HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1909-2-4, Page 4NOT k S AND COMMENTS
bills to tag bachelors have for
sioane time been a regular feature
of the legislative year in some
ocuiitries, Originally suchbills were
treated as bits of airy comedy de-
signed to relieve the high serious
nose of the sosei,ons, They were,
put on the liet of "crank" bills
and added temporarily to the gay-
ety of the nation, To -day bachelor
tax propositions are taken a little
More seriously, though no ons ex-
pects them to be enacted into law
--es yet, What the third phase may
be is another story,
It May be recalled that Kaiser
William himself not many months
ago, in lightly discussing the heavy
deficits in the imperial finances and,
the necessity of additional taxes,
intimated that bachelors. might be
subjected to a fide or duty not only
as a ,means of increasing the rev-
enues but as a preventive of undue•
cultivation of single blessedness—
or single misery. True, the states-
man of the fatherland, when the
time for action cane, displayed
weakness and left the bachelors
severely alone. But the august
royal sanction of the idea has tend-
ed to make it respectable if not
immediately practical, and doubt-
less henceforth the crop of bachelor
tax bills will be richer and finer.
Already the dispatches tell of
bills to distribute the proceeds of
such taxation among the needy
Spinsters, of bills to require bache-
lors to propose at least once a year
—provided there are eligible sub-
jects to "pop" to—of bills to es-
tablish state bureaus to find suit-
able wives for willing but unfortu-
uate bachelors, to give first aid to
the timid, and so on. There is
logic or consistency in some of
these bold propositions. If bache-
lors are to be fined, it is but fair
to help such as ale merely lacking
in push or opportunity. As for the
confirmed and contumacious speci-
es one can only advise them to cir-
culate Bernard Shaw literature
among the benighted lawmakers
and convert the would-be taxers to
the ultra -modern doctrine that in
courtship and flirting woman is
really the aggressor, mere man be-
ing the uneone'ions vi .Lim of fezu-
T9ENE IS 1OTllI LIKE IT
The Finest 8ig1it on Earth Is Held to Be
a Good Fight.
And Bonaialt, the son of Jehoida,
the son of a valiant man of Kab
zeeig, who. had • done mighty deeds
+r went down and slew a
lion in the midst of. a pit in time
of snow. -11; Samuel xxiu. 20.
He was a valiant man, and the
son of a valiant manandthe grand -
see of a man who had done mighty
deeds'. The valiant than loves such
a fight. This is the attraction of
the moat violent forms of athletics.
Tt is the element of conflict which
constitutes so'.much of the attrac-
tiveness of mountaineering: I Trevor'
saw a mountain in my life which
T did not want to scale, and I un-
derstand perfectly how it was that
after some laments on the limited
opportunities for climbing in Eng-
land, a sporting paper announced
that there were three or four places
in the lake country where a nian
could oonifortably break his neck.
1 was not in the least surprised to
he told that the hotels in those
places made a fortune within the
next twelve months.
It is the finest sight on earth
the very finest sight on •earth - a
good fight. Only, mind you, it
must he a good fight!
FIGHT THE FIGHT OF FAITt1;
there is nothing like it. They
wrong man greatly who say that be
is to be seduced by ease. Difficul-
ty, abnegation, martyrdom, death,
are the allurements that act on the
heart of man. Some of us final the
very first conflict of all hard enough
—the fight with self, There is a
passion which grips you, 'my bro-
ther, with what seems a grip strong-
er than death and hell, the pride
of life, the desire of the eyes, the
craving of the flesh—you know its
intensity. But I bid you fight! You
are a valiant man and the son of a
valiant man and you aro toe good
a man to go down to dostruetion
before a giant vice; There is that
in you which isworth too much to
men and God for failure now, I
believe in you and good men will
believe -in you and God believes in
yan;,you shall slay your lion, too!
A big city is not an easy place
for iv man who bas lions to kill. Its
temptations are many, Its eosmo-
politonisnicreates a certain atmos-
phere—an atmosphere' always non-
religious, often positively irrelig-
ious. It loves pleasure only too
well. And countless hosts within
this city are drunk with
A HIDEOUS LUST FOR GOLD.
