The striking picture next reproduced was taken on an ostrich farm in Cape Colony, and shows the stately-looking birds indulging in their "morning dip." Ostrich-farming is a profitable and interesting industry, and every year the demand for the magnificent plumes seems to increase.
AN OSTRICH FARM IN CAPE COLONY—THE BIRDS ARE TAKING THEIR "MORNING DIP."
From a Photograph.
The curious crab shown on the following page is to be found at only one place in the world—the Straits of Shimonoseki, in Japan. Needless to say, the Japanese have a legend to account for the extraordinary face on the creature's back. In the year 1181 or thereabouts, the story runs, two great tribes—the Tairi and the Minamoto—fought out a long-standing feud at a place called Dan-no-ura. The Tairis, driven down to the beach by their opponents, took refuge in boats, but the victorious Minamotos followed, the battle being continued out in the straits until the Tairi were exterminated. It is said that the dead warriors, when their bodies reached the bottom, were turned into crabs, each carrying his death-mask on his back. Be that as it may, it is an undoubted fact that this particular species of crab bear upon their backs a strikingly realistic representation of the features of a dead Oriental.
THE MAN-FACED CRAB—THIS CURIOUS CRAB, BEARING THE REPRESENTATION OF A DEAD ORIENTAL ON ITS BACK, IS FOUND ONLY AT ONE PLACE IN THE WORLD, THE STRAITS OF SHIMONOSEKI, IN JAPAN.
From a Photograph.
The photograph given below depicts two very curious pieces of ordnance—more curious than useful, one would imagine. They are wooden Chinese guns, captured from the Taku Forts by the Royal Marines during the operations of 1900-1. Nine feet in length, they have a six-inch bore, and are composed of thick staves, firmly bound together by wooden hooping, for all the world like a barrel. These remarkable weapons are reputed to be over three hundred years old, and are at present mounted on the parade-ground of the Royal Marines at Wei-hai-wei.
