Science, Art And The Drama.

Science , Art and the Drama .

SISAL GRASS IN MEXICO . .

Henequen , or sisal grass , has been in use among the inhabitants of V ratan from the earliest times . The United States Consul at Progreso , -ihat he has found it imbedded , in the form of cord , in the stucco „ t | ) at ornamented the far ides of the mysterious ruined cities of V -atan . There are two wild varieties of henequen , called by the natives ¦ ' ilium " and " chelem . " The fibre of these wild plants is used io some

nt bv tne natives in the making' of cordage for domestic use , and some I ' m that hammocks made from the fibre of the cahumare the best . It is , 1 wcve r the cultivated plant that furnishes commerce with the fibre , n as sisal grass , Sisal being the old port from which the fibre was lirst nortcd . Cike the wild plant , the cultivated one is divided into two ' ¦ ties the "* acci , " or while hemp , and the " yassi , " or green hemp .

Thp zacci is considered the finest and best , but the yassi is a good fibre . ,. < s kcen generally supposed that sisal grass as an article of commerce has been known only within the last 50 years , but this is a mistake . Between the ve 175 ? So quite a furore was created in commercial countries of the Old World by the discovery that the fibre of a plant found in Yucatan ...= « irood for ship ' s cordage . Spain sent over a Royal Commission to

ort Upon the discovery , and in a few years many of Spain's commercial ana war vessels were using cordage made from henequen .-- For some reason , probably because of the primitive method of prep tring it , the use of silk fibre gradually declined , until , at the commencement of this century , the former trade had been forgotten . In 1847 Yucatan , until then a cattle-producing , cotton-growing , and

logwood exporting country , was in the throes of an Indian w .-tr . The Maya Indians had risen in rebellion , and had succeeded in driving the white race out of the most fertile portions of the peninsula , forcing tnem to rely for means of subsistence upon the products of a sterile rocky belt ; too poor t 0 sustain cattle in any numbers . Henequen was tho only useful nlant that would grow on such a soil . The first plantation was established

in 1843 . and the 50 acres planted were cleared by the use of the " tonka , " the primitive clearer used by the native Maya . There was a good demand for thc new fibre in ship rigging , and it gradually came into general use , until sisal grass was a well-known article of commerce . The tonka was a piece of hard wood , shaped something like a hand-saw , having the end curved in . The leaf of the henequen was drawn through the sharp curve ,

and the fibre was stripped of the thick pulpy covering . The leaf was subjected to this operation two or three times until the fibre w . is left cl ; an and free . This tedious process was not long tolerated . A machine was found lo increase the output , but the demand again outgrew the supply . The machine known as the " Raspador , " or the " Soles , " from its inventor , came into use , and has held its own almost up to the present day . It consists of

a large-toothed wheel that scrapes the pulp and leaves the nbre . Its simplicity made it peculiarly fitted for use by native servants . Plantations came to be known as plantations of one , two , or a dozen whetls . The constantly increasing trade necessitated still more rapid means of fibie cleaning . Many new machines were produced , each of whicii was said , by its inventor , to be far better than any of the others . ( To be continued . )

Breeding Of Reindeer In Norway.

BREEDING OF REINDEER IN NORWAY .

The United States Consul at Bergen reports lhat a company has been formed at Irlemarken , Eastern Norway , for breeding reindeer on a large scale . At the head of this undertaking is Nobs Bohnen , one of the teachers in the people's high school , and for a time he will personally superintend the industry . The company has already bought 2400 deer lor / , ' i . Sno , and by degrees they will increase the herd to between 3000 and 40110 deer . When this number has been reached , the company will be enabled to kill

about 1000 deer every year without diminishing the herd . When slaughtered a deer is worth about 30 s ., and there are good markets for this meat , especially in France and Belgium . The company also hopes to induce England to purchase it . In order to prevent the glutting of the market during the winter months , a canning factory will be attached to the farm , for thc purpose ol preserving the meat . This factory will also can char and ptarmigan . The company controls from 40 to 50 square miles of wild mountain land .

Art In The Reign Of Henry Viii.

ART IN THE REIGN OF HENRY VIII .

Holbein was the luminary of painting in England in the semi-barbarous Loutt of Henry VIII ., whicii shone with a powerful influence in efforts of ingenuity and splendour , and diffused a taste for the various works of art , and a perception of their comparative excellence hitherto unknown . The common , but somewhat injurious , consequence of this supereminence is the throwing into shade the merits of other artists , who approach them with a

aegreeof successful competition which is not always duly allowed . Henry vt 1 W 3 S ° ^ l 0 ° P enur ' a character to patronise artists , and we find that Mabuse was so little satisfied with the encouragement he received from him , vfii ' ( l '' led England after a residence of one year only . When Henry \ 111 . succeeded , his love of gorgeous ornament and his livalry of tho ' . mperor Charles V . and of Francis I ., incited him to a di-play of Gothic

magnificence , in whicii the wealth amassed by his father enabled him to surpass them . But the same - motives induced a more elegant pursuit , and as those monarchs were liberal pitions ot painters , who , at that period , professed likewise architecture and all works ol designs , he followed their example by offers of great rcmu'ieravw to some members of the Italian and Flemish Schools . And thou ,-ii Raphael , nmaticcio

, and Titian declined to accept his munificence , others , already celebrated in their own country , were willing to try their fortune in this . The faculty of an artist at lhat time was to complete a . palace—to plan and uesign it as an architect—to embellish it as an inventor of carvings and of Patterns for tapestry and stained glass-to enrich the larger apartments with , 'es . co Paintings on the walls and ceilings , and the smaller with portraits and « - ¦» nnet pictures . Such palaces had ah uady risen under the royal auspices

