New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-10

previously Of the defeat OF the Egyptian army
under Baker Pacha at Tokar. giving me not oiliy
the news, but also several particulars concern
Ing the rout two full days before We received
the intelligence from the Red Sea coast. IN
each case they proved correct to date. and 1t
was obvious that the reports could not possibly
have been mere guesswork. Yet how had they
received the news? 1t could not have been by
signal fires. as has been more than once sug-
gested to me by way Of explanation Of the prob
lem; for these fires would infallibly have at
tracted the attention OF the English and native
scouts. and besides. the character Of the country
Is unpropitious TO am such methods Then. too,
no system Of signal fires no matter how elab-
crate and prearranged could possibly nave con-
Neyed the news quickly and in sucn detail
The Arabs. therefore. have manfestly some otner
means Of rapid communication at their com
niGnd one Is inclined to the presumption ihat
they. like the learned Pundl;s of Northern India.
have knowledge Of the forces OF Nature that are
as yet hidden from our most eminent scientists,
] was reading the other day a lecture Delivered
by Sir William PreeCe. the principal electrician
of the British Government. in which he describes
as an extraordinary and altogether new discov
cry the possibility of elegraphing without wires
by means of the magnetic currents In earth ana
water IL It not conceivable that the Arabs OF
Africa may be acquainted with these possibili-
ties and have been applying their knowledge or
them to the transmission Of news? This is, so
far as | can see. one Of the most plausible eX
plantations There is nothing new under the sun,
not concerning electricity; and theory has
even now been put forward that the peculiar
cylinders discovered among the ruins Of Nineveh
bearing. not characters. but family marked lines.
may be nothing more nor less than the cylinders
of some ancient Assyrian phonOgraph. Should
this suppOsitiOn be proven correct. We may yet
hope not only to read the writings but even to
hear the voices OF those Wise Men of the East
whose civilization antedates ours by so many
thousand years.
OF minor Importance yet likewise Of consider
able interest especially to people who care about
trees and flowers. is the secret possessed by the
japanese guild Of gardeners OF stunting the
growth Of trees I do not think there IL any
white man who has ever been able 10 solve the
mystery which surrounds the methods by means
of which the Japanese arbOriculturists can dwarf
cedar trees and oaks SO that gnariNd; messy ahi
showing indsputabie signs Of being hundreds ot
years old. they are not more than TWO ana thite
feet IN height. The object OF thus stunning the
growth of these trees is worth while relating.
The japanese are passionately fond Of garden
ing. not we understand i-that l. 70 say beds
of flowers etc.-but of the landscape order ana
almost every householder endeavors TO nave a
garden. no matter how small, attached 10 MS
residence. Now in the cities and towns where
space is limited. there is manfesty no room Tor
landscape gardening OF the ordinary character.
The bridges. the ponds, the hills. the pagouas
and the temples and trees would take up 700
much room Accordingly the ingenious garden
ers COntrive everything on miniature scalr. ne
river Is but a rivulet the grass-coVered nil pul
a few feet high, the temple the SIZE or con 5
house and the pond no bigger tnan a large,
sized pocket-handkerchief. OF course full-sled
trees would appear homogeneous. therefore I.v
Ga rdanors have managed to dwarf them until
they are in keeping with the miniature landscape.
How II IS done no one outside the guild knows
and the secret Is az jealousy preserved as those
Of the Masonic order.
Columns might be written about these secrets
Of the Orient which go to show that. notWith-
standing all our much-vaunted CIVILIZATION ana
ecIantifc research we are still in many respects
honelessly inferior in certain branches OF knowi-
edge 10 those very races whom we consider ~
our dvinely imposed mission to c,gilz z,,I anu
enlighten. b->-A O