ABOUT PEOPLE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13859, 23 March 1907, Page 14

ABOUT PEOPLE.

Lord Kitchener must bo getting pretty to aecidents by this time. There was a certain explosion of a mine at. Chatham, which permanently injured his right eye and condemned him to the use of pincenez whenever he pores over maps and churls. At thu. battle of Suakim, again, a hostile bullet broke his jaw. and is still embedded somewhere despite several painful operations with the pureose of extracting it. Ilis lordship fractured his leg shortly after bis arrival in India. But perhaps Lord Kitchener's most -exciting adventure happened in Palestine while he was engaged with Major Condor ill the survey of that country. The surveying party were swamped at fiafed in Galilee when a horde of fanatical Moslems attacked them. Kitchener had nothing but his cane to defend himself with, and when the tussle was over he turned up covered with hlocd, having had a. narrow escape from a jiegro who had attempted to cleave him with ahuge scimiiar.

Tho late Sir Michael Foster was a very picturesque and popular personage 111 the House of Commons during his representation of London University iu tho last. Parliament. He spoke with an intense earnestness of conviction, and his habit of stroking his beard as if lie were thinking, 011 the floor of the House, when'actually speaking, of the most concise and accurate method of expression, was a characteristic feature of his. lhauner of delivery. His philosophio placidity was rarely ruffled, but 011 0110 occasion he repelled, with a vehemence of gesture and a wealth of invective which astonished his hearers, an anti-viviscclionist attack on scientific research.

Mr Charles Devlin, who some time ago forsook .the "Mother of Parliaments'' to return to the House, of Commons of tho Dominion of Canada, has taken his seat in that Assembly, having been introduced by Sir Wilfrid Laurier himself. Mr Dovlin delivered his maiden epcech on the day he entered the Hous>e; but this was only a maiden spceeli in a' qualified sense, for Mr Devlin was a member, of the Canadian Parliament before he came to Westminster, and look part iu the debates there. •

Pity tho sorrows of a distinguished foreigner who, having become a naturalised Englishman, learns, when 100 late, that lie has thereby lost his former rights in the land of his birth! This, it sojnrs (savs the Westminster Gazette) is the ea6e of Signor Tosli, Ihe famous composer, who recently took out papers of. naturalisation. Now, it appears, he is thinking of returning'to Italy again, and as a conscqiionco is disposed to regret, tho step. But doubtless a way out of the difficulty will bo discoverable. Perhaps. as the happiest solution for his many English fricrid~, Signor Tosti will change his mii/d and olect lo remain in -England as an Englishman, It is over 30 years now sinco Signor Tosti first camo to this country, and no one needs lo be told what fame he has won for himself in the intervening period by his countless charming songs. Are they not sung and listened to -with delight by every amateur Yet. it- may encourage younger composers to know, somo of tho. most popular of them were refused by many publishers in tho first instance. Signor Tosti, in his younger days, taught music to several members of the Royal Family, and ho was pianist to the Into Duchcss of Cambridge, an appointment requiring him to visit St. James's Palace every afternoon to plaj' for ono hour.

Tho death is recorded of Miss Agnes Gierke, the well-known lady astronomer, whoso books arc accepted as standard works of reference, and are mcro widely read by tho general public than these of any other astronomer except. Sir Robert Ball. Tho astonishing thing- about Mfes Clerko was that her science ,was entirely self-taught. She learned it in tho reading room of the British Museum, where she compiled liev books. Beginning with some scientific contributions to tho Edinburgh Review, she published in 1885 her first, book, cntit-led "Tho Popular History of Astronomy:" In this book all the living astronomers found their work adequately recorded by a writer of whom they had never heard. It is related that Sir David Gill, the astronomer royal, seeing it was written by a woman, handed 'it, to his wife with the remark, "This will probably suit you." After perusing the first few pages.'■ Ladv Gill handed it back, saying, I think it will suit you." Mis,? Clerkc's other best-known work was "Tho System of tho Stars," published ill 1890. For these two books Mies Clerko was awarded the Actonian Prize of 100 guineas in 1895, and was made an honorary member of the Royal Agronomical Society, an exceedinely rare distinction for a woman. Miss Clerke was nearly 65 years of age, and had latterly been in failing health.

The Ameer of Afghanistan, on arrival at' Aligarh from Agra, was received by the district officers and 10 representatives of (he Mohammedan College. Quoting the words of Hazrat AH, the son-in-law of the Prophet, his Majesty 'reminded the professors and studont.s that "the distance between truth and untruth was a I land's breadth, or the distance between the eyes and the cars." One class the Ameer himself examined in religious subjects, asking numerous questions, and in the end declaring liis entire satisfaction at the manner in which the tenets of Mohammedanism were being inculcated. Later in the proceedings lie enjoined tho students to apply themselves to European sciences, insisting, however, upon the importance of their first obtaining a good grounding in the Mohammedan religion. In conclusion, he announced his intention to present to the college a. gift of 500 rupees monthly, together with a lump -sum of 20,000 rupees, for the advancement of Mohammedan education. Before leaving Agra the Ameer paid a special private farewell visit to Lord Millto, to whom ho expressed tho keenest pleasure at liis visit. At Agra the Ameer and Lord Kitchener became close friends, and liis Majesty's partiality for tho Commander-in-Chief was very marked.

