The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1879-03-12

The use Of photography is very valuable to
the classical scholar. II gives him a chance OF
recovering the MSS. of Greek aud Roman
authors, whose works were supposed to have
persisted. There was, oil through the dark ages,
q cruel custom of taking classical MSS. and
usiEg the parchment up again, after rubbing of
the ink as far as possible with pumice stone.
The said volume was handed over TO serving
brother, who washed it. pumiced IT. and got rid
as wholly as he could OF the ungodly writing
which it was pions work to reuder illegible.
So it comes to pass that IN almost every mou-
astery there are some Of these palimpsests. {. G.,
rescraped parchments. on which bills aud ex-
peuses, or monastic and theological rubbish,
covering something for which scholars have per
haps long been vainly searching. Such pahmp.
sesis have hitherto been treated with acids of
various kinds to get rid of the new ink. and
then dipped in solution of tannin TO bring out.
| it possible the old writing. AL this washing,
however. too Often had the effect Of making the
whole hopeessly iilegible; whereas photography
does away with the need of it. In the sun pic
lure the efaced original comes out as often as
that which was written afterwards and, then, Of
course, it is no very difficult task TO read be-
tween the lines. But this application of photo
graphy is useful not to the scholar only, but to
the statesman, or merchant. or special corre-
1
tiers that nobody else can read. If you write
with solution of sulphate of quinine. the paper
| will look like blank sheet over which hy has
traced few very faint marks you may safely
send it even by way of the Russian head quart
ers, unless indeed there is a photographer there
who knows the secret. In that case he has only
10 take sun copy oil your seemingly blank
sheet, and what you wrote becomes as legible as
the old sympathetic ink Of our grandmothers
used to when held before the FIRE. Bankers,
too, may sometimes ind il convenient TO have
doubtful cheques photographed. However care
fully the original amount may have been washed
out, the sun will bring it out again to the con-
fusion of the forger. As for doctors, it may be
worth their while now and then to photograph
their patients when they suspect there Is any
eruptive disease not yet visible. Mr.. Ii. Voogel.
OF Berlin, cites the case of q lady who had al
ways Gas the phrase isl e" taken WE'LL She
" came out " one day all over little black spots.
The photographer blamed-his chemicals
must have been bad. or the plate could not have
been properly cleaned. Two days later, however,
il became clear that the lady bad smallpox ; IN
fact, she died Of it soou alter. Yellow. as every
one knows. comes out black IN the sun-picture,
so her face must have been covered with very
faint yellow spots before any eye could trace the
least marx upon the skin.-All the Year Round.
Ii PYTHoS's EMBRAcE-The Straits Times
says The head gardener in the Botanical Gar
dens had rather dangerous adventure on Friday
last with the python recently presented to the
gardens by the Msharajah of Johore. The crea
ture is sluggish in his habits and allows libertes
TO be taken with him. On Friday the gardener
entered the python's cage and was showing to
friend that he could do what he pleased with
him. when suddenly irritated by kick on the
head, the python cooled himself quickly round
the gardeners's body, and had welI-nigh sue
, ceeded in squeezing the lie out of him before
assistance arrived in the shape Of Private John
Adolphus of II. NJ. 18th Regiment, who very
puckily seized the snake, aud, by sheer streng tn
forced him TO let go his hold of the man.
The GEEAT GRANDFATHERs TAKE PossEssIoN.-
t Three hundred apes, four feet high great
brutes and savage wild beasts" have taksn
; possession Of Augurpara village eight mile:
t from Calcutta. and having elected the inhabit
ants have billeted themselves on the orchards
and gardens of the hamlet, whence they direct
various offensive strategic movements. night
attacks, and predatory raids upon the ueighbor
, hood. They attack children, and even tull-growr
t women without fear, selecting always the female
and the weaker sex as the special object of theil
/ violence The villagers dare not shoot one the
D police are not strong enough TO interfere, anC