CLIPPINGS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3355, 9 January 1879, Page 3

CLIPPINGS.

» George Sands's elder sister, Madame Cazainjou, died at Chatellerault, in her 79th year, in October last. On the site of the lacustrine village near Estiivayer, laid bare by the lowering of the waters of the Lake of Neuchatel, have been found amber ornaments belonging to the age of stone and a beautiful golden buckle of the age of bronze. Five canoes are visible, but they have not a3 yet been raised to the surface. Germany has recognised officially the title of Eoyal Highness assumed by the Prince of Eouniania, so that all Europe has now expressed its acquiescence in this change in the appellation of the ruler of Roumania. A committee has been appointed at St. Petersburg to devise a scheme for the convention of a deliberative Parliamentary Assembly. Loans will probably be among the first subjects discussed. The schooner Willem Barents has returned from her Arctic expedition. Gravestones were placed on the spot where celebrated Dutch explorers are believed to have perished, and scientific experiments have been made. The British. Consul at Jeddah states that in the season 1877-78 there were 42,718 pilgrims landed at that port, an increase of nearly 4000 over the preceding year. The Haj having fallen on Friday, tho Mahomedan Sabbath, it was expected that the assemblage at Mecca would have eclipsed that of preceding years, but it was not so. The concourse at Mecca on the great feast day was estimated to have exceeded 180,000 souls. The British squadron, under Hear- Admiral Sir Ed. Commerell, lying at Artaki, has been visited with a virulent attack of typhoid fever, a matter of much importance from its contag^diiß nature and the difficulties of disinfectirig- theinea^bf-war. Probably the water served ■out' has been procured from an evil source, which accounts for the fever not being confined to one ship. By putting to sea for a fortnight's cruise the scourge may be quickly overcome, if it has not obtained much head, and most likely this, course has already been pursued. The latest sensation at the Oxford Music Hall, London, is.' it*' "'female calling herself Leona Dave, whose feats excel even those of the lady with " thij- jaws of iron and teeth of steel," whose |>'erformances this Colony has had the opportunity of witnessing. Tina extraordinary personage while hanging head downwards from a trapeze catches a male companion. Taking a strap which is fastened round his waist between her teeth she holds him first in a horizontal position and then sets his body in rotary motion. The " pace," according to tho Era, becomes terrific, and at the end the victim of this whirligig movement exhibits signs of giddiness and hangs out signals of distress. No wonder. W. Edwards, a New Zealand pedestrian, says the Melbourne Age, accomplished the task of walking 110 miles in 24 hours, on the Melbourne cricket ground, on Saturday evening. Edwarda started his walk on Friday evening, punctually at six o'clock, and continued all night, resting only at midnight for a few minutes, he having at that time walked 30 miles ; and at six o'clock on Saturday morning he again rested, having walked 60 miles. At one o'clock p.m. Edwai-ds, for the third time, enjoyed a short rest , having by that time completed 01 miles. He shortly afterwards resumed, and at seven minutes to six o'clock he had completed his task, and was loudly cheered by the spectators present, some of whom carried him shoulder high to the pavilion. Edwards' style and endurance was very much admired, and he was by no means exhausted by his performance. Several gentlemen on the ground started a subscription in his favour, and the appeal thus made was liberally responded to. T?he money will probably be jwesented to Edwards in one of the theatres. The experiments carried on by M. Mouehot during the Paris Exhibition are highly instructive. They had for objects, on the one hand, the cooking of food, and the distillation of alcohols ; on tho other, the use of solar heat as a motive force. In the matter of cooking it was found that the mirrors of less than one-fifth square, metres sufficed to roast half a kilogramme of beef in 22 minutes, to complete stews in an hour and a half that required four hours with an ordinary wood fire, and to raise to boiling, in half an hour, three-quarters of a litre of cold water. A pure brandy was obtained in a short time from the distilling apparatus. Foi* obtaining motive power, M. Mouchot had constructed a large solar receiver, the mirror having an aperture of about 20 square metres. In its focus was placed an iron boiler, weighing with accessories 200 kilogrammes, and having a capacity of iOO litres,' 70 being devoted to water. This apparatus was put into action on Sept. 2 for the first time ; in half an hour the water was raised to boiling, and a pressure of Gatm. was ultimately registered. On the 29th a pressure of 7 atm. was reached in two hours, notwithstanding several passing vapoura. On different occasions the steam (with a pressure of 3 atm.) was made to drive a Tangzc pump, raised 1500 to 180J litres of water per hour a height of two metres ; and to produce ice in a Carre apparatus. Some twenty years ago (says Tnilh) an Austrian heiress took up her abode in London. She had about £100,000, and resided in a houae in Eaton square. A Pole carried off the prize, and she became his wife. This Samaritan nobleman having spent her money, betook himself to America, where he married, and has been enjoying himself in the connubial felicity of bigamy ever since. The Austrian lady had received an excellent education, was an accomplished musician, and could speak fluently and correctly fourteen languages. Her money and her husband having taken to themselves wings, she pluckdy faced the situation, and gave lessons to pupils who were recommended to her by Lady Herbert of Lea, and other ladies who had known her in tho days of her prosperity. Thus for some years did she gain a livelihood for herself and her daughter. But the pupils fell off, and hearing that a housekeeper was required at Drury Lane Theatre, she applied for the situation and obtained it. From

there she was transferred in the same capacifc K- fc , e A d - el ? h \ Theatre - TvTO months a« while behind the scenes, she was suddenl called, and, running forward, fell down i flighty of stairs. She was picked up in j terrioiC condition. Hei- spine was injured her shoulder fractured, her thigh and somi of her ribs broken. She was taken to Si Thomas's Hospital. There she is now a bed ridden cripple. But, in addition to the injuries by her fall, the doctors discovered that she has a cancer. Assuredly amateurs could find no better enjoyment for the receipts of one of their performances, and those taken at the Queen's Theatre recently for her assistance have been handed over to this ■ lady.