MISCELLANEOUS.

Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 205, 2 September 1873, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

Bombay Literate r \t tiie Vienna Exhibition.— Visitors to the Vienna Exhibition will find no lack of Bombay literature w ith wliicli to amuse themsehes. A complete eet of all fche native newspapers of the Presidency Ims, according to the Bombay Educational Record, been contributed to the Exhibition. There are, it seems, in the whole Presidency, 52 native papers. Of these 21 are purely Gujprati, 15 purely Marathi, 13 Anglo- Marathi, 2 Anglo-Gujcrati, and 1 llmdoostani. The great majority of papers — 36 in number — appear weekly, but 10 appear twice a week, 1 fortnightly, and 1 monthly ; whilo there are i< dailies all published in the city of Bombay. Of the whole number, no fewer than 19 are published in Bombay itself; Sattara and Ahmedabad boast each 4 ; Poona and Tanna, 3 ; Rutnagherry, Surat, and Khed, 2 each ; while Belgatim, Ahmednugger, Sholapoor, Dhooha, Ahbag, Nasiek, Kulladgi, Dharwa, Kurrachee, Bajcote, Branch, and Mahuoda hare each a singlo journal. The 19 Bombay native papers consist of 11 Oujerati, 5 AngloMarathi, 2 Marathi, nnd 1 Hindoostam (no Anglo- U-ujerati), m division (add* the Educational Record) which is not a little •uggeshve. Lkasing the Pyramids — The Dundee Advertiser says: — " The enterprising Aber'donian who went to Egypt for the purpose of leasing the Pyramids and letting them as a show at bo much per ascent, has returned to this country disappointed. He found that a lease of the Pyramids could be had easily enough, but ho also found that to obtain the fees for mounting them was another matter altogether, to be secured with the utmost difficulty, if ut all. The Viceroy's officials would hold themselves responsible for nothing but an instant descent on the Aberdeen man's goods and chattels if he failed to produce his rent at the proper moment ; and as there was every probability, if he took possession of the Pyramids, that some of the half-naked and playful sons of Phnroah, who now levy ' backsheesh" on sight-seers, would practice on his person with a cross between a cutlass and a carving knife, he very wisely concluded that a strategic movement homewards wns the one to which prudence am his pocket, to say nothing of hia skin, unmistakably pointed. Fact for Darwin — In the " struggle for existence," how does the pheasant, which, from nesting on the ground, ia peculiarly exposed to four-footed or ground vermin, maintain herself and her eggs intact ? asks the Lancet. Mr W B. Tegetmeier, m his intelligent and finely illustrated work on " Pheasants for the Covert and the Aviary," suggests an answer. The peculiar, specific oclou- of tlie bird 19 suppressed during incubation, not, however, as a voluntary act. This suppression Mr Tegetmeier ascribes to vicarious secretion — the odoriferous particles usually exhaled by the skin being, for such time as the bird is sitting, execrated into the intestinal cnnal, most probably jnto the c»oum or the I cloaca. Exempli gratia, the excretra of the bird, when not ," fitting, have when first discharged no odour akin to the »mell of the bird itself; whereas the excreta of a sitting lieu have a most remarkable odour of the bird, but highly intensified. The explanation it therefore this — the suppression of the natural scent is essential to the bird's security during incubation ; vicarious secretion of the odoriferous particles is made into the intestinal canal, so that the bird, becoming scentless, eludes notice even wben dogs or ground vermm pass within a few feet of her. English " Fast " Ladies — Alluding to the presence of ladies at the gaming tables a contemporary says :—": — " Everyone seems to make then* game, the women as freely and boldly &s the men. They may not stake so heavily ns Jew ish bankers from Frankfort, Russian princes, Magyar boyards, or Mediterranean mongrels, and pour cause ; but they play out to the limits of their tether, and often their tether appears to be a pretty long one. It is not a case of borrowing a florin or two from husband, father, or brother, throwing them endways on to the cloth, blushing to the roots of the hair as, seeing them roll about, they explain to the croupiers where they desire to place them, and finally showing white teeth and dimples when the stakes were swept up by the remorseless rake. Not at all. Nowadays the English maid or matron draws in her chair in most business-like fashion, smilingly receiving the cards to cut from a gentleman with the brand of the galleys on his features, and possibly the mark of the chain on his ankle. On the other side she rubs shoulders with a lady rnuuh better known than respected in the Parisian dancing saloons, and about whose vocation, indeed, there could be no manner of doubt, even if she did not afficher it by a costume excessively decoletie and a tawdry blaze of Palai3 Royal jewellery. Not that in her gorgeous show she has greatly the disadvantage of her English neighbour. Except that the jewels of one are real, and those of the other sham — that the chains of 'respectability' are gold, while those of disreputability are mosaic— the pair might be intimates if not sisters " EXTUAOBIMNABY WALKING FEAT IN ENGLAND.