NOTES AND QUERIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2302, 14 April 1898, Page 38

NOTES AND QUERIES.

Questions for reply in coming issue to It received not later than Monday night. Disfute in the Oamp.— Both ; as an adverb delinquent means failing iv duty, or offending by neelect of duty or obligation— a delinquent tenant, a delinquent subscriber ; as a noun, one who fails to psrforxn a duty, an offender, a culprit. D. M. — (1) Wash the faded letter in a solution of ferro-cyanicle of potassium in clean water. (2) You could doubtless wait in the office wIA the letter was being typed. S. B. — The cure for sciatica you mention was hydrochloric acid rubbed on the line of the I nerve. If it fails try a nerve tonic, such as Easton's feyrup, Tory.— (l) Germany, Austria, and Italy. (2) ' Yarr (Spuxrey a'rveusis) is an annual. J. S. — There is vt place called Kaponsa 74 miles j north of Wanganui, going by rail to Eltham, i and thence nine miles by coach, but it is not a ! mining district. We do not know of any place ! called Kapanga where "gold is £i an ounce." ; Post.— The postmaster should deliver the letter to [ Smith, wTao, in turn, is responsible for its | delivery to Jones. ■ Agricultor.— Will be replied toby " Agvicola," j iv " Notes on Rural Topics." I X.-., Wintf-n. — "We do not know of any American i company who " lends money on insurance ! policies," but you should have no difficulty in r getting an advance thiough the local agent of J the life insurance company in which you are in- ■ • sured, - I J. S., Lockindoib. — (1) No, aluminium is only as i hard as soft iron. (2) No. (3) It is clearer. (4) | It is a white metal resembling silver in appear- j i atice. It is very light, being four times lighter j ] than silver. I b does not oxidise in air, has no • action in water at ordinary temperatures, is trot i acted on by sulphuietted hydrogen or sulphide ; of ammonium, and therefore preserves its lustre ! v. h.ire silver would be tarnished ;it is not ati tacked by nitric acid, is not soluble in dilute ! Eailphurie aciJ, but is readily soluble in hydroj chloric acid and in solutions of caustic pctash or socT.i As a copper-alloy it is used largely in the manufacture of jewellery. Robin .Redbreast writes:— "Do you iiot think it would be good to import some robin redbreasts ? Ido not think rhey are grain-eaters or fruit-destroyers, and they are very pretty with j their russet coata and scarlet waistcoats and ' their sweet whistle ' with treble soft,' " The ' | Acclimatisation Society have already made I I revera! importations of the robin, but so far the ' ! birds have not done well in this colony. : I Wetiierstones.— The firat team of English ■ I cricketers that came to the colonies arrived in I Victoria in December 1863. I A. G-. F., KokoDga. — If the batsmen have crossed, I the one who is running towards the wicket ; which is put down is out. Constant Reader, Te Tua.— The torpedo is, as its name implies, a submarine weapon of offence, and it- is not used for the bombardment of towns. The torpedo is discharged from a tube either above water or b?low the water line. As the torpedo leaves the tube the valve controlling the supply of air to tho engines is opened, and the torpedo otv entering the water Is propelled by its own engines. A ,«afety i avrangrment on the piatol prevents the latter j exploding the charge by accident until the torpedo is clear of the ship. In action it can be adjusted to sink at the end of its run in the event of ita missing its object. ! Anxious. — If a wife lea,ve3 her husband without j sufficient cause he is not bound to maintain her apart, and cannot be compelled by law to do ao, so long- as he is willing to give her a home with him. New Chum Farmer.— lf the lease in perpetuity was granted before October 6, 1894, a claim could not be granted without you li consent. % If '■■you.have given your corisent you should .have protected youiself by picper covenants by the cfeimholders that they should keep do<vn the rabbits, etc. "We think that the claimholderg are compellable to keep down the rabbits, but j you do not give us stifficient particulars to enable us to be sure. When and by whom was the claim granted? Did you consent 1 Coopek's Creek.— We thiuk there can lie no doubt that you are entitled to a month's notice. Shall look into the matter and reply to your i other queries next week. j Whiteabey. — (1) Egypt is nominally dependent ! on. Turkey. From 1879 to ISS3 the country was under the dual control of France and England, but in the latter year England intervened after Arahi Pasha's rebellion, and since then has practically governed the country. (2) In the beginning of 1876 the Government of Lord Beaconsfield astounded the country by the announcement that they had become possessors of a Urge number of shares in the Suez Canal. Thih was considered to be the first step towards the possession of Egypt. By-snd-bye a member of the Ooverruent was sent out to ths Khedive, who had merely asked for a competent clerk or j two from the Treasury. Suspicion* and hostility i were soon excited in iVasaa. This led to the i Conference at Constantinople. Then came the > dual control by France and England of Egyptian > finance. ! Soldier. — The Pamirs are a number cf Weak j plateaus and. shallow valleys lying between ■ Chinese Turkestan, Prussian Turkestan, acd Afghanistan. They are situated 13,000 ft above the sea, level, and are inhabited by nomad Khirghiz bands.