The Little Gleaner Part 80

THE probabilities of there being large coal deposits under London are discussed at considerable length by a correspondent of the _Times_. The speculations of geologists on the subject have recently been much a.s.sisted by several deep borings, the princ.i.p.al of which have been those of Kentish Town.

A BOAT drifted from its moorings off Camia; a fishing village nine miles from Boulogne, on Tuesday evening, October 16th. An old fisherman, named Charles Coffier, was the only person on board, and he had nothing to eat for four nights and three and a half days, when the boat was driven by a breeze into Hastings.

THE Queen reads, or rather, has read to her, the _Times_ and the _Morning Post_ every morning. Copies are sent direct to her, printed on specially thick paper. Her secretary goes through them, marks with a blue pencil all the important items, and these are then read to her by the two ladies who officiate as readers.

SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY, MILTON STREET, HOLLINWOOD, LANCASHIRE.--This was held on October 14th, when two sermons were preached, morning and evening, by Mr. D. Smith, of Halifax, and an address was delivered by Mr. J. Holgate, of Burnley, special hymns being sung by the scholars.

The congregations were good, and the services were much appreciated. The collections amounted to 13 14s. 11d.

C. H. W.

ROMAN CATHOLIC PILGRIMS IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY.--On Sat.u.r.day, October 13th, the "Feast of St. Edward, King and Confessor," was celebrated in all the Roman Catholic churches in London, and with more than ordinary pomp at that of SS. Peter and Edward (which is dedicated to his memory) in Palace Street, Westminster, where a Pontifical High Ma.s.s _coram episcopo_ was sung by Dr. J. L. Patterson, "Bishop of Emmaus." At the conclusion of the Ma.s.s, the congregation, which included several persons who had come from Preston and other parts of Lancashire and different counties of England for the occasion, formed a procession and wended their way to the Abbey, where they offered up prayers at the shrine of St. Edward, King and Confessor. No opposition was offered to the pilgrims and devotees by the authorities of the Abbey. Where is our Protestantism gone to?

CHINESE is spoken by 400,000,000, Hindostani by something more than 100,000,000, English by more than 100,000,000, Russian by more than 70,000,000, German by more than 58,000,000, and French by about 40,000,000.

WILL Spain ever be tolerant? The Supreme Court of Madrid has confirmed the decision of a provincial tribunal condemning a Spanish Protestant to five days' imprisonment, with a fine of one pound and costs, for having persisted in remaining with his hat on when he met a Catholic procession.

AN ARMY OF SPIDERS.--A dangerous spider that is found on the pampas of Central America, and belonging to the Lycoss species, is thus described in a letter:--"When a person pa.s.ses near, say within three or four feet of its lurking place, it starts up and gives chase, and will often follow for a distance of thirty or forty yards. I came once very nearly getting bitten by one of these savage creatures. Riding at an easy trot over the dry gra.s.s, I suddenly observed a spider pursuing me, leaping swiftly along and keeping up with my beast. I aimed a blow with my whip, and the point of the lash struck the ground close to it, when it leaped upon and ran up the lash, and was within three or four inches of my hand, when I flung the whip from me. The gauchos have a very quaint ballad which tells that the city of Cordova was once invaded by an army of monstrous spiders, and that the townspeople went out with beating drums and flags flying to repel the invasion, and, after firing several volleys, they were forced to return and fly for their lives."

THE WHALE HUNT AT SPITHEAD.--The little coast villages of Bembridge and Sea View, in the Isle of Wight, were thrown into quite a commotion on Friday, September 21st, by the appearance of a huge whale, between thirty and forty feet long, off the mouth of Brading Harbour. It was observed to be swimming about early in the morning, and the little steamer _Island Queen_, which runs between Southsea and Bembridge, had an unpleasant meeting with the creature. Much to the alarm of the pa.s.sengers, the whale would "keep company," and for some time it was dangerously close to the little vessel. It furiously lashed the sea with its tail, and commenced to "blow," the result being that the captain, who was on the bridge, and many of the pa.s.sengers were deluged with water. No harm, however, was done, and the steamer eventually got clear, the whale swimming out to sea. Later on it again put in an appearance, but by this time the islanders were ready for it, and a large number of fishing-boats, watermen, and others put out. The creature was surrounded, and was at length shot. It was then towed on to Sea View beach, where it has been visited by some hundreds of people. At high tide the whale was partially covered. Its dimensions are as follow--length of fish, 35 ft.; girth, 20 ft.; length of mouth from point to top of jaw, 7 ft.; length of fins, 4 ft. each; width of tail, 8 ft.; supposed weight, 10 tons. Estimated value of a sperm whale, 100.

The whale has been purchased by Mr. G. Drover, of Cowes.

CHIMNEYS.--In the year 1200 chimneys were scarcely known in England. One only was allowed in a religious house, one in a manor house, and one in the great hall of a castle or lord's house; but in other houses the smoke found its way out as it could. The writers of the fourteenth century seem to have considered them as the newest invention of luxury.

In Henry VIII.'s reign the University of Oxford had no fire allowed, for it is mentioned that after the students had supped, having no fire in the winter, they were obliged to take a good run for half an hour to get heat in their feet before they retired for the night. Holinshed, in the reign of Elizabeth, describes the rudeness of the preceding generation in the arts of life. "There were," says he, "very few chimneys; even in the capital towns the fire was laid to the wall, and the smoke issued out at the door, roof, or window. The houses were wattled and plastered over with clay, and all the furniture and utensils were of wood." In 1639 a tax of two shillings was laid on chimneys.

BEHIND THE SCENES IN THE POST OFFICE.--"How can one get admitted to the General Post Office, and what departments are best worth seeing there?"

asks "A Country Cleric." Admission to that remarkably interesting building, the General Post Office, can be had on application to the Secretary. A banker's reference is necessary. The sight is one well worth seeing, and should on no account be missed by country visitors to London. Visitors are admitted at six in the evening, and are shown over the telegraph department. Here may be seen the pneumatic tubes, through which messages are received from many parts of London. Into this office run wires from Belfast, Edinburgh, and all parts of the United Kingdom, and the whole system is explained by an expert. Crossing the road one then enters the Post Office itself. Here one sees the "blind men," as they are called, at work deciphering illegible addresses; and men and machines stamping postmarks at the rate of from one hundred to three hundred a minute. But in order to see the Post Office properly, two or three visits should be made. Not one person in a hundred has any notion of the peculiar experiences of a letter between the times of its postage and receipt.