Evening Star Newspaper, May 14, 1898, Page 23

THE EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, MAY 14, 1898-24 PAGES. THE CANARY ISLANDS| A Group Which Forms One of Spain’s Naval Depots. ALSO THE VICTIMS OF MISRULE Description of the Loftiest Moun- tain in the World. LIFE AMONG THE GUANCHES Tantis € be first time in years the Af- ix have become important from int of view on account of the ration a the Canar and Cape Talay the > As they lie off the of tourist pleasure tw el. these nds are ve and. cut off as they are from asso with the continent, t ave had little in- ician or the his able historic s ever occurred on any of tants 4 tle disturbed ~ of nations or by the march and remain in practically tion now that they were islands the rand, ary. Palma, Lan- ventera, Gomera and Ferro. vare miles, a little at of the jon of © of Connecticut, 291.000, Politically for administration ovinee of Spain, have a in the cortes. and, therefore, ment. Their al bby a wn. There are tv ries have alWays de native populat whatever to say im local the to consider atural ange. tives. are also 0: h element in such a uld be hop nitions of any kind is little to quently sitions on pointment in nature of an of profit. the Islands. reason is h offi in Natives « T or native Can Island- ers rel race ker in color tha en th opulation in southern Moorish blood predoming cendants of Phoenic Moors negroes, all e owned or upied t and oe scovered by Europeans warlike, and more th I Portuguese expediti » their subjugation. wever, finally of the different {i ted to th iong time the Spain ¢ Spears the were a 1 Port n by the © present century definitely main- source y of note that the islands have to civilized nations by the or at least years, ntioned I tunate 1 e and fierc - in Roman bors. To hay nsidered an evidence on, for none but the rich rd te hav some of th cost ween $i ir. The famous Canary Cave ‘are of th familiar ery Ro- | ma © jonger known in the isl- and About 4 generation ago the gray Gestroyed the vineyards of the and the rural population of the turne ir attention to cochineal, which As so that snow lie: entire summer, is every variety ate. ond wit few miles one may from the tropical to the temperaic Mest of th howeve: lie valleys of t and small str and the ‘ater proportion of the prod tions of the ¢ aries are trepical in char- Teneritt ant island in the Canary neriffe, whose fam« in is known to navigators as one of the most vsing landmarks in the wor The | ir $2 feet above the sea, ak form of a sugar loaf. and is itself | perpendicu- which } bottom « neriffe > y hand. but mtain is in pr although ft s n that the in portion redible at the mountain tip one of the largest craters ereat crater of Teneriffe escent ever since the island scovered by ropeans early in the fifteenth century. but in scores of : the mo in side there are continually emit sul- and occasionally * out smal! quantities The Principal of lava. ort. The pr 4l port of the Island is Santa Cruz, which has a good harbor and is tol- erably suf very important point in a where hurricanes at the ms may be confidently ths ef the busine of transacted at Santa Cruz, civilized rule the Islands would able for their agricultural re- n the Canzrie: elsewhere, nisgovernment has done every- ssible to comp e degradath It is om nd the of trans- But for this stupidity r Santa Cruz, would a favorite resort for imate being well sulted, pf the village, to weak ish dullness ts invincible, Is of cupidit re_ popularly 1 to belong to Spain, and the delu- cherished by the fact that vet is now embling th gal, one fr the former Portuguese em d its colonies ali round the world. They He over 800 miles further to the south than the Ca- naries, and about 220 miles west of Cape Verde, taking their name from the most western African promontory, which, in turn, had its name from a forest of baobab | or more money than he makes. climatic conditions as the Saharan desert, and presents the curious anomaly of water rywhere, and hardly a drop to drink. Rain is very rare on the Verdes; for five years at a time not a drop has been known to fall, for neither the southern nor the northeastern monsoons bring relief, and > same torrid heat, unrelieved by mois- prevails all the year round. Several of the towns are dependent upon condensa- tion for their supply of water for drinking and domestic purposes, and, as may be supposed, agriculture in such a climate is aimost an impossibility. The capricious- ness of nature, however, is exhibited by the fact that in these barren isiands the baobab, one of the largest trees in the world, flourishes with a luxuriance known only in the most moist and hottest parts of Africa and Asia. This tree furnishes the “monkey bread,” and the negro population, ng their bread growing wild, have no ntive to labor, and work as little as possiple; in fact, no work at all is done by the men, and at St. Vincent and other ship- ; ints, all the labor is done by women. . semi-nude negresses perform all » labor of unloading and loading the coal ips and lighters. The islands are » only as coaling stations for tke steamers of the South Atuantic, and were it net for this use there would be no white ! population. There is nothing to attract strangers, there are no natural curiosities, there is no scenery deserving attention, there are no antiquities, and the squalor and poverty of the population are such as to disgust the visitors who come ashore from the South African steamer, whicn regularly calls for supplies of fuel. ‘The is- lands have never played any part in hi: tory. The only event of consequence which ever happened there since the discovery was the burning of an American ship early in this century. From every point of view, except as a supply depot for coal, the Cape Verde archipelago is absolutely ‘devoid of and is unanimously pronounced by ngers Who have visited it to be the most uninteresting, and, as one de- 5 the most God-forsaken set of is- lands on the planet.” e+ NICARAGUA, Has