We are set here in this city for a
purpose. We have to witness the
power of the spirit of God over hu-
man hearts, over evil passions,
over sinister temptations, over the
inducements and seductions of ma-
terial things, over all the facts and
forces of sin. We have to keep a
clear light shining in any dark
place ; we have to keep the flag of
righteousness and purity flying
here; we have to maintain the vis-
ion of the ideal before us. It may
be an awkward place and a bad day
for the idealist, for the visionary,
for the puritan. But the place of
valor is the place where you live
and work, "Now" is the accepted
time, the heroic time, the chivalric
time; and I will trust you to slay
a lion in a pit on at, snowy day.
"Arrest your knaves and das-
tards" goes forth the old command.
And to the question "How 1" our
modern prohpet has his answer
ready:
"Make yourself an honest man;
then there will be one rascal loss
in the world."
Rev. Charles F. Aked, D. D.
ME S. S. LESSON
INTEIINATIONAL LESSON,
FEB. 7.
Lesson VL Trite and False Bro-
therhood. Golden Text,
• Prov. 12.22.
Verse 32. The multitude' of them
that believed — Now numbering
many thousands in the city of Je-
inine subtlety and his awn vanity rusalem and its immediate vicinity.
and obtuseness. From the modern Of one heart—Having a common
s t purpose in life, and interested
viewpoint it would be utterly alike each in the other's welfare.
fair to tax men whom no won:_.J Had all things common—A real,
would have on any terms. though entirely voluntary, commu-
nity of goods.
POISON IN THE COFFEE,
The Climax to a Lover's Quarrel
itt Paris.
A wealthy young man named Ba-
yard, and a girl in poorer aireum-
stances, Mile. Therese Glenissen,
supped together one night recently
at a restaurant in the Rua Fau-
bourg Montmartre, Paris. The
girl caused the room they engaged
to be filled with flowers.
A quarrel had arisen owing to
the girl's discovery that she had a
rival in her lover's affection. A
reconciliation had followed, and the
waiter who served the meal remark-
ed that the two were on the best
of terms.
No sound being heard from the
room when the time come for the
closing of the restaurant, the man-
ager entered and found the girl
dead and the young man dying. In-
vestigation showed that Mlle. Glen-
isson had put poison in her lover's
coffee and afterwards committed
suicide in a similar manner.
LONDON'S CLOUD.
'From the point of view of efforts
to dissipate the London fog, an im-
portant gnestion is, How high does
the fog extend? Dr. William J.
Loekyer has recently investigated
the subject with the aid of a bal-
loon. The great city being covered
with its famous mantle of dusty
vapor, he ascended, with friends,
in the balloon Valkyrie, from Bat-
tersea. At the height of 2,500 feet
they just topped the fog, which
. frain their lofty point of observe-
tion appeared as a magnificent sea
of cloud. An interesting photograph
of London's cloudy double was
made from an elevation of 3,000 feet
above Bexley Heath. On this oc-
casion the fog extended widely over
the •country round London, and
Doctor Lookyer remarks that it is
now important to examine from a
balloon a fog whose lower parts
arc practically confined to the lim-
its of the city.
PICTURESQUE RESIGNATION.
ATION.
Boy to tramp)—"Don't you' get
Awful tired of loin' nothin', mis-
ter '1"
.Cramp-.",Cerribl,•i l Dub I never
eoinplains, Everybody has their
eiroablesl,"
35. Distribution was made — The
administration of the one common
fund was left to the apostles, and
was no inconsiderable burden ad-
ded to their many other responsi-
bilities of leadership in so large a
community of believers.
38. And Joseph Having •made a
general statement concerning, the
disposition of lands and houses by
those who believed, Luke proceeds
to poiet out certain notable indi-
viduals who did' not exempt them-
selves from the general rule.
Barnabas—The same who later
became the companion of Saint
Paul on the latter's first mission-
ary journey. He was a native of
the island of Cyprus and a member
of the tribe of Levi.
37. Laid it at the apostles' feet—
Turned the money over to them to
be used for the best interests of
the whole Christian community.
5. 1. But, a certain man — The
following incident is cited by way
of contrast with the general spirit
which prevailed among the jeru-
salem believers, and for the ^aka
of pointing out, as the author does
in the last verse of our lesson, the
influence of the sad incident on
the entire Christian community.
Ananias, with Sapphira—Men-
tioned only here in tbe New Testa-
ment narrative.
