MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume IX, Issue 1438, 1 September 1884, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

The inhabitants of Siam, who number about §,QQO,OOO, live chiefly on rice, fish, anc} fr\iit They are intelligent, amiable, and lazy people, who are just recovering from the bane of slavery, the present king having emancipated them ou his accession to the throne. Bangkok is the capital. The majority of the houses, which are built of bamboo, float on the river and rise and fall with the tide. The Government of Siam ia a mild despotism^ There are two kings; tbe first king, who possesses supreme power, is guided by the advice of a secret council of nobles. Mr Adams (Oliver Opticl claims that he has never written a story which would excite the love, admiration, and sympathy of the reader for an evil person, a bad character. " I have never," he says, '• made a hero whose moral character, or whose lack of high aims and purposes could mislead the young reader. This had been my standard, and however others may regard it, I deem it a safe one." The notorious Black Hole of Calcutta, lately excavated at Fort William, has of en-filled in and paved over with thick stone slabs, and a tablet will be let into the wall close by, with the following inscription : — " The Stone pavement near this marks the position -nd size of the prison cell in Old Fort William, known to history as the Black Hole of Calcutta. The ex-Empress Eugenic still clings to Chiselhurst, and is now negotiating for a new resident, an estate known as " Cooper's," whioh is large and more attractive than Camden, where she so long has lived, aud is particularly acceptable to Eugenic, as it commands a view of the tomb where her husband and son are buried. A diver engaged in diving operations off the coast opposite Gibraltar under Apes Hill, with the object of ascertaining the whereabouts of a recent wreck, has discovered at the bottom from 80 to 100 large guns, mostly 24 and 82 pounders, and also two large anchors. They are supposed to have belonged to some large line-of- battle ship which sank, possibly after the battle of Trafalgar. As there was no '■ apparatus for the purpose, none of the ' .guns were brought up, so that it has not been possible to ascertain their nationality. A scientific paper announces that in its next issue will appear an j elaborate article, entitled "How to Handle Bees." Now, a bee is not a difficult thing to handle. He is as easily picked up as a strawberry, and is reasonably light and compressible. To handle him is therefore a mere , song. Any man can do it. 1 n fact, the more ignorant of bees a man is, . the more easily he can handle one. The main difficulty seems to lie in quieting the man down after he has l handled a small but frolicsome bee. There have been men known to race around a ten-acre field, and eventually lose their reason, after handling one bee for the tenth part of a second. The scientific journal means well, no doubt; but what the country really needs is an article on how to avoid land ling bees. A good many of the candidates were ■" burned in e&gy " during the late election campaign. Perhaps the most comical episode in connection with this playful practice occurred in the Poverty Bay district, and is thus re ferred to by the Herald :— " Tht " effigy," so much talked about during the past few days, at length asserted its position in an extraordinary manner the other night borne wag attached it to the fire-bell, outstretched arms being held in position by a bar of iron. As the gale swayed the unearthly figure hither and thither, the most mournful sounds were produced from, the fire-bell. This brought forth some of the persons living in the neighbourhood, and Mr Moore, the fire-brigade custodian, soon^appeared, and in a loud voice asked the figure, "Where is the fire?' The 'effigy* answered not, and Mr Moore, after come little hesitation, took a run up to the bell, when he discovered the back of the • effigy * bending forth to greet liim in the most obsequious manner. As the wind swayed it again into position, Mr Moore read on the broad •chest, between the outstretched arms — •W. L. Rees." Then Mr Moore's spirit was set at rest, and he once more peacefully retired to his slumbers." The Kleine Zeituns* adds another anecdote to the long list of instances of absence of mind in great men. • A famous Berlin surgpon chanced to be at lunch- at a table crowded with guests. " Herr Doctor," said the lady of the house to him, " may I look to you to dissect the Joint in front of yon?" «* Certainly, my lady," re replied, . and took up the knife. The joint chanced to be a leg of mutton. The surgeon looked at it with a thoughtful and authoritative mien, , made a -leep incision in it, and then drew .out. the knife. To the astonishment of all the guests he then took a roll of lint from his pocket, and solemnly proceeded to treat the gash in the meat as if it were the wound of a patient After a pause of introspective deliberation he lifted tap bis head and said quietly, •' A little quiet and ease. I assure you there is nothing to fear; it wiil soon heal." The oametery at Opunake, it appears is situation on a high ground, below which, on a kind of flat, is a market garden, and owing to the recent bad weather the latter is flooded with water presenting the appearance of a small lake. A gentleman (says tlie Hawera Star) who recently went to examine theoenxetery with a view to finding a suitable site for a grave for a deceased relative', on looking over the side of tiie _uD> was surprised, aiid doubtless

horrified, to see no less than four coffius floating about on the water. They had probably slipped down from the ground above, which had been washed away from the edge of the hill. The London Times is to this day in the hands of the family of its founder and in this respect stands alone amongst the morning papers of London. The Times was not the original title of the paper. In the beginning of 1785 a daily paper was started under the title of the Daily Universal Register, and the title of the Times was not substituted until New Year's Day of 1788. Thursday Post says: — A peculiar case was brought before Mr Wardell, in Chambers this afternoon, when an application was made to commit to the Lunatic Asylum for medical examination a gentleman who has recently come up from the South with the idea in his head that he is entitled to a seat in the House of Representatives. He a leges chat at a recent election the Returning Officer of a district, the constituency of which he was desirous of representing in Parliament, deliberately erased from the roll tho rames of several hundred voters, who intended to support him, and claims that he is entitled to a seat in the House. On all other subjects he appears to be as sane as possible. His Worship ordered him to be remanded to the Asylum for examination by two doctors. Don't die in the house. — " Rough on Rats " clears out rats, mice, beetles, roaches, bed-bugs, flies, ants, insects, moles, jack-rabbits, gophers, Kempthorne, Prosser and Co. Agents' Christchurch.