Grent Resources, but Are Not Developed. W. Eleroy Curtis in the Form. As an example of the evils of personal polities, Nicaragua stands pre-eminent. It has been the theater of war almost con- tinuously* ever since the country dis- covered. There is no country of equal area upon which so much human blood has been wasted, or so much wanton destruction committed, in the settlement of questions that involved only the ambition of men or the rivalry of cities. For half a century three towns contended for the seat of gov- ernment; and, although Managua is now the residence of the president, Granada and Leon have never recognized it as the capi- It They having blessed Nicaragua ul resources, peace d indi would make the country prosperous b compari: but much with try eyond attention has been paid to politics that there has been little time left for anything else. Scarcely ear has passed without a revolution, and the seventy-five years of its nee the republic has had five tim rs as it had in the three ng which it was under the minion of Spain. It 1s a land of vole disturbances, physical, moral and politi and the and the men between ved to keep up an almost on ON fisheries and pastoral gua has been bountifully but, if peace can ever be its future wealth will elopment of its agricul- The forests are of t value, ‘or timber alone, but for rubber, dru: yewoods. The mines produ: oper of the rarer m: mitive processe: as well as lac revent their blessed by nature nte = people are € e their income: at crop of nearly every estancia is mort- 2 to the comm t before and the plan compelled y price that is Jhim. He »ws money to pay his laborers and pro- vide them wit f et his own personal . or draws upon hi it at the nearest mercantile estab The peon is in debt to the p r to th pand the w York, London or Ham- so it goes on year after ye person involved in the tr: in advance of its receipt rs in the k market, and ¢; with mort- ntry to grow poorer each year, with no possible hope of redemption except by an influx of. fresh blood ana capital. ——_-+e-. Rapid-Fire Guns. Frem the Engineering News. “Rapid-fire’ or “quick-firing” guns are frequently referred to at this time, but few laymen really app: te the meaning f the term, as contrasted with the “slow- fire’ breech-loader. The distinction is not one of size, for the rapid-fire system has extended from one-pounder projectiles to four-inch, five-inch and six-inch guns, throwing 36, 70 and 100-pound shot or shell. The essential difference is in the method of lozding. Ins d of opening the breech and inserting the projectile” and the pow parately, the latter in a bunt- ing bag, ammunition for rapid-fire guns is now prepared as for small arms, the powder and firing primer .are united: the powder in a metallic case attached to the shot, and the primer in the center of the b. f this case. There are a num- ber of of rapid-fire guns, differing in the this fixed ammunition is fed to the gun and fired. The six-pounder ‘ 4-inch caliber) pid-fire guns of the Hotchkiss, Driggs-Schreeder, Maxim, Nor- denfeldt and Sponsel types, can discharge 100s! in four minutes twenty-six sec- onds, four minutes thirty-five and a half conds, four minutes forty-one seconds and foar minu-es fifty six and a half s onds, respectively, or twenty to twenty-five shots per minute with of aix yithout attempt at ace y of aim t can be inereased to thirty to thirty With five-inch rap- -pounders, thirty-six i in five minutes. The A From Our Animal Friend At dusk in the wilds of the gloomy Bra- zilian forest you will think it strange to hear the clink of a hammer on an anvil. You would imagine that you were ap- proaching some settlement and the picture of the ruddy glow of the forge would come up before your eyes. But if your guide were a native, he would telly that the sound was made by a campanero, as they call it, although to for- eigners it is known as the anvil bird. This bird is a litle larger than a thrush, Th> plumage is perfectly white; the eyes are a pale gray color and the naked throat end skin around the eyes are of a fine bright green, while its more northerly rela- tive is orange and black, very much like our oriole. it is generally in the early part of the day that the campanero sends forth the wonderful noté that can be heard at a dis- tan of three miles. Marvelous indeed mrust be the mechanism of the vocal organs of so small a bird to produc# so far-rzach- ing 4 note; but there is no doubt of the fact, for many travelers have heard the strange sound uttered by the bird when perched on the topmost branch of some wither:d tree. a Pearls of Great Price. ew York Herald. Five hundred and fifty thousand dollars Was the price paid for the great Tavernier pearl. It was originally owned at Catifa, in Arabia, and M. Tavernier made the trip from Paris to the desert city of Arabla for the express purpose of purchasing the pearl about which so much had been said and written. He went prepared to pay any price, from $5,000 to $500,000, It was thought that he might succeed in closing the bargain for about $125,000, but this From the trees that gave color to the headland. The Principal Cape Verde Islands are Sal, Boa- vista, S Bravo, Grande, I together hay- ing an area of 1.650 square miles, a little larger than Rhode Island, with a popula- ton of 110.000, of whom nineteen in twen- ty are negroes. Cape Verde Islands. ‘The Cape Verde archipelago is so close to ~ Africa that it is practically under the same proved to be a great mistake. The sui first offered was $50,000, but the deal re- mained open for some days even after that offer had been increased to $375,000. Fin- ally the bargain was closed for $550,000, Pearl connoisseurs declare that it is not only the largest, but also the most perfect gem of its Kind known, being exactly two inches in length, oval and of spotless luster, Among the crown jewels of England there is a pearl over an inch long, and egg shaped, which cost the government not less than $500,000. THE BRITISH IN