WORLD-WIDE NOTES.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 29, Issue 17, 2 March 1917, Page 2

WORLD-WIDE NOTES.

THE CROWN OF HUNGARY. The Hungarian crown, now bereft of its function, since its country owns the sway of Austria, has an extremely romantic history, and is regarded by the people as an object of mystery and veneration. Fifty kings have been crowned with it during a period of 800 years. In 1848 it disappeared entirely, and rumour had it that Kossuth, the Hungarian patriot had sold the jewels to the Turks in order to get money to carry on his revolt against Austria, and had destroyed the framework.

For five years a committee sought for clues as to its. whereabouts, then a Hungarian, on condition of perfect safety, offered to reveal to the wondering seekers the hiding-place of the holy emblem. Conducting the Committee to Orsova, on the border of Hungary and Serbia, he there showed them the crown buried beneath the roots of a tree. Kossuth himself had hidden it there for safety while the rebellion was waging. THE WORLD’S HARVESTS. All through the year wheat is being harvested. In January it is being cut in the great fields of the Argentine and in New Zealand. In February and March it is cut in the East Indies and Egypt. The wheatfields are harvested in April in Cyprus, Asia Minor, Persia, and Cuba, and in May in China and Japan, June is the busiest harvest month of the whole year, for then Turkey, Greece, Spain, and Southern France, as well as most of the Southern States of America, are all cutting wheat. The more northerly States of America, as well as Austria, Germany, and parts of Russia, do their harvest gathering in July. August sees the wheat crop gathered in Great Britain, and September and October for Sweden and Norway. Peru and South Africa are busy harvesting in November and December. LIVING WITHOUT FOOD. If there were a siege, how long could soldiers and civilians live after the food supplies gave out? Science says that if he can get drinking water an ordinary man can exist for about thirty days without food. At the end of that time the machinery of the body will not be spoilt, and can be entirefy strengthened back to its , old standard by careful feeding. About pne-quarter of our body weight is fat, and it is mostly this fat which is absorbed as food during the period of starvation. We can absorb and burn up our muscles until 60 per cent, of their weight has gone. We can do the same with from 30 to 40 per cent, of our livers and digestive organs and 20 per cent, of our lungs. Our hearts can lose 10 per cent, and our brains and nervous system can lose 5 per cent. It will thus be seen that the more vital organs, brain and heart, yield least of their valuable substance for the life of the body ; whilst the less valuable substances, fat, muscles, and so on are consumed first. ALUMINIUM AND THE WAR. Austria and Germany use more aluminium for war purposes than all the other nations combined. It has been known, in fact, that Germany has for some years been .•.ollecting and storing the metal for war uses. The great majority of the drinking mugs, cans, and cups of the German soldier are made of the ligh£ metal. The frames for Zeppelins and the fuses for shells are made from aluminium. One of the difficulties the Germans have had to face is the shortage of copper necessary for the rings round shells. Many of the German shells are now provided with aluminium rings. Although aluminium does not make a substitute, even in cartridges as well as shells and fuses, it is not so good as copper. The French authorities experimented with it some years ago for artillery purposes, but rejected it. ..