Notes On Literature Science And Art.

from the neighbouring commons and marshes , and sold to the dyers . This plant , after being dried , was boiled for the colouring matter it contained , which was a beautiful yellow . The cloth was first boiled in alum water for the mordant , ancl then immersed in the yellow dye . It was then dried , and submerged in a blue liquor extracted from wood , which , combining with the yellow , produced the solid green so much celebrated . About the year 1770 , the lant above alluded to fell into disusebeing superseded bthe

p , y Saxon green , —considered to be a brighter colour , and obtained with less labour . The art of dyeing was introduced into this country about A . D . 1500 . From tlie establishment of manufactures to this period , all goods made in England were sent into Holland to be dyed , and brought back again for the consumption of this kingdom . One William Chomley , having mastered the secret of the Flemish dyers , offered his discovery , througli the English Goverment ( temp . Edward VI . ) as a free gift to his countrymen

, and urging the Council to take advantage of his proposal , he added a remarkable prophecy , that if England would develope its manufactures , and rely upon itself for the completion of them , the trade of Antwerp would droop , and London become the mart of Europe . The dye woods manufactured in this town have been , and are , at the present day , highly approved in the great manufacturing districts . "

Mr . Charles John Andersson , in his new vtork , T 7 ie Okovanga River , gives the following African scene : — " I had returned but a short time to my ambush , when a large herd of female elephants with their calves came on , perfectly heedless of the firing which had previously taken place . With a rush they gained the water , exactly opposite to where 1 was perched on my anthill . Soon afterwards they were joined bseveral other troops pouring in from

y different directions , consisting of cows ancl bulls intermixed . Ifc was quite remarkable to observe how they ranged themselve closely side by side , like a line of infantry . They drew themselves up in single tile , occupying the entire width of the water ( which at that point was 300 yards broad ) . I estimated then' numbers at between 100 and 150 . The moon was just then nearly at zenith , and shed a glorious and dazzling light on the huge creatures below .

I felt no inclination to disturb so striking a picture , ancl , indeed , if I had heen so disposed , it would little have availed me , as the vley iu the direction occupied by the elephants was totally destitute of cover . So all I could do , and did , was to look on , sigh , and admire . When the elephants had ceased drinking and were about moving away , I hurried forward to intercept their retreat , and , as the very last of them was disapearing , I succeeded , with some difficulty , in shouldering my rifle and firing . The rush and the

trumpeting which followed this discharge was truly appalling . The herds actually seemed to yell with rage , They were , indeed , an unusually savage lot , as I shortly afterwards discovered in an encounter which very nearly cost me my life . My last shot , though a hurried and uncertain one , took effect : a fine cow was killed by it , but her carcass was not discovered till two days afterwards . I thus brought clown three elephants that night , besides wounding two others . "

A Mr . Davies has inflicted a volume on the public , entitled The Tablet of Shadows , in which the following nonsense is given for poetry : — " Carrion here , and carrion there ! Gorb \—Gorb !—Gorb !—Curses ancl carrion , Clamour and buzz !

Freedom for claws , And flesh for our maws ; These are the laws For lmz—for buz ! Pinion and claw—pinion and claw— ! Flap !—Flap !—Flap !—Pinion and claw—wheui-aw !—wheui-aw ! Tuwhit ! tuwhee ! Tnwhit ! Tuwhee !

' Freedom for wings , And the use of our stings !' The young emmet sings , Ancl why not we;—Hee , hee ! - —Hee , hee ! And why not we ?" If Mr . Davies has not picked the above up in some lunatic asylum , and send it hy accident to the press , we pity him , and

certainly would strongly advise his friends to look very carefully after him . The Dublin University Magazine- for September gives the following account of the inhabitants of Villeneuvette in France : — " There are some peculiarities belonging to the population of Yilleneuvette . The vigorous rules under which the citizens live ,

keep tiiem from gambling and drunkenness . One cafe and one wine shop are to be found in the city , and the doors of these establishments are closed regularly at nine o ' clock in the evening . In tlie course of thirty years only one illegitimate birth happened , not followed by marriage—which , in France , legitimises . The'comv-. ranity would expel the individual who would not repair a wrong he hael done to a woman , by prompt marriage . But the simple citizens of Villeneuvette have gone farther . Disciples of Malthas ,

they have endeavoured to check an increase of their population . At first they strove to carry a resolution to the effect that noworkman should be employed in the city or fortified factory who married before he bad reached a certain age . But this resolution would lead to evil , since ifc would drive lovers to sin , that they might be authorised to marry . It was at last agreed to cast forth the authors of such scandals . Regulations of this description are borne quietly and contentedlbthe citizens of

