HERE AND THERE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVI, Issue 2183, 17 April 1894, Page 4

HERE AND THERE.

N.Z. Hail.

“ English as She is Spoke '* in Japan i s sometimes rery funny. Here are a few

specimens : One day in Y okohama a Japanese sailor was arrested for assaulting a jinrikisba man. The English courtroom was crowded, and desiring to hear the English language as spoken officially in the court-room by a wise magistrate, I crowded in with the rest. The polite old magistrate wore sandals, a kimono, and silk hat. Patting on his glasses, he looked solemnly at tne culprit and the examination commenced. “Why do you strike this jinrikisha man?” “He told mo impolitely.” “What does he told you impolitely?” “He insulted me, saying loudly, ‘ The sailor, the sailorJ*. when lam passing here.” “Do you strike this man for that?” “Yea.” “But do not strike him for it is forbidden.” “I strike him no. more.” “ Good,” said the magistrate, “if he will strike or terrify the people with enormous voice, he will himself he an object of fear for the people. GoocUbje. Do not continue here the other time.”

Sir Francis Grenfell, the well known Egyptian Sirdar, is the fortunate possessor of an annt, who is a very impulsive and wealthy lady. On. hearing the news of the victory of Toski she at once sat down and wrote a cheque for ten thousand pounds, which she forwarded to her nephew.

In “ Memories of the Mutiny,” by Colonel Maude, V.C., just published at Home, there is an interesting note about the notorious Naua Sahib, whose name still fills the world with horror : . ,

A few words more about the Nana Sahib, otherwise Dhoondco Punt. He was sometime spoken :of as The Norma.’,’ -The •earlier chroniclers, such as Neill, Shepherd, and Havelock, called him “ The Nana. • The name of his adopted father, the last sovereign prince of the Mahrattas,-was Bajee Bao, the sound of which in English is ** Bargee Bow/’ familiar to Etonians of the; passing! generation.' This potentate on his. abdication was granted a pension of .£BO,OOO a year, "and when h© died in. 1851 left The Nana the respectable fortune of over .£300,000, of. which .£160,000 was in company’s paper, J 6100,000 m jewels, .£30,000 in gold coins,' .£B,OOO in gold omamenls, and £2OOO in silver plate.. Notwithstanding the recommendations of the local political officers, Lord Dalhousie and the Indian Government refused to continue the pension to The Nana, who sent a trusted agent to England to plead hia cause before the honourable board of directors of the E.I.C. Azimoollah-Khan, the envoy in question, was provided with ample funds, as he is: known to have fingered in one sum alone a 1 hit of company’s paper of the value of five lacs of rupees (£50,000). Consequently ho was enabled to keep up a very good appearance in London society, where he became quite the fashion dating his residence m England. ‘ But he was entirely unsuccessful in his mission, and returned a disappointed ' and revengeful man to a still more incensed and malevolent master. • ■ ■ -'

In the same took there is a frightfully, « realistic” sketch of a man being blownfrom the guns. Colonel Maude writes. 5 The first man led out was a finedookim: ■'young Sepoy,- withgood features, and a bold resolute expression. He .begged that, he might not be bound, but this could not bo allowed, and I had his wrists tied tightly, each to the upperpartof awheel of the gun. : Then I depressed the muzzle until it pointed to the pit of his stomach, just below, the sternum. We put no shot inl and I only kept one gunner (besides thefiring; ..No.), near the gun, standing myself about ten feet to the left rear. The young Sepoy looked undauntedly at ua during the whole ■ process of pinioning, indeed, he.,never- , flinched for a moment. Then I ordered the port-fire to be lighted and gave the word “ Fire!” There was a considerable recoil from the gnn and a thick cloud of smoke . hung over us. As this cleared away we sawtwo legs lying in front of the gun, but no other sign of what had just before been; a human being' arid - a bravo man. At tins ... moment, perhaps from six to eight seconds after the explosion (and the same thing, happened on the second occasion), down fell the man’s head among us, slightly blackened, but .otherwise scarcely changed. It must have gone straight up into, the air, probably about two hundred feet. ,The pent-up feelings of .the bystanders found vent in a sort of loud gasp like “ ah—h! ’ I hoar many of them came across the ditch . to inspect :the remains of the legs, and the horrible affair was over.; ,

