RECORD OUTPUT OF THE SCRIPTURES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10721, 19 June 1906, Page 1

RECORD OUTPUT OF THE SCRIPTURES.

SIX MILLION VOLUMES IN ONE YEAR. A remarkable year's record was announced at the Bible Society's annual meeting at Exeter Hall on Wednesday, May 2nd. During the year ending March, 1906, nearly six million copies of the Scriptures were circulated (the actual figures being 5,977,453 books), which exceeded the society's previous high-water mark by 33,000 copies, and this is the more remarkable m face of the disturbed conditions which have prevailed m Russia, China, and Japan, where some of the society's heaviest sales take place. The polyglot nature of the Bible Society's work is instanced m the fact that at Winnipeg, for example, Scriptures were supplied m forty--th.ee different languages, while at Johannesburg versions m fifty-two languages were sold at the depot m that city, and a fifty-third was asked for by a newcomer, who demanded a Bible m Icelandis, which the agent had not there on the spot. During the past year eleven new languages have been added to the society's list of versions. The Bible Society has now promoted the translation, printing, or distribution of some part of God-s Word m 400 different languages/ The new tongues are Ladakbi, Singpho, Kuliviu, Mech (or Kachari), Zigula, Laotianj Sna, Bemba, Colloquial, Arabic, East Santo, and Bii-Bri. How many of our readers can say off-hand where any one of these is spoken ? . Ladak'hi is spoken on the Thibet frontier. Singpho is a language spoken by a people residing among the hills iv the far east- of Assam. Kuliviu is a language spoken on one of the islands m the New Hebrides; the people wall pay for these books m arrowroot. Mech is a dialect spoken by about a quarter of a million people living on the plains of North Assam. Zignla is spoken by the Wa-Zigulas, who cover a large area m German East Africa. Laotian is spoken by the Laos tribes, who^live m the interior of Annam, French Indo-China; and m order to print this, special type will have to be cast, from designs that have been supplied by native scribes. Saa is spoken on the island of Mv^ala, one of the British Solomon Islaiids which have become Christianised. Bemba is spoken by the tribes living iv Central Africa, to the north, of Lake Bangweolo. Colloquial Arabic is being prepared for the unlearned m Egypt, who do not understand classical Arabic. East Santo is another of the many languages spoken m the New Hebrides. Bri-Bri is the language of liJdians near Panama. The Bible Society has supported 900 colporteus, who sold during the year nearly Z_ million volumes. It also supported 670 native Christian Bible-women employed m connection with about forty different missionary organisations m the East, and it helped to maintain 100 European Bible-women, most of whom are working m London back streets. An, excellent example of the scale on winch the society conducts its business was evidenced at the last monthly meeting of the committee, when orders to be placed with various printing firms were sanctioned, amounting to no less than 653,000 volumes. There are eleven "havvies" for work on the Main Trunk line on board the Oswestry Grange. Another batch is due to arrive by the White Star liner Athenic to-day. The Poultry Expert has received advice from the New Zealand Produce Commissioner m. London that the second shipment of Government-graded poultry which went Home by the Kaipara, realised a satisfactory price. Ducks brought up to 8s 6d a pair. A very interesting exhibit has been added to the Chrisctchurch Museum, by Mr E.R. Waite. It consists of a number of flints of a kind used by the Australian aborigines. It appears that it was the custom of the coastal natives to foregather on the sandhills along the sea, and sit m the sun making weapons, tools, etc. The wind blowing over these locali- : ties is constantly exposing the: flints, and ! the collection now on view at the Museum . was made by Mr Thomas Whitelogge, of ' New South Wales. It comprises surgical instruments, fish spear, points and barhs, ad.es, gravers used for ornamenting boomerangs (which were fastened to a stick with gum, exposing the cutting edge only),- gouges for shaping wood, knives, and other articles. The collection is interesting as an example of the ingenuity displayed by these simple folk m finding substitutes for iron or copper, which aborigines of other countries had learned to utilise for weapons and other purposes. Mr 1 John M'Goldrick, who has just returned from a tour round the world, relates an amusing incident during the Welsh-Irish international football contest. He 6tates : "Possibly I was the only New Zealandey on the ground. The Welsh team were accompanied by 1500 barrackers, and during the. match chanted some very fine tunes. The Irish, however, contrary to expectations, upset all calculations by playing a very brilliant game, and although at the finish they were minus two men injured, never left the result m doubt. The green supporters were beyond themselves with excitement, and after a great forward rush Erin's supporters cheered wildly. When the noise subsided the Welsh contingent of 1500 arose, and as if spoken through a monster phonograph, cried out, 'Who beat the New Zealanders ?' The thousands' of jubilant Irishmen, equal to the occasion, i responded with a terrific yell, 'The referee.' Taffy was silenced." . So strongly impressed Major General Corbin,jof the United l States Army, during his visit to Australia, with the rifle club system obtaining m Australia that | on his return to Manila, where he is sta- 1 tioned, he sent a communication to the Secretary of War on the subject. In the course of his communication, the General says :— "The great credit given j the Australian contingents m South | Africa was largely due to the fact that these men left home fully acquainted ' with the capacity of their arms. . . It is j worthy of note that m New South Wales, with a population of about 1,000,000 there were 1500 competitors at their last j competition(the N.R.A. raeeting),appro- ' ximately double the total number of the, N.S. National meet at Sea Girt, N.J., m 1905, representing our 76,000,000 people. . . I regard a man who is a qualified marksman without anymilitary experience whatever at least nine-tenths a perfect soldier ; and a great national reserve \vith nine-tenths' perfection for immed- J iate enlistment m the event of a demand for a large number of troops would add untold strength to the defences of a nat* i ion." J

At a private exhibition held m New York, Marie Beyrotty, a "Dervish dancer" connected with Barnumi and Bailey. Circus, whirled m a dance for 35 minutes without stopping. She completed 2450 revolutions, breaking her world's record of 2240 revolutions. A gentleman with a keen 6cent for the bawbees made his appearance at the Chri_tchurcli morgue last- Thursday. An inquest, was being held on an old age pensioner who had died suddenly, and the individual m question, a greybeard himself, explained how he had met the deceased a day or two before hie death, and lent him two or three shillings because he was "hard up" and m trouble ; "and now I want the money that was found on him; I've gob a claim on it," lie concluded. "You'll have to see the police about that,"' replied the Coroner, evidently not m sympathy with the man's hnste to get his fingers on the couple of shillings found m the pocket of the friendless old! mau who had died. "The season has been bad for pot.itoes," said the Government biologist (Mr Kirk) to a Wellington reporter on Friday afternoon. They had siuffered very severely, and m some districts the damluge had been, probably as great- as last year's havoc. Many people who had sprayed systematically had written toth© Department stating- that they had been perfectly satisfied with the results of this saving operation. In every case where -persons claimed to have sprayed. in vain, ho had found that they had made (mistakes, either m the mixing or application of the spray. The chief mistake was that they did not follow the instructions to spray on the under side of the leaf. There was no doubt the disease attacked the under side, not the top of the leaf. There was no difficulty about sending the spray underneath, tor a special nozzle was made for the purpose, at a cost of 2s 6d. Among the potatoes imported from New South Wales and Victoria during the last few weeks there had been some consignments very badly infested with the potato moth. Orat of one sack sent to him 40 per cent, had been affected. A proclamation had been prepared 'to'-' prohibit the importation of moth-in-fested potatoes, and this document- was now m the hands of the Minister.