctors have lent tfieir names. It aims at diminishing the reliance which has hitherto been placed on drugs. Too much medicine, says the supporters of the movement, is given to patients, and its place should be taken !!>y advice regarding clothing, food, and the ordinary rules of health. To ensure the carrying out of these rules would involve plenty of work’ for the doctor, and his task of assisting the return of health to his patient would not be hampered by the administering of medicines that are sometimes unnecessary and occasionally harmful. | Of course, there are diseases in , which drugs have a definite and beneficial action, but outside of these cases, it is held, medicines should be stopped altogether. MARRIAGE AS A COLOUR SCHEME. A student qf the mystical sciences V spoke thus of what ho called “invisible radiations"—rays or bands of colour which, though not visible to the normal sight, surrounded every human being. People of intellect—writers, philosophers and scientists—emit deep blue rays. People of a strong animal nature aro surrounded by various •hades of red, from & fine scarlet to a dull and cloudy red—the tatter marking the gross nature. Persons l of an intuitivo and spiritually-de-veloped typo give off radiations of a deep yellow hue. Illness or melancholy causes the radiations to become dark green or grey. If these emanations were clearly visible, the authority asserted, the problem of marriage wcyild be greatly simplified. It would simply mean a prnjier blending of the colours of the individuals concerned ! FIRST OF WOMEN JUDGES. The first lady judge is already trying cases in the United States, and it is predicted that in course of time there will be many other female occupants of the judicial Bench. It is noteworthy that the male element was conspicuous in obtaining the election of Mrs. Justice McCulloch—for such is her style and title—to a judicial post. She is said to fulfil the duties of her position with perfect dignity and self-possession. But her abilities had already been tested in the legal profession, for beforo her promotion to the Bench ■he was known as a capable lawyer, a merikbcr of a legal firm of which her husband is the senior partner. I Yet even amongst our progressive * American friends the election of a woman judge did not pass unchallenged. An attempt was madb to quash her election on the ground of her sex, but as no point of law could be quoted against her appointment she was duly commissioned. UNNERVING. “What sound in the African forests did I find most unnerving ? The hideous cry of the baboon," replied an oxplorer of the Dark Continent. “I was impressed by the singular fear which the natives have of the baboon. Even a warrior, armed from head to foot, carrying sword, knife, spear, bow and arrows, and nqt afraid to attack a boa-constric- | tor, to 4 rap an elephant or to pursue a leopard or a hippopotamus, ? ice in mad haste from the a<rfi a l cries of a pack of bahoqns. | ' The sound somewhat resomblcs ■ the cries of a man in distress, though it is not quite like that. It is very terrifying sound, and my nativ • who were the best renowned for courage world desert m whon the** hideous calls rang out in the dei.ee lorest.” * WC’ON NATURE, NEEDS AID. Wonderfu. as Nature is in her adaptibillty, the neads of modern life occasionsl*y i.vx her powers beyond their resources. * An op ician illustrated the point by reference to the eye-fight. “In perfect : ng the eye," he said, “Nature could not foresee the time when, cooped up in cities, men would no longer need the organ for gazing at objects far distant, but would require it incessaiuly for focussing images near at hand, as in the case of reading and writing. The result is that an undue strain is thrown upon it in one department—hence eye trac&lts, with their long train of allied disorders—headache, nervousness. dyspepsia, and so forth, j “Such evils abound in the case of fliterary workers, and aro best overjeomo b> the use of spectacles, which, [by relieving the tension on the eyes, i sfTect great improvement in the health.'' A REMARKABLE FACT, . December 22, regarded by most people as the shortest day of the year because it has the least day-* light, is, in reality, the longest day by nearly half a minute qver the twenty-four hours, while the true Shortest day. which comes on Sepberober 17, falls short by about the same time. This startling statement made by a writer in the “New Yqrk w Tribune," is verified in detail. Take any one of the fixed stars that chances to be in line with some convenient point, and, watch in hand notice the precise moment at which the star let us say, a particular tree, branch, or steeple qn the |ori7X>o line. If, on the next evening sa stand at precisely the same spot.

