HOUSE AND FOREIGN NEWS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1509, 31 January 1901, Page 59

HOUSE AND FOREIGN NEWS

(BY LATEST MAILS.)

PUGILISM. Pugilism was the- pastime of all good Englishmen; and over a big fight which would be witnessed by some five-aiul-t.\v entry thousand roaring citizens tliere Would change hands sums of money not to be stated linder six figures. The ring, -in fact; had so far entered into the national life that it seemed to be a vital aud essential part therein. It had oegun with Figg—“Tli heroical Figg, &o fierce and sedate ” —in Hogarth S; time it had. been passed from hand to hand by Broughton and Slack, and Johnson and Brain, and Humphries and Mendoza and John Jackson; till, at the beginning of the present century, Jim Belcher was. and deserved to be, an English hero, and When Gully fought Gregson (1808) Earl Grey sent on the result of the battle fie his colleague Windham, in a Ministerial despatch box, by a Ministerial courier. Redit et virgo. . . . ’Twas the

Golden Age—the age of Pearce and the Belchers,, and Cribb, the solid Engli.-Ti-nian, and Dutch Sam, the drunken yet terrific Jew. To Thormanby, as to my self, this is all hearsay and tradition; but he comes to his subject with, ! should fancy, a pretty full knowledge of those dreadful later years, in which it was shown that pugilism meant blackguardism, and that for one decent fighter there was a wilderness of scoundrels. In the end the institution was redeemed, in a kind of way and to some extent, by the piety of poor Tom Sayers; in the interval much briilant work had been put in by such men as Dick Curtis and Young Dutch Sam, as Deaf Burke and Owen Swift and Hammer Lane —to name no more; such survivals as Jem Ward, Gully (worth a chapter in himself), Spring, Tom Belcher, Mr Jackson lived in a sort of rough-and-tumble odour of sanctity, and went abroad in some .thing very like a halo till they died But the ring was doomed—and doomed itself; and the Ring died; and at its death there were few mourners. The foregoing is an expression of Mr W. E. Henley's views in “Ex .Libris” in the “Pall Mall Magazine" for September.

SHALL WE LIGHT OUR STREETS BY BACTERIA? This is not altogether outside the bounds of impossibility if we are to credit the deductions of modern science. According to the “Lancet,” there exists a microbe which, when properlyfed, will grow and multiply enormously, emitting during its development a strange phosphorescent light. In the past we have been wont to look upon phosphorescence as a phenomenon due essentially to the presence of phosphorus somewhere. We now know that this is a mistake, for phosphorescence occurs in a very great number of instances in the entire absence of phosphorus. Phosphorescence is undoubtedly a manifestation of chemical or physical ohange, but the change, of course, may not always be due to the working of countless microscopic organisms. It certainly is in the case of the phosphoresence of the sea. In this case the phosphorescence is best wnen the sea is disturbed and the maximum of light is emitted upon the crest of a short, rapid wave, or in the foam produced by some disturbance, This is due to the fact that the phosphorescent bacteria or photobacteria are much more active in the presence-of an excess of oxygen. Indeed, the respiratory exciiange or oxidation of the. bacteria is the cause * of sea phosphorescence, since if the micro-or-ganisms be killed or oxygen be excluded the light is quenched at once, while on adding an abundant supply of combustible food-suff, such as sugar, the light is intensified. The glow of ordinary yellow phosphorus is, of course, due to direct oxidation without the agency of micro-organisms.

The peculiar greenish glow seen upon stale hadldiocka and other sea fishes is produced by this remarkable photo-bac-terium, and is in no way connected with the presence of phosphorus. It is possible to cultivate the' phospohrescent •bacteria jso' as to obtain a uuid which ie Tory strongly phosphorescent. Thu*, by placing the flesh of fresh haddocks -or herrings in a from 2 to 3 per cent, solution of common salt and keeping at a low temperature about 7deg. above freezings—it will be found* that after a few days not merely the fishes, but also the whole of the liquid in which they are immersed, give off a pale greenish light, which becomes much more brilliant if a little sugar be added. Pure cultures may thus be obtained exhibiting such a strongly phosphorescent light that by protracted exposure they may be photographed by their own light. It is not possible to say whether the culture wdl ever be carried! to such a pitch that tE'e vessel containing it mn be used with advantage as a street lamp or a lamp upon our tables, or as a Chinese lantern at our garden parties. But the wonderful functions of bacteria are many, and the possibilities of using their powers multifarious. —"Sanitary Record.”

