PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1921, 14 September 1888, Page 32

PERSONAL NOTES.

Henri Rochefort, jun., who was a membe of M de Brazza's first expedition to the Congo has set out from Paris for Venezuela. He will go overland into the United States of Colombia, and explore some of the leastknown regions about the -headwaters of the Amazon.

Jefferson Davis celebrated his 80th birthday on June 3. Pie is straight and erect and in good health. His mind, too, is as vigorous and active as it was in earlier years, showing none of the failings of age ; and he takes a keen interest in the questions of the day, political, religious, and social.

Mr Edmund Gurney, joint secretary of the Physical Society, author of " The Power of Sound" and other works, died in June last; aged 42. Besides his large work above-men-tioned on the philosophy of music, which has attained a standard position, Mr Gurney was the principal author of "Phantasms of the Living," and recently published under the title of " Tertium Quid " two volumes of collected essays. He suffered from obstinate sleeplessness and occasional neuralgia, and succumbed to an overdose of chloroform, incautiously taken when alone, at the Albion Hotel, Brighton, whither he had gone for a night on business.

The Figaro has discovered the following curious prediction concerning the late Ger° man Emperor in a. hroolmoe published durft ing the wa,r of 1870, entitled "A New Letter of Junius," the anonymous author being none other than M. Alexandre Dumas, jun. The passage runs thus :—": — " And when Prince Fritz shall wish to resist the current and shall say, 'But I, Loid, have always loved peace,' the Lord shall answer him saying, ' I have declared equally guilty those who do evil and those who permit it to be done in their sight. I had made thee handsome and good, not solely that thou mightst make reparation for the paternal crimes, but that thou mightest prevent them. Thy punishment shall be to die without having done good."

Kentigern was not one of the Columban monks. A genuine apostle of the Welsh, he extended his labours through the whole land of the Ciinbri. He revived the Christianity planted bj Ninian in still earlier days on the site of the modern Glasgow, and founded another church in the other vale of Chvyd, in North Wales. On the Scottish Clyde he is better known as Mungo. This was his pet name, given him by St. Serf; and means darling, being compounded of the Celtic vu'n or mun, dear, and the diminutive eu or g%, Mungo's settlement was merely a cluster of wattle huts in a forest-girdled clearing on the banks of the Molendinar.

Professor Donders, the celebrated Dutch' oculist, a couple of months ago attained his 71st year, an age at which the Dutch law compels him to resign his rofessorship in the University of Utrecht. The occasion was embraced by his friends and admirers to go tV.ere in large numbers toco him honour, not only from all parts of Holland and the Dutch colonies, but from other countries. England being represented by several distinguished medical men. An address was presented to Professor Donders, recognising his 40 years service to science and humanity, and a large sum was subscribed, which the professor desires to be appropriated to assist young physiologists and opthalmologists at fche university. The King has conferred the distinction of Commander of the Golden Lion on Professor Donders, and at the ceremony the Government was represented by the Home Minister. King Humbert sent him the Order of the Urown of Italy; and bir Joseph Lister congratulated the professor on behalf of the Royal Society of England. A mcual wtis also sLruck commemorative of the ceremony.

A pelicate and purk compi.kxtow, soft and fnlr hands ap.d anus, ai-e :isinrc.l to l.h'ise Indies who Hue Kowi.Ayi>s' Kalydor, whi<h is ;v moat healing and refr sliing prep-.taMnn f.ir rho face and arms. Ifc enuliciJfiH frcctd -a, tnn. i unbur.i, redncse. roughness, chaps, irritation, rut.uipo-is erupt iojin, &Q. ; reudeis the iki:i soft, smooth, a-d whittC mtd fa equally valuable during the heat ,'itid dust of summer or the cold and dani(i >.f wiitier fv>r preserving and beautifying tho complex ! om. Kowlanis' Odonto is a pure and uon-gil ly tooth powder; It whitens the teeth, prevents d-c y and gives a pleasing fragrance to the breath. Ank'Cti. mi^ls and store* for JlowtANns' articles, of 20 Hattou Garden, London.