2. Kept back part of the price—
The word "part," is left to be sup-
plied in the original. The context
implies that the action of Ananias
in thus withholding part of the
money realized from the sale of his
possession was secret and covered
up by an attempt at deception, his
wife also being a party to the ac-
tion.
3. But Peter said—The discern-
ing apostle was quick to discover
the hypocrisy of this man.
To lie to—Or, "to deceive..."
The Holy Spirit -The manifest
presence of the Divine Spirit in the
fellowship of the Christian bailey••
ers,rnade the crime of Manisa ex-
ceptionally grievous.
4, After it was sold, was it not
in thy power 2 --Peter's question
makes it clear ,that the eurrendcr
of private pose -es -shins for the com-
mon good was entirely voluntary
on the part of each individual, no
form of compulsion being resorted
to,
Conceived this thing in 'thy heart
--Deliberately thought out the plan
to deceive. f't 'was not, therefore,
u crime committed under the stress
of a sudden impulse, but one pre-
meditated in its every detail.
Thou haat not lied unto men, but
unto God—This earnest arraign-
ment of the guilty man implies that
the attempt to deceive God was, in
this case as always, an utter fail-
ure. Men may deceive their fel-
low -men; they cannot hide the
truth from God.
5. Ananias bearing these words
fell down—The words of Peter were
both an arraignment and a condem-
nation, implying impending judg-
ment, the fulfillment of which was
not long delayed.
Gave up the ghost—The word for
"expired" here used is a technical
medical term of ram use, and as
such one of the many little indica-
tions found in the book of Acts
supporting the inference that the
author of the book was a physician.
G. Young—Or, younger. The em-
phasis on the age of those who car-
ried the body of Ananias to its
burial indicates a distinction ob-
served in the early Christian
Church in the division of respon-
sibilities and forms of service, by
which positions of trust and re-
sponsibility fell upon the older
men, while the younger men were
called upon to fill positions requir-
ing active manual service of a less
responsible character.
Buried him—Immediately, or at
least upon the same day, accord-
ing to the usual necessary custom
in a semitropical climate.
7. Three hours after -After the
burial referred to in the preceding
verse.
'8. Answered unto her—Respond-
ing to her look of inquiry with his
direct question, intended no doubt
to give Sapphire an opportunity to
confess her participation in her
husband''e conspiracy, and thus es-
cape the fate which had befallen
frim.
Yea, for so much—For so deliber-
ate and overt a falsehood under
the circumstances there was no ex-
cuse.
xcuse.
9. How is it that ye have agreed
together R --Peter again e'cphasizes
the fact that the guilt of both hus-
band and wife lay primarily in the
premeditated character of the orime
which they had committed.
11. Great fear came upon the
whole church—The effect of the sad
incident upon the community both
explains Luke's purpose in includ-
ing the incident in his narrative,
and at the same time suggests a
reason and a justification for the
severity of the punishment meted,
out to the offenders. In. the light of
what had transpired others who
might possibly have been tempted
to like duplicity were restrained
from yielding Le the temptation.
MAROONED SAILORS.
Spend 'Puree 1Teary Months on n
Desert Island,
News of a tlu•illing adventure of
Japanese sailors marooned in the
Pacific was received recently at
Liverpool.
Stress of weather eompclled the
Commercial Pacific ('able Coin•
pangs schooner Florence Ward to
deviate trent her euuree. The ves-
sel was sailing from liunolulu to
the cable station at Midway Island;
but had to run for Lee Ecrnees Is-
land; S+0 miles to the avuth-east of
Midway Island, for shelter, and
thus became instrumental its efzeet-
ing the rosatte of three marooned
Jitpanese sailors, saving thein from
slow batt certain death.