AFRICA About Everything That is Worth Having Belongs to Them. Other Nations Are Finding Their Pos- sessions Anything but Profitable, W. T. Stead in the Independent. Less than forty years ago it was a com- mcnly received doctrme among Britisa statesmen that Africa was worthless. A select committee of the house of commons in the early sixties reported that the sec- tlements on the west coast of Africa zost more than they were worth, and recom- mended the gradual abandonment of the country. Even in the seventies there were eminent men who argued earnestly in favor of the abandoyment of the whole of Souch Africa, with the cxception of a coaling station at the Cape of Good Hope. But a change came o'er the spirit of the British dream when, in the early eighties, they saw all the nations of Europe prepare to take part in a passionate scramble for the dark continent. That which they despised and wisned to throw away in the sixues, became in the ninevies the coveted objects ot imperial ambiticn. Now, when the cen- tury 1s closing, the pick of the continent is colered British red. British Africa can be variously described —Seogiaph.caiiy, politically, ecnno ogicaly and religiously. But the simplest detini- tien is thts, all Africa that is comfortably habitable by white men is under the Brit- ish fleg or under British protection. And agaia, everything in Africa that pays div- idends lies within the sphere pegged out for Jchn Bull by his adventurous sons. Wherever in Africa you find land in which white-skinned children can be bred and reared, you will find it ties within the Brit- ish zore. And wherever there isin Africa any paying property, that also will be found to be within the same sphere of in- fluence. All of Africa that is habitable and all of Africa that pays its way, that is British Africa. The other nations have serambled for John Bull's leavings. France, for instance, has annexed the Sahara. In her West African colony of Senegal every fifth Euro- pean is a French official. Germany has annexed ).000 square miles of desert m the southwest and 400,000 of semi-tropical land in the east: but they have more ofti- a more subsidies th has quite an empire dividends. of malarial marshes on both coasts. gium hes the Congo Free States, a ma nificent empire in the heart of tropica Africa which needs £80,000 a ycar subsid from Belgium to keep it from bankrupt and which, notwithstanding the sub: hes run up a debt of over £8,000,000, Italy the last to join in the scramble, has nearly come to grief over her African adventure. Africa stands solely on the debit side of the account of every European nation but one, and even in entries the case of Britain th to the bad are neither few nor Africa may be described in on- other way. Wherever you tind a good har- bor in Africa or a navigable river er a great inland lake there you may be sure the British flay is not far off. The Congo is the only great African river which does not enter the sea under British protection. The Congo was opened up, boomed and made accessible by Mr. Stanley, a British explore and its waters a free to th flags of all nation British. The only werth as if they were southern A ind John Bull to this day ruefully the fact that he only lost that by Mlowing it to be sent to arbitration befo! ribunal which took more account y Itttle deeds of a remote past than th pssities of the living present. ‘The harbor on the southy fort of German southw fisch bay guerd un in the heart of Africa. which lie in a long string n the Zambesi to the le, there is net i whose shores there is not a British sion. Even the smaller lakes, such wike Tchad, n to attract the sea rovers ef t nd. The Care of Goldfish. From Harper's Bazar. The re so few people have success with goldfish is that they do not pay proper attention to them, or strive to learn their peculiarities. A little intelligent care H goa lorg vay toward making the gold- lish feel at home, and it is with this idea in view that the following suggestions are ap- pended: Keep them in water. The method adopt- ed by some persons of keeping goldtish in bird cages does not produce good results. The water should be cle: Wash it thor- son oughly with soap and ubbing brush S 1f this process dees not re- the dirt from the water throw it and get some fresh water, Do not comb the hair of the goldfish more than once a day. Oftener than that annoys Do not take goldfish out of their globe when you go bicycling and expect them to follow you like a dog. A run of even ten or cleven miles may produce fatal fatigue in the very strongest goldfish. Do net nurse goldfish too often. When fondling them on your lap be very careful not to stroke their scales the wrong way. Be very careful of the food you supply to goldtish. Their breakfast should consist of nothing stronger than a little toast and butter, with boiled egg and a cup of coffer er cocoa, For dinner you may give them game or poultry, but be careful not to feed the poultry to them with their feathers on. A_goldfish might choke to death in the effort to swallow a chicken or a duck which had not been denuded of its feathers. In like manner, the eggs should be shelled before feeding ihem to the goldfish. These are important pcints, for goldfish are very sensitive about their food. For supper a few lamb chops or a link or two of sausage will be found sufticieit, with muffins or some other form of bread. There is no use im overfeeding goldfish, as they do not thrive if their stomachs are overworked. The goldfish’s amusements ought to be carefully looked after. It is not advisable for them to play exciting games, such as golf, but the milder croquet may be in- dulged in to a moderate extent. They should never be taken to the theater or opera, but there is no objection to their attending a fish ball occasionally. --e<—___ Building Material in Crete. Frem the American Journal of Archaeology. The search for building material among the ruins of ancient cities is a custom which in Crete has assumed incredible pro- pertions. It may almost be said that stene quarries are an unknown thing on the*is!