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Exeter Times, 1898-9-22, Page 6(Continued.) "Ieput that mil:aster and, his (laugh- ter in the two front bedrooms," said she to me, after hospitably greeting the three raen, "which me and airs, Aleshine had run and gat ready for the Donates, as soon as you Went in your boat to meet 'em, The young lady eves mighty nigh worn eat, and. glad enough: of the tea and things, and to get lot° bed, But the gentleman, he wanted a soft-boiled egg, and when I tad, han I hadn't come across no hen - hoose yet on this islaua, he looked at • me as if he didn't half believe me, and •• thought I was keepin' the eggs to sell.", "Whieh it. would be ridiculous to do,' said Kra. Meehan% "in the middle a an wane like this." "If he lets you off with soft -baled eggs, =ma'am," said tae coxswain very respectfully, "I think you may bless your sts.as." "A.Y, ay, sir," said the two sailors With black beards. Miss Ruth Endertait and. her father did not make; their appearance until the next morning at breakfast -time. I found the young lady a very Pleas- ant parson. She was rather slight in figure, inclined to be pretty, and was what might be called a warm -colored blonde. Har disposition was quite sociable, and she alinost inuxtediately stepped into the fevor of Mas. Leeks and Mrs. Aleshine. Mr, Enderton, however, was a per- son of another sort. Eie was a prim; and somewhat formalsnan, and appear- ed to be entirely self -engrossed, with very vague notions in regard to his surroundings. He was not by any Means an ill-tempered man. being ra- ther inclined to be placia than other- wise; but he gave so little attention to eircumstances and events that he did, not appear to understand why he should. be incommoded by the hap- penings of life. I have no doubt that he made existence on board. the dis- abled brig a hundred. times more un- patisfaotory than it would otherwise have been. With his present condi- tion he seemed very well satisfied, and, • It was quite plain that he looked. upon Mrs. Leeks, Mrs. Aleshine, and my' self as the proprietors of the estab- lishment, having forgottexa.or paid no • attention to, my statement in. regard to our coming here. As soon as she thought it fit and, proper, and thismoraent arrived in the course of the first forenoon, alfss. Lecke spoke to Ma. Enderton on the subject of the board which should be paid to • the Donates. She stated the ar- rangeraents we had made in the mat- ter, and then told him that as he and • his daughter had. the best accommo- dations in the house, each occupying a large, handsoro.e room, she thought that he should pay fifteen dollars a week for the two. Now, if your daughter," she con- tinued, "can do anythin' about the house which will be of real help, though for the life of me I don't see what she can find to do, with me and Aleshine here, somethinmight be took • off on amann.t......9fahel. liervices•'but of course_yoesir, can't do nothina un - was preach on Sundays; and. -a-""• not knowin' what denomination the Dusantes belong to, it wouldn't be fair • to take their money to pay for the preaohin' of doctrines which, perhaps, they don't believe in." This financial proposal aroused Mr. • Enderton's opposition. "When I • came here, madam," he said, "I did not expect to pay any board whatever; and I think, raoreover, that your rates are exorbitant. In Nanfouchong, if I remember rightly, the best of board • did not cost more than two or tlu.ee • dollars a week." "I don't want to say anythin' sir," • said Dare. Leeks, "which might look dis- respectful, but as long as I've got a conscience inside of me I'm not goixf to stay here and see the Donates lose money by Chinese cheapness." • "I don't know anything about the Dusantes," said Mr. Enderton, "but I • ani not going to pay fifteen dollars a week for board for myself and daugh- ter." The discussion lasted for some time with considerable warmth on eaeh side, and was at last ended by Mr. End- derton agreeing to pay board at th• e same sate as the two woraen and my- self, and each week to deposit in the • ginger -jar eight dollars for himself and daughter. "You may not case to remember, sir," said Mrs. Leeks, with cold severity, "that Mr. Craig, and me, and Mrs. • Aleshine puts in services besides, al- though, to be sure, they don't go into • the jar." "I only remember," said Mr. End- • erton, "that I am paying an unjusti- •. fiable price as it is." • TIrs. Leeks and Mrs. Aleshine, how- ever, were not at all of this opinion, and they agreed that, if it should be • in their power, they would see to it that the Desentes lost nothing by this • close-fisted missionary. After dinner—and I •may rernark