MULTUM IN PARVO.

Otago Witness, Issue 1935, 26 March 1891, Page 38

MULTUM IN PARVO.

— There are already 1500 communicants in the mission chutcbes established along the Congo by English and American missionaries. Considering Bow abort a tiran it is since this whole region was unexplored, this is a remarkable record. — In two-thirds of Parisian murder cases the criminal is never discovered. —An orange stuck with cloves was, and is now, not an uncommon gift among the boys and girls of Scotland. It is supposed to mean hidden wealth, and often does, for the orang<| may a make believe one, serving as a jewel case or bonbon box, and containing some Bweet and sacred message. — The fund voluntarily contributed and bequeathed in the British Isles to the work ot foreign missions for 1889 was £1,300,000, of which more than half was given by members of tbe Church of England. — There are four horda of wild cattle in Great Britain. One is at each of the following places:— Chilliogbam, Northumberland ; Lyme Park, Cheshire ; Ch&rtley, Staffordshire ; and Cadow, Lanarkshire. The cattle are encouraged in every way, and are regarded as curiosities. — California comas from the Spanish Caliente , oornalla, meaning hot furnace, in allusion to t the climate. It was discovered by Cortez 1 in 1537, and admitted into the United States in 1850. — The contract has been Bigned for the ereotion of a buildinor for hygienic instruction, as an annex to tbe University of Pennsylvania, to cost £10,000, the entite expenses of which will.be borne by Henry O. Lea, ani will be the first structure of the kind in America. —A bctallion of infantry has 150 picks, 150 Bhovels, 10 spades, 25 axes, 50 billhooks, and 4 crowbars. An engineer company has 130 picks, 130 Bhovels, 6 spades, 81 axes, 13 handBaws, 4 crosscut saws, 40 billhooks, 13 crowbars, and 20 heavy hammers. —Tbe manufacture of tweeds began in the year 1832, when the first bale was sent to London by W. Watson and Son, Hawick. It waß directed to a Mr Harvey, and labelled "tweele." Tfaiß was/mistaken for "tweeds," hence tbe name which has since become so popu'ar ovor the civilised world. — The Imperial Gazette of Berlin publishes an order abolishing tbe Latin essay and Greek versification as Bubjeotß for final examinations in all the royal provincial schools. — Cambridge has mor9 students than Oxford, but the latter is generally said to be tbe older university. The Scotch universities are about three centurieß younger ; they were, with the exception of Edinburgh, founded in tbe fifteenth century. Edinburgh dateß from

1582. —The director of the Messenger Pigeon Association of Canada says the evidence that these birds can be relied upon to cross 400 miles of sea is apparently thoroughly trufstworthy. — Tbe Free Church of Italy has decided upon the name of tbe Evangelical Church of Italy %s its official title in the future. — In France one-half of the population is engaged in agricultural pursuits, and rather mote than one-third in trade and industry.

— In 1887 only 200 tonß of sugar beets were grown in the United States, while last year <1890) the quantity was over 12,000. In 1890 the American Government imported 50 tons of beet Beed from Europe,' and over 2000 farmers applied for it, bo an extended cultivation is certain, — More is discovered in one day now than in 1000 years of the Middle Ages. — Invention points out that, contrary to what is generally supposed, incandescent electric lamps placed near a ceiling blacken it. This is due to a current of hot air ascending from the lamp and depositing black particles on coming Into contact with tbe cold surfaoa. — The Hungarian Government favours a scheme for aa electric railway between Vienna and Buda-Pestfa, a distance of 150 miles, to run eingle cars every 10 minutes, like a street service in two hours and a- half — Indian and Ceylon teas now compnae 75 per cent, of all teas imported iijto Great Britain. . — Germany soon rank again as a land ot great cities. In 1885 she contained only 21 cities with more tb&n 100 000 inhabitant?. Now there are 26 Ths number of cities with from 60,000 to 100,000 remains unchanged, but thoße with fcom 20,000 to 60,009 have risen

from 15 to 20.— Standard. — Sheffield houses engaged in the American trade are suffering greatly from the operation of the new American' Tariff law. Several large firms are «onteaaplating reducing wageß. The Rogers firm say they belieye business has been curtailed one-half since the tariff went into effect. "-Sixteen people travel third-class io one firat-elass in London. —Under the name of " Banamna^a firm in Cribara have introduced a new and profitable industry into Havanab, by the discovery of a { process for' obtaining flour from the plantain i tree, which haa hitherto been a matter of great difficulty it would seem, Chemical experiments show that this flour contains far more nutriment than that obtained from rice,' and eaten with beans, maize, yucca, aud sago it forces a most nourishing diet. — The Russian Banquada la Noblesse announces for sale, by public auction, no fewer than 800 large and small estates in different provinces, tbe owners of which were unable last year to meet their engagements with the bank.

— The Americans have a decJdedJy neat way of describing things and events, to Bay the 3eaßt of it. In an American contemporary we read, for instance, of the rescue and so tus n of one who had "plunged into sin's cauldron," and '* whose errinf? feet were Bafoly planted on Satan's toboggan shute." —Of foggy days there »re JBB on an average iv Ijondoa yearly. —The number of executions forma but a very email proportion of the murders .committed m Rowland and Wales. In 18S0 there were 18f ; !*Bi, 193 (includiDpr 101 females) ; 1882, 186 ; ÜBBB, 177; 1884, 192 * 1885, 158; 188$, 197', and 1887, 196 „ —Over 2000 Bkaters in Hyde Park and Keu.*iogton gardens was one of the sights pf London ■oao day ia the beginning of January, —The Earl of Albemarle was present at the biible of Waterloo. Two pears— Lord Wanf.nge and Lord .& •fford-~bear Victoria drosses-; »nd two — Lores Hylton and Tredegar — were <nTOon|? lha 600 who rode in the charge of tba "L'ght Brigade at Balaclava, — The late Mr Richard Quiucey Pepper, 6f Horbliiig, an opulent Lincolnshire grszvor, has 1.3 queathed by hia will £2 to every child in the $i>mh over six and under 12 yoaro of age, •' as *. nucleus and incentive to industry, carefulness, .*.* d thrift," and requests bis escfeutors to open » Government savings bank account for aaoh

* -cipient. —The .Engineering Newe makes thia state-H'-nt: Tbero appears to be no donbt tbftt *!•■ minium ia lo play a highly important part in 1 •« attß hereafter, perhaps coming BeoontJ to job, only,