Even more horrible was another of the Colonel’s.experiences,

..-Precisely the same results, happened in the case of tho next man, who was blown away on another occasion, except that be writhed and struggled violently, doing his utmost to escape from this ternblo.death, and that, in his case, he was tied with his back to the gun. Havelock’s tent was. the. only ono pitched in advance that evening. It lay a little in rear .of my gun park. I went over to him to toll him that I had! carried out, his orders. Aft r I jumped acrosß. tho ditch I became aware that I was covered from, head to foot, at least in front, with minute blackened particles of the man’s flesh, some of it sticking in my oars and hair. My white silk coat, puggree, belt, &c., were also spotted in this sickening manner. As I announced the execution to Havelock, X called hisi attention to the state I was in. - He came through his tent door, and striking a sort of tragic attitude of horror, said in a stage voice, “ improving ” Shakespeare ! _ . s , • “ E’en such a man, in such a plight) " ' ‘ Drew Priam’s curtains in the dead of night, , . • And told him' that a .man was. slam 1” . ,

' A hint for the “spielers!" An American, paper says:— . r A man in Birmingham, Alabama, has been arrested for manipulating; an, ingenious -gambling device in which a current of .elec- , tripity under the operator’s control could be . used to determine the way in .which the dice should fall. . It will be a long time before the. colonial “hazard sharp 1 ' employs electricity, and probably the old .“ palming ” trick will still remain his favourite amongst the “ways that are dark.and tricks that are vain,”-

The latest-Yankee. notion. Says Modern Society:— ~ .. , i If, wo can believe a report which is now

being circulated in Paris, American ingenuity has achieved a triumph which is certain < - to cause as much commotion in the world ■ as the phonograph. This! latest " Yankee notion” has not,.yet been named,,but we, - .would suggest that it be called “The Highly, Moral Corset,” for it is neither; more nor less than a lady’s corset, which upon being unduly pressed, by an .encircling ,arm emits a screech like a steam'whistle! ‘Parents and guardians need- no longer worry about their pretty charges, so long as the girls are within a mile or two of the house, and are wearing one of these tell-tale corsets. At a first note of warning the girl's friends would . rush to her assistance, and Corydon would then and there ho forced to explain himself.

Nothing could speak more eloquently, of the safety and the great value of twin screws than' the story of ithe Paris, one of the American line of steamers running from Southampton, but a British-built ship. When she was , several hundred miles west of the i Irish coast on an outward voyage she broke her steering gear. At once the- captain, by working one screw, slewed herround, and put her head for Queenstown, keeping it in the required direction by working the two screws alternately. Of course her return journey was not made at full speed, and yet she was safe in Queenstown within two days. Nothing can exceed this simple record as a vindication of tho use of twin screws' in all steamers, for had ono engine broken down instead of the rudder, she could have got to port- with the other.

' Mr George Augustus Sala evidently fails to appreciate tho beauties of that famous British institution, the income tax. He writes in the Sunday Times -! I have often wondered whq the gentleman can be—l decline to believe - 'that a lady could display such weakness—who perfodically sends .bftnknbte'itqthViGliaflfiellot; of the Exchequer As " c'onßcie'nce-n:ono.y ’’ for unpaid: income tax. ' Tpuliayo heard, per--7 haps, the .celebrate)!. American case, of conr science, fi which a person who had lost a hundred dollar hill' received,. some six month? afterwards, the following ifete from an anonymous correspondent ■ ‘ Sur,—l ; stoled ' your munnoy, Konshins nors. ' 1 send you tonrdollars;--B-S.—lf konshins nors agin, I will’send you sum more mun- } .ney.’; j Perhaps “ konshins ” only “ nors ” to ah analogously modified extent In' the case of the sender of the -banknotes to! the T Chancellor of the Exchequer. You may ‘think that there are several people who quiet their guilty finanoial donscienoes by ’ " making remittances to the Treasury, but I J J flnd it very difficult to believe that there can be more than one individual so silly, so stupid; or so downright insane as to make any compensation to the revenue for unpaid income tax. The impost itself. is one so afflictive, so oppressive, and so inequitably apportioned, that the idea of making voluntary payments in connection: with it seems utterly preposterous. -

