GLEANINGS FROM THE PAPERS.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 74, 1 March 1879, Page 3

GLEANINGS FROM THE PAPERS.

Miss Gordon Cummiug, histor of the Afrioan traveller, in in California, and has been hard at work sketching in the Yoeemito Valley. A boat of the late Commodore Goodenough who waa killed by the natives, on landing at Santa Ortti Lnlsnd in August, 187 i, has been placed inthupaintod hall at Greenwich Hospital.

A curious East Indian " legeud," treating of the future of the Mogul Elliptic, and based upon the prediction of a priest, made many years ago, has been put in'o verse in Dreudea, and is now iu circulation in that city. It describes how the great Mogul monarch, Arungzebe, when following his resolution to extirpate the English, from Hindustan, was stopped in his work by a holy Bmhmiii, who held before his face a magic minor, in which he saw the continued growth >f the British power until only a shadow remained of his own. At length the shadow itself was swept away, and another imperial throne was set up, with a lady seated in its chair. The priest had given assurance that 200 years of expiation and servitude were necessary in order to freo Hindustan from the evil powers that controlled her destinies, and for that reason all prisoners had been set freo by Arungzebe. The legend goes on to say that when the lady becomes seated on the throne, the scene suddenly dissolves in a thunder clap, and India resumes her sway The priest's prediction is well known, says the legend, to the natives of India. Tuo first part of the prophecy, it continues, has been fulfilled already—a woman sits on the Mogul throne, and the fabric of British Empire in the East is now cracking and ready to fall to pieces.—NewYork Tribune. [Our contemporary's implied prophecy that our Empire is destined to pass away, is just as false as the statement that British rule in the East is ready to fall to pieces. What we eagerly wish for we easily credit.—El>. T. ami C] There may be such a thing as a wealthy Kanaka (says the Brisbane Cornier of the 20th instant). Yesterday three South Sea Island millionaires, comparatively speaking, presented themselves at the counter of the A.S.N. Company's offices, and requested passages to Sydney by the Katoomba. Being of an economical turn, they wanted the cheapest passage procurable—on the deck, or in the hold, or anywhere—and their idea of its value was i'l per head. For this purpose the treasurer of the party produced a roll of notes, and selecting three of £!0 each, triumphantly presented them to Mr. Dearnally, the ticket-clerk The clwk, however, relieved the Kanaka's ignorant c, and explained the difference between .1 "one" and a "ten," much to the astonishment of the simple-minded South Sea Islander. Soi.ie conversation ensued, which resulted in the coolie treasurer showing several more £lO notes in addition to some of £l, aud further inquiries dieted the fact that the trio had been for some time on Gordon Downs, and had lately got their •' cheques." Having heard that, it was customary " along o' white nmii " to proceed forthwith to a larger town to see life, they wished to proceed to Sydney, and have now proceeded thither to spend their wages. It is a wonder that the travellers did not lay out their funds in fire-arms, for recently the Kanaka is becoming quite a connoisseur uf gun metal, and turns up his nose at the old trade musket, while he has no ohjectiou to a breechloader.

Speaking of tlio Ryley divorce ease, u Wellington paper remarks : —"Then Honors tlie Judges have taken time, to consider the dilhcult and knotty question of where Dr. Ryley is to he domiciled. Born in Great Britain, married in New Zealand, at one time'at Fiji, at another Western Australia, then found in New South Wales, and at the present time in England, it would he indeed hard to fit to his life a ' local habitation.' His case makes the couplet of Condor true, 'No home is hy the wanderer found, 'tis not in space, it hath no bound.' " It is stated that the dignity of an earldom is to he conferred upon the Lord Chancellor, who will take the title of Earl Cairns His lordship first entered Parliament in 1852 as member of Belfast. He was knighted in 1858, and appointed Solicitor-General, and on the return of the late Ijord Derhy to office in 18UC Sir Hugh Cairns became Attorney-General. In October of the same year he was raised to the peerage as Baron ("aims, of Garnioyle, in the county of A-iitrim, aud in February, ISMS, he became Lord Chancellor, which office he held until the resignation of Mr. Disraeli's Ministry at the end of the year. When the general election of 1874 carried the Conservative party .back to power by an overwhelming majority, Lord Cairns was reappointed Lord Chancellor. His lordship is also Chancellor of the University of Dublin, and a governor of the Charter-house.