— Some time ago Mujor the Hon J. Colborn undertook for a wager with a friend to walk five mile 3 in the hour, carrying a 6Jlb, brick in each hand ; he failed on the first, but succeeded on the second attempt. Subsequently another match was made for £100 a-side, according to which Major Colborn undertook to walk fifteen miles in three hours, carrying a GVlb. brick in each hand, with liberty to hold the brick in whatever way he chose. The start took place about a mile from Ashford, on the Maidstone road, on the 14th May last, the whole country-side turning out to witness the performance, which extended over a course of three miles in length. The Major — who is forty-three years of age — went off at a good pace, and successfully completed his arduous journey, thus accomplishing one of the best pedestrian feats on record, the whole distance being accomplished in 2 hours 55 minutes 50 seconds The only refreshment be partook of waa when he had gone nine miles, and then the umpire, MrT. Griffith, the celebrated amateur walking champion, gave him a couple of eggs beat up in brandy. The times for the various miles tvere as follows t — One mile, 9 mm 28 sec. ; second mile, 11 nun. ; third mile, 10 mm. 53 sec. ; fourth mile, 11 mm. lsec; fifth mile, 10 mm. 53 sec. ; sixth mile, 11 mm. 5 sec ; seventh mile, 12 mm. 15 sec. ; eighth mile, 12 roin. 15 sec. ; ninth mile, 12 mm. ; tenth mile, 12 mm. 16 sec. ; eleventh mile, II mm. 50 sec ; twelfth mile, 12 mm. 34 sec ; thirteenth mile, 12 mm. 30 sco j fourteenth mile, 13 mm. 11 bee. j fifteenth mile, 13 mm. 39 sec. — Sporting Life. Villany. — Infernal Machine. — An infernal machine, •aid to be invented by an American for the purpose of destroying over-insurod ships, is the subject of a letter in The Time* of June 13, from Mr F. H. Hemming, the Venezuelan consul in London. The machine lookt like a block of coal of about 6 in. by 3 in., and could be put into the coal bunkers without the slightest suspicion. Once there, it would when thrown into the furnace explode after a fixed time. Mr Hemming lays that on the ]6th of April a gentleman oalled on him and stated that a sailing vessel had then left, or was on the «vo of leaving, a port in Franco for one of the prin* cipal ports in Venezuela, and that a native of France, who bad been for some years previous to the last fifteen or eighteen months resident in Venezuela, was said to have sailed in this vessel, taking with him a supply of tlie3e " infernal machines," expressly adapted to the secret destruction of steam•hips. Fortunately, Mr Hemming received this information on the day of the West Indian mail steamer sailing, and lost no time in sending full particulars direct to the authorities at the Venezuelan port in question, and also sent the •arne to the Government at Caracas, " I was subsequently," beaayi, '' shown one of the machines themselves, about Gin. by 4in. with the exact appearaneo of an oidinary pieco of coal. I was told that some were made considerably larger, even to the size of a man's head, but always to resemble coals, the reason of which is obvious. Nearly a month later I had another visit from the samo person, who told me that he had recently heard that thoro were some persons in the Venepuflan port referred to who were interested in some merohant Hfeamers, and that they were preparing for a gigantic fraud. The plan proposed wai to load one of these steamers with goods of no actual value, and then put some of these machines on board, and send her to sea heavily insured, m the hope that she might be lost, and they would gam a very large sum." Personal Ecoxour.— Dr Johnson hold that a man could live on threepence a day ; twopence, wo believe, for bread, and a penny for milk. A humorist, too, of the present time bas shown that it is quite possible to exist on a shilling a day, by breakfasting and dining with friends and keeping the- shilling for cigars. A book was published a year ago to teach the art of keeping house on two hundred a year ; and now a lady has come forward with a series of instructions on the mystery of dressing for £15 a year. Whatever may be thought of the means by which this end is to bo attained, there is something very practical and straightforward in the reply the writer makes to those of her readers whom she imagines objecting to her at the outset that on £15 a year tho thing cannot be done. For such the book is not written ; and she admiti, in any case, that it would be better to have twenty or five-and-Uenty or fifty or a hundred to dress upon. The problem, however, is to dress on £15 a year, and tho lady, we think, makei out her case that with good- will and determination it can be managed. To decide the point absolutely a jury of matrons would"porhapB bo necessary ; but the project looks feasible enough as put forward in the little volume. It is sad to learn" that the chief obstacles to dressing upon £15 a year have hitherto been husbands and male relatives generally, who are ready enough to complain if the ladies of the family spend too much money on their toilette, but the first, if they really endeavor to dress economically, to accuse them of " dowdiness." Tho dresser an £15 a yoar seems to get a good many dresses for her money in tho course of the twelvemonth'; and though she cannot expect on such, a moderate outlay to qualify herself for appearing at balls, she can attend dinner parties arrayed m black silk, which must be trimmed from time to time in now and various ways, ho aato escape recognition. Her wardrobe, however, is organised with a spec al v.ew to picnics, archery meetings, and water parties Apart from the useful black .ilk, the costumes of the lady who ito dress on ila a jear are uniformly of a light amU-heertul chaiacter, which, indeed, is to bo maintained in spito of everything, lhtw, if any member of her circle dies, she must not go into mourning ; or, if sho does, them will bo an CA'l lo htv dit:!U3'_' on &15 j. u-nr -- p<,(t, ifjif ijnzide.