Mr. Stanley on Arrow Poison.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1905, 18 June 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

Mr. Stanley on Arrow Poison.

Mr. H. M. Stanley, tha African explorer, in a letter which was read at a reoent meeting of the Eoyal Geographical Society, gave an extremely interesting reference to tha arrow poison employed by the natives of tfaa Lower Congo district, and it Bfforded & curious insight into tbe strange perversions of knowledge by which tho advance of civilisation are retarded. Mr. Stanley says they were much exercised as to what might be the poison on the heads of the arrows by which Lieut. Stairs and several others were wounded, and from the effects of whioh four, persons died almost directly. The mystery was Bolved by finding at Arisibba several packets of dried red ants. The bodies of these ineeotß were dried, ground into powder, cooked in palm oil, and smeared on the points of arrows. It is well known that formic acid exists in the free state in red anta as well as in stinging nettles, and in several species of caterpillars. This acid ip, in the pure Btate, co corrosive that it produoea blisters on the skin, and hence there is little ground for doubting that it was the "deadly irritant by which bo many men have been lost with Buch terrible euffdring." The mul« tifcude of curious insects encountered, which rendered their lives " as miserable as they could well be," bears out Mr. Stanley's idea that many similar poisons oould be prepared (rom insects. It is surprising how many twentytwo calibcs men consider themselves big RUBS. *» •*°'

Tho best paying property in Nevada is a mine 'vb.oso history is thus told by the " Central Nevadan " : — " Simeon Wenban had run the Garrison tunnel at very great expense and was lsft a poor man, owing his creditors one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, There was not a pound of ore in eight whereby the debt might be paid. As a last resort, with a forlorn hope, after the mine had been closed, Simeon Wonban drilled a hole in the hanging wall and I blasted out a huge piece of rook, which he I found to be almost a solid block of metal, i and part of an immense vein which had been paralleled hundreds of feet. This fortunate last tfforfc marked a sudden change whiah seldom falls to the lot of man. It was Wenban, the poor man, the labourer, before that blast was fired ; it was Simeon Wonbaa, the millionaire, but a Becond thereafter. The first month's run of his little mill gave him thirty thousand dollars ond ever since then ho has grown more wealthy." The death is announced of Frank M'lWy, at the extraordinary ase of 111 yeßrs. The iVprftoed, who was a bachelor, wag born in 1780, and h.«ul rcsiJcd near Balljgawley, in ;hc diotrict of Carrickmoie.