- and, and that all the village builders, ex- cept in a few places which are too far off ficm ancient settlements, work with soc- ond-hand material. One of the principal centers of the trade in the materials from ruins is the territory of Gortyna. At this point the ancient structures, which are thickly scattered over a vast area, are built with an excellent limestone, which is both strong and easy to work. The peasants usually have nothing to do but to excavate a half meter below the present level to find walls, which extend to a further depth of two or three meters, and which, when freed-and taken to pieces, give, with but fittle work, a profit many times greater than that of several years’ cultivation of the land itself. The stones are sold to those who are building houses in the villages near the ancient city, and also exporved to the other villages of the Massara Plain and to the neighboring pro- vinces. The Turkish government, so zeal- ous in preventing the work of explorers who come to carry on scientific work or ex- cavuations, pays_no attention whatever to the work of destruction wliich is daily go- ing on under its eyes. In fact, when it has public constructions to erect, it goes so far to procure its material by the very same system, thus often tearing down important monuments, which disappear without leay- ing a trace of their former existence. ——_+eo—___—. Railroed President—“What does this rrean, sir? You ‘have one of the suburban trains leaving a station at 8 o'clock.” Pa ria ““I—I thought that was ight.” President—"Right? Who cver ‘heard of such a thing, sir? You must be crazy. The idea of any suburban train any- where leaving a station exactly on the — Make it 7:59 or 8:01."—New York sy RANDOM VERSE, Columbia ts Cuba, Written for The Evening Sta¥ by 4ada Mixon, Pair isle ef the tropic sens, We have heard thyfaliting ery Borne on the sighing tr: “Freedom! or let me de! For thy star of patiant lwpe, Lone star of unity,’ ae ' Shine fifty stars frogr sloBe to slope Wer thes and ime 5 Pride of the western; isles! In freedom's nameiare eome, Thy dead betrayed by Spiinish wiles Watch o'er their isfand home, And with them o'er Havana bay ‘There glides a ghostly train Thet ever chants this somber lay: “Comrades, avenge the Maine!” Pearl of the summer sea, ‘Thy triumph is at band; No more on suppliant knee To a tyrant fatherland. We will make this western world The home of liberty; For this our banner is unfarled, God and humanity. Z —————_ Wer. From the Cincinnati Commerciai-Tribune. What worse you ask than ruthless war— Sunk ships, stormed cities, states down-hurled— The thundrous hammer strokes of Thor ‘That crash the rock ribs of the world? What worsq than horrid war? ‘Oh, cease The ce wa ry: is not the curse Of vile and“ignominious peace Bought with the price of honor, worse? What worse than war? A sullied fameg The scof of heroes and the scern Of history and vong: the shame— ‘The taint—corrupting sons unborn, Better is war than sordid gain Wrung from the servile; better far Than manhood and virtue slain, Is war, war, everlasting war! Alas! I, too, lament the woe ‘That war must bring—the blood, the tears Yet Right, to vanquish Wrong, 1 know Mrst off beat praning hooks to spears. When fallen Liberty's sweet breast ‘Throbs bare below the Spaniard’s knife, Panse not to drool of worst or best— First save the bleeding victim's life. es sublime Columbia's hand It in war—one stroke to save eign sway our native land, ‘One stroke to free the negro slave. Now, once again the great sword awes ‘The despot—fiames o'er land and sea— A volunteer in Cuba's canse: Spain falls and Cuba rises free! a et Spain. Strike for the Anglo-Saxon! Strike for the newer day © strike for heart and strike And sweep the beast away. for brain, Not only for our sailors, the her But strike for all the victims Of moloch-minded Spain, Not only for the present, But all the bloody past, © strike for all the martyrs e their hour at last. 1 of the darkness, Come rnin it with light! It is no fight of small revenge; ‘Tis an immortal fight. Syain is an ancient dragon, That all too long hath curled Its coils of blocd and darkness About the new-born world, Think of the inquisition! hink of the . think of all This is To ma jain. RICHARD Lig GALLIENNE. 82 ip 9 —— She Doeth What! She Can, From the Cleveland Plain Deale She xits alone he street. igh, the sill with a will ts motion noyer slacks nm she cheweth to pay the tax. proud adi But ber taouth in O'er the gi There fre wi ¥ n who go to the battle front; pmen in hospi tls becrie the brunt; Women who s oss sign; Women whose ‘mission sedjas haif divine. bel sits at the wihdow high; gy where the hullets #, Bat steadily ciward through packs and packs | She cheweth the to pay the tax. ————+ e+ Old Ironsides. Ay, tear her tattered ensign down! Long has it waved on high, And many an eye has danced to see That banter in the si Beneath it rung the batile-shout, * canNoD's roRr; ‘The meteor of the ocean air Shall sweep the clouds no more! with vanquish) hur whil No mor feel the Or ki he conque ‘The harpies of the shor The eagle of the sea! O, better that her shatiered hulk ould sink beneath the wave! thunders shook the mighty deep, nd there should be her grave: > Nall to the mas! her holy flag, a Set every, threadbare sail; And give her to the god of storms, ©) The lightning and the gale —OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES. + e+ Spain. From the New Yous Tribune. A searred old snarling lion, wit aes if h scraggy, tattered His claws and teeth all broken, les the ancient realm of Spain With the thicst for with hungry maw, He rends_ poo eding Cuba, ‘prostrate there e- neath his paw, He's x fierce and famed man-eater, days of yore, shall’ pluck lood still on him, and still and from early Has 1 any an islind, wasted many a teem- ing shore, And the victims number milifons whom his strength has overpowered