MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1183, 16 October 1882, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

According to a late London paper, Egyptians who died 2000 years ago, are being converted iuto paint. It is stated they make very superior burnt sienna which London painters are willing to pay a good price for. From another source we learn that in America is a swamp which has the peculiar of converting animal substances, and especially the human frame, into very superior lubricating material. It will be admitted that this is preferable from a utilitarian point of view, to cremation, in which the result is only ashes, as against a valuable lubricant in the other case. An old Jady who had no relish for mouth church music was expressing her dislike of the singing of an anthem on a certain churoh, when a neighbor said : " Why, that is a very old anthem. David sang it to Saul." To this the old lady replied ; " Weel, weel, 1 noo for the first time understan' why Saul threw his javelin at David." sir Garnet's illness at one time threatened to prevent his departure for Egypt, and his condition gave his, friends serious concern, The feverish symptoms were aggravated by his own anxious misgivings by his inability to start. Fortunately Lady Wplsely in= sistedupon a consultation with the best men, and the verdict happily was, " Go ! " Sir Garnet was better before he had been twenty-four hours at sea, and the voyage is pretty certain to have restored him completely. Ife was suffering from erysipelas in the face. This explains his embarkation with his head covered up. From the Insurance and Banking Record it will be seen that the bank deposits for the year show an increase of six and a quarter millions, whilst the advances show an increase of over sixteen millions for the same period. The Italian nation has, as is now alleged, been wasting its hero-worship for many years past upon a sham. Garibaldi, falsely and fraudulently mr vested with the name and honors of the real patriot, who in point of fact was killed at Aspromonte. The '■ Sen-: tinelle dv Midi " has divulged the secret to the world, and an official Italian paper, the " Fanfulla," thinks fit, while contradicting the story, to reproduce it at length in its columns. Various circumstances are mentioned in support of this novel tale and, amongst others, the supposed fact that the real Garibaldi had small hands and feet, wrote with difficulty, whereas the impersonator of the defunct hero, who was mourned with such enthusiasm the other day, had large clumsy hand?, but wielded the pen of a ready writer. As the story will, no doubt, now deeply impress the popular mind in Italy, i$

is perhaps fortunate that the original intention of burning so-called Garibaldi was not carried into effect, for it will now be possible to exhume the body and ascertain, at any rate, whether the hands are the hands of the patriot or not. Considering, however, the long time during which the Garitoaldian character was successfully :sustained by the person whose identity •with him is now impeached, it may perhaps be doubted whether he is not as much entitled to the honors he has worn as the original would have been. Says " Silver Pen " :— " No. 25,5 1 7 is the ticket number of a trunk which was checked from across the Bay to •San Francisco recently, and anontwhich the chief of police was tele^ graphed. It was a trunk having an «evil odour, and foul play was suspected, the bearers of said trunk being two heathen Chinamen. <>n the arrival of ■the steamer, the police captured the unsavoury box, and, having opened it, .disclosed to view the dead body of a Mongol, so terrible in its aspect that the gaping crowd fell back in horror. 'The body was bent up, almost double, the head jammed down on the chest, and the whole body frightfully distorted andswollen,theskinscalyand dry, while large cracks appeared like deep cuts .all over the disgusting-looking form. The head and face had a raw and •skinned appearance. Nothing more terrible could be seen. Though foul play was suspected, it turned out to be a most loathsome case of leprosy of worst kind. The body was smuggled over for burial to avoid freight, and checked as an ordinary trunk. Just think of living in an atmosphere where such a filthy and terrible pest is rampant ; and horrible cases of leprosy are cropping up every day."