Superstition still-reigns supreme amongst the peasantry of Hungaria. The-Vienna correspondent of a London paper tells the following horrible story ThCriso Kleitsch, an old-woman who lived ;n poverty, bad-long beeti alleged by the kapbrstitipijs villagers to possess the power !of a witrifiy MiEfbrtapgs in'the village were attributed to Itc'r Olieged evil jnfiupncc, end fhe outbreak of an epidßmie'ajnohg children wa» declared to be her work! : Sho was also supposed if/ have cast a -spell over, the. stables,, with tbs ijcssult that many horses., and cattle recently died of.dieealo) and this’ ~ apparently incensed her neighbours. A plot 'was therefore formed in the- village and a

■ terrible yengoarioe" carried out, ’ The tmfor-. tynato »ad after -.being flagged, was crucified, TJjo police hays opened an enquiry,' but hayo pot yet succeeded India covering tflemutbors pf the abominable crimp.

Ibsen, the great .Norwegian, playwright, the author of The Doll's House,” and other now famous plays, is the idol of the . people, and there is nothing they will not do for him. Not long ago a special train was pro-

vided when he wanted to send one of his manuscripts to a distant part of the country. He is a stout, little man, but is one of the vainest men in the world, and he always carries a comb and a looking-glass in his hat.

r The London Daily Chronicle has initiated a crusade against the Lords. A recent article concludes:—

It is quite possible that Mr Gladstone may not' think that at hia age a campaign against the House of Lords. is .possible or advisable. If so, we are convinced ..that he will inform his party of his determination, - and will leave tne practical direction of the fortunesiof the Ministry to younger hands. It will be impossible to • accept a situation in which the Prime Minister would place bis ago as ah obstacle to the vigorous prosecution of the most popular and the most necessary item of the Liberal programme. We therefore ask the Government what they propose to do? Do they contemplate leaving office 1 without directly and formally dealing with the problem of the Peers ? In other words, are w© to have a Bill directed against the hereditary veto, and made in fact the measure on which the election will turn? We must point out that only in this way can a proper finish ho given to the bent of the Ministerial and Badical policy. Until the House of Lbrda goes everything stops. We have no doubt that such a measure would bo hailed with real enthusiasm all over the country,' and wo should be very much surprised if a great number of Conservatives would not think twico^. before opposing it. The lesson of the humiliations and follies, of the .last fortnight is before the but it has got to be. driven home. The House of Lords, has never within the last 20 years so completely' exposed its real character, its banality, its ignorance, its incompetence, its incanness. It is quite timethat wo came to grips with a fooatonco so weak and so insolent. ■

' Some very strange things come up from the ocearuat times. For instance Forest and Stream speaks of a curious find in the Cape Ann fish market at Gloucester; Mass. .1 ‘-1*... . It was nothing leas than a mackerel with . a rubber band around the body. The band - had been put ou the fish when quite small, and stayed there in spite of the rapid growth of the wearer.'-; The fish’s body underjbhe band did not erow,.which caused a depres- ; sion in the full-grown body of, about 3in in depth. The depression’ was covered with a ! healthy skin in no way.;unlike that on the rest of the body. The fish measured in , length 14in; diameter of body each side of ! the depression, 7fin; diameter of depression, sin. The fish was undoubtedly in a healthy condition,: and the band was sound and could bo stretched like any other band.

