‘My advice to young gentlemen and ladies who are thinking of giving up their situations at home and emigrating to Australia in the hopes of getting work and good salary, is—Don’t.’
A CURIOUS DISEASE.
The London Medical Record quotes some information regarding a strange disease that is met with in Siberia, and known to the Russians by the name of ‘Miryachit.’ The person affected seems compelled to imitate anything he hears or sees, and an interesting account is given of a steward who was reduced to a perfect state of misery by his inability to avoid imitating everything he heard and saw. One day the captain of the steamer, running up to him, suddenly clapping his hands at the same time, accidentally slipped, and fell hard on the deck. Without having been touched, the steward instantly clapped his hands and shouted; then, in helpless imitation, he, too, fell as hard, and almost precisely in the same manner and position as the captain. This disease has been met with in Java, where it is known as ‘Lata.’ In the case of a female servant who had the same irresistible tendency to imitate her mistress, the latter, one day at dessert, wishing to exhibit this peculiarity, and catching the woman’s eye, suddenly reached across the table, and seizing a large French plum, made pretence to swallow it whole. The woman rushed at the dish and put a plum in her mouth, and, after severe choking and semi-asphyxia, succeeded in swallowing it; but her mistress never tried the experiment again.
ANOTHER UPHILL RAILWAY.
The Hôtel des Alpes at Chillon, and the Hôtel de Mont Fleury at Montreux, Switzerland, are situated at no great distance apart; but the difference of elevation between the two is over two hundred feet, and the incline very steep. To get over this difficulty, it is intended to call in the aid of that mighty power which has of late so prominently come to the front—electricity. After a long series of carefully conducted experiments, it has been determined that an uphill railway shall be constructed between the two hotels named, to be driven by electricity. An electric motor will be placed on a car to drive a cog-wheel; this wheel will gear into a central cogged rail, and by this means draw or pull the car up the ascent. Conductors placed beside the central rail will convey the current of the generator, which will be kept going by a five-horse-power locomotive engine. It is, however, in contemplation to drive the dynamo not by steam, but by water-power, abundance of which, descending from the hills, can be had close by, and only requires utilising. This railway will in many points resemble that up the Righi, only that electricity will be its driving-power instead of the odd-looking little engine so well known at the latter place; and when it is completed, it will certainly be a great boon to travellers frequenting these beautiful spots.
EVENING ON THE LAKE.
Upon the mountain-top the purple tints
Fade into mist; and the rich golden glow
Of the low-setting sun sinks to a gray
Subdued and tender.