The Hon. John Beresford' Campbell, who has been appointed the High Sheriff of Galway for 1907, is the son of Lord Stratheden and Campbell, and therefore the grandson of the celebrated Scot who became Baron Campbell in 1841, when he was appointed Lortl Chancellor of Ireland) a position which he held for six weeks only. The Hon. .Tohn Campbell is now a domiciled CJalwayman, with a residence at Moy cullen, in Conncmara, once the, home of tho fighting OTlahortys, one of whose chieftains was starved to death in Moycuilcn Castle in the days of Elizabeth. The Rev. F. W. Dawson, who died at Lichfield the other day, was the author of a good-sized volume, published a few years ago, entitled " Christmas During Nineteen Centuries." ill which he brought together a great collection of matter relating to observance of t.he season in many lands. Mr Dawson had inscribed over liis doorway tho fact that "in this house" th<i work was finished in the year 1902. He began lifo as a journalist, and was subsequently a newspaper proprietor in the Midlands and in Kent. Then he became a Congregational minister, but. died a member of the Anglican Church, which he joined in the city where he closed his life of 57 years. t Charterhouse, which has become deprived by death of one of the best masters it has ever had, in Canon Haig Brown, had in the davs of the revolution a master -'who was bold enough to stand up against .Tames II himself and Jeffreys of evil memory. Tho King sought to force Charterhouse to take in as a pensioner one Andrew Pop-

ham, a Roman Catholic; but the Bcv. Thomas Burnet, the master, stoutly resisted, aDd with the majority of the governors defeated' Jeffreys (one ot thcin) on two occasions, Tlic Bcv. Thomas Burnet had such curious ideas about, the formation of the world that his orthodoxy was. greatly doubted in his day. Ho maintained that at iho time' of the deluge the eart.li tcsembled ' a huge' egg shell,- which was Crushed by the deluge, the internal .waters bursting forth and the fragments of tho shell forming the mountains!' '110 argued 1 , too, thai at the same time the equator was diverted. His views provoked a. popular skit of tho day, some of which ramThat as for Father Atlam Ami Mrs Eve, his madame, And what tho devil spoke, Sir, ■ 'Tiras nothing but a. joke, Sir, Anfl well-invented' flam. Burnet, who became Chnplaiii-in-Ordinary to William IH, died ill: ,2715, at Charterhouse. and was buried in the chapel. A handsomo olwlisk of Sicilian marble lias teen plated by tho Admiralty in' the Royal Naval Cemetery at Hasiar, near Portsmouth, to tho memory of Lieutenant Loftus 0. 0. Manscvgh, Snb-lienteiiant J. P. Churchill, and the nine petty officers and men who lost, their lives through tho foundering of tho submarino A 1 at Spit-head on March 18, 1904. It. is also intended lo be a memorial to those who were killed by tho explosion on tiio submarino at Queenstown on February 16, 1905, and in the Joss of the submarine at Plymouth on •Tune 8 of tho same year, The Comtesse-douairieve de La Perouse de Bonfils, whose death at, Aix-en-Provenco, at tho ago of 91, is reported. .was a. goddaughter of the first Napoleon, and born at St. Helena (hiring tho captivity. Her father was General Cointo de Month'olon, tho Emperor's A.D.C. at; Waterloo, and the companion of his exile. Madame do Jtontholon left, the island, mill her children, in. fho .Tnly of 1819. Tho great man was much affected, The Home .correspondent of tlio Daily Telegraph states:— Some weeks ago I wired about the great inheritance left to tho Pope by Monsignor Adanvi, Now tho natural heirs have protested, and are bringing 1 a suit ■against the Pope, alleging that Mgr Adami was ccccntrie, and not nuito in his right mind, as was proved by his excessive ambition, which was much beyond his talents. He spent great sums, and somo years ago ordered cardinal's robes, although the late Popo plainly told him that ho would never be created cardinal. Tho lawsuit is tho more iulerosting since the Pope, according to tho Law of Guaranles, is a sovereign enjoying the rights of extra-territorialily in Home.

To tho late Lady Gtoy, wife of Sir Edward Grey, Secretory of State {or Foreign Affairs, a memorial lias been Greeted at Itclien Abbas,' near Andovcr, Hampshire, where Sir Edward has rented the fishing at Avington from Sir .Tolm Shelley for many years. ■ Lady, Grey liked the neighbourhood greatly, and was very popular among tlm villagers. Tho memorial is in the form of a concert' hall'attached to tho villago club, which Sir Edward has also furnished,, and has promised to add a library. A'portrait of the lamented lady, whose accidental death just a. year ago was much deplored, will ho hung over tho fireplace. Mrs Mandoll Crciifhton, widow of the lato Bishop- of. London, and a great friend of Lady Grey, has informally opened tho room.

The Bishop of London lias appointed the Rev. Nevisou Loraine, Vicar of St. Paul's, Grove Park, Cbiswick. to the vacant pre-bend-of Cliiswick in St. Paul's Cathedral, in succession to file late Dr Thornton, formerly Archdeacon of Middlesex. Mr Loraine, who was in his earlier voara a. Nonconformist minister, was ordained in 1859 to tho .curacy of St. Giles-in-the-Ficlds. In tho following year he became perpetual curate of Holy Trinity, Liverpool, and in 1870 was appointed incumbent of St. Paul's, Grovo Park, and when tlio parish was formed two years later he was the first vicar, Mr Loraine lias built up an excellent parochial organisation and - attracted a goo congregation by his eloquent preaching, and ho has been a frequent speaker at tlio London Diocesan Conference.- Ho is the author of "Tho Lord's Pro-ver," "The Voice of the Prayer-book." "The Church and Liberties of England," " Tho Sceptic's Creed," " Tho; Battle o[ Belief," and "Homo Reunion." ,