Originally there wore four men
in the party, but one died --a fate
the others must stave shared but
foe the providential arrival of the
Florence Weed, • This vessel, which
(tarried supplies for the cable sta-
tion, noticed s1gttale of distress
from Lee Berme Telenet, and e,
brut wits put off,
The crew discovered, on reach-
ing shore,three Japanese sailors,
two of wom were suffering from
scurvy, while the third wvas in a col-
lapsed' condition and quite unable
to walk. They vers taken on board
the Florence Ward, and after re-
ceiving treatment related an
astounding tale of their sufferings
on the island. They stated that for
three months they had been with-
out food, except fish and the flesh
of soa' birds. No fresh water was
obtained oe the islet, and they
were compelled to drink crudely dis-
tilled sea water. They belonged to
the Japanese schooner Kloso Marti,
of Shinugawa, Tokio, which land-
ed them on July 1, The vessel had
departed a few days later,leaving
one month's- provisions for' them
and intending to return later and
take thein off. She never cane back,
and it is thought that she was over-
whelmed and lost in a hurricane,
Soon after the departure of the
Kioso Meru, a terrifiic storm burst
over the island; huge seas carried
away the effects of the marooned
men, as well as their supplies.
They subsisted on what remained
as long as they could; but eventu•
ally .ono of the party succumbed
as a result of exposure and impro-
per food, and the others were cri-
tically ill when found.They are to
be sent to -Honolulu.
—dr
A LION HUNTER'S STORY
HOW LIONS ARE SHOT IN THE
WILDS OF AFRICA.
F. C. Selous, Famous. Lion-Rilier,.
Talks of Roosevelt's Bunting
Expedition.
Mr, F. C Selous, the famous
lion -killer, explains that wile he
has collected In London thee camp
and other equipment for Mr. Roose-
velt's hunting expedition and will
go with him to Mombasa, where
they arrive on April 22, they will
not shoot together in. East Africa
and Uganda.
"Mr. Roosevelt's party, compris-
ing his son, Mr. Cunninghame (an
expert guide), and two American
naturalists," said Mr. Salons, who
was visited at his home at Worp
lesdon, England, "will go one way.
Mr. Wm. McMillan will join me in
striking out in another. No doubt,
however, we may come into touch
mora than once with the President's
party:
HOW LIONS ARE SHOT.
"Nearly 150 native bearers will.
carry the President's equipment,
They will travel for a week or ten.
days, making for some point where
game is found; there they will halt
for a week, or even a month at a
time. In East Africa they should
find plenty of giraffes, antelopes,
buffaloes and lions. Elephants
will be encountered more in Ugan-
da. Small-bore rifles will be oar-
ried for antelopes and giraffes;
these, with expanding bullets, will
be used for lions; and for killing
elephants a heavy gun carrying a
cordite -loaded cartridge Will be
taken.
"Lions you either come across
accidentally, risking_a shot at close
quarters, or you go out on horse-
back very early in the morning on
a high plateau an the hope of catch-
ing a lion which has delayed too
long in feeding and cannot get back
to -cover. When you are overtaking
the beast hs generally comes to a
halt and faces you, growling. That.
is the moment when you slip off
your horse and shoot him. Some-
times the lion will charge at •you.
If he does, you gallop out of 'the
way and wait for another oppor-
tunity. If he charges while,you are
off your horse, and you fail to hit
him as he comes at you, it may be
awkward.
VICIOUS ELEPHANTS.
"The party will find antelopes all
over the plains, Giraffes, which
feed on the boughs of the trees, will
have to be tracked in, the well -
wooded localities, The party should
lie able to learn from the natives
the haunts of tbe elephant herds
in the Uganda forests. When you
wound an elephant it will often
make a savage rush at you. While
you are shooting one of .a herd,
too, you may not notice another
among the trees, which stay make
n sudden 'dash at you. Old female
elephants are notably vicious.
"Probably Mr, McMillan and
myself will not hunt for more than
three months, The President, how-
ever, will prolong his expedition
for nearly as year, One of his chief
obiects 1s to hand over to American
musetnus specimens of the animals
he shoots,"
You may guess what is woman
is, but brat's your limit,
And it sometimes .haplrrirs that a
man is married to his boss,
LQWTHER HOLDS flIE KEY
BRITISH A.M.BASSADext POW-
ERFUL AT CONS'j, N INOPLE.
Hus Wan the Coni iketee of the
Sultan, the Young'T'urks
and. the Populace.
Sir Gerald Lowther, who during
the last twelve months has reedy -
ed Knighthood with the Star of the
Order of St, Itlicbael and St.
George, besides being appointed to
membership in the Privy Oouncii
and promoted from the postof
Minister -Plenipotentiary at Tan-.
gier to that of'Ambassador at Cosi=
atantinople, with emoluments of
nearly $50,000 a year, a. metropo-
'titan palace and a suburban coun-
try smut, both fully furnished and
equipped, and at steam yacht, all
provided by the Government, is
now slated for still further honors.