Whom with ray. uing, bloody. slaughter he has Tangled and dey red; But bis roar grows faint und hollow, and a Lunter frem the West Will snatch away fair Cuba, with her torn id bleeding breast, And serd him howling, limping, reviled of gods and men, Beck to growl midst bones and darkness, in his mediaeval den, H. E. W., jr., in Philadelphia Times. The first great fight of the w: fought, pe ARd Who fs the vic esses is there aught of the lesson now left unteught By the fight of Manila bay? Le Two by two were the Spanish shij Formed tn ‘their battle lines Their flaze at the taffrail, And bat'ries ready upon the Silently biding their time. Into their presence sailed our fleet, ‘The harbor was fully ‘mined; With shotted guns and open’ ports Up to their ships—aye—up to their forts) For Dewey is danger blind” 5 Signaled the flagship “Open fire,’ And the guns beiched fertk their death. ikl, Closer Fange,”” was the-order shownt en €ach ship to Y ow And'to liek her sery breathe ne" O*P Served were our squadron's With gunners stripped to the watet: And the blinding, swirling): sulph'rons smoke Enveloped the shipr as eaeh In its farlous, fearful hasté! ~ ED Sunk and destroyed were th ‘ish ships; Hulled by onr heavy shot, Pause ships For the Yankee spirit is just the same. peak and fore, shore, heavy ‘gran And the Yankee grit and alm; And thelr courage which talftineeee. The first great fight of the wak is fought ere aught of the lesson now. left untaught By the fight of Manila bay?” Bee a —_- In the Department Store. From Tit-Bits. deg oF “Where are the linens asked. ~ socerastnits, meh ‘he ae e sweetly smiled and her ti And quickly hastened by: Sgt ‘Once down, she ventured to inqnire, ‘The linens, are they here?’ “Just three rooms over to the ri Aod straight back in the rear. S At Jast she reached the point proposed. p The lincos?"—like es The wer cane across the “They're six rooms over—Casht? Again she jostled throu; rowd, And faintly asked trae Wi A ta” She reached the 2 ne re “it9R; Quite oGt of breath, “In the annex buil a floors up, . And then walk fot ahead” ascent, WHERE THE DAY BEGINS! Proof That There Is Such a Place in the World. Carico: Condition of Affairs the Line—Circamnavy! the Along in, Globe, From the St. James Gazette. Secing that as one moves westward the time gets earlier and earlier, so that when it is Monday noon in London it is some time on Monday rorning in America, it follows that, if this principle were continued with- out limit all the way round the world, at the same moment that it was Monday nvon in London it would be also twenty-four hours later—i.e., Tuesday noon in London. As this is a reductio ad absurdum, we have to look for the limit, which dees, in fact, exist, io the principle that one moves westward the time gets earlicr, and as one moves eastward gets later. Before the cireumnavigation of the globe there was no difficulty. When on a Mon- day the sun stood over London, it was Monday neon in London. As the sun moved (to use the popular phrase) west- ward, and stood a little later over Dublin, it became Monday noon*in Dublin, and so cn until he reached the western limit of the known world. When the sun passed over thet limit that was the end of noon for that Monday, and nobody knew what the sun was doing until he reappeared on the eastern limit of the known world, bringing with him Tuesday morning. It is evident, therefore, that while the sun was in the unknown abyss between west and east, he dropped the attribute of making the time at all places directly under his Monday roon and took to himself attribute of making it Tuesday noon. As the confines of the world were pushed further eastward and westward, respect- ively, the unknown abyss wh this change of attribute had to be made got Narrower and narrower, until, when the globe wes circumnavigated, the place of chenge became simply a line, This line exists and is the place where the days begin. spot As the sun crosses this remarkable the time jumps twenty-four hours cnward—from noon on one day to noon the next day. The situation of the line has been located quite fortuitously—namely, by the circumstance whether any given place was first reached by civilized man journeying from the east or from the west. The discoverer brovght with him the al- manac from whence he came, and if he came from the west the time In the new country would be later, and if he came from the cast it would be earlier than the time in the country that he came from. America was reached by civilized man voyaging tward, and China by man traveling eastward, and the result is that the line which marks where the days begin lies between these two, in the Pacific ocean, and instead of being a straight line, zig-zags about, dividing islands which hap- pened to be discovered from the east from those which happened to be discovered from the west. There must still be many islands in that. ocean where it is not yet decided to which side of the line they be- long, and where if one were put down one would not know whether it were today, tomorrow. or yester There must also be many islands there which, never having been permanently occupied by civilized people, change thelr day from time to time. so that a ship calling there coming from China might arrive on Tuesday, while an- other ship culling at the same time from America would arrive on Monday. There must also be people living so near this line that by going a few miles they can leave today and get into tomorrow, or by going back cun find yesterday. How ¢onvenient for troublesome appointmen: Mu other curious considerations occur to onc, but I have said enough, I think, to show—what every one does not, perhaps, realize—that there is a place in the world where the days begin. Ae DEEP SEA L of the Water Necessary Fishes at Any Depth, From the Chicago Tires-Heraid. Results of deep sea dredgings are differ- ent in different oceans. A series of experi- ments made in the Aegean sea, which is a part of the Mediterranean, seems to