MISCELLANEOUS.

Inangahua Times, Volume IX, Issue 1478, 3 December 1884, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

■» ■■ Among the notable bridges in the world is the one at Langang, China. This structure crosses an arm o! the China Sea. is about five, miles long, aud has not less then three hundred arches. Over the pillar of each arch reclines a lion, made ont of a single block of marble, and yet twenty-one feet in length. The roadway of this bridgo is seventy- five feet wide. One of the most important of recent inventions is structural waterproof paper. Jt tills a new niche in building materals. It. can be used for the construction of buildings, where durability and economy arealik* desirable. Smallpox hospitals are being constructed of it in Liverpool, They are built up in detatchttd tenHinent*. The large buildings of the Amsterdam Agricultural Exhibition, which was opened a fortnight ago, have actually been built of this waterproof pap*r. Few 30113s have be^n <■■■ >->n<ilar as J 'Dr9am Faces'' and" fafia »'i the Rhine/* the author of whic:., ..i.i ilutchiiißon, is making a fortune from them. A recent notice in a musical puMicacation named the quantity sold of the former at 50,000, and still going on. This gentleman was in the colony not many vrewks a^o, acting as pianist to an operatic company. That our West Cost gold finlds are not quite exh*u*ted yet (says the Wellington Post) is evident from the amount of the precious metal which continues to he. sent up for shipment Home. On the last trip of the J£ahinapua from ftreymouth to this port «he had on board 12,500 ounces, vafned at close on £50,000. Of this f "Hoßtka produced 3324 ounces, Westport 1550 ounce.B, and Greymouth, which would probably include the Beefton Abd Samara parcel* 7922 oaneog, Alargn pi ©portion of this shipment oa to DdUflditL ■••■•■ ••♦'.

A correspondent writes to th» Colonist that he can positivly state that the three- masted schooner Osprey arrived at Aucklaud iii July, 1884, with a detachment of soldiers from Hol»art Town. The troops were composed of 58th 65th Regiments, and were under the command of Lieutenant Bargelgate of the 65th. The writer was ou board the vessel himself. Trnth says it is likely that the Highland question will soon assume an acute form. The land used to belong to the entire clan. After tho rebellion of '45 it was practically vested in the chief of the clan. T.ie chief found that he could make more hy letting the land to large shefn farmers than to small crofters, who had a few acres which they tilled and a com moil right of pasturage. Of late tiie sheep farmers have l>een doin»•tadly, and land let 3 more avdantage ouxly as deer forests^ so the deer forest has replaced the sheep fat in. Certain of the population have," therefore, been forced to emigrate, whilst the remainder have been driven to the coast line with the hope oil earning a living by n'shiug — an occupation, however, by which they can hardly keep body and soul together. Their, are parts of Scotland where there is only a living for deer, but in many parts hardly industries crofters could live in decent comfort wer« they allowed to cultivate the soil. 11 Wolseley," said a gallant officer ; (who is not one out of the set) "won't recommend anything to be done just now. He will wait till the autumn, when 20,000 men will be wanted. Five thousand would do now, but an officer of Wolsely's rank could not take command of lend than twenty thousand. So if twenty thousand are nut wanted now we mjjst wait till they are." This remark ia» in its way an example of what is said about our " only General"outside the circle of his personal comrades in arms. But undoubtedly we are rapidly getting very near to full tale of 20,000 men. Five thousand five hundred was the number first fixed upon. But since then it has been added to >>y the hundred and the thousand, till the number at the piesent moment is not far short of 15,000. In addition to this Lord Wolseley takes u»der his command all the troops in regular garrison in Egypt, and thus the etiquette of the service is satisfied. — Home News. The following is the s> n -wYit vague paragraph from the New Zealand Times respect. ng tne alleged disagreement between Sir Julius Yogel and Mr Stout: — " VVe-sincerely trust th.i. there is no truth in the rumour thn the harmony of the Ministerial devecoi. — or, to use a better simile, the cage of the happy family - has beeu disturbed by the falling out of the two principal inmates. The country, with misgiving as to result, saw the Conservative lion lie down with the K.ichudi lai-u. ; b;i after the tirst anxious moments, fear to some extent died out. Si Julius Yogel had nothing to complain of; for Mr Stout was very meek, and was careful to give no ground to. complaint. Can it be possible that since the termination of the session the Premier has thought it necessary to assert himself a little, so as to let it he understood that the Premiership means something, though it does not in his case carry 'precedence"? If there has been a quarrel, it will be most interesting to watch its course. The situation is funny ; for, even if he wished it, Mr Stont, thon«h Premier, could not shake off Sir Julius, and the latter could not get rid of his .-liiei" (without precedence). Quarrel or no quarrel, they must manage to drag on together for a while longer. In these days the most vital principles should be abandoned with hearty good will .if the welfare of the con wiry demands the sacrifice." "Rough on bats." — Clears out rats mice, roaches, flies, ants, bed-hugs beetles, inseots, skunks, jack-rabbits gophers. Druggists. 'Kempthorne Prosser & Co., Agents, Chi -istchurch.