Freelajstd Tribune.
PUBLISHED EVERY
MONDAY AND THURSDAY.
RHOS. A. BUCKLEY,
EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR.
OFFICE: MAIN STREET ABOVE CENTRE.
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when paper is discontinued, or collection wlli
tor made in the manner provided by law.
WHEN a man is right he is seldom
left
REAL lighters never waste their
wind.
IDLE factories turn out the most
clubs.
INSTINCT is more faithful than
reason.
PIRATES' treasures are hidden in
credulous skulls.
A KIND "no" is often more agree
able than a rough "yes."
IN keeping appointments some
folks seem to carry watches without
hands.
THERE is no knowing exactly how
long a mosquito will live; but he
generally manages to hold out until
another takes his place.
CONSUL SMITH, at Mayence, Ger
many, says the German people are
"salting down" somewhere about six
hundred million dollars annually and
Investing most of it in interest-bear
ing securities either at home or
abroad. He estimates the net in
come from such investments at 9119,-
000,000 annually.
MANY fruit growers were some
what surprised recently to see the
Portland market stocked with Tas
mania apples, selling at $2 per box.
The land of "big red apples" will
lose its reputation if she has to go to
Australia lo get apples, eveu if they
are extra good ones, says the North
west Pacific Farmer.
IT is now stated that a band of
bakers in Vienna are using' soap
suds to make the bread lighter than
over. It is hard to imagine a less an
petizing concoction than soapsuds
and dough, but it is claimed ttiat so
carefully is it kneaded that the suds
impart "an infinite delicacy" to the
loaves. It may be so, but we prefer
our suds straight.
COL. SII.IOVVAGE, who saved Presi
dent Lincoln from capture by the
Southern army, is dying of starva
tion in Boston. The people at the
center of learning have long boasted
that more celebrated men die there
than at any other place on earth.
They work up the record by stcuring
the great men and then refusing to
feed them.
THERE is an Lister landlord of
New York City, who after thirty
years' sojourn in the United States,
is said to be still a loyal subject of
Victoria. He passes part of his time
on his estate in Ireland, and, to
please his son, a native of the United
•States and a sturdy American, he
flies side by side upon the lawn the
union jack and the stars and str pes.
STATISTICS of immigration to the
United States are of great interest.
During all the years from IS2I to
1800, we received only 10,870 Dutch
men from the Netherlands, while
the number of Germans who came to
us during that period was over 4,000,-
000. Ireland contributed 3,481,074.
England and Wales 2,430,380, anil
Italy 388,558. France is credited
with 300,434, and Russia 324,802.
A MILWAKEB daily paper, says the
E evator and Grain Trade, deplores
the exhaustion of our fertile soil and
predicts that the United States will
cease to export wheat inside of ten
years It overlooks the vast plains
of virgin soil and the demand that
immigration be restricted. We will
never stop exporting wheat on ac
count of lack of facilities to produce
it, but our farmers may go into the
production of more profitable crops
THE introduction of predaceous
animals, to hold certain pests in
check, has not proved an unqualified
success in New Zealand. A local
paper of the colony states that the
weasels, which were imported to keep
down the rabbits and rats, are in
creasing so rapidly as to become a
serious menace to poultry keepers.
Their success in keeping down the
rabbit pest is problematical, and so
far arc they from destroying rats, it
appears that they fraternize with
them, one farmer having found a rat
living on merry terms in the same
n?st with four weazeis.
ORIENTAL LAZINESS.
THE UNSPEAKABLE TURK
RARELY STANDS UP.
The Merchant Kits While Serving Custo
mer*--Sentinels Sit on Duty The Farmer
Spa flex Ills (iartlen While Squatting Croa-
Leggetl on the Ground.
Suit*it'll I'enple All Sit.
It is Impossible for people of the
Westei n country, with their habits
of stirring, bustling industry, and
their indisposition to allow a single
moment of time to go to waste, to
appreciate the indolence that per
vades all classes of people in the East.
Tlie philosopher Buckle, with an in
genious refinement that does credit
to ills mental acuteness, finds In the
climate of a country a reason for al
most any and every peculiarity of
character, and there is, no doubt,
much importance to lie attached to
litis consideration. But the climate
is not wholly responsible, for in India
the sun is as hot as in any part of
the world, and yet the people have
habits of industry that contrast
strongly with the constitutional in
dolence displayed everywhere in Tur
key, and the countries which are now
or at one time have been under
Turkish control. For the "unspeak-
I J
.. .