estab- lish the fact that there was an abundance of life in the shallow water, which dimin- ished till it found a limit at 300 fathoms, below which no life seemed te exist. It was afterward shown, when repairing a cable on the coast of Africa, that animals were attached to the cable that had been lying at a depth of 1,200 fathoms. This, however, was exceptional for the Mediterranean. Both the English and American govern- ments have made extensive researsh in the bottoms of different oceans, with very in- teresting results to science. ‘It is proved by these dredgings that there is abundant life in the Atlantic ocean as deep down as fathoms, or nearly three miles. One result of these soundings was to establish the fact that there were currents reaching to great depths moving in opposite directions, with fifteen degrees difference of temperature within a short distance. The Mediterranean seems to be an ex- ception to the general rule in the matter of deep sea life. The reason is found in the fact that there is a slimy sediment in the deeper portions of this sea that interferes with animal respiration, the same as an ex- tremely thick dust would in the air. Life is supported in the water the same as on land—by breathing oxygen. In the one case it is absorbed from the air and in the other from the water. Pure water to the sea animal what pure air is to the land animal. The sea animal could not live in muddy water continuously any more than we could exist continuously in an atmosphere filled with dust. It is thus seen that depth is not the only condition that affects animal life on the bed of the sea. The nature of the soil and deposits are factors, as well as the temperature of the water. However, there are certain forms of life to be found in the lowest temperatures. But, as is the case on land, we do not find the same kind of | life in the colder and deeper zones of the ocean as in the warmer and more shallow parts, In the cold waters the animals are dwarf- ed in size, somewhat as we find them in high mountain regions. It is said that the starfish will grow as large as a pudding plate where the conditions are favorable, but not larger than a silver dollar in the cold current of the Atlantic, which flows southward. In some places this cold cur- rent falls 2 to 214 degrees below the freez- ing point of fresh water, at the bottom of the ocean. ———+e+____ The Palnce at Madrid. From the International Magazine. The royal palace at Ma@rid is one of the most beautiful structures in the world, be- ing built by an Italian architect in the early part of the last century, at a cost of $5,- 000,000, and was intended to be a rival to the French palace at Versailles. The ma- terial is white marble, and it is 470 fect each way, with a court 240 feet square, roofed with glass. Few places are more tiresome to visit than palaces, with their long rows of gorgeously decorated cham- bers, gilt furniture and everlasting mirrors, but the Casa Real at Madrid is very in- teresting, and contains a remarkable li-} brary of 100,000 volumes, including priceless Fapers, pictures, bronzes and marbles. ‘The stairway is a noble structure of black and white marble, and is guarded by four Statues of Roman emperors who were na- tives of Spain — Trajan, Adrian, Honorius and Theodosius. On the first floor sure thirty large saloons, the chapel and the library; on the second floor the royal family and the members of the court reside. The palace is said to contain over seven hun- dred French clocks which were collected by Ferdinand VII, no two of them being alike. ———~+. ‘The Trans-Siberian Railway. From the Forum. Interminable distances of monotonous Parity for or arctic winter snow. But soon the com- fortable travel of the sleeping cars, wita leisurely waits at meal stations, and, iater, the easy-going advance of the river ves- sels, with full personal security and polite attendance, may safely be reckoned upon, thus accentuating the extraordinary triumphs over obstructive physical aifficul- ties which may be accomplished by per- sistent and intelligently directed human cifort. According to an official Russian repert, some of the goods bound from China or Siberia to Russia proper were formerly a year on the road. ‘The_fur- clad, snow-bourd journey across* the steppes, with its frightful monotoay, re- lieved only by occasional stops for tea and for change of horses at the posting houses, is a familiar picture in literature. It is ther striking contrast that perhaps in the coming summer tie new rail-and- river route may be open ‘9 any rolmst traveler who, equipped with nome passport and with a special permit from the St. Petersburg authorities, is prepared to meet rough wagon trevel over a fex hundred miles of uncompleted railway between Lake Baikal and the Shilka river. What- ever he may encounter, this much is cer- tain, that if he is an American and prop- erly vouched for he will find extreme and unfailing sympathy and civility from all the Russians—officials and others—as those of his countrymen who have met these gentlemen will gladly testify ———___--+e-+-____ DOOLEY ON THE WAR. to Make About George. ‘rem the Chiczgo Journal. Well,” said Mr. Hennessy in tones cf chastened joy, “Dewey didn't do a thing to thim. I hope th’ poor la’ad isn't cooped up there in Minnestpoli “Niver fear,” said Mr. Dooiey, calmly. ‘Cousin George is all r-right.”” ‘Cousin George?” Mr. Hennessy exclaim- Sure,” said Mr. Dooley. “Dewey or Dooley, ‘tis all th’ same. We dhrop a letter here an’ there, except th’ haitches—we niver dhrop thim—but we're th’ same breed if fightin’ men. Georgy has th’ thraits iv th’ fam'ly. Me Uncle Mike, that was a handy man—was tculd wanst he'd be sint to hell f'r his manny sins, an’ he deserved it, fr Vavin’ out th’ wan sin iv runnin’ awey frm annywan, he was booked fr iverything fr'm murdher to missin’ mass. “Well,” he says, ‘anny place I can get into,’ he says, ‘I can get out iv,’ he says. ‘Ye bet_on that,’ he says. “So it is with Cousin George. He