HOW A YOUNG* PREACHER WAS SNUBBED.

Mr Walter James, in a letter to “The Times," describes how recently he heard,

near Reading, a sermon delivered by a preacher of unusual eloquence and power. He continues : —On the way back to Reading I waited till he overtook me, and as we strolled slowly homeward 1 endeavoured to find out why such nome powers of oratory were not more generally known in the town. I found him to be a young man of very decent posi-tion-—originally a schoolmaster, he had forced his way to something higher, and was now earning a salary of nearly aJouo a year. “Are you not really a Churchman ?” I asked him. “Yes,” he admitted; “I am, and have always been, a Churchman. In fact, I have for years longed to see Holy Orders, knowing well that my natural abilities tended that way. But, unfortunately, I have not had the benefits of a Universitv education, and the first Bishop I approached on the subject gave me such a snub that I shall never offer myself to the Church again. Yes, I know I have the gift of preaching; hew can I refuse to recognise the fact? But, as all my sympathies are with the Church of England, and she has apparently no use for me, I preach very seldom. This evening I preaohed to oblige a dissenting friend, who was unable to keep his appointment at the last minute. Yes, I daresay I shall leave the Church later on, and drift into dissent, but it will be a wrench.” And yet (says the correspondent) the Bishops complain of a sad dearth of candidates for the Church. It has been my lot ofteto to hear sermons of the. Bishop above referred to, and I venture to think that I shall never hear his cold formal tones again without comparing them unfavourably with the warmth and natural oratory of the young preacher whom he snubber for not having been blest with a University education.

ROMANCE OF THE ATLANTIC LINER. In an article on the “Romanec of our -Great Ocean Liners'' in the “Young Man ' for November, we are reminded that it was on May 25, 1819, the day after the Queen was born, that the first steamboat crossed the Atlantic, reaching .Liverpool from Savannah —alter which port it was named—in twenty-six days. The Savannah was one of the world's wonders in its day; its captain and crew were heroes, as interesting to the pepuiace as a Stanley or a Nansen. But its trip was regarded chiefly as a scientific experiment, and the Queen was a girl of 14 before any further interest was taken in bridging the Atlantic by means of steam. Then the Royal William sailed to Gravesend from Quebec on August 18, 1883. During the next seven years —ree other Atlantic voyages were made, and -at length the time occupied by the journey was brought down to fourteen and a half days. But up to 18-iU an Atlantic trip was looked upon by most people much as a balloon trip is regarded now-a-days, and it was left for Mr Samuel Cunard, in his home in JN ova. Scotia, to dream cf a regular line of ships between the new country and <.ue old-

Since then the Cunard Line has grown to what it is to-day, fully maintaining the position it made for itself in early days of steamships. The fo,un Ter of the line died a baronet, leaving a fortune of £350,000, and since his death the business has become one of the vastest undertakings of private enterprise in the world. Taking a ship acioss the Atlantic, though it is done ncy-a-days with automatic regularity ami with little risk, is a tremendous undertak-ng. A large Atlantic liner must earn something like £16,000 on each trip before a single penny of profit is earned; and we get some idea of the preparations for a Trans-Atlantic voyage from a peer at the Oceanic, the largest vessel ever built, and the property of the enter”rising White Star Line. The boilers burn tons of coal a daw. and for the trip across the Atlantic tne oceanic carries almost incredible quantities of food. Its cellars are stocked with 35,0001bs or lamb, veal, beef, and mutton; 50001 b of ham and bacon; 50001 b butter; 3000iu fish; 1000 spring chickens ; 500 fowls ; 300 capon, 300 duckling, 100 turkey poulets, 50 goslings, 100 brace of grouse, 300 quails, and' 300 young pigeons. twenty-five tons of potatoes and 200 barrels of flour, with 2,5001 b of oatmeal, 20001 b of rice, 25001 b of coffee, 7001 b of tea, and 10,0001 b of sugar, and you have some idea of the food consumed on a voyage from Liverpool to New York. Sixty dare thousand pieces of linen are taken on board, and rivers of milk and wine and beer disappear on each voyage.