A WATER HUM PLYING His TRADE.
able Turk" is not only himself utter
ly averse to any exertion, but has
the propeity of being able to com
municate his aversion in this partic
ular to others, and it is only a ques
tion of time when all with whom he
comes in contact become like him;
not exactly, perhaps, but sufficiently
so for the resemblance to be recog
nized.
To strangers it is a matter of the
utmost astonishment how lazy a
Turk can be, and how repugnant to
the Turkish intellect the Idea of any
sort of exertion can become. In the
land of the Sultan nobody runs save
on the most uigent provocation, and'
when walking is done it is under
mental protest. Sitting is better
than standing, and lying down prefer
alve to either. To one who has
never tried it, the Turkish plan of
sitting presents difficulties that are
not easily surmounted. Ir, the first
place, Western knee joints seem to
lack the power of adaptation to cir
cumstances that characterizes the
knees of the Orient. When seating
himself according to the formula
in such cases made and pro
vided, the Turk will first cross
his legs, then. by gradual
and graceful gradations, and not too
rapidly, will allow the weight of his
body to descend upon them until
firmly settled ot. the floor or divan,
where he is not only solidly estab
lished, but has before him an impro
vised table, on which he can deposit
his pipe and tobacco, his glass of
liquid refreshment, or even utilize as
a writing desk. Hisknecs are llaton
the ground, his whole picture one of
solid contentment and comfort Tho
man from Western climes tries itand
finds liis knees sticking out at an
acute angle, anything but graceful
or pleasant, while in ten minutes his
back will ache in the most distres
sing manner, and the pains in h's
legs and feet will compel him to rise
and walk for relief. But to a Turk,
squatting cross-legged on the ground
is the acme of satisfaction; he will
remain in this position all day long,
and then rise and shuffle off in his
awkward slippers as though stiffness
of the joints were an unknown quan
tity.
The national posture has an im
portant effect on business, or what
passes for business, in the land ot
the true believer, for, as far as possi
ble, everything is done sitting down.
In a Turkish bazaar the shops are
all small, to accommo late the busi
ness to the posture that is preferred
to all others. Of course, if the Turk
could transact business lying down,
he would like that even better than
sitting, hut the impracticability of
such a thing is recognized even by
the Turk himself, so, perforce, he
sits, and adapts his shop to himself
in such away that when Allah sends
a customer the shopkeeper is not
obliged to get up to wait on him.
His whole stock in trade is within
reach of his hands, and when any
thing is wanted he simply reaches
out and gets it, takes another whiff
of his pipe and waits for the cus
tomer to buy. If the latter docs so
well and good: if not, no change is
observable in the demeanor of the
merchant: he is not visibly elated by
a good day, nor visibly depressed
when there are no customers, for
"Allah is great and will send bread
somehow." His fatalism is the
secret of his equanimity, for he
is perfectly convinced that if
Allah means for him to get
rich Allah will send him thecustom
eis. whf.e if Allah lias determined
that he is to be or to remain poor no
amount of exertion on his own part
can fiustiate the decrees of fate.
The same philosophy influences his
dealings with his customers. If they
are to buy, it Is kismet,, and there is
no need lor him to exert himself; if
they are not to buy, he will have
wasted his labor, so, Allah Bismil
lah, let them alone. And he does it,
too, for if he were a graven image he
cuuld not display much less interest
in the words and actions of his cus
tomers than he docs.
When a customer enters an estab
lishment where articles of value, such
as jewels, carpets, arms, and the like
are sold, there is a regular formula
gone through, without which the
transaction of business is supposed to
be out of the question. The stranger
comes in, and if noticed at all by
the proprietor it is with a grave bow.
A mat is indicated, on which the
visitor squats as uncomfortably as he
can, and an attendant brings a pipe
and cup of coflce. Ttie goods asked
for are spread out on the door be
tween the two, and serious business
begins with smoking. After a few
whiils, the visitor asks how much lie)
Is expected to pay. and for a few mo
mcnts the merchant smokes in
silence, disregarding the ques
tion. It is repeated, when, atter
a sufllcicnt interval has elapsed to
satisfy his dignity and give him time
to think the matter over, the dealer
names a price about four or six times
what ho is quite willing to accept.
If the visitor is experienced in Ori
ental dealing he will receive this an
nouncement in solemn silence, and
after due deliberation will make an
offer of about one-fourth of the mer
chant's demand.