knew th’ way in, an’ it's th’ same way out. He didn’t go in be th’ fam'ly inthrance, snea in’ along with th’ can undher his coi He left Ding Dong, or whativer ‘tis ye call it, an’ says he, “Thank Gawd,’ he says, ‘I'm where McKinley can't give me his ideas iv how to r-run a quiltin’ party an’ call it war,’ he says. An’ so he sint a man down in a divin’ shute an’ cut th’ cables, so’s Mack cuddent chat with him. Thin he prances up to th’ Spanish forts an’ hands thim a few oranges. To: thim cut like a man throwin’ hand fr a circus. ‘Take that,’ he says, raymimber th’ Maine,’ he says. An goes into th’ harbor, where Admiral What- th’~ell is, an’, says he, ‘Surinder,’ he says. g ‘ays th’ Dago. ‘Well,’ says Cousin li just have to push ye ar-round,’ An’ he tosses a slugs at th’ rds. Th’ Spanish he says. Spany: al shoots at 7 ‘This mornin’ we 5 ‘An’,’ he says, fought i inimy with great courage,” says. ‘Our victhry is com-plete,’ he sa ‘We have lost ivrything we had,’ he sa’ “Th’ threacherous foe,’ he says, ‘afther « 2 sought refuge behind a mud ays, ‘but nawthin’ daunted us. What boats we cudden’t r-run ashore surrindered, he says. ‘I ci no mere,’ he “as me c afire,’ he says, ‘an’ I am bravely bt ly leapin’ fr’m wan vessel to another, fol- w “ies attackted lowed be me valiant crew with a fire en- eine, ‘If I can save me ys, ‘they'll be no kick ec: ‘Long live Spain, long live n coat ir, in twinty-cizht minyits be th’ clock Dewey he had all th’ Spanish boats sunk an’ that there harbor lookin’ like nish stew. Thin he r-run down th’ bay handed a few war. wans into th’ town. He it on fire an’ thin wint ashore to war-rm his poor hands an’ feet. It chills th’ blood not to have anything to do f'r an ho=r or “Thin why don't he write something?” Mr. Henne: demanded. Write?” e Dooley. “Write? Why shud he D'ye think Cousin George ain't got nawthin’ to do but to set down with a fountain pen an’ write: ‘Dear Mack: At 8 o'clock I begun a peace- ful blockade iv this town. Ye can see th’ pieces iverywhere. I hope ye'er injyin’ th’ Same gr-reat blessin’. So no more at pris- int. Frm ye'ers thruly. George Dooley He ain't that kind. ‘Tis a nice day, an’ he’s there, smokin’ a good tin-cint see-gar an’ throwin’ dice fr th’ dhrinks. He don’t care whether we know what he’s done or not. I'll bet ye whin we come to find out about him we'll hear he's ilicted himself King iv th’ F'lip-ine islands. Dooley th’ Wanst. He'll be settin’ up there undher a pa’m three with naygurs fannin’ him an’ a dhrop iv licker in th’ hollow iv his ar’rm, an’ hootchy-kootchy girls dancin’ befure him, an’ ivery tin or twinty min- some wan bringin’ a_ prisoner this?’ says King Dooley. ‘A Span: says th’ copper. ‘Give him a typewriter an’ set him to wurruk,’ says th’ king. ‘On with th’ dance,’ he Says. An’ afther awhile, whin he gits tired iv game, he'll write home. an’ say he’s got th’ islands, an’ he'll tur-rn thim over to th’ govermint an’ go back to his ship, an’ Hanna’ll organize th’ Islands J n’ Cider Comp’ rivolutchinists’ll wish they hadn't. what'll happen. Mark me wurrud. That's Traits of Abyssinian Troops. From the Londen Globe. The Abyssinian soldier's ordinary dress is not very attractive. It consists of a white linen shirt down to his knees and a pair of tight linen trousers to half y dewn his calf. Over this he wears a belt of folded linen, and, as a rule, a “sham- ma,” or white cotton sheet, draped around him. None of these garments are ever washed, so that they rapidly assume a dingy brown hue; and as no native ever washes himself, and his only toilet consis in rubbing butter into his hair onee a fort- ht, the aroma from a large body of men is not precisely pleasing. No shoes, stock- irgs or head covering are worn. Tie offi- cers and 1 who can afford it wear a shamma with a broad red stripe, called a “jano,” and on high days and festive oc- casions all varietics of clothes are produc- ed, of all colors in the rainbow. Cloaks of blue, red, green, yellow or violet, orna- mented with rough embroidery, leopard skins, sheep skins and even lion skins, are worn on such days by the officers’ and small chiefs, and on these occasions the army presents a noble show. Any man who has killed a lion or an ele- phant, or hzs distinguished himself much in battle, wears an aureole of lion's mane on his head, and for each five men ke has killed he wears a silver band on his sword scabbard. The highest recompense for valor is a sort of velvet top hat ornament- ed with silver, and great officers are given shields covered with velvet and ornament- ed with gold or silver. The swords are worn on the right-hand side, and are very much curved, almost sickle-shaped, and sharpened on both edges. These are used for everything, from killing people down to cutting off mouthfuls of ‘beefsteak. The rifles of every sort of single-loader (except Martini-Henrys) and a great many repeat- ing rifles were taken from the Italians at the bactle of Adua in 1896; but, as far as we could find out, their musketry would be improved considerably by a bit of regular target practice. : As for the men themselves, they are tough and sturdy, but not big; their skin is of the color of mud, and their features and hair are distinctly negro-like, though they have straight noses, as a rule. ——_-e-+____ Buckle on Spain. From the Boston Journel. pid mass, the only representative new re- maining of the feelings and the knowledge of the middle ages. And, what is the worst sympton of all, she is satisfied with her MILITARY COURAGE. sai ee How Armies of Different Races Be< have Under Fire. ANGLOSATONS EXCEL ALL OTHERE The Effect of Discipline on Large Bodies of Men. —__. VETERANS AND NOVICES —_.