NOTES AND COMMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10426, 26 April 1897, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENT.

Immense as have been the territorial extensions of the Victorian era, they are less significant than the rapid development of the self-governed colonies. When the Queen came to the throne the whole population of Greater Britain outside the United States did not exceed one million souls. There were under 800,000 in Upper and Lower Canada, less than 100,000 in all Australia, and not a quarter of a million in the Gape. New South Wales was, on the Christmas before the Queen's accession, the only self-governed colony in the eastern hemisphere. South Australia dates from December 28, 1836; New Zealand from 1840; Victoria from 1851; Queenslahd from 1859. In the western hemisphere a great belt of self-governing commonwealths span the continent. Manitoba was constituted in 1870. British Columbia came in a year later. The Leoward Isles in the West Indies wore federated in 1871. The Windward Isles in 1885. The federation of the dbirilhidn of Canada dates from 1867. The federation df South Africa might have dated from 1859, but for the .insensate folly of English politicians who overruled the instinct of the Queen and the urgent representations of Governor Grey. The greatest administrative change, however, of the reign was the transfer after the mutiny of the administration of the Indian Empire from the East India Company to the Crown. Mrs. Emily Crawford contributes to the Young Man an interesting account of her friend, Sir Isaac Holden, M.P. The millionaire of Yorkshire is now nearly 90. It seems that young Holden was much impressed early in Hie by an account which he read as to the diet on which John Wesley did his marvellous evangelical work-- " Wesley's physical activity remained unabated to the close of his life, Wesley was one of the first hygienists to see that phosphates of lime, in Which flour is so rich, are good for growing children, young people, young mothers; but shorten the life of the elderly, by making bones dense, and weighty muscles rigid, «f nrring . tho lar(fe Wood Vessels lite an old boiler, arid choking the capillary arteries." Hence, at Sir Isaac Holden'a table fchtfe U to be found fery little bread, while fruita abound:-" Th atmosphere of the boon in winter is that of the open air in genial summer weather. He likes warmth. The thermometer in his bedroom mirk, in winter 60 degrewFahre*.

held. The air everywhere in the house ii completely changed each half-hour, "k, Orange is Sir Isaac's favourite. He find, j. the bantlha a substitute for bread, fch Utmost bread he takes at a meal is a th' biscuit of wheaten flour. When he tai meat he eats nothing else. Wine • eschewed. Bub on returning from u. Bouse of Commons to Queen Ahtie'B Mfa! sions lie had a tumbler of whisky and hob water before going to bed. As h. riser in the morning he sucks an o ran» or eats a small bunch of grapes. Roast apples, with a tiny pinch of bicarbonate of soda to correct the acidity, and milk simi larly treated, are important items of hi dietary. He takos no drink with his food arid this obliges him to masticate well. % John Wesley's rules of health he added those of the great French physiologist Plourens who believed one hundred and twenty to be the normal period of human life." Wh»i. Will be said to this by prohibitionists ' Here is a wise and observing man, who hs' made diet and regimen a study, and who has coma to the conclusion that the best thing to take before going to bed is a s \ m of whisky hob i The latest hews from the seat of * u shows that severe fighting is still going oa along the line of retreat from Afaluna. In the neighbourhood of Larissa, in north. eastern Greece the success of the Turks continues, but on the Saloni6a coast the Greek warships ire dobs great damage, and Greek ufrhfofai are bombarding' Turkish town's' rjdli on the eastern arid western coasts The Greeks, c'oiriuianded by the blikjJ 0 Sparta, rdpuised 3000 Turkish cavil/) disabling 600, bull the reported G>reeji !&.' cesses at Daniasi and Revetii krtiliji confirmed; The Sultan, dissatisfied Kid the progress made; has replaced EdhSm Pasha and made other changes' aniolii; tbf Tiirklsh commanders. ; v