Facts and Fancies.

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, 7 August 1912, Page 7

Facts and Fancies.

The Cardinal's Hat.

Scarlet hats were granted to Cardinals by Pope Innocent IV. in 1245. The Popes also had a quaint custom j of sending hats to princes and commanders who had distinguished themselves greatly in the service of the Church. The last of these hats, which were consecrated specially on Christmas Eve, was sent to General Danu in 1758 by Pope Benedict XIV. A hat sent to the English Bishop Fisher arrived too late for him to wear it, for an ancient chronicler says: "It is tolde that the Pope, for that he did holde so manfully to him, and stoode* so stiffly in his cause, did elect him a Cardinall ,and sent him the Cardinall's hatte as far as Caleys, but the heade it should stand on was as high as London Bridge or ever the hatte would come to Bishop Fysher."

How Japanese Treat Fainting.

The Japanese show their knowledge of anatomy not only in the jiu-jitsu method, but also in what is known as the kuatsu. The latter is used to restore persons from a fainting spell. The method consists in striking upon the back of the seventh vertebra of the neck when the subject is lying face downward. This vertebra is the one which is prominent at the base of the neck, and it is struck with frequent motion by the closed hand- A reflex nervous action is thus set up by the successive shocks, and although its exact nature is not known, the fact is that the regular action of the heart is restored and the subject comes -to his senses. Then he is seated, and his arms are given a rotary movement which stimulates the circulation and breathing. He is then required to I walk, so as to give a good circulation lin the lower members, and if this is neglected there is danger that the syncope returns.

A Huge Rocking Stone.

The rocking stone of Tandil is a natural curiosity in the Argentine Republic. The giant mushroom shaped quartz boulder stands upon the summit of some picturesque hills, perhaps 1000 ft. in height. It weighs over 700 tons, and it rocks in the wind and may be made to crack a walnut. Yet this boulder is so firm that one of the old dictators, Rossas by name, harnessed a thousand horses to it and then was unable to displace it. There are several rocking stones scattered about the world, though none nearly so large.

When Royalty Marry Commoners.

All the King can do under the Royal Marriages Act, which is the sole reguj lation regarding a Prince of the Royal Family wedding a commoner, is to j prevent such a marriage until the Royal Prince (or Princess) reaches twenty-five years of age, when the Prince may give notice to the Privy I Council that, at the end of a further twelve months, he intends to marry So-and-so. If thereafter Parliament does not interfere, the marriage can take place, and will be entirely leg-al, whether it is or is not in accordance with the King's wishes. The further assumption that "any male member of his Majesty's family could marry in opposition to his Sovereign's wishes" can only apply under the conditions here referred to, and as to any decree "that the Royal Prince in question would not only fail to achieve any recognition of his wife at Court, but he would himself be obliged to drop his style and title," all that is true is that, quite necessarily, the King has a right to say who shall or shall not attend a Court or enter his house, but that his Majesty has no authority whatever over the legal style and title of any person. Pearls. The pearl, although lacking in depth of colour which belongs to emerald or ruby, has been hig;hly prized from a very early time. Throughout India, pearls were used in order to decorate the deities, one of whom, indeed, was credited with the original discovery of the pearl. The god Vishnu—thus runs the tale—searching the bed of the ocean to discover a suitable tribute* for his daughter, found pearls thereon, and bore them away triumphantly. In China pearls formed a means of taxation, while among the Jews they were greatly valued, as can be seen from the pages of the Old Testament.