He •arrived at Stamboul at an ex-
ceedingly critical juncture, and has
played his cards so well that to-
day he is admittedly the most in-
fluential and successfulof all the
foreign. Ambassadors accredited to
the Sublime Porte.
HE IS POPULAR.
To -day, for the first ;time since
the days of Sir William White, who
died some fifteen years ago or more,
Great Britain is once more the
predominant foreign power at
Constantinople, Sir Gerald having
completely displaced the German
Ambassador, Baron Marschall von
Bieberstein• Sir Gerald has man-
aged to acquire the confidence not
only of the Turkish Government,
but also of the leaders of the Young
Turks, and even of the Sultan him-
self ; is acclaimed by the populace
whenever he shows . himself any-
where in the street; is serenaded
about three times a week, while,
although the junior of the other
Ambassadors indate of appoint-
ment, is nevertheless treated by
them as their dean, since all the
matings of the Ambassadors for
any concerted diplomatic aotron as-
semble under his roof.
It is to Sir Gerald's restraining
influence and to his advice that are
ascribed the remarkable absence of
bloodshed following the coup d'etat
—bloodshed, which would certain-
ly have occurred had the Young
Turks carried out their original in-
tention of wreaking vengeance up-
on those at whose hands they had
SUFFERED PERSECUTION.
Much of the regard accorded to
him by his foreign colleagues is due
to the, conviction that they aro all
indebted to him for the extraordin-
ary maintenance of law and of or-
der at Constantinople during the
last few months, He is likewise
believed to have been instrumental
in averting war between Turkey
and Bulgaria, resulting from the
latter's declaration of independ-
ence, and from her seizure of the
Rumelian branch of the Orient
Railroad, and it is understood that
at the present moment he is devot-
ing his efforts to the prevention of
any 'viabilities between the Otto-
man Empire and Austria.
It is no exaggeration to assert
that Lowther holds the key to the
crisis now existing between Vien-
na and Stamboul in commotion with
the Turkish boycott of .Austrian
imports, which is inflicting such in-
calculable damage upon the trade
and industry of the Dual Monarchy.
CHitISTIANS OF THE NILE.
Interesting Relics Discovered in
Upper Egypt.
An interesting discovery of Early
Christian remains has recently been
made at Wad-el-Iadad on the Blue
Nile, a few miles north of Benner,
while the foundations, of m rest
house for the Irrigation Depart-
ment were being dug. A number of
graves were found containing skele-
tons with feet to the east. Round
the dead of each was a quantity of
pottery. On one of them is the Cop-
tic processional cross and the same
emblem is .scratched inside the lips
of the jars, where it is associated
with two other Christian emblems
—the fish and the palm -branch. On
the neck of one of the jars is a ma-
son's mark, and another of the
jars, which are of red ware, has a
spout as well as a handle. A com-
parison of the pottery with that
found on Nubian sites between the
first and second Cataracts makes
it probable that it should be dated
in the seventh or eighth century
A. D. The pottery has been sent
to the Khartoum Museum.
At present very little is known of
the history of Christianity in these
regions, and we must look to exca-
vation to throw light upon it. A
quarter of an hours wvaik from the
graves are two mounds called by
the natives lieyt-el-Anak, ""Che
House el Analr" foe pre-Mnlu,mme.
clan people), which doubtleas, mark.
the site of an old Christian church
and rnons.stery. Exenvntion would
probably bring to dight Early Chris-
tian inscriptions.
FROM ERIN'S GREEN ISLE
NEWS i 11LA.IL• FM IEli'
LAND'I 8101115.
Ilnppottiugs in the Emerald Isle et
Interest to Inaba
Alen,
The Castlestrange estate.,' Co,
Roscommon, was purohassd by the
congested districts board.
Damages at' ,270 were awarded
to •henry Totten, Belfast, against
the corporation, for street ear. in-
juries.
A fierce gale on the County Down
coast swept over Newcastle, drove
a vessel ashore and caused serious
damage to many buildings.
Thomas Smith, a postman of the
Grosnlaw district,hi retiring after
a servioe of 39 years, during which
he travelled upwards ,of 200,000
miles.