that the new-coraers were not con- • sulted in regard. to the hours for meals • —Mrs. Leeks had an interview with the coxswain on the subject of board for himself and his two companions. This affair, I2owever, was very quickly set- • tled, for the three ro.ariners had among them only one dollar and forty-three • cents, and this, the eoxswain explain- ed, they would like to keep for tobaceo. rt was therefore settled that, as the three sailors could pay no money, as much work as possible should he got out of theta; and to this plan they agreed heartily and cheerfully, "There's only one •thing •we'll ask, ma'am," said the coxswain to 3YErs. • Leeks, "and that is that we be put in a different mess from the parson. We've now eat two meals with the pa.. gangers, and we and my mates is agreed that that's about as mode as we can • After this, therefore, the three men had their meals in the kitChen, where they were generally joined by Mrs. Aleshine, who much delighted in their company. Bat she made it a point sometimes to sit down with us in the dining -room, merely to show that she had as much right there as anybody,. "As' to the woe* for them sailor Zen," said Mrs. Aleshine, "X dofl'e see what they're gala! to do. Of course they don't know nothin' about denina and it seems to me that best thing to be done is to put `e fishina" Mrs. Leeks considered this a g suggestion, and. accordingly the swain and his companions were that thereafter they would, be exp ed to fish for eight hours a day, S days excepted. This plan, haws did not work very well. During first two days the sailors caught many fish, that Although the fish men themselves had excellent a.ppet for such food, it was found utterly possible to consume what they brou in. Consequently, it was ordered t thereafter they should catch only many fish as should be needed, a then ana,ke themselves useful by ening Aleehine and airs. Le in Any manner they might direot. I found. it quite easy to become ellaainted with Miss Roth Enderton, she was Very inclined to cony sation. "It's ever so long," she se "since I've had anybody to talk to. She hadleft the United States wh she was quite a little girl, and h lime seen nothing of her native la She was consequently, full of qu tions about America, althotigh qu willing to talk.' of her life in Chin Society, at least such kind. as she h ever eared for, had been extrercte scarce in the little 'missionary stati at which she had lived so long! a now, coining from a wearisome sojou on a disabled sailing vessel, with company but the crew and a pre-occ pied father, ,she naturally was deligh ed to get among people she could ta to, With Mrs. Leeks, Mrs. Aleshin and. myself she soon became ver friendly, and showed herself to be most lively and interesting young pe son. I did all that I could to make Mi Ruth's time pass agreeably. rowe with her on the lagoon, taught her t fish, and showed her all the pleasan points on. the island which could b easily reached. by walking. Mx. End erton gave us very little of his com pally, for, having discovered that ther was a library in the house, he passe most of his time in that room. e "You ha.vmade a very fair seleetio of books, sir," he remarked to me, "bu it may readily be conceived, from th character of the works, that your taste are neither ecclesiastic nor soientific.' Several times I explained to him tix ownership of the library and the house but he immediately forgot what I said or paid no attention to it. When h paid his board at the end of the week he handed the money to Mrs. Leeks and although before his eyes, she pu it into the ginger -jar, beneath th paper of fish-hooks, I know very wel that he considered he was paying i to her for her own use and behoof. He was comfortably lodged, he had all that he needed—and very nearly all that he wanted—to eat; and I careetaat know that. Inversterte niaifidiare eon taatedrivith his lot. As for the coxswain and the two sailors, they had a very pleasant time of it, but Mrs. Leeks and Mrs. Aleshine would not think of such a thing as al- lowing them. to eat in idleness the bread of the Dusantes. After they had been with as a few days, Mrs. Leeks told me that she thought she could show the coxswain and his mates how to dig and gather the garden stuff which was daily needed. "To be sure,' said she,' "that work goes segin part of your board, but fish - in' and bringire in firewood don't take up quarter of the time of them sailors; and so that the garden work is done, I don't suppose it matters to the Dus- antes who does it. And that'll give you more time to make things pleasant for Miss Ruth; for, as far as I can see, there isn't a thing for her to do even if she knows