Art In The Reign Of Henry Viii.

on the Continent , by the efforts and directing genius of patrons of art . Our Henry spared neither solicitation nor expense to effect a similar purpose . Previous to the arrival of Holbein in England several of Raphael ' s scholars were settled and constantly employed in the court of Henry VIII . Evidences fail us in ascertaining their several works and appropriating them either separately or conjointly . We know that the palaces of St . James ' s , York

House , Richmond , Nonsuch , and Hampton Court . fwere each of them built , or ornamented , during the early part of the i 6 ; h century , and that retain - ing pensions were paid to all these artists , but we are not supported , even by tradition , as to their individual performance . The superior talents of Holbein commanded universal praise and acknowledgment , but eminent as

his powers , both of invention and execution must have been , he is familiarised to us as a painter of portraits . His immediate successors , and those who followed them in the reign of Charles I ., considered his portraits as models of perfection ; they were frequently employed in copying them , and were emulous to acquire his style . ( To be continued . )

Kennington Theatre.

KENNINGTON THEATRE .

Suburban playgoers need not nowadays journey into town at night to see the best pieces which are produced . The management of the Robert Arthur Theatres have recognised the tact , and have wisely arranged to make their pretty house at Kennington the starting point of many touring companies . They began their season excellently by putting before their patrons Mr . Pinero ' s play " The Gay Lord Quex , " with what is practically

the original company . Afterwards they produced " The Runaway Girl , " and other popular pieces will follow in rapid succession . " The Gay Lord Oucx " is so well known , having had such a long prosperous run at the Ulobe Theatre , London , that there is no nt : ed to dwell upon the special features of the play or to criticise ehher its construction or its language . But , after a brief spell of rest , Air . John Hare and his company have come

back to work , and are giving their very best to the public . Four characters stand oul in the play , and each is treated in the most artistic fashion . Mr . John Hare's presentation of iho Don Juanesque Lord Ouex is natural and convincing , while as a character sketch of a rakish Colonial Governor it would be impossible lo improve upon the performance of Mr . Gilbert Hare . So far as the presentation of the piece at the Kennington Theatre is

concerned honours were divided , and fairly so , between Mr . John Hare and Miss Irene Vanbrugh , whose acting is a triumph of histrionic power . Shaip-wilted and sharp-tongued , she presented with marvellous force the characttr of the girl who had risen from the nursery to the management of a manicure establishment , after graduating in the proverbial llippancy of a lady ' s maid . The audience fully recognised the artistic merit of

her performance , and at the conclusion of the bedroom act , recalled her and Mr . Hare again and again . Mrs . Copleston made an excellent old l .-idy as the Countess of Owbrid gc , and Miss Anne Beaufort proved a capital Duchess of Strood . She certainly did good work in a part which , after all , is somewhat thankless , being completely overshadowed by Sophy Fullgarney . The other roles were well

filled . Miss Mona Oram did the best for the comparatively small part allotted lo her , while Mr . Arthur Grenville as the palmist , Valma , Mr . J . Danson as Capt . Basiling , and Miss May Mayfrew as Muriel Eden , made the most of their oppoi ( unities . The play was well worth seeing , and tne audience fully appreciated a most polished performance . The enterprise of Mr . Robert Arthur is most commendable , and we think it has met with the recognition it deserves .

General Notes.

GENERAL NOTES .

Although close upon two months have yet to elapse before the grand opera season opens at Covent Garden , the subscription list is already one of the largest in the annals of the opera house . Her Majesty has subscribed for the Royal box , and 74 private boxes and over 200 stalls , besides some

balcony and amphitheatre stalls , have been taken for the entire season . The expenses of the management are thus morn than ensured and a-i there is still nearly half the seating capacity of the theatre left , a large margin for profit .

It is satisfactory to learn that absolute rest for six months has restored the voice of M . Jean de Reszke to its utmost perfection . Considerable disappointment is naturally felt by Wagner lovers in London , that the great Polish tenor will not take part in the "Ring" representations at Covent

Garden in June . It is probable , that when M . Jean de Reszke makes his re-entree at the opera , he will revive some of the melodious parts in which he first won fame . He is at present in Paris , where he and his charming wife are entertaining friends in their new house , in thc Rucde la Faisanderie .

The death has occurred , in her Qist year , of Lady Jane Scott , of Spottiswoode , who was composer of the popular ballad " Annie Laurie . " It has been said that Lady Scott ' s version was merely adapted from an older melody , but the original has never been discovered , and as the lady was known to be an accomplished musician , and claimed to be the composer of the tune , there seems little reason to doubt the fact .

At the spring concert of the orchestral students of the Royal Collfge of Music , at St . James ' s Hall , last week , it was noteworthy that 2 ( 5 out of the 32 violinists wereladies . Owing to the sudden illness of Dr . Stanford , his place at the conductor ' s desk was taken by Sir Hubert Parry , director of the college .

In one of London ' s quietest nooks lies the grave of Oliver Goldsmith , and Wednesday , the 4 . 111 instant , was the anniversary of the sweet Irish poet ' s death . Upon the stone over the grave , by the side of the Temple Church , some admirers reverently placed some bunches of Mowers . Three

bunches of violets bearing no inscription were laid at the lop of the tombsto e , and in the centre was a beautiful lloral tribute composed of roses , some violets and ferns . Short and simple was the written inscription : — ' ' In Memoriam , Oliver Goldsmith , die 1 April 4 . 1774 . In tender memory of thc poet sleeping in the rest / ess city . '