A blind man, Andrew Hamilton,
aged 75 years, and his wife, diel
within a week of each other at
Kyle's Brae, Coleraine, from heart
disease.
There are now about 100 persons
under bail in the County Galway
district for participating in cattle
drives. •
Mr. Carnegie has given $5,000 for
the training home for orphan girls
opened at Culmore, Derry, through
the exertions of the Duchess of Ab-
ereorn.
A orowd of 1,501 people assemb-
led to prevent an estate bailiff serv-
ing notices for rent on several fa-
milies at Ballivaglera, Co. Leitrim,
At Dublin, the jury disagreed in
the trial of Matthew Purcell, for
:the nuirder of a 7 -year-old boy, Ar-
thur Fox, who was found dead in
an alley.
Lord Dunraven has given a gen-
erous donation towards the cost of
renovating the Adore Methodist
church, which will he re-opened,free
of debt.
Kilrush Guardians are consider-
ing the advisability of sending the
workhouse children to board out-
side, and have them attend the
schools in the town.
During the year ending March
last the number of men, women and
children in receipt of poor law re-
lief was 219,220. This is one -six-
teenth of the entire population of
Ireland:
The death occurred .at Belfast
recently of George Herbert Brown,
one of the best-known linen manu-
faoturers, a former high sheriff of
County Down, and a prominent
Yachtsman.
The Wicklow fire brigade is now,
smy s the Wicklow People, thorough-
ly organized, and an up-to-date set
of appliances have been procured
by the urban- council at a cost of
about $1,000.
Arthur Protheroe, 14 years of
age, while delivering goods on a
hand truck in Neath, was struck
violently under the chin by the
truck handles swinging around.
His neck was dislocated and death
instantly followed.
Xing Edward has awarded bronze
medals for gallantry for saving life
at ilea to eighteen fishermen of Va-
lentin, Co. Kerry, Medals have
also been given to two coast guards-
men and two civilians for bravery
at Ballydavid Head, in September
last.
$s
HIS SUPER COST $1,600.
•
Englishman is Robbed of that Sum
in Paris.
An unfortunate experience has
befallen' a London visitor to Paris,
who has been robbed of 21,600.
While in a restaurant in the Place
Pigalle, some people, one an Itali-
an, entered into conversation with
him, and the ehance acqueintanee-
ship ended in the party having sup-
per together.
After supper the Englishman lost
consciousness, and when he recov-
ered be found himself in a cab,
which had stopped opposite his ho-
tel. His new-found friends, how-
ever, had vanished, and he missed
his purse containing $1,600, his
watch and other personal jewelry.
In his perplexity he turned to the
cabman, who could only say that
some well-dressed rnan had placed
the Englishman in his vehicle, and
told the cabman to drive to Ins ho-
tel, which they named. The victim
has placed the matter in the hancls
of the police
(IRISH ABE THRIFTY.
1Deposits in doinl, tilnrk Be like (nine
Meetly (irowving.
Ofiicia1 statistles made up to the
end of June last show that the de-
posits and cash balances in Irish
joint stork .banks have increased
every year since 1388, with the ex-
eeptlon of 1897, and in some years
by large. figures, In 1838 the.
amount was .030,310,000, in 1907.
.C48,007,000, and in 10013 B50,509,-
000.
The Peetoffice Savings 'Rank fig-
ures Have risen from .93,128,000 in
1838 In 4;10,817,000 in 1907; the to-
tal for
o-tal-for 1001 is .010,000 less,` but this
' is ,the only decrease in the twenty
A poor eonipleti„ti worries is years.
woman niiire sprain a. pony irrtrllreil, 'Ther.' it now at total of .098,910,-
tut a man elm lead;; a doable (8) of tnrzti+ntcetl 1.}t7cl stock,
pc ern '
life never dr,cs iwc, ur;=.u' wruk (uranteed U
.r,!, . stuc'k
(lone perdue -le net: 1c03), and 14'ar
The Man who is le Iltiep for true- ;.,arks, 00 whirl, dividends are pay-
ble always finds it -and thea Sarno, able at the Bank of Roland,
SOME OCEAN TRAGEDIES
IIE PERILS CIV A• 'MODERN
SAILING SNIP,
'Thrilling Ttingo1lics of the See—
Wrecks, Fires, Collisions,
cud Mutinies.