oxmx sign t xam mam star ogam Uk nm with the same point as before, then we shall know that the earth has turned on its axis just once. Curiously enough, however, we shall discover if this Is done carefully, that, in spite of what ths books Bay, it does not require twenty-four hours for the earth to turn over once. About four minutes before the day is up, by the clock, the earth has revolved once and brought the star back to its old position in the sky. This comes about simply enough. Suppose one is in a room looking out of the window at a tree ; If he turns round once exactly he will find himself looking straight at the tree again. But if he tried the same thing when travelling in a train he would find that while he was making the turn the tree had fallen behind. He would then, according to the way ho twirled, have to turn a little more or a little less to bring the tree straight before his nose. Therefore, it is not quite true that a day is the time required for the earth to turn once on its axis. It really is this time, plus the four minutes or so required for it to turn and look back at tho sun. The time required for this extra turn is not the same at all times in the year. One can easily see, in the case of the moving train, that the faster the cars were moving or-the nearer the track the tree stood, The more tho latter would seem to shift in position, Since the earth is some throe million miles nearer the sun in winter than in summer, and since also the nearer the sun it is the faster it travels, the difference between star day and sun day is greatest in winter.

THE RICHEST LAD AT ETON*

Among the pupils who have now returned to Eton fqr the new term is a frail-looking, slender lad, who gives one the impression of possessing a body which is naught but a repository fqr nerves. He has a classic, thoughtful face, set above fairly well-built shoulders ; a splendid mouth ; clear, grave eyes, rather deep set; and a natural reserve that may prove to be the symbol of inner power. Altogether he is a distinguished little figure ; and his fondness for study has gained him favour in the eyes of his masters, while his enthusiasm for sport has made him extremely popular with his schoolfellows. This little chap is destined to become one of the richest men in the world, and if he survives till the year 1945 will possess an estimated fortune of £85,000,000 odd pounds. Ho is the sole bearer of the name of Marshall Field, and is now entering on his third term at Eton.

During his father’s and grandfather’s lifetime, young Marshall was known as Marshall Field 111. Marshall Field 11., who was a chronic invalid, died while yet a young man after a great deal of suffering. His death was a sevewe blow to Marshall Field the older, whose affections during his later years were centered entirely in the lad, who is some day to inherit the bulk of his vast fortuno. Marshall Field 111. has one brother, Henry, who is also being educated at Eton, and a sister, Gwendolyn. Henry's share of his grandfather’s fortune if he lives till the year 1945 will be two-fifths (estimated at £56.000,000), as against Marshall’s three-fifths. If either brother dies beforo then, his share goes to the survivor, who would thus in all probability become America's first billionaire, LIVES LIVED ON LINERS. The case of Mrs. Elizabeth Rohrbach, who died the other day on board the Cunard liner Etruria, after having utilised the vessel as a sort of flqating hotel for many years, is not by any means exceptional. Indeed, the deceased lady’s own mother was domiciled on board this and other vessels of the same fleet for over twenty years. RegiJlar passengers of this type are naturally not unwelcome to the companies owning the ships they elect to patronise. But there are others whom they do their best—not always however, successfully—to discourage. There is, for example, the professional “crook” and gambler, who crosses and recrosses tho Atlantic on tho look out for victims, changing from boat to boat so as to avoid attracting the unwelcome attentions of captains and stewards, but rei maining practically always afloat. The type is well known. He has his counterpart, too, in tho fascinating female adventuress, with whom he is not infrequently in league One of tho most notorious qf these beautiful harpies, arrested in London not long since, was proved, from papers found in her possession, to have made 137 vqyagos backwards and forwards between England and America, at an outlay, in passage money alone, of £2,867. Yet another class of people who live on liners are those suffering from diseases, such as consumption, in the cure of which fresh air plays a prominent part. These find in the germ-free ocean breezos a natural tonic ; while the luxurious accomodation afforded them by tho floating palaces that now do duty for transAtlantic passenger steamers equals, if it does not surpass, that which they could obtain at even the most expensive hotel or “hydro.”