ODDMENTS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 915, 13 September 1889, Page 15

ODDMENTS.

Recent English papers tell of a singular prevalence pf mea,sles in Loudon—adults and children alike being attacked. Salmon fishing this year in the United Kingdom has been very unproductive. It has been a bad season for anglers. Some large fish have heen taken though—three aggregating 1741 b were caught in the Severn. An inspection of the Highlands of Scot, land and investigation of crofters’ grievances have been recently undertaken by Lord Lothiau, a responsible member of the British Ministry. He made exhaustive inquiries, and the conclusion come to is that but one remedy is available—a large scheqie of emigration.

Cardinal Newman is described as being nearly as active at 89 as he was a decade ago. His mind is ; clear, but it is said his hands are. failing. He writes with difficulty, and his eyesight is much impaired. The Duke of Edinburgh has left the service, and unless war breaks out is not likely to ever again serve on board a fighting Bhip. ® The cruiser Melpemone, recently turned out of Portsmouth dockyard, is answering all the expectations formed of her. She is a very fast vessel, keeping up a speed of nearly ,20 knots for-four hours, -

It is said that twenty-three mad dogs were captured by the London Metropolitan Police during the first five months of this year. We heard the other day of the serious illness of Mr Wilkie Collins. He was stricken by paralysis in the left side, with serious complications. His career as a novelist is closed.

The new warship Trafalgar—the heaviest and most powerful ironclad in the navy—is an immense success. She has a mean speed of 171 knots, three-quarters of a knot more than anticipated. London Truth js made responsible for tho following,, which- is another instance of the advertising goes to; —“Sir ■yVilliam Jenner has. ad vised the Queen to

give up champagne and claret for tho present and to drluk whisky and Appolinaris water.” The contrasts in the rainfall in India range from more than 40ft; at Cherapunji, in the Ivhasi Hills to 4in, and sometimes lin, at Jacobabad, in bind. In ISSO there were 195,292 Irish and 163,452 Germans in New York city. There are now more Germans than Irish.

In many parts of China the Bibles given to the Natives by missionaries are used in the manufacture of cheap boot soles. At least 80 millions of pounds sterling are lost in Great Britain every year according to the calculations of the London Stock Ex* change Committee, through unprofitable speculations. The thrifty working classes are said to make, as a rule, the most of the ruinous investments.

It has been agreed in Sydney to form a league, the object of which is to secure the legislative prohibition of the manufacture, importation, and sale in New South WMes of all alcoholio liquors by the election to Parliament of known liquor prohibitionists.

The Wanganui Chronicle, noticing the recent noultry show in that town, said : ‘We noticed’an exhibit of a tamed wild pheasant.” During a heavy gust of wind on Lambton* quay on Tuesday a middle-aged man lost his hat and his temper, neither of which he recovered. No reward will be offered, as neither of them is worth recovering.

Skin-grafting is occasionally practised at the Hospital, ami the nurses provide the material. They seem to have nearly developed insensibility to pain, and are renowned champions in the cause of humanity. With the blossoming time comes the wind. Precocious stone-fruit trees ' found this out during the recent galp, and alas for exposed bulb flowers—their gloi’y hath departed !

Mr Varley, an evangelist, speaking recently at Sydney, gave the following sound advice :—lf you must go to a theatre, rise up in your seats every time a licentious scene is introduced. One such protest as that would strike terror into the managers of theatres for seven years. Bakers in Chicago are required by law to stamp the weight and their own names on every loaf of bread which they turn out of their bakehouses.

Five men belonging to South Lincolnshire have just completed an extraordinary feat in wool-clipping. In the course of five weeks they have clipped the large number of five thousand sheep, and wound the wool a 3 well. This is regarded as a very smart piece of wool-clipping. A rich lode of auranium, worth, it is stilted, £2OOO per ton, has been discovered atGrampound Road, East Cornwall. From the beginning of the month up to Wednesday morning the rain gauge at the Museum had registered a fall of about ljin. The fall was 50 per cent, more abundant at the Hutt and Pitone.

A widow in New York, whose husband fell into a stream while intoxicated and was drowned, has recovered substantial from the publican who served the deceased with drink.

London consumes 10,000 tons of ice daily during its very brief hot season. According to the official statements relating to the Russian foundling hospitals at St, Petersburg and Moscow, about 1,000,000 newly-born children have been given over to them during the last 100 years, most o£ them illegitimate. Of this large number nearly 800,000 have died in the first months or first years of their existence.

The Vatican has decided that the astronomical observatory is to be begun at once, at an estimated cost of 1,000,000 francs. The work of improving the sanitary condition of Rome has begun. Seventeen thousand houses will be demolished, new streets will be opened, and a main street from the central depot will intersect the district which now contains the lowest and most pestilential dwellings. It will take ten years to complete the work.