I TWAmericans occasionally’wake up and give their city thieves a warm time of it. The Sau Francisco Chronicle saj s :

- L John MoKene; political “ boss ” of Gravesend, Now York,’ which includes Coney Island, has been sentenced to six years.’ im-, prisonment in tbo State prison for conspiracy , to violate the election law in November last. McKene - is worth over: a- million dollars; He had ruled supreme in the town, casting. • practically its entire vote firstfor Mr Cleveland in 1884, then for Mr Harrison in 1888, and again for Mr Cleveland in 1892. ‘He is a Methodist deacon. - ■'■ -i ■ i ‘ ' The London Daily Chronicle thus alludes to tho explosion on a German man-of-war, of which we heard by cable lately:— A • terrible , explosion occurred yesterday on board the German man-of-war Brandenburg.' This fine vessel is one of four new battie-shipa, each of .40,300 tons and 9500 horse-power, mounting, besides smaller weapons, six lOin guns in two end barbettes ' and a midship turret. She was on her trial trip', for though launched, at Kiel in ;1891, she had only ]ust been completed at a cost of much over half a million sterling. When , about fifteen miles down, and nearly in the open water of the Baltic Sea, she was put under', forced draught to try her speed, Twhiqh 'was estimated at .16 .knots. Soon ; after the full pressure was' felt the steam-, pipe of her starboard engine- burst, killing at once or by tho awful death of scalding nq J fewer than‘39 poor, fellows and seriously injuring nine others. 'We have Had many accidents of a like sort, but none so disastrous, not even when in September; 1859, ! ‘ the funnel jacket of. the Great Eastern ■ exploded, killing 10 hands. Universal sympathy will be felt in-this country with our Gorman cousins in this.calamity. s „

Tho Woman’s Suffrage movement is progressing at Homo, At a meeting Held at Queen’s House, Cheyne Walk, the Rev. Haweis’ residence, Mrs Fawcett and Mrs “ Monteetb, of New Zealand ” (? Mrs Stuart Menteath, of Wellington) were the principal speakers. The London Chronicle gives the following particulars;— • - : ■

Mrs Fawcett J moved : qualified women ought to possess, and should -be urged, to claim,: • tbe Par-, liamontary Franchise.” ' She ’■ said, that they wanted .to produce tangible evidence before Parliament that, women wanted the suffrage.' By a reformed Registration Bill there would be a considerable t extension of the suffrage, to men, and. women ought to putin their claim, and ought to ask whether “one man one vote ” meant “ ono woman no vote.” -They did hot want to bo members of Parliament —only that women, qualified like men, should not bo excluded from ’ the. vote because! they were women. The position of women bad become more anomalous throughthe action of tho political leaders bn both sides .in inviting them to take part in 'political work.’ .-Mr,-, Whitmore, M.P., said that he never could see any distinction between votes for local - and Parliamentary elections, and the absurdity of tbe distinction increased year by year, for ; the movement was to decentralisation and the powers of local bodies were ■increasing.’ Mrs. Montooth, of Now' Zealand, 'seconded 1 the resolution, which was carried; ' Mrs' Wynford Philipps moved r : “ That every effort be made to obtain signatures for the special appeal.!’ - She said . that, they claimed the vqte as a recognition of women’s powers to help to make good laws as men did, and to right, the cruel wrongs under which women suffered. Mrs Haweis seconded, and the resolution was carried. An overflowing meeting was held in another room, and was addressed by the same speakers.; . 1 t r ■

Short, hut sweet! The will of the late Mr George W. Childs, of Philadelphia, which has just boon made public, is a remarkable document. In tbo first place, although, disposing; of property valued at more than A 1,000,000, it covers but ono sheet of paper, and contains but one bequest—and that to his wife.

Mr Childs made his fortune out of his paper, The Philadelphia , Ledger. He possessed the finest collection known of Shakespearian literature and curios.

