The times., 1898-09-25
NOTES AND QUERIES.

NOTES AND QUERIES.
| the next be2
The last leap year was 1896; the next
| leap year will be 1904
Do%nd %a'h ., weighs ,ss1.,ss the more pound Of gold
| a pound of feathers; 1t is weighed by
| evoirdupois weight, which has 1905 grains
| to pound, while a pound of gold is
| weighed by Troy weight, which has on
| ly $3.50 grains TO pound.
Which is the heavier, tin or aluminium? ..
| Does aluminium work easily? g. What Is hy-
| dEogen gas? IA
Tin. whose specific gravity is 72s. to go
| for aluminium. 2 Compared with tin, no.
3. The lightest substance known and one
OF the most plentiful. 1t is found in water
and all organic substances
Is it true that fresh water can be secured by
| diving, or by any other means, under the level
of the salt waters Of the Red Sea or Of the
| Persian Gulf? C. F
1t seems not to be true. In fact, is be-
lieved by those who have studied the
Red Sea that the lower strata Of water
are more salty than the surface strata.
| 1t is the same way with the Persian
Gulf There may be springs Of fresh
water along the shores. but if so they are
| local
Did the United States Treasury issue % 20
] gold piece about 1S40? 2 What values Of stamps
are issued in connection with the Omaha Expo
sition. HRR
The United States began to coin two
dollar-and-a-half piece in 1896, under the
| provisions of the act of April 8. 1892. This
| piece, known as the quarter eagle, is still
/ coined 2 One cent, two cents. four, five,
eight, ten, fifty cents. and one and two
dollars.
| What are the different classes Of revenue stamps
OF the latest issue, and the denomination Of each
| class? As
There are two kinds of internal rev.
enue stamps Of the present issue-doeu-
mentary and proprietary. OF documents
/ airy stamps there are one cent, two cents,
| three, four, five, ten. twenty-five, and
fifty cents, one, three, fve. ten, and fifty
| dollars. OF proprietary stamps there are
| one-eight cent, One-quarter cent three
| eighths cent, five-eighth cent one cent,
| one and one-quarter cent. one and one
half cent (this stamp not issued yetJ, two
| cents, two and one-half cents, four, and
five cents.
Please inform Of your knowledge of any
event IN history, wherein the vanouished were
allowed free transportation 10 their clurtry, sm-
| llar 10 the conditions granted BY the United
States Government to the Spanish troops VINO
surrendered at Santiago? Is II true that az the
close Of the War Of Independence the British SOL
diers were helped in some way % reach their
homes by the Government Of this country?
We know of no similar case. After the
Revolution the British and Hessian pris-
Oners were supported while they were
taken 10 the ports whence they were TO
I h. -rf sz-l- lit r.rr~
they were not shipped out as We havs
shipped Gen. ToraTs men
Why are twenty-one guns fred in national
salute by our navyG A. J. NJ
The salute of twenty-one guns is the
Presidents salute, not the national sa-
lutte The national salute is one gun for
each State in the Union, and is fired on
the Fourth of July, and seldom, or never,
on other days The Presidents salute was
fixed at twenty-one guns because that was
the English royal salute. II IS suggested
that that number was chosen in Great
Britain because seven was the original
salute and three times seven would sig
Nifty one seven for each of the three di-
visions, England and Wales. Scotland, and
Ireland. The definite reason is not known,
however.
What is the origin of the ''mugwunap''
| as il is used now! Z. j.
The name was applied to the indepen-
dents in the BIaine-Cleveland campaign OF
1854 The New York Sun was the first TO
apply ii TO them Previous TO the indie
pendent movement starting. but in the
same year, the same paper had applied Il
| to a Mr.. Bradley. the owner OF Ashury
| Park, y. J., but then il used it as we use
nowadays the name ''Pooh-Bah," mean
ing one who holds many offices. The word
is the Algonkin translation OF the word
which the translators of the Bible into
English make duke" in Genesis xxxvi.
1913. 1t is found in Eiots Indian Bibls
spelled 'mugquomp.'
What are the largest cities in the world and
their population, and the largest in the United
States and their population? READER.
The ten largest cities Of the world are
these: London, with 4.43S, ,0lS inhabitants
New York, about 800, 600; Paris, 2. "A. .951;
Chicago, 1,SO0 600; Berlin. ISL; Vienna,
l, ,364. .54S; Toxic, Japan, 1.234.113; Philadel-
phia, 1,250 Geo; ST. Petersburg, 1. 0S5, ,439, and
ConstantinopIe. about 100000. The ten
largest cities of the United States are:
New York, Chicago. Philadelphia, St
Louis, $50, 600; Baltimore, 625270; Boston,
$50 600; Cincinnati, 400, 900; Buffalo, 3SS. 600;
Cleveland, $50 coo; San Francisco, $50, 0e0.
l To whom should i apply LOT tne year DOCK IS
sued BY the Department of Agricultural ?. Are
these books distributed free TO all who apply for
them? Are they issued every year2 4 Are
all Congressional reports and other Government
publications distributed free TO persons apply
ing for them? 3 Are seeds for experimental uses
distributed free 10 applicants? A. < H.
The Secretary of Agriculture 2. No; the
distribution is largely in the hands of
members of Congress. 5. Yes. and 5.
No: applicants should apply TO their Con.
gressmen.
Please give short biography Of Gen shafter.
J. A c.
William r. Shafter was born in Mary
land, on October 16. 1885. He entered the
volunteer army on August 2. 1861 as first
lieutenant of the Seventh Michigan In
fantry: there he served just one year,
and on September s. 1862, became major
of the Nineteenth Michigan. He was
promoted colonel on June 5, 1868, and was
mustered out on April IS. 1864; the next
day he was made colonel of the Seven
teenth United States COlored Infantry,
with which he was mustered out on No
vember 3 1866 Meanwhile he had been
appointed lieutenant colonel of the For
ty-first Infantry of the regular army,
and on April II. 1869. was transferred 10
the Twenty-fourth Infantry. On March
4. 1879, he was made colonel OF