SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18159, 2 February 1921, Page 6

SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

The local Swimming Centre now has arrangements well in hand for the New Zealand swimming championships, and also for the entertainment of the visiting swimmers, who are now arriving in batches from the north. L. Kronield (Auckland) and R. B. Wheeley (Christchurch) have been in training in the local swimming pool since last week, and a big section of the Canterbury team arrived on Monday evening by the first express, and will immediately get info training to get the feel of the bath. Mr Griff Kiel? is again manager of the Canterbury team, and is very confident of carrying away one of the shields after the contests are over. The main body of the Auckland team expect to arrive to-morrow evening. The following are the handicaps ■ declared by the Otago Centre handicapper (Mr J. M'Gill) for the Inter-club Handicap on the first night: 66 2-3 Yards Interclub Handicap.—J. Enright (Auckland) scratch, O. Reid (Wanganui) and W. P. Sutherland (Canterbury) Isec, W. M'Gill (Wellington) and P. Edwards (Wellington) 2sec, W. F. Sjmes (Canterbury), C. Farquhar (Auckland), R. B. Wheeley (Canterbury), 3eec, W. Main (Canterbury), H. Gerred (Canterbury), 4sec, A. Dalton (Canterbury), K. Laverns (Wonganui), A. Boon. (Canterbury), A. Tilly (Wanganui), L. Annand (Canterbury) ssec, S. Orchard (Canterbury), E.- Pike (Canterbury), 6seo, J. Delves (Wanganui). C. W. Smith (Canterbury), J. G. Hirst (Auckland), E. Grotty (Wanganui) 7sec, M. C. Simes (Canterbury), F. Truscott Canterbury), R. Sutton (Wellington), S. Annabel (Wanganui), D. Robertson (Canterbury) Baec, O. Turpin (Canterbury), H. G. Smith (Canterbury), V. Salck (Wellington) 9sec, L. Clarkson (Canterbury), N. Whit© (Wanganui), M. Marsden (Wanganui), A. Perry (Otago) lOsec, J. B. Doake (Otago) llaec, A. W. H. King (Hawke’s Bay), J. M'Nulty (Otago), W. Barr (Otago) 13scc, J. Curtayne (Canterbury), H. A. Barrett (Canterbury) Msec, W. Murray (Otago), M. W. Simes (Canterbury), A. Haworth (Canterbury), B. Upjohn (Canterbury) 16sec, M. Meiklc (Canterbury) 18sec. Th© following are the entries for the 100 Yards National Championship of New Zealand, which will also be swum the first night:—B. Reid (Wanganui), W. F. Smith (Auckland), R. B. Wheeley (Canterbury), J. Enright (Auckland), C. Parquhar (Auckland), L. Kronfeldi (Auckland), D. Munell (Wellington), E. J. Dawson (Otago), W. P. Sutherland 1 'Canterbury), E. G. L. Paterson (Wellington).

“THE LAND O’ THE LEAL.” TO THE EDITOR. .

Sib, —A reply by the Rev. Tulloch Yuille to the letter of Mr C. H. M'Lean, giving his reasons for referring to “Th© Land o’ Leal” as if it had been written by Burns, would be appreciated, as none of Burns’s numerous editors and biographers have ever claimed that song for him, or even hinted that it might probably be his. Those who attribute it to Burns say he wrote it on his deathbed, but there is not a particle of evidence of this. He wrote little at that time, and every word h,e wrote there, or spoke, was treasured by kind friends. Neither Bonnie Jean, who lived more than 50 years afterwards, nor any of his family ever mentioned the song. We cannot think ot Burns on lus deathbed saying— Your task is ended noo, Jean, when he was wracked with anxiety as to how she and his children would fare after his death. Few have any doubt but that “The Land o’ the Leal” was written by the Baroness Nairne, but after she wrote it “Jean” was substituted tor “John,” and a few of the weakest vjprses were added.—l am, etc., ' _ Lothian. January 31.

UNDERGROUND HUMANITY. TO THE EDITOR.

Sxk— ln a most interesting paragraph in this morning’s Daily 'limes we read of an ej.pedition, the purpose ot which is to seek out underground human races, the locale of the search being our own Australasian colonies. To such as hold that Australia and New Zealand are parts of the ancient pre-Atlantean continent of Lemuria, there is nothing extraordinary m this, and they will eagerly await the issue of the expedition, the success of which will not in the least surprise them. . The fascinating publication, fascinating even of a romance, which no doubt many readers will take it to be, called “ Rents in the Veil,” published some 10 years ago in the Theosophist, and loner overdue in volume form, has something to say about these underground brothers of ours. A visit, paid close on 11,000 years ago, to one such subterranean colony is described in detail, and to this account is added the following information These people still exist at the present day. There are many of these cavities, and some of them are peopled by tribes much more advanced than those encountered by our adventurers. The mental body of these people is not at all Silly developed. Their speech as an uny compound of clicks and grunts, helped out with a good deal of clumsy gesture. No ceremonies have so far been observed among them. ' Observation here means clairvoyant obser vation, or at least observation by subtler means than those about to be employed by the scientists interested in the question of under-surface beings. Confirmation by the latter will strengthen the already strong claim ot trained clairvoyance to a respectful hearing. “ Marriage is between one man and one woman in many cases, but in other cases hot. There seems no sign of runic, or any kind of government—indeed, there is nothing to govern. Sometimes there are quarrels, but all on a small scale. As regards property, they may be said to own some sort of weapons. The majority of them have no clothing. There is ho day and night with them; they mostly throw themselves down to sleep after taking a meal. The children sometimes amuse themselves with dances. There are plenty of rivers, and the people swim in them in a curious doglike fashion.’’ The account ot the visit itself mentions animals and plants, speaks of the strange diffused light or semi-darkness, which fills the enormous caverns inhabited by these tribes, tells of their hue and shabc, and discusses their probable origin. It is nil extremely interesting, and well worth the attention of students. —I am, etc., January 28. L. L. H.