how to do it." The three mariners were more than willing to do anything desired by Mrs. Leeks or Mrs. Aleshine, to whom they looked up svith great admiration and rasped. The latter was their favor- ite, not only because she was with them a great deal during their meals and at other times, but because of her gen- ial nature and eaay sociability. The men were always trying to lighten her. labors, and to do something that would please her. One of them °limbed to the top of what she called a "palm -leaf -fan tree" and brought therefrom some broad leave,s which he cut and. trimmed and sewed in true nautical fashion, until he made some fans which were heavy and clumsy, but, as she said, they vrould stand half a gale of wind if she chose to raise it. The coxswain cauglat or trapped, two sea birds, and having clipped their wings, he spent days in endeavoring to tame them, hop- in,g to induce them, as far as the pow- er in them lay, to take the ;place of the barn -yard fowls whose absence Mrs. Aleshine continually deplored. Every evening, the two black -bearded sail- ors would dance hornpipes for her, mach to her diversion and delight. "I've often heard," she remarked, ."that in those hot cocoanut countries the tricks of the monkeys was enough to keep everybody on s steady laugh, .but I'm sure sailor men is a great deal better. When you get tired of their pranks and their tomfooleries you can tell 'em to stop, which with mon- key's you can't." It was about ten days after the ar- rival of the missionary's party that, as I was going to get ready the boat in which Miss Ruth and myself gen- erally rowed in the cool of the even- ing, I saw Mrs. Lacks and Ms. Ale - shine sitting on the beaoh in the 'shade of some low -growing trees. They were eVidently waiting for me, and as soon es I appeared Mrs. Leeks beckoned to me; whereupon joined them. "Sit down," said 1VIrs. Leeks, "there's eomethin) I want to teak to you about. Mrs. Alashine and me have made up our miride that you ought to be hurried up a little about poppin' the question to Mis‘e Ruth." This remark astounded rae. "Popping the question!" I exelaimed. "Yes," continued Mrs, Leeks, "and Me and Mr. Aleshine know very well He that you haven't done it yet; for both Lu of us haviri' been ehrough that sort of thing ourselves, We knew the signs of it after it has happened." "And We wouldn't say nothin' to gar - the at to ood cox - told eet- un- ver, the 00 er- ites ght hat as nd as- cks ao as er- id, en ad nd, es- ite a. ad ly 031 nd 111 no lk e, a r- ss ct e 1 1. /11616m/mair. B EXETER T 1 ME 3 _NJ .:::-............ ' --- ;,±4,...-----...,,,..,=;:zz:.--,....4.- --A.— ki.... easee.e...aerearaaa-ere---- - aaate------. -..a_a-a-e-------ec-ae:— • ••••••• kille144be MAJOR -GENERAL SIR HERBERT KITCHENER, K. C. B., Sirdar of the Anglo-Egyptian Army. . 11.9, 11 wasn't that the groceries especially the flour, is a-gettin'JoWv'iibe ta,lkin' to thane men, and. they fifitetY 1f agreed. that there's no u now in expectin' their captain to se for' em; for, if he wa,s a-goin' to it at all, ire'd a' done it ;before ti And perhaps he never got nowhe himself, in which ca.se he couldn't. A they sear the best thing' we can all when the victuals has nearly give o provided the Dusante s don't come ba 111 time, is to take what's left, and. a t Luto their big boat, and row aw to that island, which I don't know ju how far it is, that the captain of p ship was going to. There( we can at Pretty comfortable till n hip corn along and takes us off." "But what has all that to do," las ed, "with Miss Ruth and. me?" "Do ?" cried Mrs. Leeks; "it has e erythixa' to do. When it's all settl and fixed between you and Miss Rut, there'll be nothin' 'to hinder us from gettin' ready to start when we please "But, my dear -friends," I said with slightest idea of proposing to Miss En- ndaeurctohme„arnestness, "I have not the "That's just what I said. to Mrs. Ale- shbae," said Mrs. Leeks, "and that's the reason. we let our irons cool, and coma out here to talk to you. It's just like a young man. to keep puttin' off put off."of thing; but this can't be "That's so!" cried Mrs. Aleshine; "and I'll just let you see how the mat- ter stands. There is housekeepers who allows a pint of flour a day to eac person, but this is for farm hands an people who works hard and eats hearty and I've found that three-quarters o r, pint will do very well if the :doug s kneaded conscientiously and mad up light, so that it'll rise well ,whe it's put into the oven. NOW I've meas urecl all the flour that's left, and in and. Mrs. Leeks, we've calculated that allowin' three-quarters of •pint o flour a day to each on of as, there' just eight days more