A basis is now laid for negotiations,
and the dealer protests that he will
he ruined by accepting one piaster
less than the sum originally named,
while the buyer declares that his
o'ler is far beyond the value of the
goods, and only prompted by the per
sonal good-will lie bears to the pro
prietor. I.ittle by little one advances
and the other recedes from the first
prices, and after an enormous waste
of time a bargain is concluded, the
adjustment of the last piaster or
two probably taking longer than all
the rest of the transaction. As It
is. both parties are generally well
satisfied and separate, each imagin
ing he has cheated the other.
In sp'te of their apparent indiffer
ence, the Turks are clever bargainers,
and the outward show of contempt
for such a paltry consideration as a
few piasters does not prevent the
keenest possible trafficking in order
to gain a small advantage over a
commercial adversary. Hut none of
this is shown in their manner of deal
ing. for nothing could be cooler or
more apparently nonchalant. They
could give a New York stock broker
many points in concealing their real
feelings, and still not seem ruffled.
The Turk is not in the least excita
ble, and things that cause the people
of other countries to grow wild with
enthusiasm hardly make him raise
his eyebrows. Nor is this lack of
emotion in him due to self-control:
it is simply his nature; he does not
care. He has an idea, tolerably well
defined, that the universe will go on
about as well without as with him,
so he does not worry when things go
against htm nor become much elated
when they are in his favor.
It would seem unreasonable under
these circumstances that any Turk
should over grow rich, but .among the
merchants of the capital and leading
seaports there are many wealthy
men, who have become rich in spite
not only of their natural indifference
to their surroundings, but also of the
TIIE LAZIEST OK ALL.
exorbitant taxeslevicd by the Govern
ment. For whan the Turk Is a money
maker at all he is exceedingly close.
Even the Greek, who lias the reputa
tion of being the sharper of the
Orient, is not shrewder at a bargain
than the Turk. Hut to the latter
the value of time is an unknown
quantity, nor can he the least be
made io understand that others re
gard time us money. It is a matter
of supreme satisfaction, therefore,
to him to defer even the considera
tion of the most important and
pressing affairs, and when a Turk
succeeds in putting off until the day
after tr-morrow what ought to have
been done the week before last he re
gards himself as having achieved a
triumph of intellect. It is thus
about as easy to hurry a Turk as to
hasten the march of the seasons. He
cannot be hurried. Whether the af
fair is that of buying a handful of
tobacco for his pipe, or of negotiating
a treaty for the salvation of Con
stantinople from the Russians, he is
going to take his time about It, and
to every effort, to hasten matters ho
will oppose a passive resistance far
more effective than the most active
antagonism.
Indolence is reflected in every grade
and class of the people. The street
porter sits down and smokes while
waiting for Allah to send him a job;
the, donkey hoy lies down. Nobody
stands up to do anything that by any
stretch of ingenuity can possibly bo
accomplished while seated. Carpcn
teis sit down to saw and plane a
board, sbuffiiDg inconveniently along
on their hams as the necessities of
their work demand; when on guard
in positions that do not demand con
stant watchfulness the Bashi-Bazook
sentinels squat cross-legged on the
pavement, smoking their pipes or cig
arettes.
The triumph of laziness, however,
is recorded by oiln, who, in his
travels in the Orient, noticed in a
province of Asiatic Turkey a farmer
at work spading his garden. As any
one knows who has tried it spading
is not an easy ta9k, and requires not
only a considerable application of
muscle, but in addition all the
weight of the body to be thrown on
the spade in order to force it through
the soil. The labor-hating Turkish
granger, however, unwilling to do
violence to his own feelings or to 6Ct
HA9HI-BAZOIJKS ON Dt'TV.
a bad example lo the neighbors by
standing up to work, managed to ac
complish bis job, after a fashion,
while squatting on the earth. He
had two Instruments, one resembling
a spade, but with ashort handle, the
other much like a small hatchet.
With the latter he chopped out a
square block of soil, and, this accom
plished, he laid down the hatchet,
took a whiff of hi 3 pipe, and with the
spade turned over the Mock he had
detached. He thus worked slowly
backwards, turning the earth as he
went, and signally triumphing in his
ability to farm without standing up
to do it
This, however, is only an extreme
case, for, from the Sultan who squats
oil a divan while rccctviug Ministers
of State, to the harem beauty, who
Is never represented save as reclining
among her cushions, everybody sits,
and everybody regards any occupation
at which he cannot work while seated
as fit only lor an infidel and unbe
lieving dog.
