Blandford Weekly News. — 1889-01-12 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

FINDING WATER IN "THIRST-LAND." At Monday night's meeting of the Geographical I Society, a paper was read by Mr. F. S. Arnot, entitled "Journey from Natal to Bihe and Benguella, and thence acmes the central plateau of Africa ,to the sources of the Zambesi and Congo." The ' reader of the paper was led to make his expedition, which wati that of a missionary character, from witnessing as a child • distribution of prizes in 1804 by Dr. Livingstone on his return from the Zambesi exploration. Mr. Arnot started from Natal in 1881, and made for the Transvaal with very slender -resources. This, it appears, was not an unmixed evil, as he owed escape to that fact from some of the troubles that befall travellers furnished with a large stock of goods. This method of proceeding, however, was accompanied by many ' inconveniences. The travellers bad to traverse ' the "thirst-land" on Livingstone's route, and the only means of obtaining water was that adopted by t hewandering bushmen of the Masaroa race. How Mr. Arnot obtained water may best be described in his own words: "A few wandering bushmen of the Masaroa race, however, came to our relief, and to their kindness we doubtless owed our lives. Digging pits in the gaud, they sank long reeds to the bottom of these, and with an unusual power of suction, acquired by long practice, they slowly drew up the water . from the sand, discharging it from their mouths into tortoise shells ; and so great was our thirst that we eagerly drank the frothy liquid. Morning and evening we were sustained by a little of this turbid fluid." Mr. Arnot's oblique journey scrota Africa corresponded on the whole with that of Major Serpa Pinto. Mr. Arnot'a object in going to Africa was to establish a healthy missionary station in the interior, and it was accomplished after seven years. Although he travelled without a white, or even a black companion, he never received any illtreatment. Guns were carried by some of the party, but only for hunting purposes.  Private advices received in Glasgow on Tuesday from New Zealand state that everything has one up in price there owing to the drought in Australia. The farmers never had such a prospect as they have this year. Sheep have been selling higher than they have formerly done for 20 years, and produce of all kinds has gone up to almost famine prices.  A clerk at the Macclesfield Savings Bank, named Sackham, bar been charged before the local magis. trates with forgeries and embezzlement. So far as the examination of the books has gone' deficiencies to the extent of £9OO have been discovered. Two days after the prisoner's apprehension at an hotel at Malvern, 800 sovereigns were found in bags in the room he had occupied. The prisoner was committed (or trial. The Queen has sent a donation of £3 to Mrs. Fennell, of Walworth, who recently gave birth to three male children, who are still living. . .  A grist mill at. Newhope, Western Virginia, has exploded. Six farmers were killed on the spot, and several other persons were injured. William Crossley, of Syracuse, New York, bad lived apart from his wife tor six months. The other night he shot her dead, and then committed suicide. Italy is—so it is said—negotiating with Germany for a big loan, the amount being placed at 100,000,000 f. This is, of course, to be ,the reply to the Rusaian loan in France.