Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-12

decided preference W HOoAAoSSN
over lean ones, and are more sollcltous as
To the number of pounds which their
wives weigh than about the stock oil ac-
cOmplishments which they possess. Inc
fattening nrocess begins when the glrl Is
about - wears old. Stiff maize por-
ridge. kneaded up with grease, is daily
fed to her in the form of boluses. Ill she
declines TO take them they are cranmed
down her throat.
THE Romans under the Republic were
prohibitionists after a fashion. Men oil
honorable family were forbidden by law
to drink wine before the age of 30, or TO
drink to excess: while for women OF any
condition. free or slave. to touch wine eX-
cent on some solemn occasion, as sacrl-
fee, was an Offense visited by severe PEN
alties. Hence originated the custom Oh
girls kissing their parents on their lips as
a means of discovery whether they hau
been sampling the contents of the family
amphora. But the law, as affecting Wo-
men, was in time so tar mOdlhed that they
were permitted to drink Wine maze from
boiled must or raISlnS.
AN ingenious continuance for determl-
ming the precise locality OF a fire has been
devised by a member of French hre
brigade. A telescope is mounted at the
top of the station so as to command Il
view of the surrounding district. AS soon
as an alarm of fire is raised the Captain
points the instrument in the direction OF
the flames. When once he has secured
the proper s'sight," he reproduces the
position of the telescope in the case OF q
miniature instrument of the same KIND
standing over a chart, and the lOcallty 10
which il points is the exact rendezvous OF
the brigades AS the same arrangement
4 Gin 0Tnef
points of the compass, several brlgades
are sDeodilv on the scene of the disaster,
the firemen losing no time In proceeding
to the proper destination.
A SUCCESSFUL SEARCH has been made
for the remains of the wrecks of the Bous-
sole and AstrOIabe. which went down
near VanikOro, in the South Pacific, a
century ago. They were the two shlps
with which the Inflated La Perouse went
on his last voyage. Anchors, cannon,
and numerous other relics were iound
and conveyed to Noumea in New Gaze
donna. They were received by the French
authorities with impressive ceremony, the
garrison and blue-jackets being ordered
to give military hOnOrs, and salute Oh
twenty-one guns being fired by the gums
of the forts. Among the trophies OF the
search is a bronze cannon dated 1871, ana
in the strangest manner. The relics VIII
be sent to the Louvre, and placed In the
La PerOuse room.
A DISH much in request in I0nquin ana
AMMAN is cOncocted from the nests OF
esculent swallows. These birds build in
the caves of the seashore, and fill their
nests with insects, and pate made from
these insects is much priced. BIRDS nest
ing where these swallows bulld is an I'M
pOrtant industry, and many OF the pro-
Drietors. of the caves are SAID to nave
made large fortunes. Roast elephant is a
sacred dish. and religious fOrmalities are
not altogether dispensed with IN the case
of BIRDS nest pies, for priests are called
in to bless the men before they are sent 10
look for the nests. A more worldly pre-
caution is also taken, and the men work
naked so that they may not conceal any oil
the delicious dainties in their clothes.
IF NOTHING else prospers in Algeria, at
least the culture of alta or desert grass
seems to promise an increasing source OF
wealth to the colony. It's computed that
1000, 600 of hectares of the high plateauX
bordering the Sahara are covered with
these grasses, not to speak of vast tracts
of the Tell. 1t is only within recent years
that the expectation OF alta has reached
high figures, in 1881 upward of 200, OOO
tons being shipped for Europe. 1t is not in
the manufacture of paper alone that this
grass is so valuable-yariOus textures are
made of it, notably very pretty sub
stantial curtains, sold at cheap rate.
The grass requires no care Wheh once
planted. but it can only be cut i'll the
third wear. Cotton rag is mixed with the
fibre in order to afford a softer more yield
ing texture.