WAYS THEY HAVE IN CHINA. In jhis recently published book on “The People of China,” Mr RobertsonScott gives a list of things that are done differently in China—

A Chinaman’s Christian name comes after, not before, “his honoured family name.” He shakes his own hand instead of his friend’s.

He puts on his hat in salutation when we take it off.

He feels it unmannerly to look a superior in the lace, and takes off his spectacles in his presence. He deems it polite to ask a casual caller’s age and income. His long nails are not a sign of dirtiness, but of respectability. His left hand is the place of honour. He does not consider it clumsy, but courteous, to take both hands to offer a cup of tea. He rides with his heels instead of his toes in the stirrups.

His visiting card is eight and sometimes thirty inches long.' He keeps out of step when walking with others.

He carries a pig instead of driving him.

His compass points south, and he speaks of west-north instead cf northwest.

He says sixths-four instead of foursixths.

He whitens instead of blackens his shoes.

He carries a fan even if he is a soldier on active service, or if he is going to his execution. His women-folk are often seen-in trousers accompanied by men in gowns. He prefers a wooden rather than a feather pillow.

He often throws away the fruit of the melon and eats the seeds.

He laughs (to deceive evil spirits) on receiving bad news, and) his daughters loudly lament on the eve of their weddings.

His lavourite present to a parent is a coffin.

TAMING A CRITICAL HUSBAND. I dare say there isn't a woman on earth who hasn’t a theory on the subject of how to manage a husband, and I have never yet come across a man who was any the worse for a little scientific handling now and then. If I were in tne florist business, I’d send a palm to a certain senator’s daughter, who has set an example managing iwives might follow with profit. She has a husband, this senator’s daughter, who is disposed to be critical. Most of his friends are men of great wealth, who live extremely well, and association with them has made him somewhat hard to please in the matter of cooking. Scarcely a meal at his home table passed without criticism from him. “What is this meant for?’’ he would ask after tasting an entree his wife hacl racked her brains to think up. “What on earth is this?” he would say when dessert came on. “Is this supposed to be a salad ?” ne would inquire! sarcastically when tne lettuce was served. The wife stood it as long as she could. One evening he came home in- a particularly, captious humour. His wife was dressed in her most becoming gown, and fairly bubbled over with wit. They went in tp dinner. The soup tureen was Drought in. Tied to one handle was a card, and on that card the information in a big round hand : “This is soup.” Roast beef followed with a. placard announcing : “This is roast beef.”

The potatoes were labelled, the gravy dish was placarded, the olives bore a card marked “Olives,” and the salad bowl carried a tag marked “Salad 1 ,” and when the ice cream came in, a card announcing “This is ice cream” came with it. The wife talked of a thousand different things all through the meal, never once referred by word or look to the labelled dishes. Neither then nor thereafter did she say a word about them, and never since that evening has the captious husband ventured to inquire what anything set before him is.

CHINESE WALLS. Though one of ton* hears of the “Great Wall of China,” there is, in fact, says the Pekin correspondent of the “Morning Post,” no single wall entitled to 6e called “The Great Wall.” The name is given to what is really a series of walls. There are many great wails in China, which are almost unknown to the outside world. In fact, w T alls of hugs size and little use constitute one of the chief characteristics of North China, especially in Pekin and the neighbourhood. The Chinese and Manchus seem to have had a mania for massive masonry, and let it run riot all over the place. It is not enough for them, for example! to have one wall round a city. In Taku, there are several forts, each with its proper wall, of course, and in addition, three or four outer walls to protect these connecting walls, then a few wandering walls here and there without any obvious purpose, and finally one immense sweep of wall enclosing all the aforesaid walls and forts and everything that conies under the name of Taku. Finally did I say? It is only the beginning. All the way to Tientsin there are big walls at short intervals, mostly at right angles to the Taku-Tientsin road ar.d railway, stretching away across country as if to bar the progress of any invader. And so they did, but not quite enough to keep the invader out. These walls are mostly of mud, 20ft high and the same width at the base, sloping to a widi of about sft at the top, with a parapet half as thick, sometimes roughly battlemented. The walls are all faced with brick at the most important points, such as gateways and angles, and forts and towers "of solid stone frequently figure along the lines of wall. Going up river, walled camps form the principal feature of the landscape. Each is a square enclosure protected by a wall, or three or four walls of the sort described above, with a more or less elaborate entrance, and well-laid streets of barracks inside, all built of mud bricks, sun-dried, out not durable for more than two or three years, after which the building grows more and more like a mere square lump of mud, grooved and channelled by the rain, and in five years what was once a house is level land again. Passing by the many other walls which intervene between Tientsin and Pekin,

