A GREAT DROUGHT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1123, 28 February 1885, Page 3

A GREAT DROUGHT.

Richard A. Proctor says that the age of the earth is placed by some at 500,000,000 years, and still others of a later time, among them the Puke of Argyll, place it at 10,000,000 years. None place it lower than- 10,000,000, knowing what processes have been gone through. The earth must have become old. Newton surmised, although he could give no reason for it, that the earth would at one time become perfectly dry. Since then it has been found that Newton was correct As the earth keeps cooling it will become porous, and great cavities will be formed in the interior which will take in tbe water. It is estimated that this process is now in. progress so far that the water diminishes at the rate of the thickness of a sheet of writing paper a year. At this rate in 9,000,000 years the water will have sunk a mile, and in 15,000,000, years every trace of water will have disappeared from the face of the globe.

A man owns a hen 39 years old. The other day a hawk stole it, but after an hour came back with a broken bill and three claws gone, put down the hen and took an old rubber boot in place of it.

"Mamma," said a little boy to his mother the other day, "let me (tee you break . Maud S's record -?•? will you ? " " What do you n\ea,n V* asked the mother, f ' Why," §aid the boy, innocently, " papa oaya you can talk faster than a horse can trot."— "Punch." • For continuation of £fewa t see Fourth Pa# c »