The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1863-12-02
AlligatOrs Boarded and Lodged.

Is called the Muggar Tank, lake oil
allgators, which lies in n small and beau
tifully situated grove Of trees, surrounded
by range of low hills about nine miles
from Kurrachee. After having breakfast
cd, we proceeded 10 the spot where these
hideous monsters are cougregated. They
are held sacred by the natives of the coun-
try, and are regularly fed by the contri-
buttons of devotees. The tank is more
like an overhown meadow than lake,
having deep channels intcrsecting each
other, and is literally alive with these
hinge mnggars," some lying basking on
the knobs and ridges, Others floating on
the surface of the deep water. They are
all sizes, from foot or two to twenty or
twenty-five feet in length, and bulky in
proportion. Having purchased kid,
and cut it up on the banks, there was a
universal opening Of their capacious jaws,
which they kept distended in expectation
of having piece Of flesh pitched into
them; they are to lazy and to well fed to
make any further demonstration. The
native keeper, who feeds them, then be-
gan calling them, when they came one by
one lozily along, waddling on to the shore,
each took what was given him. The ra-
pidity with which the poor kid vanished,
head and heels, was truly SURPRISING
They knew the keeper quite well, and if
any should take up what is not thrown
to him, tho keeper makes him drop it by
striking him ON the snout with his stick.
Their jaws are certainly dreadful claptraps,
and the crash they make wher brought
together is horrible, crushing the bones,
even the head Of their prey like so much
crust. 1t is possible, setting aside mo-
tiyes Of superstition, that the inhabitants
now find it necessary TO feed these vora-
cious monsters, for, were the "supplies to
be stopped" they would become danger
Gus neighbors. In fact, they do at some
times pick up and deyour stray child
left on the bank by accident or design
There are three hot springs, one Of which
supplies the tank, and is temperature of
about ninety-six degrees. The two 9TH
ers have temperature ofone hundred and
eighty degrees. The water issues fIom
the rock as pure as crystal, and in
great abundance. The females of that
country repair 10 these springs after their
confinement, to perform their ablutions,
and to present their sacrifices to the
muggars," ,"-Anglo- Indian Paper.
ANTIPoDAL.-In Australia it is sum
mer in January and winter in July. 1t
is noon there when it is midnight in Eu-
rope. The longest days are in December,
The heat comes from the North, the cold
from the South, and it is hottest on the
moutain tops. The swans are black, the
eagles are white; the bees do not sting,
the birds do not sing. The cherries have
no stones, the trees give no shadow, for
their leaves turn edgeways to the sun,
and some of its quadrupcds have beak
and lay eggs.
WALKING ON THE WATER.-A person
in London recently attempted to walk up
on the water, and succeeded. He bad
an airtight vessel on his back and ano:h-
er on his breast, both worn under his
clothes; he also had small paddles Of a
peculiar kind on his feet, which added his
progress. These arrangements enabled
him to walk on the water with case
The idea is worth experimenting upon.
STOVES made of soapstone have been
introduced at Quebec. They are said to
throw out melower and more uniform
heat than iron; the material OF which
they are made is very abundant in the
mineral region south of the ST. Lawrence.
A SPECIMEN of glass work, turned and
finished in a lathe, was lately shown at
the Great Exhibition, London.