In the course of an article on the return of the Jews to Palestine, the Christian Signal says:—" The mystery which veils Hcavenss ultimate plans in refer* enoe to this irrepressible race may not be removed in our time; but in contemplating the distant results of the rc-organisa-tion of nationality and political government by the Jews we look forward to their establishment in Palestine as a blessing to the world. They aro, happily innocent of the brutal Sclavonic instincts which propel Muscovites to slaughter neighbouring peoples, and on hypocritical pretexts, to annex their territory. Neither do wo indulge apprehensions that Jerusalem will ever become the focus of such Socialist conspiracies as are sapping the foundations of Society in. Germany, France, and Russia. They are too characteristically pacitic and contented with their lot over to hatch plots of vengeanoo against the descendants of Christians who massaoivd their fathers in York Castle, burned them in the fires of the Inquisition, and cruelly robbed them of their property and frocdou."

Lord BeocousfiVld lias done ft \erv generous tbiug. Ho has sent his clique for 1000 guineas to the survivors of the agonising disaster of the Princess Alice.

According to the Almonoch de Goth, the subjects of Victoria, exclusive of those in the British Isles, number 20:1,000,000. Of these there arc upwards of 5,000,000 in America, nearly 2,500,000 in Australia, 200,000 in Africa, and 170,00*' in Europe; and Asia 193,000,000.

At Luna Island, Niagra Fall.'a young man named Charles Addiugton, of Buffalo, playfully lifted up the little daughter of the lady who was with him, and said, '• Hi, now I am going to throw you in !" 'I he child, with a spasmodic leap, escaped from his hands and fell into the fierce current of the river, " Oh, my God '." shouted young Addington, and he sprang in with hopeless impulse to save her. In less than a minute both these waifs upon the rapids were borne over and mangled beneath the Falls.

Nineveh was 1 4 miles long, eight wide, and forty six miles around, with a wall one huudred feet high, and thick enough for three chariots abreast. Babylon was fifty miles within the walls, which was seventy-five feet thick, and one hundred feet high, with one hundred brazed gates. The temple of Diana, at Ephesus, was 420 feet to the support of the roof—it was one hundred years in building. The largest of the pyramids was four hundred and eighty-one feet in height, and eight hundred and fifty-three feet on the sides. The base covered eleven acres. The stones are about -.ixty feet in length, and the layers are tivo hundred and eight. It employed 350,000 men in building. The Sayrinth of Egypt contains three hundred chambers and twelve halls. Thebes, in Egypt, presents ruins twenty-seven miles around, and contained 350,000 citizens, and 400,000 slaves. The temple ->f Delphos was so rich in donations that it was plundered of 30,000, 000 dollars, and the Emperor Nero cairicd away from it, two handled statues. The walls of Pome were thirteen miles around.

The following figures show the relative height and weight of individuals measuring five r'eet and upwards : Stiiture. Weight. Five feet <>uo inch should he ...lbs. 120 Five ieet two inches should he... 12.'} Five fcot threeinches should be... 130 Five feet four inches should be... 138 Five feet rive inches should be... 142 Five feet six inches should he ... 14") Five feet seven inches should be 148 F'ive feet eight inches should he 135 Five felt nine inches should be... I<!2 Five feit ten inches should b0... 109 Five few eleven inches should be 174 Six feet should be 170

A London firm advertised recently for a collector, work hard and wages low, and received over 1800 replies, nearly all from men of apparently good education and character, many of them from gentlemen.