Villeneuvettewhoy y , cling to their little town , ancl are proud to be of it . Parents are compelled to send their children to school , so that the population of Villeneuvette is better educated . than any other community round about . This calm and industrial community has no political history . When , in 181 S , bodies of neighbouring workman were on strike and ready for blows , the workman of Villeneuvette ranged themselves about their masters , shouldered the few

gunswithin their walls , and were prepared to defend their uidependance . They were content with their lot , and were not dazzled by the bright promises of socialism . They were not for dethronement . M . Audiganne tells us that in 1853 the Mayor of Villenuevette was the oldest inhabitant . He had been a workman ; was in his ninetythird year , and had heen Mayor during twenty years . His deputy was more than sixty years old , and was destined to succeed him . The proprietor , or chief , of this strange fortified colony of workmen

is obeyed ; but he purchases this obedience by the conscientiousfulfilment of the duties he owes to his subjects . In the first place ,, his workmen have no rent to pay . They are lodged gratis in comfortable quarters . They obtain flour at cost price . These positive advantages rendered by the chief , enable him to demand from each family a subscription of five shillings annually , to cover the cost of sickness . Paterfamilias is compelled to pay sixpencemonthlfor every child who is old enough to attend school .

y When a workman is incapacitated , he enjoys a pension , hut nofc enough to free his friends from the salutary responsibility of contributing tr > lus support . These pensions are given , generally ,, at an advanced age ; for it is very difficult to persuads workman to leave the factory . Old men of seventy-five may be seen crouching " over their work—loth to leave it , and lay up to die . The old mayor of 1853 , to whom we have already referred , worked until hewas seventy-eight . Here , then , paupers and beggars are unknown . "

The authoress of Social Life and Manners in Australia , thus describes a home in the bush -. — " After a thousand questions had been asked and answered , I gladly accompanied Mrs . to a bedroom , off which was a bathroom , so that in a short time I was most comfortably prepared to partake of the delicious breakfast which was set before us—omelettes , potted meats , and mutton chops constituting a most substantial meal for us starved mortals . The house , or rather cottage ornee , by which name it would have been

called in England , was a wooden one , with a very wide verandah surrounding it , on which were trained luxuriant roses and the passion flower , then in full fruit , its golden balls mixing in singular harmony with the blossoms of some native creepers , among which the beautiful Moreton bay bignonia especially claimed our attention The dining and drawing-rooms were large , and occupied the centre of the house : the bedrooms , five or six in number , were on either sideancl the store-room at the back . The kitchen was

, detached , as well as the dairy , which was in a large hut with two shelving roofs and projecting eaves , one a foot above the other , allowing a current of air to pass freely between them , by which means the large room was kept perfectly cool . The shelves round the apartment held nearly a hundred cheeses , and the milk pans were as dainty as in the best English dairy . The greatest trouble seems to be in milking , for many of the cows are so wild ancl wicked that it is most difficult to manage them ; and wc saw in the

milking-yard various means resorted to in order that they might be induced to give their milk quietly—a kind of pillory for the very restive ones , and lumps of rock salt for the more gentle . Even under the most favourable circumstances , the same number of cows will take four times longer to milk here than they would at home . Pigs and quantities of beautiful fowls were in the yard , fattening , without trouble , on the skim-milk and whey . The garden was the next lace we visitedit called forth expressions of astonishment

p ; and pleasure , for almost every vegetable and fruit grown in England was flourishing here most luxuriantly . We were told that no indigenous fruits of any value had been found , either in the forests or plains of this most peculiar country . The land had a very parklike appearance ; the gum trees , taking the different forms of the