that we can stay here—that is, if the Dusantes don' 'clone back before that time, which, course, can't be counted. on. So you can SOS for yourself Mr. Craig, there's no time to be lost, even considerin' that widower, and that'll he a mighty sight ase, 1 can tell you." . ;en No matter whether they're widow- " ers or never been married," said Mrs. se Leeks, "there'll be plenty that'll want nd her as soon as they see her; and if 'O it isn't for the girl's own pretty face, IS. it'll be for her father's money." re "Her father's money!" I exclaimed nd at, ck 11 ay,. money. ' • "And. you'know e.s well as we dq,” ur said Mrs. Aleshine, "that in them coon - ay tries where's he's been, the heathens es -worship idols of silver and idols of ' , gold; and when them heathens is con- • verted, donu. 't yosuppose the mission- _• aries get any of that ? I expect that Mr.Endertonhas converted thousands • fheathens." What are you talking on' • "There's no good. tellin' me anythin' about theta' said Mrs. Le,cles, very de- cidedly. "There never was a man as close fisted as Mr.Enderton who hadn't .1 / At this suggestion I laughed out-. right. But Mrs. Leeks reproved me. "Now, Mr. Craig," said she, "this 19 no laugh/rt.' matter. What me and Mrs. Aleshine is saarin' is for yourgood, and for the good of Miss Ruth along with you. I haven't much opinion of her father, but his money is as good, as anybody else's, and, though they had to leave their trunks on board their ship, what little they brought with them shows that they've been used to havin' the bi est there s. Mae. Aleshine and me has set up till late into the night talkie' over this thing; and we are both of one mind that you two meed • never expect to have the same chance a' again that you've got now. The very " fact that the old gentleman is a Preacher, and can marry you on the t spot, ought to make you tremble when " you think of the risks you are runnin' by puttin' it off." "I've got to go into the house now a to see about" supper," said Mrs. Ale - shine, rising; "and I hope you'll re- f member, Mr. Craig, when your bread a is on your plate, and Miss Ruth is tsit- tin' opposite to you, that throe -quar- ters of a pint of flour a day is about as little as anybody can live on and t that time is flyin'." Mrs. Leeks now also rose. But I de. tainecl the two for a moment.1 I hope you have not .said anything staoidMi. ss Enderton on this subject," "No," replied Mrs. Aleshine, "we e haven't. We are both agreed that as i you're the one that's to do what's to be done, you are the one that's to be spoke to. And haviaa' been through it qurseives, we understand well enough that the more a woman don't know nothin' about it, the more likely she is to be ketcheci if she wants to be." To Be Continued,. she hasn't to make up anythin' to be married in." "No," said Mrs. Lacks, "just for us and three sailors, that wouldn't be needed," I looked from one to the other in dumb astonishment, Mrs. Leeks gave me no time to say anything. "In common cases," said she, "this Might all be put off till we (got ;some- where; but it won't do now, Here you are, with everythin' in your own hoods; but just get away from here, and there's an end of that. She's as pret- ty a girl as you'll see in 8. Month of Sundays; and if she leaves her without your gettin" her, there's no knovvin- who'll snap her up. When we've got ta that island, you may see her once a week, but maybe you won't. She may go away in one ship and you in anoth- er, and there may be somebody right there, a missionary, for all I know, who'll have her before you have a Chance to put in a word," "And that's not the were!: of it," said Mrs. A1e8hine. "Supposin' them Du- santes comp back before we go. There's no knowin what that Mr. Dlisante is. may be a brother ` of Emily and cille. And what sort; of thcence would you have then, I'd like to know, With Miss Ruth right here 13hie own house, and he ownin' the row -boat, and. everythinl Or it may be he's a BELLEVILLE BOILER ON WARSHIPS Too mach Cont nonsulinea, Too Great Heat in Stoke Bole and Breakdowns. The recent experience of the British eruiser Terrible on her voyage from England to Gibraltar and back, and the later failure of the two sister cruis- ers, the Diadem and Europa, to realize the speed intended by their designers, Jia, brought the boiler question in the British Navy again. to the front. These vessels are fitted with the Belleville water -tube boilers, which gave eo much trouble in the case of the cruiser Pow- erful, during what was expected to be a record trip for a warship between England and China by the long route round the Cape of Good Hope. The mat- ter is the eaore important because so large a