The Louisiana populist., 1896-11-20
NOTES AND COMMENTS.

which was sighted off Borneo, and, ae
cording to the estimate Of that officer,
was about 100 feet long. 1t appeared
in the midst of a field of snakes COW
ering an extent of about fifty miles,
through which the packet made its
way like the ship Of the ancient mari
ner amid the serpents of the silent,
mysterious sea of which the poets de-
scription is not more lurid than that
which Captain Peabody applies TO the
waters off Borneo. The rest of the
snakes were of varying magnitude,
but none of them came near the di-
mensions Of the greater one, which
outran all precedent, making the larg-
est of those described by Bishop Pont-
ophiddian seem small in comparison.
Its diameter in the middle was about
ten feet, tapering off toward both ends,
the head being of the size of a New
Orleans molasses hogshead and the
tail fiattened into an instrument of pro-
pulsion, giving it any rate of speed
which occasion required. 1t was COW
cred with large thick scales, and its
color above the water line was a mix
ture of yellow and green, blending un-
derneath in tint resembling that Of
Long Island squash. 1t happened
along just in time to witness a conflict
between a gigantic shark and an
equally colossal alligator, which it
brought to a conclusion by seizing the
former and biting it entirely in two,
swallawing the section which
contains the vanquished alligator
and closing competitive dietary
incident which would have at
tracted attention anywhere. No such
thrilling tale of this marvellous ophi-
| dian has been rehearsed within men,
ory, and the original Tam o. Shanter,
whose name the discovering vessel
bears, could not in his most rapt Wis
ionary mood have seen a bigger or
| more voracious one. Explorers of SER
pent lore ought to take ship for Bor-
neo without delay if they think that
the captain has been telling a straight
story. 1t is an exciting one, at any
rate, and the habitual ocean snake
which appears in our waters is a mere
worm in comparison.
Perhaps the most interesting aues-
ton to be solved by the discovery of
the north pole is the question whether
or not any human beings are to be |
found in Its vicinity. 1t is not wholly |
improbable. The town of Werkojausk. |
In Siberia, is situated in north latitude !
6S degrees. Whether orsn human
life will be found at the pole, it is GER
tain that the unexplored pole region is
Inhabited by various animals. The
rosy gull, two species of sandpiper, as
well as at least one variety of ducks,
Is known to breed there. There is
good reason to believe that fish abound
In the open Polar Sea, and the proba-
bility of fora as extensive as that
oil Spitzbergen, mosses and lichens,
with perhaps a few Towering plants,
such as the yellow Arctic poppy.
There are no parties in China. The
throne and its occupant, whether man
or woman, are supreme. All are be-
low, and tremble at its power A man
may be conservative, but there is no
conservative party. He may be lib
eral or progressive, but there is no
liberal party. There are no newspa-
pers for tie masses. The Peking Ga
zette, which is the Oldest journal in
the world, is an official publication.
which contains nothing but such me-
MORALS, rescripts and edicts as the
government chooses to make public to
the official classes and literati, and
hence it Is almost impossible to estab-
lish liberal propaganda. New ideas
are looked upon askance and travel
but slowly. An official of progressive
views is sure to be regarded with srfs-
picion, however powerful he may be.
and the higher the place he holds the
more certain it is that some one who !
would like to supersede him will keep
constantly on his track in hopes of
him tripping.
An interesting scientific experiment
was made recently in Paris with the
Aid of a balloon which was sent up
.
from Villette at half past ten. The
object of the experiment, says the
Gazette, was to collect a
quantity of the atmosphere at a very I
yreat altitude for purposes of analy-
It's. The balloon was, therefore, sent '
Up alone with the necessary instru-
nents attached to 1t. These consisted [
II an entirely new kind of reservoir, I
'apable OF holding six litres Of air. q
10 this was attached a spiral arrange o
nent terminating in a tap hermetically I
ealed, but so arranged with a clock G
work apparatus that it would open
ust one hour after the ascent and o
lose again one minute later. A good a
leal of ingenuity has been displayed s
this invention. In order to preserve 2
he reservoir from the intense cold of Z
ne upper regions, it was surrounded fl
y bath Of soda water, which was t,
xpected to keep the apparatus at an r
ven temperature. In addition the bal
bon also carried two baro-t o-thermo- n