The Taranaki Herald has the following anecdote:—A well known resident of New Plymouth, whilst en route to AVangauui a short time ago, made the customary stoppago at Opunake, and confidingly left his new helmet at the door of a house there. On returning he found that his chapeau had disappeared. A prompt search was made for the missing article, when, somewhat to his disgust, he saw a native sporting a helmet suspiciously like the one lost. Somewhat put out at the " cheek of his aboriginal friend," the pakeha at once snatched the hat. off the wearer's head ; and a rather excited discussion ensued. Titokowaru on hearing angry expressions, came up and asked the cause of the korero, The pakeha informed him his hat had been taken, and to show that he was the rightful owner of the potahi he had taken from the Maori's head, he looked for his signature, which he had written inside the lining, when his chagrin can lie imagined to find no signature there, and that, therefore, instead the Maori. Titokowaru, to soothe the wounded feelings of his fellow countryman, ordered the pakeha to stand a gallon of beer as utu, so that the New Plymouthite, who is a teetotaller, had to ""shout," as well as lose his hat.

M. Sibiriokoffj the Russian merchant who has identified himself with repeated endeavours t<> open a sea route between Europe and Siberia, has tolegmphed to Bremen that be has received iutelligouce of tho safe arrival of the Arctic steamer Lena, with Professor Nordenskjold on board, at Yakutsh, in Siboria. The Lena had crossed the Arctic Sea, and, ascending tho river Lena, arrived at Yakutsh on Sept. 22. A oaMi in which an unusual amount of female bravery was displayed in bringing the offender to justice, came before tho Water Police Court last Saturday. A larrikin named James Lacy, 10, was accused of using indecent language in George-street Tho ladies were walking down that street on Friday evoning, when the prisoner, whom they had never seen before, accosted them, using disgraceful and obscene language. They threatened to give him in charge of a policeman if he did not desist and go about his business. As he did not comply with tho request, they laid their own hands ou the offender and managed to hold him till Constable Murphy put in an appearance and took the prisoner to the look-up. The magistrates complimented tho ladies on their bravery, which they rewarded by imposing the prisoner tno heaviest penalty tho law would allow, viz., £5, or three months' imprisonment.—Town aud Country Journal.

The German Anti-Socialist bill ha> been altered, probably rather for tilt wiuis. It now provides that the police authorities of the various States, and not the central federal authorities, shall be competent to prohibit Socialist associations. This is a victory for Particularism and may no doubt in individual cases tend to diminish while in others it may increase the stringency of the measure. Bat in any case it will make the responsibility for what is done less cleir, and concentrate it less ou a given point so that there will be less odium attaching to the use of u power thus distributed, and less hope of swiftly putting nu end to it. It seems also only too probable that the National Liberal and the. Progressist party in the new Parliament arc quarrelling, and will not unite heartily to oppose this most noxious measure —the effect of which will he to stimulate Socialism tenfold instead of to suppress it. If you want to weaken the power of rhapsodical dreams on working-mens' minds —air them wall. If you want to influence the minds of the poor with them—make it a jiolitical crime to indulge them... Prince Bismarck is making the third great blunder ofchis-life.—Spectator.

The Chinese of San Francisco (says tho Now York Weekly Journal of Commerce) aro showing the householders of that city what would happen if they were expelled. They have copied a Yankee idea, and " struck," for higher wages as servants. Great is the reported annoyance in the domestic circles of San Francisco, where tho versatility and immense working value of the Chinaman arc fully appreciated. Bereft of those bright little Asiatics, San Francisco would be almost sci vantlcs3, or given over to the tender mercies of a less industrious and manageable class. The identical person:' who are hounding the Chinese out of California would never stoop to do the work, at any price, which comes so easy to their victims. The strike will do little harm if it impresses the people of San Francisco with 11 higher se. se of tho useful position occupied by the Chinese in the economy of daily life on the Pacific slope. In striking the balance for good and evil in the disposition of these much abused foreigners, let us not forgot that " Chinatown " has raised 1200 dollars for the Yellow fever sufferers. The British Government has ordered the emancipation of all slaves on the island of Cyprus.

