HERE AND THERE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17569, 20 June 1925, Page 8

HERE AND THERE.

| AN EYE FOR EVERYTHING. SAILORS ASK FOR WIRELESS. The Japanese Sailors’ Union is not satisfied with thc fact that Japan now appears third in thc list of the leading maritime nations of the world. Her vessels, of over 100 tons, number 2020, with a total tonnage of 3,386,918 vons. The reason is that the loss of Japanese boats by accident is greatly in excess of that suffered by the United State* s , France, Norway and Spain, and is over three times that of Britain, whose record for safety is thc best. The union lias petitioned the Japanese Government for a law to be passed requiring all shipowners to equip their vessels with wireless. THE CORNISH LANGUAGE. Writing in a London paper Mr Ilcnry Jenner rays the widely-spread tale that Polly Pentreath, who died in 1777, was the last to speak the old Cornish language is incorrect. A Mousehole fisherman who died in 1789 could write a letter in quite good Cornish, while another who knew a good deal of the language died as recently as 1852 The latter man taught "Some of the language to his daughter, who in turn passed it on to Mr Jenner. who also learned some Cornish from the grandson of the man made old Dolly Pentreath’s coffin. Some five hundred mining, fishing and other terms still used herr arJ there in thc district arc Cornish. COUNTY OF CENTENARIANS. Essex would seem to have a record of longevity to be proud of- Four generations of her family were present lately at the funeral at Ilford of “ Grannie ” Chandler, who had reached thc age of 105. A sister, aged ninetyaight, wrote that she was unable to be present, as she was getting feeble. Mrs Chandler had lived at Romiord Infirmary for some years, and a wardmate was Sophia Mills, the gipsy centenarian, who was also 105, and wh > died about a fortnight previously. In spite of the fact that she has just celebrated her hundredth birthday, Mrs Louisa Bull, a relative, assisted to cut thc cake at a wedding at Romford in April.

TIIE HUMAN VOICE. No sound, however loud, whether produced by a cannon or a fowlingpiece, causes the same amount of terror amongst wild animals and wild buds as the human voice. It is well known that more grouse arc sprung by sportsmen speaking to their dogs, or to each other on the mountains, in the shooting season, than by any other cause; and it is a good rule only to use the whistle and signs to thc dogs. If you go to a rabbit-burrow to ferret, you may bang away all day with your gun, and the rabbits will still bolt, but once commence speaking and your sport is over. The ferret lies in, and. the rabbits submit to certain death sooner than move towards your voice. Partridges arc somewhat accustomed to thc voices of farmers and labourers, so that, generally speaking, less caution is required in pursuit of them. Nothing proves the power of man over thc brute creation more than his voice. Even in the thickest jungles wild beasts will often skulk away if they hear him speak.

ROYALTY IN DISTRESS. Voltaire draws a humorous picture of eight poor travellers who met bv chance in an obscure inn. and who had not enough money among them to pay for “a scurvy dinner.” In the course of conversation they are discovered to be eight European monarchs who had been deprived cf their crowns. What added zest to the satire was the fact that at the time there were eight dethroned monarchs, wanderers on the earth! Adelaide, widow of Lothario, King of Italy, one of the most beautiful women of her age, after the siege cf Pavla, was compelled in her flight to a place of refuge to travel on foot bv night, concealing herself in the daytime in thc cornfields, and subsisting on thc alms bestowed upon her by the poorest of the peasantry. Henry IV. of France, being dethroned, and poor, vagrant, and without aid. entreated tho Bishop cf Spires to grant him a lav prebend in his church. He pleaded that he had studied and had learned to sing. The suit was denied, and he died miserably at Liege. Antonio, King of Portugal, after his dethronement, died in Paris in 1595 in great destitution. Thc daughter of James I . who married the Elector of Palatine, in her attempts to get her husband crowned, was reduced to such distress that she wandered about as a vagrant. Charles VII. cf France, in his exile, having tried on a pair of new* boots in the town of Bourges, told the shoemaker that he had no money to pay for them: on which Crispin declined to serve him, declaring that, king though he was, he should not have them upon.