ELECTRIC FIToOR-PLANER.
Tho Lawn-Mower Principle Applied to a
Pinning Tool.
Applying the lawn-mower principle
to the making of a planing tool, a
Scotch engineer, Malcolm Suther
land, of Dumbarton, has designed
the rather unique piece of apparatus
shown in the annexed sketch, and
consisting, in brief, of an electrically
driven revolving cutter, mounted in
a frame on rollers, which, hy means
of handles, can be moved about in
exactly the same way and quite as
easily, it is claimed, as tho garden
fool mentioned. Tito lawn-mower
resemblance, in fact, is perfect. The
frame, or rather base plate, la of
steel, and carries the cutter on its
under side, while the motor Is ptaeed
on top and drives the cutter through
intervening gear wheels, giving it a
speed of .'I,OOO revolutions per minute.
The hind roller of the base plate,
which follows in the cut, is fitted
with eccentric journals, so that, b.v
moving a lever, they can bo raised or
lowered, and the depth of cut nicely
adjusted. The principal field of the
machine—the one, In fact, for which
it was specially designed—is the
planing of ships' decks, taking off
the pitch aud inequalities of the
TIIK ELECTRIC FLOOR-PLANER.
scams of deck plank after being laid
and calked. Tills work has usually
to he done under circumstance of con
siderable Inconvenience and disa
greeablenos, the carpenter having
to go down on his knees, driving a
jack-plane before him, together with
wood shavings and.other things less
clean. Ordinary lloor planing, how
ever, can obviously be done by tho
machine with folly as good results,
so that it Is not neeessarily restricted
to shipyard use.
THE TYPEWRITER IN BATTLE.
Tho Oporator Ue.tililoi a Blcye'o and
Types MoHsages.
The typewriter on the field of bat
tle is a curious sight, ft has not
quite reached that point yet. hut it
was to be seen at tho military tourn
ament in the mimic action. Tommle
Atkins mounted on a cycle, which
'.YPEWRITINO IN THE P EID.
was surmounted by a typiwriter, rode
Into the arena ar.d typed the messages
taken from the signalers, while a
trained war dog carried the dispatch
es to the rear. Whether all this
would do in a real warfare remains,
of course, to be seen.
rut: Mm SIDE OF LIFEJ
;ror.T-:n tt.vt A.V.T. told bt the. I ,'
I'UIO 5T 3IE2i 0.".' THE PBESS.
Hie Victory AVho bikes to Hcari 1
lip Truth? - Kcllof for Mothers*
—Womanly Precaution, Etc., Etc-/
lii far aw v <
rrro(ii|ii C.ilhar.
V/hnrrt fh lon 100 siugs all night
iu u willow tree
By asa l. salt so:.
J'.ravo mi'u wait 'ortli In light,
There \rrc Li Hung Chung
An I Ki Willi Luu r
An I liohl Cim* (-Hi (Jhoo Cham,
WitM Cii.tng Wong Ching
An-1 Sim Moy Sing
An I I lor-jo Wnh Wen Woo Warn. j
Trior' wis nor sword tor gua
Hut eu"h bravo ou
A tom-tom wildly boat.
And thov all cried "Loo!"
Attho foe and How ;
T< u snfo and snug retreat. -e
Tiler' wrii Li I luii" Chung {
Ami Ki Willi Limn I'
An I hold C'iho Chi Choo Cham,
With Ciiang Wong Chiug
And Sim Moy Sing /
And ller.'o Wall Woo Woo Warn.
No Moo 1 was spilled, .'
No one was killed, 4
Lnt thoy all ma relied home one i/more, A
Ami to this day tell Jf
How they drove pell-moll &
The foe I'rotn their #tored shoro.
There were Li Hung Chung ? I*
Aud Ki Wun I.uug /
And h0,.! C.iee Cni Choo Cham,
With Chung Wong Chiug
Ami Sam Moy Sing
Aui UercJ Wah Woo Woo Warp.
- Chicago. Journal.
A TRAITOR.
Smith "1 hear that Brown lias been
ostracised by the best people of Vacant
lot-. Do you happen to know why?"
.Tones -''lie admitted the existence,
of malaria to a non-resident."
WHO LIKES TO HEAR THE TRUTH.
