Natural Venice in Jamaica.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7871, 5 August 1911, Page 13

Natural Venice in Jamaica.

IN tho wonderfully built of Montego bay, Jamaica, there is a tradition which may account for a certain unique cluster of wooded spote, which. says that many years ago tho chore of tho bay became partly snbmerg«.ii uy some internal agitation that lott tho highest points at tho water's level, and npou these mangrove trees sprouted. Them is no shore to those wooded masses of vegetation, as tho stems and branches of those water trees. are ail that can ho seen as the boat is guided through this natural Venice. Another explanation and probably the most logical reason of the cause of these necnliax islands is that . tho mangrove needs have taken root in the coral formation as they rose to tho surface and because of tho sheltered position of tho two builders, plant and tho coral insect, -worked together and produced results so strange- On tho roots and branches grow the native oysters in. thousands- Within, the islands may he found lakes of van--ous sizes. , ~ These islands ajo a source of attraction and interest to the tourist and may Tie reached by boat in half an , hour across tho bayA- BEAUTIFUL STORY. A' native hunter in Somaliland brought in a baby oryx to tho camp of two ■Englishwomen. Ho told, them that tho another was alive and unharmed; that ho .had ridden them down until the little oryx, exhausted, had to drop, and the mother fled on. In w Two Dianaa in iSomaliland,'' Agnes Herbert toll of restoring the tiny, creature to its mother. The hunter had declared that if it was rtaken .back to the place whence it came do© would assuredly find it. tfr We decided to try this, but to secret© yourselves, and cover the baby buck with our protecting rifles. ‘Otherwise, it was ♦quite likely that a lion or leopard would tmako off with it ere its mother could re•trieve it. X took the timorous creature ocroes my saddle—it seemed ail struggling legs and arms—and made /for the place, some two miles off, whore h© first started tho oryx. fr Wo set tho baby down alone, so fragile and small it looked, and then hid ourselves away in a great thorn-brake. Tho little oryx did not wander far. Sometimes it bleated In a little treble; once or twice it lay down, tucking <its long legs beneath it, to rise and wander, -nil lonely, among the low thom-bushes. Two hours or more wo waited, and then .a gentle whinny, and almost before we ■realised it a perfect oryx doe cantered towards the fawn. She nosed it all over, and her joy expressed itself in ever? ■imaginable way. It was a most beautiful and pathetic sight. We made some movement, and all alert again, the gracefnl creature (sailed away, tho baby trotting beside her. To think that in all tho jnngol a mother could find her way to ■the lost best-beloved, with nothing to guide her, nothing to tell herl"

A FRAGMENTHast thou a smflc? Rnrfite- on the brokenhearted; Hast thou a love-word? Breathe it on the poor; Pot in the paiaco of the great hereafter We fain would dream that tears shall - he no more. Beyond the shadowing mdfit of doubt and eoxlnosSjr A spirit waateth by an- open, door, .Hast thou a song? Sing to the lost, the dying; Hast thou a chalioe? Pill it with Info's wine: They are athirst, the toilwom and the ■weary. Stretch forth thy hand, so shall this oup of thine Soothe like a sweet nepenthe earth's dud sorrow,' A Sacrament of brotherhood divine. ‘When on a day tfry son! ia heavy-laden. Thy smile, long lost, shall wander hack to thee*. iWhon on a day thy brow is pale with anguish. Thy song of hope shall echo restfully. And from the ohalice of thy past compassion Quench thou thy thirst in faith and ecstacy. Patty Honey-wood. PONIES OF ICELAND One must go everywhere on ponies in Iceland, excepting to TMngvellir, the ancient seat of government; to that tourists may go in pony carts if they choose, but they generally choose to ride on the backs of the ponies—and threo ponies mult be allowed for,each person to provide a relay. The ponies are small, averaging 12 hands in height, but they are sturdy and sensible, for when they want water they stand still and almost ask for it. They do the same when thoy want grass, or when something is wrong about the harness. Tho clatter of their little hoofs is almost a constant sound in Iceland. In color they are usually a light sorrel or white, with -very heavy manes and tails. They safely carry their riders across steams when tho water reaches to their haunches, and they also carry them far up the steep sides of Hecla, the King Mountain. So safe is touring in Iceland that sorao Bnglish ladies have walked between 300 and 100 miles unattended. Residents of St. Petersburg in tho I summer buy their drinking water in ( sealed bottles at the chemists’. I

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces up, snow is exhilarating : there is really no such thing as bad weather—only different kinds of good weather.—John Itnskin.