Tl:e Auckland Weekly News of Doc--21 says:—A short time ago a statement was definitely made that Germany had assumed the sovereignty of Samoa, and genera! regret was expressed in New .Zealand that our own Government ha\ lost the opportunity. It would appear, however, from a telegram in the San Francisco papers, that the German Government have declined to acquire Samoa as a colony; so that if England considers it expedient, and the Suiuoans are agreeable, it may still be added as a jewel—though a small one—to the British Imporal Crown. The telegram is as follows ; —" Berlin, November 18—The Official Gazette contradicts the report which appeared in the Paris Estaft'ete last week, that the German Government had decided to occupy the whole of the Samoan archipelago. The Gazette declares that Germany does not contemplate acquiring or founding colonies beyond the Atlantic. The dispute in regard to the Saraoan Islauds will naturally be settled by treaty, which will secure to German and other States interested the privileges granted to the most favoured nation."

A true theory of the cause of giddiness ought to explain tho following extreme experience, which deserves record in print. The method, was first told to me by a friend : 1 once tried it myself stlocesfully in, a mitigated form, and will assuredly not repeat the experiment, and I persuaded a philosophical friend to try it also, with much the same result. Stand in the middle of a soft field where you can't hurt yourself by tumbling on the ground or against anything; avoid having your best clothes on, and secure appreciative spectators. Then put both hands one above the other on the top of your umbrella or walking-stick, and bend down until your foreheud rests on the back of your hands. Thus your legs will be more or less horizontal, and the umbrella will be vertical. Shut youi» eyes. Then get a friend, by touching your hips, so to guido you that you shall cirelo throe times, with a sidelong gait, round the vertical umbrella as an uxis. Finally raise your head quickly, and try to walk straight as though nothing particular had happened. What will occur is a frightful giddiness and feeling of sickness, a sense of tho ground rising up tumultously on all sides, a wild rush to save yourself, and a headlong tumble.— F.G.,"in Nature.

The House of Commons is certainly in one sense a truly practical Assembly, though hardly perhaps in tho best sense. It can always appreciate the value of what is near and close to it, whatever and however dazzling or alarming the distant prospect may be. No sooner had Mr. Cross assured Lord Harrington that tho Treaty of guarantee for Asiatic Turkey had In en conoludod and that Cyprus was to bo occupied by Great Britain, than tho discussion on tho Bill for the slaughter of imported cattle began with as much eagornoss m ever, —apparently without any one's attention wandering to the now arrangements made for transforming tho British Empire, and indefinitely multiplying our duties and obligations. Throughout the whole discussion it was clear that the carcases of fat cattle—alive or slaughtered—eclipsed the new Asiatic frontier, and threw into deep shadow our new Asiatic obligations.—Spectator.

lastly Mr. Gladstone explains what he means by speaking of the British Government as overweighted by the number and complexity of its obligations. He does not mean apparently that there might not be enough Englishmen found for the work of Pro-Consular Goveruluent, wherever it might chance that our destiny called us, but that the central supervision of the Legislature and the Administration over such distant subordinates, long ago inefficient, is becoming more and more dangerously superficial. " A protracted experience of public affairs n)t unattended with a high estimate of the general diligence, devotion, and ability < f the Parliamentary as well as the Civil fervunts of the Crown, has long convinced nn that of the more difficult descriptions

if the public business . . . . it is only a small part that is transacted with the requisite knowledge, care, and thoroughness. We have undertaken iu the matter of Government far more than has ever in the history of the world been attempted by the children of men. None of the great continuous Empires of ancient or modern times ever grappled with such a task. The difference of dis-continuity even if it stood alone' is an essential difference. The nearest approach to our case was perhaps that of the Macedonian conqueror to whose organising power posterity has not always done justice. But he diil not rule the vast countries under his sway from I'clla as we do from Loodon. He accepted the change in the centre of yracity, and becamo, as he could not but become, an Asiatic sovereign—a transformation for whioh it may be presumed the line of British monarchs is not by any means prepared."—Spectator.