Mistress —"How can I engage you
when it is said that youtdo not always
tell the truth?"
Servant—"My dear * madam, who
likes to hear the truth. \ Do you?"—
Truth.
WOMANLY PRECAUTION.
Dix "Your wife must have confi
dence in you, to leave you alone in
town while she goes to the mountains."
Hicks "Oh! she takes the precau
tion to keep me broke all the time!" ,
—Puck.
SHE NEEDED INSPIRATION.
She—"l have a vivid imagination.
But I cannot picture, myself accepting
you as a husband."
He— "Why?"
She—"Because yon haven't asked
me."—Philadelphia Life.
A BRIGHT THOUGHT.
Mrs. Youugwifo—"Have wo a chop
in the house!"
Cook—"No, mum ; but we have a
piece of steak."
Mrs. Youngwife—"Well, take tho
axe aud make a chop of it."—Life.
REGARD FOR THE UNITIES.
Servant —"Please, Muni, Mrs. Nex
door wants you to lend her .some read
ing matter suitable for a sick per
son. "
Mistress "Certainly. Give her
those medical almanacs. "—New York
Weekly.
lIELiEF FOR MOTHERS.
Little Boy—"What's the use/of so
many queer lotters in words? Look
at that "c" in "indicted."
Little Girl "I guess those is just
put in so mothers can get an excuse to
send their children to school and have
a little peace."—Good News.
VINDICTIVE.
Editor -"Hero is a scientific item
which says that photographs have been
taken five hundred feet under water.
Print it in a conspicuous place."
Sub-Editor-- "Urn! - what's the idea ?"
Editor "I am in hopes some of
these camera heads will try it."—New-
York Weekly.
NOT A GALLANT SPOUSE.
"Your conduct is not nice, Emil.
You invite me to take dinner with you
in a restaurant, and tho moment we
sit down you forget all about mo and
bury yourself in tho newspapers."
"Pardon nie, my dear. Waiter,
bring my wife a newspaper."—Flic
geude Bluet ter.
NOT TOO LATE.
Simpson—"Been camping out, eh?
I have a little hook on.that subject I'd
like you to road."
Thompson—"Well, I can't camp
out again this year !"
Simpson—"Never mind. You read
the book. One chapter gites fourteen
remedies for rheumatism."—Puck.
CONSISTENT CLEAR THROUGH.
Vera Fay re (inquiringly)—"So you!
believe that woman suffrage would be
a death-blow to man's chivalry to the
sex? Why, wouldn't you oiler your
seat in a car just as quick to the wo
man who wants to vote as to another?"
Old Mi. Crustie (testily)—" Not at
all. I'd let her stand up for her rights 1" I
—Puck.
DIMINUTIVE.
"1 have been woading about stwikos
and things," said Willie Wibbles,
"and do you know an idea stwuck my
mind!"
"An idea of your own?" inquired
Miss Cayenne.
"To be suab."
"Dear me. I should think it would
tickle."—Life.
* THRIFT.
Ilsns (proprietor of the half-way
house)—" How many beds empty up
stairs, Katrina!" ,
liatrina—"Four, Hans."
| Hans —"Yel\ empty romo tacks
. quick oji the street out. I dinks ine I
see five pioycle riders coming dis way
alretty, on don\ wheels vat dey blow
luit air up."—Judge.
ONLY WAY POSSIBLE.
Fatigued William--- 4 4 De gran' master
hobo uv do united amalgamation uv
sand-pounders an' weary chevaliers uv
de road has ordered dat we all goes
out on strike."
Tired Thomas— 4 'Oh, eho ! How
wo goin' tor do dat?"
Fatigucd Williaiu-- 4 'Quit brentkin' "
—Judge.
THE QUIET INFERENCE.
"The coffee has a very unusual taste
this morning," said the boarder who
J likes to be disagreeable.
/ "I have no hesitation in saying that
it is very good collee," said Mrs.
lliiKhem, bristling.
"Yes," replied the disagreeable
boarder, "it is exceedingly good cof
fee."—Washington Star.
DID IIEU BEST.
First Telephone Girl—"Somo of
them men is terrible eruuky!"
Second Telephone Girl—"Yes, what
was lie kicking about?"
First Telephone Girl—"The mug
wanted 7GI Ilarlem, but I couldn't
get 'em, so I give him 7(52, and told
him that was as near as I could come
to it; and he was mad as hornets!"—
Philadelphia Life.