proportion of the more mod- ern ships of the British Navy is fur- nished with these boilers, that their proved inefficiency discounts to a very great extent, some experts say to an dimming degree, the real war value of the magnificent collection of vessels composing the British Navy. But the trouble is not alone in the defects that appear to be inherent in the boilers themselves. There is the n extravagant, consmption of coal, nearly double that on the ships fitted with ordinary boilers. If the cost were the only question involved, this would not be a matter of so rauch consequence provided the results were adequate, but it is the quantity required to produce what so far have proved to be inade- quate results, that has to be taken Ina? account. To keep ships fitted with this particular type of boiler fully sup- plied with coal, the 'capacity of coaling stations will have to be increased; that la its turn, especially in war time, augments the risk of a fleet being crippled through the captures of cal- lers, whose number would have to be nereased. Then the steaming radius f a ship is seriously diminished hrough the extra consumption of coal without equivalent gain in speed, which those vessels having the Belleville bsoilneoresv. admittedly proved in the, case 13 There is, besides, the excessive heat, generated in the Stoke holes of the ips fitted with these boilers, so great rideed that, as is the ease in the Dia - em, .the Bumps and others, the fire- men become thoroughly prostrated. Nearly every attempt so far to get up the steam reqUired to bring out the full power of the boiler% has had to be given up, either because of the dan- ger to the ship, the engines or the men in the stoke hole. The importance of this boiler ques- tion beeomes the graver When the dif- fering conditions of working' ships at trial trips and in war are taken into account, In the one case the trials are condtieted with picked firemen us- ing handpicked coal; in the other the work will be clone with ordinary creWs with ordinary eoal. The only explana- tion afforded of the persistence of the British Admiralty in eentiriuing the 0.,se a the Belleville boRera in if.8 ships is that the officials committed. to there dare not acknowledge their error. As this error is persisted in in direct op - A POSITIVE Qt.TIETtE. Minister (who has just come trona sick patient's bedsitle)—T've given reli- gious comfort to the invalid, and I fancy all he requireS now is agood, sound sleep. Nurge—Oh, if yott would only bring your last Sunday's serenot and read it to hitt. • THE MISSING WORD, Hostess. Wiled wottld you like eat Paa eir OWD. Boiler Cotaraftate, would pear as tlieugh nothing shot of A tional disaster could. stir the British bite to recognise the danger involv- , not only to British columerce, bee . • Effie ? tV Effie. Cake. • aP Mothea, reprovingly. Effie! Bffie na What Is tile word yoti'Ve forgotten ? PEL, ea item to the recommendations of , —• one ev en to the natioleal saistence. THE 'WORLD'S WHEAT UROP. SEASON or pLgrtry, wrni CHEAP DREAD AND LOW PRICES. • European Illarveet WIaltbe a Good Average -Figures From the Different ConotrIcs Watch, Teo Ora 000 croa. The work of computing the wheal; oroPs of the world has commenced in Britain, that great buyer of wheat, and the returns so far available promise a season of plenty, with the accompani- ments of cheap bread and. low prioes for wheat. One English newspaper publish- es an estimate which bears every evi- dence • of ears, and the oonelusion reached is that a state of affairs will exist which will be paralleled only by the big American crop of 1891, to whieh the low prices whicb prevailed for some years were attributed. • Taking the average of the Ian five years, Europe produces 67.22 per cent. ok the wheat produced in the world, and the United States and Canada pia - due another 21 per cent., so that the harvests now in the reepers' hands ac- count for over 78 per centof the world's wheat. While Europe grovt,s 57, 22 per centof the world's wheat it an- nually consumes over 72 per cent., and thus has to import some 15 per cent. of the world's wheat grown elselA,here. To put it.inta bushels, Europe annual- ly produces, on the average of the last five years 1,405,000,000 bushels of wheat but consumes 1,715,000,000 bushels, and thus has to buy 310,000,000 bushels, and year on an average. The GOOD PRICES LAST YEAR. were due to the fact that Europe pro- duced only 1,106,000,000 bushels, and so had to buy rather over 600,000,000 bush- els, or double the usual quantity. The harvest of Europe promises, this authority says, to be a good average. In the United Kingdom the crop will be rather over 62,000,000 