MISCELIIANOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 13 February 1880, Page 2

MISCELIIANOUS.

According to the Nineteenth Century not only did ihe Chinese possess coins at a very early period, but they were also the inventors of batik * notes. Some writers regard bank * notes as havina originated about 119 8.C., in the reigo of the' Emperor Ou-ti. At this time the Courfc was in want of money, and to raise it Klaproth tells ns that the Prira^ Minister l»it upon the following device: — When any princes or courtiers entered the Imperial presence, it was customary to cover the face with a piece of skin. It was first decreed then, that for this purpose the skin of certain white deer kept in one of the royal^^jk^^bM^g alone be permit ted.esttU^^^^^^^^^^R of skin were so!d | although they "P^i^^^^^^^^^^^H I from one noble to seem even >o have^^^^^^^^^^^^^H circulation. It "^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| i ent from the V^^^^^^^^^^^^^^M this case the p^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H of the skins^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H the skins 'i^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H and heavy^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H ward and J^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H was cut c^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| session °^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| ship waS-^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^J iiole." Trl^^^^^^^^^^^H been invent e^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H of H an»l^^^^^^^^^^^^^M and wef6|^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| It is c *^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| p r is i n gr, over-is.<a^ same resi^^^JU «s in the The value of the notes fell, until at length it took ll.(H) n min, or £3003 to buy a cake of rice, and the use nf notes appeare 1 to have been abandoned. Subsequently this is*tie was revived, and Tehanyyang (960-990 A.D.) seems to hare been the first private person who is«ned notes. SomewFiat later, nnier the Era peror Tehing^tsongr (997«1022) this invent tion was largely es'enled. Sixteen o' the richest firms united to form a bank of issnp, which ero'tted paper money in series, «ome payaMe every three years. The discovery of the existence of man in the pleis'ocenp caves of Canpage. pnunfy Wa'erford, has led Mr K. J. U^sher to lo^k elsewhere for the record* of prehisforia mm, and his researches have been rewarded by the diseoverv of a crannog, or old late-dwelling, in the submarine peit of AHmore, in the same county. Prior to Mr Ussher's examination the remains were regarded as those of ancient salmon weirs, or similar struc fure?, and his discovery consequently shows the desirableness of examining accumulations of a like kind elsewhere. Messrs Blackett, Johnson, Newber? and Foster, the gentlemen appointed by the Melbourne Brewers' Club to consu't to ether with the view of devising 'he most effectual means of cleansing bottles preparatory to their being used iy brewers, have decided on making the following recommendation to the brewers : —That the bottles should be washed with

a weak solution of muriatic acid an i wirni water; and that all black and opaquo bottles — that is to say, bottles whose substance is sach that no one can toll by visual observation whether or not they be clean— should be rejected. The chemists siy that tbe muriatic acid is quite barm* less when used as they suggest.