English people yearly eat more and more adulterated food. Mr Sala writes :

In the course of a recent police-court, case, in which the apprentice of a mariu-, factnrer of sausages was charged, with dishonesty, it was incidentally mentioned..that red ochre, popper and soaked brown bread were used in the making of. sausage-rolls; the red ochre being employed to give the, bread the appearance of beef. This state{ ment has puzzled mo mightily. I had in the bygone a somewhat extensive experience of sausage-rolls; and I never knew one i. in which there was a beef sausage.' Tt was always ‘ a pork, one, - and was, besides, a peculiar sausage: You bad to delve very far down in a sarcophagus of flaky pastry before -you descried a kind of .porcine mummy—a - pale) ‘ flat; -clammy - sausage.. But perhaps tho mamifatoturo has taken new departures since my time, and sausages entombed in* rolls nave l been niade to look, “beefy.” I knew, 1 many years since, an English gastronome resident in Rome. He was very wealthy and very stingy; and we used to call him Sir Epicure Mammon He was wont to boast that ho had improved the art of sausage-roll making by instructing his Italian baker; to‘ place - large and oleaginous sausages in the centres of tbe pieces of dough to he baked into rolls, , The fat from the sausage, sir,!’ he would 'explain, “ perineatgspthe entire mass; ahd j gives you for breakfast "a're'iJ roll, crisp without, and deliciously savoury within. ; I could have done great tiiiiigKv.'it:b that Italian baker, sir,” h'e would 6ohtinuG ; “I taught him howto make muffins with an Anchovy inside,’J would have taught him more, but —wqjild you hejieye if, sir’?—thaungfateful beggar died!’!"' Oddly enough,' muffins enshrining anohoyies' are still to be obtained at a Wqll-knoivh paßtryqook’s in Romo.'

Profuse in her apologies I An English paper says pi-fV' ‘ '7 .

- An unfortunate gentleman, named Voisip, has been the victim of a strong resemblance he appears tq beartp someone dlbol' ' 'Walking along a Paris street, he suddenly saiy a woman rash }h his direction arid throw something at him. M. Voisin instinctiyely “ ducked,'!-and it is fortunate he did so, for a woman had thrown a bottle full of yitrjol at his face. Tbe fluid drenched his clothes, burning them, and slightly injuring him ’in one band. “Wbatdo you mean by this?” ho stammered out as soon as ho -could recover himself. The woman lookedat him, and screamed, “Good heavens,” she ex, claimed, “ I have made a mistake.” She was profuse in her apologies.

A recent issue of the London World describes Mr Cecil Rhodes as a "Celebrity at Home.” The attending his gift of .£IO,OOO to tho Nationalist Party are related. The neat rotundity' of the. sum JBIO.OCO seems, we are told, to recommend itself to Mr Rhodes. There is another less well-known occasion when he promptly proffered it. ’ In the course of his pioneer campaign the 1 brother ‘of his friend; Mr Rochefort Maguire, was seized by a' chief, •who cutioff his head,’and, placing' it on the ■point of his spear, set it up, a ghastly sentine], at tjip :?nfmoo to Ws in'aaJ. JJr Rhodes promptly Offered AIO.OOO to anyone who would bring him this chief's head on a chargor or by any more convenient means ,of porterage. Mr Johnstone, - in charge 'of British interests on Lake Nyassa, undertook'the commission, and, in a letter recently received by Mr'Rhodes, speaks hopefully of the prospect of success, lfF-?h°,4 e 3 ■ is. extremely‘ simple in ‘his habits, and unassuming in his manner. ( Doubtless he can‘'bo stern, even aggressive, in business transactions. It is said that his conversation, with Khama, when ho called on His Majesty to enquire why he had deserted

Colonel Goold-Adams at a critical Juncture in the campaign against Lobengula, was exceedingly invigorating. In social life—as many who met him in London complained—he can be taciturn, sitting silent, or at least monosyllabic, amid the tinkle of dinner talk." At homo, in the company of people he'likes and trusts, he is a delightful companion.