NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9491, 21 April 1894, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

To-day our Jewish follow-cifcizona will com. mence their Passover celebrations, or the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This is one of their three great historical feasts, the other two being the Feast of Weeks, and tha Feast of Tabernacles. The Passover i< eminently an historical festival, recalling year after year, and from generation to generation, as In a living drama, the great facts of the national deliverance, and the night when there was hot a house in Egypb where there was not one dead, when" the destroying angel passed over the houses of the Israelites and the people were delivered. Although maintaining throughout the centuries the main features of the original feast, the Jews of later times have made many radical distinctions between the Egyptian and the Permanent Passover which was subsequently observed. Besides the eating of the Paschal lamb, and the ceremonies connected therewith, the youngest present inquires the meaning of the Pasohal night, and the father replies with a full account of the observance. The feast lasts for seven days.

The recent development of the whaling industry in Australia and New Zealand promises to attain large proportions in the near future, and to prove an important factor in the progress of the colonies. The attempts at whaling in these seas during the latter part of the 18th century was not as successful as was anticipated, but a revival took place about the year 1830. Early in 1831 the Elizabeth, belonging to Robert Campbell, and Co., came into Sydney harbour with 861 tons sperm oil, the produce of an 18 mouths' cruise, the most valuable cargo that had yet come into port, its estimated value being £21,600. From that data the trade rapidly extended. The returns are incomplete, but such as are extant give the value of whale oil, whalebone, and sealskins exported from the colony from 1828 to 1839 as rising from £27,011 in the former to £172,313 in the latter, the largest returns having been in 1830, when they reached £197,644. In 1840 they tell to £135,562, and in the following year to £84,431, and each succeeding year showed a serious decline. This decline is attributed by Captain Carpenter, of the Costa P>,ica Packet, who has been for many years engaged in the trade, to the great activity of American, French, and colonial whalers in their pursuit of the whale in the Southern Ocean, in consequence of which the whales became scarce and shy. In 1850 there were upwards of 400 ships in the Southern Sea alone, while in 1872 there were but 72 ship.' in the middle ground.

~ Captain Carpenter now records that tho whales having since that time been left unmolested have now multiplied to such an extent that those waters are fairly swarming with them. He states that between 1887 and June, 1888, he met sperm whales on 76 different days, and that from October, 1889, until December of the same year, he saw right whales and humpbacks on 23 different days. On the coast of New South Wales, from the latter end of April to the beginning of October, right whales and humpbacks are to be met with daily, and sperm whales all through thesummermonths. Captain Carpenter represents that the reports already taken home by traders have attracted the attention of those interested in the whaling industry in England, Europe, and America, resulting in the despatch of several vessels (four from Scotland and one from Norway, and perhaps others also not yet heard of) to the southern whaling grounds. These vessels left in November last, and would . reach the grounds about December, and when they return after successful voyages, as they almost certainly will, their re;wU will niva a great impetus to the industry, ana cause large numbers of vessels to be sent out to follow up the work that the-/ have resumed in these southern seas. The market price of whalebone at present reaches the fabulous figure of £3000 per ton. It paid when it was only worth £150 per ton. Captain Carpenter is of opinion that a capital of £20,000 would suffice to equip two steam whalers, and that &he first voyage to the south ought to produce a net profit of near £20,000.

Mr. Samuel Lowe, the Government dairy expert in London, has been investigating the question of direct consignments or shipments of produce to English ports and centres other than London, and has made a useful and interesting report to the AgentGeneral on the subject. He has come to the conclusion that no advantage would accrue from direct shipments, as the London agents have far greater facilities for efficient) and convenient storage and distribution than are as yet available elsewhere. At the same time it is pointed out that in Glasgow extensive buildings are being erected for cool storage, and the feeling there is very strong in favour of direct shipments. Mr. Valentino seems to share this feeling, and in this respect there is a material conflict of opinion between the two official authorities. When such doctors differ who shall decide?

The Wellington bride who said "no" continues to be discussed in the Australian journals although she changed her mind nexb day and said " yes," a trifling circumstance which appears to have been overlooked by the ingenious writers on the subject. What seems to be exercising their subtle brains is the reason why the bride at so crucial a moment, and under circumstances so public, said " no." Why did she do it? Married women, says one writer, confess they " cannot understand it at all." " Goodness knows," they say. "men willing to marry are scarce enough in all conscience, and for a girl to throw away a chance like that when she has 8 man willing and ready is like flying i' l the face of Providence. '* It is very unlike the usual run of things in Victoria, where ib is recorded that on a historical occasion, when the clergyman asked of a country belle " Wilt thou have this man ?" the astonished damsel promptly replied, "What else did you think I came here for?" Outside the thrilling pages of the Young Ladies' Journal, refusals at the altar are not common. But in the masterly works of fiction which appear in the classic columns of that favourite periodical, one frequently may read some such passage as this Never,' she hissed between her clenched teeth, in reply to the minister's usual question, the clear tones of her voice ringing through the sacred edifice li e 8 bell, 'Never will I utter the words that will bind rae to you Lord Darlingcourt. You jeeringly refused reparation to my poor broken-hearted cousin, Gladys Fairmount, /refuse you here in the sight at God and man. To-morrow ib will be in the society papers, Lord Darlingcourt, and every club will ring with news how Lor Darlingcourt, the spoiled child of or un , was spurnedabbhe very altar steps by a weaK, defenceless woman. With a wild shriek, «>• The Wellington incident, however, is oein„ used to convey an object lesson toi Australian maidens, who are recommended to tu their eyes towards New Zealand- 1 • says one writer, "will not marry »'Victoria. Then lob our maidens shake the from their feet and sail for that glorious island where , 'husband famines . are known and the marriage rate is high a ° d sMU rising, let them leave the wretched Vie

"Triors foi." ever to their fate. Then, ton* 0 jw find out too lata the opportunities * iea Ze missed, and stretch forth thoir they 08 s the waters, crying in despair, ba and marry us,' they will be , ' BetUrl \ by the victorious Viotorian girls, ns * ere .jnst assured New Zealand altars, jeanm? 1 * we wiling : Th o Roval marriage at Coburg has been , hrated with great rejoicings. There 1 distinguished assemblage of sove--8 an( the ceremony was of a most ' rSt character. Queen Victoria, the st illustrious guest in the dazzling throng, m °; moved to tears. Happily, the ceref3' . ias3ec ) o ff without any regettable incislon* i r | ie bomb of tho Anarchist was absent, IV British Government are at last pressing L 6 claims of the captain and crew of the 7 tt Rica Packet upon the Dutch Govern--1,051 We hope that they will see that ® e " jc ' e is done in this matter even should •"necessitate resort to extreme measures. The li'razili-in war, now that it has ended, . iroviii" more sensational that when ib 18 I boiled. The rebel flagship, which had surrendered was sighted by the Gnstave, which being ignorant of the facb ent a toipedo against her, with the reE It th.it tho flagship was sunk and many of those on board were drowned. In con--oection with the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, it is stated ibat Baron Schroeder has made an offer which, if accepted, will enable the re-con-,tructed company to commence business "*; h all its securities in its own possession. »j' r , Gladstone is said to be ailing. The French are showing an insolent and threatening attitude towards the British on the West Coast of Africa, and it is apparent that steps will have to bo taken to bring them to their senses. Serious trouble is j anticipated in the Transvaal.