THE 110CK ON WHICH THEY SPLIT.
' Boxwcll—"Well, how's your scheme
for co-operative colony eoming on?"
Kimball—"Oh, we'vo disbanded!—
i couldn't agree."
Boxwell—"But I thought you were
all so enthusiastic?"
Kimball—"So we were till we camo
to plan out the work. Then we found
that everybody wanted to edit the
community paper."—Puck.
TOO EGOTISTICAL.
"Sir. I hear you using tho word
donkey very frequently in your con
versation."
"Yes; your ears do not deceive you."
"Am I to understand that you apply
the word to me?"
"Why, what makes you harbor such
au unjust suspicion? Don't you know
that there are lots of donkeys in tho
world besides you?"— Texas ftiftings.
HARD UP FOR AN EXCUSE.
Mr. Hen low had advertisod for a
clerk and, being a kind-hearted man,
dismissed tho surplus applicants as
gently as possible.
"My lad," ho said to tho last one,
"you're too young for the position."
"Too young!" echoed the unfor
tunate. "Why, I'm a grandfather."
"Well, if 1 were to hire you it would
be an encouragement to men to be
come grandfathers at your age, and
I'm dead against anything of the
sort."—Judge.
A TEST.
Young Mr. Birmingham was in the
habit of visitiug his sweetheart every
evening of the week and twice on Sun
day. On his last call he said, with a
groat deal of tenderness in his voice:
"Mabel!"
"Yes, George."
"Do you think, dcnrcßt, that ab
sence makes the heart grow fonder?"
"Perhaps it does, love," replied tho
; maiden. "You might romain away
ono evening and let us tost it."—Pitts
burg Chronicle Telegraph.
DEFECTIVE.
"Virtue," exclaimed tho humanitar
ian with tho red noso anil cotton um
brella, and his voico trembled with
feeling as he spoke, "is the armor of
the soul."
"True—" tho man of tho world with
lines all over his faco mused, "but
blowholes uro gettiug commoner and
commoner, in so far as my observa
tion extends."
After that both of thorn thought
violently for a space of several min
utes.—Detroit (Mich.) Tribune,
EASILY REMEDIED.
Guest—"Waiter, tell tho landlord
to como here."
Waiter—"Yes, sir."
Landlord—"What can I do for your
sir?"
Guest—"Why, nobody can cat a
beefsteak like this; it's toughoi than
leather. Why, this knife don't even
make an impression on it, much loss
i cut it."
j Landlord—"To bo suro you can't.
: But that can bo easily remedied.
; James," (to waiter) "bring tho gcnfclc
i man another knife." —Truth.
Smallest Painting In tho World*
I It is said that tho smallest pieoo of
i painting in tho world has recently
boon executed by a Flemish artist. It
is painted on tho smooth side of a
grain of common whito corn, and pic
tures a mill and a miller mounting a
stairs with a sack of grain on his
back. Tho mill is represented as
standing on a terrace, and near it is a
horse and cart, while a group of oov
cral peasants are shown in the road
near by. Tho picture is beautifully
distinct, every object being finished
with microscopic fidelity, yet by care
ful measurement is is shown that the
whole painting docs not cover a sur
face of half an inch.—New Orleans
Picayune.
Peat lor Fuel.
Driod peat or turf, cut from l>of# f
is largely used for fuel throughout
Europe. Some of it is molded much
as bricks are, and it is also pressed
into compact balls. One huudred
pounds of peat have a heating capacity
equal to fitty pounds of hard coal, or
to nearly ono hundred weight of wood
or soft coal.—American Agriculturist.
THE SEA'S 01)1) DENIZENS.
TI3II THAT CLIMB. LIVE IN WOOD 3,
AND UTTEFv SOUNDS.
The Climbing Fish of the Dutch East
Indies Finny Inhabitants of For
ests—Musical Fish.
IMAGINATION had a boundless
raugo in devisiug legends and
marvels about fish until Knowl
edge clipped her wings, remarks
the London Standard. When Lieu*
tenant Daldorf, of tho Dutch East
India Service, reported to Sir Joseph
Banks that ho had caught a fish on tho
stem of a palm tree five feet abovo tho
ground, and still mounting upwards,
even Sir Joseph's acceptance of his
tale did not preserve that officer from
an outburst of universal mockery. It
was asked with reason what on earth
the fish expected to find useful for its
purposes at the top of a palm tree?