bushels, some 6,000,000 inexcess of that of last year. In France the crop is over the aver- age, and is placed by good authorities at 860,000,000 bushels as compared with 243,000,000 bushels last year, and an average a 310,000,000 bushels. The crops of Europeen Russia are described as promising to be over the • average, the total yield. being estimated at quite 400,000,000 bushels. This will be 138,- 000,000 bushels ahead of last year's crop, and 24,000,000 bushels over • the average. Austria-Hungary. Italy, Spain and Roumania, report crops over the average, and Germany and seven other countries are reported to have crops of good average size. In 'Eu.kipean Tur- key the orop is doubtful, but; this is the only exception in Europe. All told, •the indications are that Europe will • this yeas produce about • 1,500,000,000 bushels, which will leave a demand for from 220,000,0006 to 250,000,000 bushels from other parts of the world• . IN THE UNITED STATES. according to this authority, the wheat - crop will be from 580,000,000 bushels to 620,000,000, and in Canada it will be • about 70,000,000 bushels, Even if only 600,000,000 bushels were reaped in •the two countries, the • 250,000,000 bushels which appear to 13 the limit of Europe's buyings this year will be easily suppli- ed. Anything over that would be a surplus. Since this estimate was compiled dis- mad reports have come of crop failures in Russia. In hail a dozen' provinces the yield is worthless and the distress is very acute. There are fifty-one such provinces in Russia, hut these six com- prise almost the whole of the •great Volga valley and conbain fifteen • out of the ninety-four millions of inhabi- tants of European Russia. The wheat area which tlie.y include is probably se- cond only to that centering about Odessa. Should these reports prove to be accurate, the Russian crop would fall materially below the estimate of a few weeks ago, and in that case there' would be less likelihood of over -pro- duction. In anyease, •however, the world's wheat demands seem certain to be amply supplied. THE PROOFREADER'S NEMESIS. What's the matter? inquired the foreman, as he entered the sanctum for copy and noted the editor's bleed- ing nose, swollen forehead, puffed red eye, and tattered, dusty coat. Fall down stairs? No—only that, replied the editor, pointing with his finger to a paragraph in the paper before him. It's in our account of the Crapley- Smith wedding. • It ought to read, Miss Smith's • dimpled, shining face formed a pleasing contrast with Mr. Crapley's strong, bold physiognomy. But see how it wee printed. And the foreman read, Miss Smith's pinipled, skinny face formed a pleasing con- trast with Mr. Crapley's stony, bald physiognomy. Crapley was just in here, continued the editor, throwing one blood -streaked laandkerchief into the •waste baellet and feeling in his pocket foil a clean one, and he—but just send that fool of a proof-reader in here 1 There's fight left in tete yet. • BEFORE AN OLD a/ASTER. Mrs. Gaswel in an art store—Steoas to me that's art awful price to pay for an old picture like that. Gaswell—That pietive is rather old, :to be sure, but the frame is new. • .IUST ALIKE. Do you see that big cannon there ? said Jenks, indicating the 1 hirteen-inch gun protruding from the turret in the picture of the battle ship. In one re- epect that's just, like my pockets are every night. Why, dear, Mrs. .Tenks asked, how can that be ? It's rifled, said Mr. Jenks. /011=••••••• IN A IIIJEHY. Why do you want so nisny men put to work on your new house? tieked the builder.. Are you in a hurry fer it ? Hurry ? replied the man who was pay- ing the bilis, aVell, 1 Mould. say My wife b 'LS expressed herself as eatiefleet 'crab the plans of this hose. an I want to see if I can't get ii built ,the tires of it and wants me to soli ie. SOME FLOATING DA1G,E11,84 TERRIBLB NAVY OF DERELICTS AFLOAT ON THE OCEAN, Very DIfficull Obstacles. to Remove ar Destror-Narrow Escape or 050 or nor Warships, Up and doWn , the highways Af. oCean traffic) are at lest a, hunclred derelictsays tle London Daily Mail, If one of our swift ocean liners !were *to encounter one of thee obstacles, which at night can iaardly be descri- ed by the ;sharpest look -out mart the result would be too terrible to contem- plate. Every year vessels are reported rix -11:—."