There is s popular impression
that those who go to sea itt ships
nowadays aro practically as safe as
travellers by railway, .and safer
than the speeding motorist. But.
anyone who frequenba the docks,•
and talks, with deep-sea sailormen
in their haunts ashore, knows tirab
the 'deep-sea "windjammer" still
meets with all the dangers and ad-
ventures that Clarke Russell wrote
about.
At Liverpool, the other day, the
story of an €tmanieg voyage •of the
sailing ship Australasia was told in
the police -court, The captain was
charged with wounding the second
nate with a revolver, and it' was al-
leged
lleged that he was 'insane at the
time. Three coloredseamen were
convicted of mutinous conduct, and
the boatswain was sent to gaol for
firing a 'revolver to the danger of
the crew. It was evident that there
had been pandemonium aboard,
and the only wonder is that the ship
ever reached port, says a writer in
London Answers. (
One of the meet thrilling of re-
cent ocean tragedies was the burn-
ing of the British barque earner -
von Castle, in the Indian Ocean,
early in the past year, Under
the name of the Red dock, this
barque.was notorious for making
the slowest passages on record from
Liverpool to San Francisco and the
west coast of South America. Her
name was changed, iii the hope of
giving her better luck, but on .the
very first voyage as the Carnarvon
Castle she burst suddenly into
A MASS OF FLAMES,
more than seven hundred miles
from the nearest land, on the Aus-
tralian- coast.
The mon had to take to the boats
within a few minutes,' ill supplied.
They were • nineteen days snaking •
the land, and for over ten days they
were practically without food or
water. Two men died at sea of
hunger and thirst, and an appren-
tice succumbed to exhaustion soon
after landing at an Australian
lighthouse.
The sailors—all pious Welshmen
—often sang hymns and prayed fer-
vently. Sharks followed the boats
constantly. During the last days
some of the men drank sea -water
frequently. It has always been
supposed that this produces mad-
ness, but it did not do so in their
case. Some ate their loather belts;
others cut them up, and smoked
the leather in their pipes.
When i was at Bridgetown, Bar-
bados, a few years ago, a Brazilian
barque came into the roadstead
stoned by a young Spanish girl of
eighteen—a passenger. The cap-
tain and all the crew, save the mate
and two sailors, were dead of beri-
beri, the most terrible of diseases
at sea. The three survivors of the
crew were almost in the last ex „r'
tremity, for they also had been at-
tacked by this malady. The mate/
was lying on the poop, unconscious,
He had given over the wheel to the
girl twenty-three hours before, anal
she had brought the 'ship into pet
ON THE TRADE WIND./
The mato recovered,. and it tr,h,ns-
pired that there was a rotneelee in
the affair which no nattb 0a nov-
elise could beat. He had fallen itt
love with the girl on,.the voyage,
and they had been Married• by the
skipper after •beri-beri broke out,:
and they thought they were all
doomed. •
A friend of my 'Own stood at the
wheel of the fall -rigged ship Wray
Castle for thirteen bourn at a
stretch, while the crow fought,
flames that roared up to the main-
yard from the hold. r After eigh-
teen hours incessant toil and cease •
-
less danger, they saved the ship.
Twicethe boats were made ready;
but "Come on, boys. another try t"
said the gallant mate. The eon-
qucring, of this fire was one of the
bravest deeds in modern sea life,
This ammo friend of mine has only
been going to sea for seven years,
but .already he has been in two
wrecks, three fires, a collision, e
stoke -bold mutiny,: and twice on a
steamer with a broken propeller.
No ; man has certainly not chain-
ed the restless sea yet.
3
Australia sent. Great Britain 23,-
000 tons of rabbits last year.
The organ of sight is more highly
developed in birds then in any atti-
ma•L
A kangaroo - jt
iutp frrrm fie
ket,to 70 lamb icann length, and 11
feet in height,
rehe, more money a man has: the
more he is •abused—and the loss he
cares,
It's poor policy to jttclgat a me.u's
worth by the amount of life inane-,
anco ho carries,
This origin of the arnbli,r,r device,
the roulotto-vrltee1, wan the pray-
ing -wheel of Japan, ivl vjt it clone -
1.y resenthlee,
97.
i^...
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