The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-03-30
CURIOUS MATTERS.

CURIOUS MATTERS.
A SIEGULAR TREE.-Among the plants of
Guinea, one of the most curious is the cam
non ball tree. 1t grows to the height Of sixty
fee., and its flowers are remarkable for beau
ty and fragrance and contradictory qualities.
Its blossoms are OF delicious crimson, APP
pearng in large punches, and exhaling rich
perfume. The fruit resembles enormous can
non balls, hence the name. From the shell
domestic utensils are made. and the contents
c,Ltain several kinds of acids, besides sugar
and gum, and make an excellent drink iu
sickness.
DEATH AMONG CRows.-A gentleman who
has been riding through the country. below
Buchanan, says the Fincastle, Va, Herald,
informs us that he witnessed a most singular
pheaomeuon a few days ago. A large num-
Der of crows were copgregated in that Sec
ton, and were dying by hundreds. Their
dead carcasses were lying in fence corners.
under trees, ETC., and those that were alive
could be approached and killed with sticks.
They appeared to be blind and dying from
some unknown cause. The matter excites
considerable comment in the neighborLood.
THE HAWK AND THE WEAsEL.-Asa Mr.
Compton, of Southfeld, near Lea, Willis,
with his gun, his attention was engaged bv
a hawk lowering over what he imagined to
be mouse. After due deliberation he sud-
denly made dart at his Intended victim,
and which proved to be a weasel The old
adage, "ca,ch weasel asleep" held good
in this instance the weasel saw his danger
and instantly seized the hawk by the head
a severe struggle here ensued. bet at last
the hawk succeeded in disengaging himself,
and got away. Nothing daunted, however,
he returned to the conflict as game as at first.
The struggle then RECOMMENDED, and very
soon after the weasel was seen dragging the
dead hawk towards the hedge, when Mr.. c.
shot the weasel, aud found the hawk. as be-
fsre described. quite dead. and his head Bit
ten entirely through in several places.
AN AFFEcTIoNATE PIGEON A man set
to watch a Geld of peas which bad been
much preyed upon by pigeons. shot an old
cock pigeon. that had long been an inhabit-
ant of the farm. His mate, around whom
he had for many years cooed. and nourshej
from his own crop. and assisted in rearing
numerous young ones, Immediately settled
oD the ground by his side, and showed her
grief In the most expressive manner. The
laborer took up the dead bird and tied it to
q short stake, thinking it would frighten
tion, however, his partCer did not forsake
him. but continued. day after day. walking
bwly around the stick. The kind>hearted
wife of the bailiff Of the farm at last heard
Of the circumstance, and Immediately went
to afford what relief she could TO the poor
bird. On arriving At the spot she found the
hen bird much exhausted, and that she had
made a circular beaten track round the
dead pigeon, making now and then little
spring towards him. On the removal of the
dead bird the hen returned to the dove-cote.
A river IN THE OCEAN.-There is river
in tn. ocean. In the severest droughts it
never fails. and in the mightiost floods it
never overfows. Its banks and its bottom
are of cold water, while its current is warm.
The Gulf of Mexico is its fountain. and its
mouth is the Arctic Seas. II is the Gulf
Stream. There is in the world no other SO
majestic flow Of water. Its current is more
rapid than the Mississippi or the Amazon,
and its volume more than thousand times
greater. Its waters, as far as the Carolina
coasts, are of an indigo blue. They are so
distinctly marked that the line of junction
with the common sea>water may be traced
by the eye. Often one half of the vessel
may be perceived floating in the Gulf Stream
water, while the other half is in the common
water of the sea. SO sharp is the line and
and the want of affinity between these wa
ters; and such, too, the reluctance, SO to
speak, on the part of those of the Gulf Stream
to miugle with the waters of the sea. 10
addition to this there is another peculiar fact
The hsLermen on the coast of Norway are
supplied with wood from the tropics by the
Gulf Stream. Think of the Arctic isher>
men burning upon their hearhs the palms
Of ha m a nf
the precious woods OF the Amazon and Ori~
COCO.
A MAN WITH A HAIRY ToNGUE.-A re-
porter of the Cincinnati Eng uirer has dis
covered negro with a birsuts tongue, at
Covington, whom he thus describes On
opening his mouth be protruded long
tongue, on which hair over half an inch long
was growing thickly. The color was sandy
red, and, as the hair slsped back ward, it
gave him pain while speaking. At the root
of each hair the flesh was blue. He has no
hair on his face, though he says he is fully
forty years old. His wool is like that of any
other darkey-black and kiuky He is per-
feet in svery limb and feature. except his
tongue; and what is also remarkable, he has
gray eyes. On questioning him he gave the
FLOWING facts: He was born in Xena, O.,
of white woman. his father being black
On lho breaking out OF the war he entered
colored reg iment corporal. He was wound
ed at Petersburg and at the end of the war
returned to Ohio, from whence he came to
Covington about year ago. He has none
Of the idioms of the negro, and except a
thickness of speech. caused by the growth of
hair on his tongue, his pronunciation is per-
feet He is employed by Blick & Phillips
as a coal HEAVIER. and any one wishing to do
so can see him aud his tongue He has no
hesitation in making faces for those who call
on him. Very few persons in the city of
Covingto know OF this free show.
THE LAUGHING PLANT-In Palgrave's
Eastern and Central Arabia" we are told
some interesting facts concerning this siugu-
lar plant. The active principle appears to
reside principally in its seeds. These seeds,
when powdered and administered IN full ju-
dicinns nnan titles produce effects similar To