The earliest reporter of this fact,
Abouzeyd, who wrote in the ninth
century, had a sufficient explanation,
lie was not bothered with science.
The creature went up to feed upon the
fruit, and when satisfied it returned to
the water. But this would not do for
the savants even a hundred years ago.
They pointed out that Pcrcha kchii
dens live on water insects, that it
could not and would not eat fruit,
and that if its fins and gill-covers be
so framed that it might possibly climb
a tree, they are so framed also that it
could not make even an effort to de
scend. Tlioir objections are not yet
answered, nor, so far as we are aware,
has any fish since been caught nine
feet above tho ground. But the liabit
of climbing is admitted whatever tho
motive, lu fact, the Cingalese cover
their fish traps with a netting because,
as they explainad to Mr. Layard, somo
species would creep up the poles and
escape over tho other side. A few
hours' tojourn iu almost any tropic
realm will convince the btrauger that
fish can climb, if he spend them on
tho banks of a tidal river The funny
little mud fish scurry and paddle thero
all day long, mounting to the top of
the rocks, however smooth ; running
up and down tho mangrove roots us
active almost as lizards. Not least
curious of their peculiarities is tbo
trick of running over the surface of
tho water for a distance which seems
bounded only by their inclination.
As for tho fish that live in tho
woods—barring exaggeration—they
also abound. Tho moraehung, of
Bootau, is mo3t famous. It is never
caught in rivers, or even in standing
ponds, though, as some accouutH say,
its abiding places always communicate
with water, so that it cau return to its
"native elemeut" when so disposed.
However that may be, they are caught
not by hook or net, but by the spade;
and thoy are worth some digging—two
feet long, perhaps, disproportionately
thick and always in pairs. Plenty of
other species aro taken iu tho same
way during the hot months, and plenty
more divert themselves with a stroll
on dry land occasionally. Sir R.
Schomlmrgli saw colored men going
out to fish in the jungles Guiana with
nothing but a basket, and they
brought back as many as they could
carry. Sir John Bowring constantly
observed the fish go ashoro and "lose
themselves amongst tho trees" upon
tho Siamese River Meinam. Mr. Mor
ris was inspecting a leaking tank by
Trincomalee when heavy rain camo on.
His uiun suddt-nly raised a shout and
galloped up a "knoll," the far sido of
which—that distant from the tank—
proved to bo alive with fish climbing
upward at prodigious speed ; we are to
suppose that they left tho pool when
tho water escaped, but hastened to re
turn, knowing that the rain would re
fill it. As for burying fishes, they aro
numberless. Wo have a grave report
of ouo species found nineteen fcot bo
low tho surface of a field. It is not
necessary to belicvo this. But, ill
Abyssinia they are dug up six feet or
more below tho river bed when it is
dry.
It is not commonly believed that
fishes liavo nuy power of utterance,
but, although the fact is not proved
yet, so far as we have read, there is
such a mass of testimony from divers
regions, contributed by observers of
such credit, that the fact is no longer
doubtful.
At Caldora, in Chili, near the land
ing place, a very i>loasaut serenade is
heard sometimes. Tho music resem
bles that of a harp, with a range of
four notes at least; the incurious peo
ple of the neighborhood have no the
ory about it. But a like concert is
usual at various points of the Indian
coast; and there, of course, its origin
is well understood—that is, the na
tives may bo right or wrong, but they
have an explanation. Dr. Buist de
scribes it as "loug, distinct sounds
like tho protracted booming of a dis
tant boll, the dying cadeuco of an
harp, the note of a pitch-pipe
or pitch-fork, or any other long
drawn-out musical note." It became
much more sonorous when a listener
put his head to the planks of the ves
sel. Next day the boatmen presented
Dr. Buist with a number of fish which,
as they said, produced the music—a
species very plentiful, in sizo and
shnpo like our perch. Sir Emersdn
Tenuent heard such stories iu Ceylon,
and he paid a visit of inquiry to Batti
caloa. They were amply confirmed.
To Sir Emerson the notes Bounded
liko "tho gentle thrills of a musical
chord or the faint vibration of a wine
glass when its rim is rubbed by a
moistened finger. It was not ono sus
tained note, but a multitude of tiny
eoundß, each distinct and clear in it
self, the sweetest treble minglingwith
the lowest bass."
The fruit of the mulberry tree is not
much esteemed in this country. Its
chief value seems to be its attraction
for birds, who are thus induced to
spare the cherries.