%11418 ing, a,nd it is well known that no ?stress of weather can have interfered with them. Old salts shake their heads and say, "She' ,s hit some floating wreck- age.' Not so long ago the Veendam, an American-Netherla,zol liner, smash- ed into a submerged wreck some 600 miles west of Land's End. Tile slap sulk and an eppalling disaster was only averted by the timely arrival of another steamer whicla effected the rescue of the passengers and crew. A. Each year sees more of these abait- doned vessels added to those already afloat, and yet no determined effort LS 3118,48 to rid the sea of ithem, The question should be made an interne, tional one, and the navies of the world employed in their seerch and destruc- tion. Yet it is not such an easy ;mat- ter as may appear on the surface. We hear so often of SHIPS SINKING RAIIIDLY after a collision or springing of aeleak, and we make up our minds that all required for the solution is a ship with a rana—a puncture, and all would be —over. But experience • shows other - Wise. Some time ago the 'United States detaphed the Atlanta' upon an errand of this kind. In ,her searcle she oaniel upon the delelict schooner Golden Rule anchored by the bow, but strange to say, bottom up. 1The United States ship went straight at her with the ram,, but failing. to °etch. her exact- ly at right angles, but the schooner being light, she bounced off from the blow. The Atlanta then drew off, and , puttin,g on extra speed to make a clean job of it made a second attack. This time the warship cut, the derelict clean in halves, but one of these halves float- ed away, giving no signs of sinking, while the other remained at anchor! Now there were two dangers instead of tine, The cruiser then fired shots, through the wreckage without any result, for they still ,floated. Shell was tried, and one large: projectile burst within the bow part, yet the obstacle still floated. After expending a large quantity of povrder and shot, the At- lanta, retired from the job with dis- abled en,gines caused by the coneussioneee of ramming, and had to make thenear- ‘e est port for repairs. The original dang- er to 'navigation was doubled, H. M. $. Edgar the other day spent two hours and SEVERAL HUNDRED POUNDS of powder sinking a derelict in the Indian ocean, yet the gunners were goodmarksmen, hitting the target it° eech time. Be it said; to the credit 'of the United States Government, they have, done their best to clear the high seas of obstacles to navigation. For many years the famous old relic. .of Confederate days, the Kearsege, which fought and sank the equally notori- ous Alabama, was employed, in the hunt for derelicts of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States un- til she came to grief. The Vesuvius, which got so much attention „in„, the present war with Spain, had an ad- venture once, which is worth relating, which might have meant destruction., She Game upon an abandoned ship, the Reindeer, not very far from land. In- stead of ramming her, the captain re- solved, as the distance etra,s short to tow her into port, which he succeeded in doing. It was then found that the abandoned schooner had 100 cases of dynainite on board. Had the Vesuvius pursued her usual plan of ramming the result would have been dreadful. One of our own ships ha,d a narrow es- cape. The Gafion, a steamer belonging to Gothenburg, with masts sprung and „ smashed bulwarks, was encountered byiL ie M. S. Himalaya, The Jacks boarded P" her, and reported that there was not a eoul on board. As she seemed sea- worthy enough, the British captain de- termined to take her in tow. She was secured by a hawser, and for a time things went well. Suddenly, without any warning, the vessel in tow stood up on end. As luck would. have it, no one had been left on board, and e..he of- ficers and crew of H.M.S. Himalaya had kept a strict watch. The moment the Gafion plunged under, the hawser , was cut with axes or the warship would have been dragged under. HEADS TO THE NORTH. The superstition that human beings shoatcl sleep with their heads to the north is believed by the Freuch to have for its foundation a ecientific fact.' They affirm, that each human .system is in itself an electric battery, the head being one of the electrodes, the feet the other. Their proof was discover- ed frora experiments which the Acad- emy of Sciencee was allowed to make on the body of a man who was guillotined. This was taken the insi ant it fell and Plaoed upon a pivot, free to move as it might. The head part, after a little vacillation, turned 13 the north, and the body the remained stetionary, It was tinned halt -way round by one of the professors, and again the head end of the tiunk moved slowly to the card- inal point due north, the satne results being repeated axitil the final arresta- tion of organio movement., FOREIGN TO HIM. aVfamma. (surprise4)r---5Cou can't un- derstand him? ' 1 think he speaks vary plainly for a Wald of bie age. The Baby's Uncle—No doubt, but,vOu see, rm, not familiar with his dialeet.