we “foreign devils” cannot fail to be impressed with the grandeur of the walls surrounding the capital. First, the wall of the Chinese City, 50ft. to 60ft. high, 30ft. thick, with a broad road running along the top, and with seven huge gates, at the right, left, and centre approaches to the principal gate. Then comes the Tartar City wall wion nine gates, each gate having a circular wall round the front of it and “gates within gates” as before. From the principal Tartar City gate, the “Chen-Mun.,” which is in the centre of the southern side, a road leads due north, which has gateways erected across it in such number and so close together as to suggest the arches of a cloister. Looking north from the Chen-Mun to the Imperial Palace one sees simply a vista of gigantic gateways over a mile long. Some of them have walls jattached, some; are simply gateways without walls, some are gateways merely screening other gateways, double-banked,, and some , are ' hardly more than mere arches. The exact number of walls and gateways on this litae line of pavement from the city gate to the palace is difficult to give. There are only two main walls, namely, that of the “Imperial City(” which is within the Tartar City, and then that of the “Forbidden City,” which is within the Imperial Citv.

Next comes the wall of the Palace itself. But - each wall, or rather, each, gate, has a walled enclosure in front of it, and each gate of the enclosure has other walls screening it, with more gates, until it is a perfect labyrinth, of enormously high walls and great gateways, one courtyard, or park, or quadrangle leading to another, until at last, after losing count of their number, the persevering explorer arrives at the Palace gate itself. Here he begins on. another series of walls and gates (if the sentries will let him) all very massive and useless, as far as I can see. Some seem to he only about sft thick, some 10ft to 20ft. Some have battlements and parapets, loopholes and embrasures, some have only heavily tiled coping. Coping stones are not used in North China, but, instead, there is a massive tile arrangement, for tiles also seem to be a mania of the people in these parts. If a villager has a bamboo fence round the garden and wants a wicket-gate he erects a couple of gate posts and a lintel, and then constructs a tile roof over the gate, bigger than his own house sometimes. A pagoda in these parts is a heap of tile roofs, and almost nothing else. A summer-house in the Palace is a few upright beams supporting a wondrous and cumbrous contrivance of tile 3. The tiles are highly ornamental, glazed and coloured, and the ridge pieces are frequently decorated with fantastic cats and dragons.

The number of bricks used in these huge walls would use up the multiplication table. There must have been many thousand men working many /hundred years, wasting good bricks and valuable time, and I am not going to waste more time in calculating the number of bricks, but the total length of" wall of the biggest kind is about thirty miles, and there are not less than two hundred miles of the inner walls, white the gateways range from 100 to 1000 tons measurement of brick each. This is without counting a single inhabited building.

There have been hundreds of brave struggles by the Chinese against one invader or another, but never at the Great Wall. It is a huge structure butt to 80ft. high and 40ft. to 60ft. thick, faced with large mud bricks, and backed with earth; it goes across country, up hill and down dale, with watch-towers on the hill-tops and culverts in the river bottoms, and only a roadway through >t once in fifty or a hundred .lies. On the south side there are st@ps.iup:- to the top of the wall once every mile or so, but ~o is nowhere very difficult to climb cn account of the bricks being ancient and broken on having fallen out in course of years of exposure. Pekin city wall is much the same. An active man can clamber up it almost anywhere.