—__ From the London Spectator. It is by no means easy to decide which of the races of mankind is the bravest upon the battlefield. We are rather inclined ta assign that place to the Osmanli, who, be< sides his natural stotidity and exemption from nerves, has the pride of a race of hereditary conquerors, exalted by an hon« est belief either that God is on his side of that fate ts trresistible. If he is to die ha will die, if not, not; and he charges through the hail of shot with an imperturbable se- renity which makes him the delight of dis- ciplinarians and the despair of decent men. It is, however, most difficult even to insti- tute a comparison as to national courage, so much depends upon circumstances, upon diseipline and, with some races, upon lead- Very few troops fight well when hungry. Frenchmen are distinct- . by their own confession, when a Napoleon, and Germans differ violently from themselves according to the perfection of their discipline. Slavs will face any danger which approaches if ership. the they are orde it, but to induce them to sho urage, the courage armies, they must have confid e in their gene and see him at their head. Italians have hard- ly beea tried of late years, though they died in their tracks at Dogali; and Span- jards, once esteemed the bravest Infantry ave in more recent years ap- st some confidence either ‘sor themselves. Even the evidence is imperfect. Satisfied as to Themselves. We English believe in our hearts that we make the best soldiers in the world; but, as a matter of fact, there is no evidence for the assertion; indeed, there is a little evi- dence the other w There is plenty of proof running through all history that the class of Englishmen who take to the army have no superiors in battle, if, indeed, they have any equals; but the English people have never yet been tried. They have nev- er been subjected to a conscription or an thing approaching to one, and the volun- tary adoption of a sol s life naturally acts as a winnowing pro: Taking our self-chosen sold it is fair to say t less moved by numbers than the man race; that he is less aiarm lucky position, probably. t not p ve ii; and that his courage singuiarly independent of leadersh gererals. He likes to see his of front, but the universal testimony enemies, as well as his friends, to his ca- pacity for fighting when bi i, to “making,” in fact, a soldi ue of it,” seems proof positive on that t. The me quality must be in Americans, or they muld t have exhil h courage fier the under Mc- dreadful nd milita se to Ru vn before Pley without gaining probable that Englist men, ‘renchmen and Ru me fi Ameri csians best that after them’ come the Turks, individually the bravest of them all, and that the remaining atin races must be content to come next, though Spaniards when defending a city or build- in all ages been almost incomes tion of the nparative propor= lly brave men in any army will probably ni} be determined. Great offi- cers on the continent keep their knowledge on that subject rigorously as a professional secret, and assume as a certainty that all soldiers are brave. They know very well, however, that they are not, and when con- fidential will admit, as Marst once did in publie,that with, it takes discipline, to induce them to American officers hi knowledge that of their men, who are as brave as any in the world, 20 per cent would run away if they could, and in every army, even . Which a man enters only of free will, a certain proportion who literally cannot overcome their fears. They are stricken with a sort of paralysis. The proportion is probably not high in any army, the majority, if in health able to do their du ving in’ r tives to do it; but neither is the propor} high of those who literally feel no fear. There are such men, who do not quite un- derstand what the ion is, as there are also some who extreme danger a se of pleasure, which times not quickens their blood, but distinctly in- s their intellectual force. When Bullets Fly. This is said to have been true of General Picton, who, though a hard, rough man, was an “angel when bullets were abou and was undoubtedly true of the first Lord Gough, who had a trick, highly disagree ble to his staff, of seeking points of full ex- posure to the enemy's fire. The immense respect paid to such men in all armies shows, however, that they are exceptional, and, on the whole, we believe that the opin- ion of the first Sir Henry Havelock is very nearly the truth. The writer once had an opportunity during a discussion on the utility of the Victoria Cross of cross-ques- tioning that famous general on the subject, and never forgot his reply. “In my experi- ence,” he said, “in any British regiment there are always a hundred men who would storm the gates of hell, eight hundred wha if they did it would foliow in, one hundred who want to skulk in the ditches, and about thirty who actually do skulk there or elsewhere.” The averages should be high- er in a conscript army, but then, also, the discipline is more severe. Why discipline should impart courage is something of a mystery, but there is no shadow of doubt that it ‘does, and that a weil-disciplined regiment is not only more obedient, but ac- tually more indifferent to danger, probably because the continuous habit of self-sup- pression has positively diminished selfish- ness. at number nd sevefe discipline,too, ar a unshrinkingly. known to ac- Veterans d Novices, The popular notion that seasoned troops are much braver than novices seems, how- ever, to be unfounded. They are more afraid of giving way, knowing better what a hell upon earth commences if men begin running; but ‘Waterloo was won, in con- siderable measure, by young soldiers, and Speicheren was carried by regiments in which no private had ever seen a shot fired in anger. They were drilled youngsters, not old soldiers, who tramped up that dreadful hill, marching to death as if they were executing an accustomed movement on parade. Indeed, there are cynics who say that the youngsters do best, and that the old soldiers know what is before them a little too well; a gibe which is disproved by the almost invariably splendid conduct of the non-commissioned officers. Educa- tion, it may be suspected, makes little dif- ference in courage, for, though officers die an Italian, for painting one of his