The Swansea Gazette and Daily Shipping Register

Swansea Harbour Trust. Weekly Trade Report. Officially Communicated. Considerable improvement is shown in the trade of the post in the past week over the previous week, although compased with the corresponding period of last year there is a decrease of 5,000 tons. The imports were not far short of the average, and the coal and patent fuel trades were active. The general trade was only moderate in this branch, however, a number of vessels are due to load prior to the holidays, including two for the Far East. In the first portion of the week the supply of tonnage was very short. Shipments of coal and patent fuel were 92,348 tons. Imports include- Russia 1557 loads tim- ber, Germany 250 tons general, Holland and Belginm 1330 tons general, France 1700 tons pitwood and 1550 tons iron ore, Italy 1049 tons calamine and 610 tons blende ore. Imports 15,754 tons, exports 99,300 tons and total trade 115,054 torn compared with 89,820 tons the previous week and 120,449 tons the corresponding week last year. Shipments of coal were-Sweden 3900 tons, Germany 6330 tons, Holland & Bel- gium 1130 tons, France 84,615 tons, Por- tugal 228 tons, Italy 22470 tons, Tunis :020 tons, Algeria 200 tons, New York 600 tons Brazil 800 tons, Home ports 7225 tons, total 78.518 tons. Patent fuel --France 2980 tons, Italy 7700 tons, Tunis 1500 tons, Algeria 1650 tons, total 18,880 tons. Tinplates and general goods 6,952 tons, the latter for Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Holland and Belgium, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Alexandria, New York and home ports. Shipments of tinplate 88,749 boxes, and receipts from works 93,323 boxes. Stocks in the dock warehouses and vans 257,001 boxes compared with 247,427 boxes this day week and 294,896 boxes at this date last year To load-Adolf for Gothenburg, Veghts- troom for Amsterdam, Tasso for Rotterdam Hero for Antwerp. City of Brussels for Hamburg, Cornucopia for Baltic ports, Achilles for Nantes & Bordeaux, Demetian for Mediterranean ports, Almargo for Spanish Ports, Foylemore for Danubian ports, Chicago City for New York, Langdale for Rio de Janeiro and Santos, Telamon for China, Sarpeadon for Japan. Vessels in dock-Steam 46 sail 26 tot il 72.

Local Chartering. Almeria, 7/6, Cordova, Corys Trading Co Ancona, coal and fuel, 8/6 and 9/8, Atlantic Co Civita Vecchia, 8/ Cleeves and Co Dieppe, 4/ The Monarch, Williams and Behenna Fecamp, 4/9, Brilliant, E W Cook Nantes, 5.50frs, Sunlight, T P Richards Plymouth, 8/tOJ, Mary Emily, C E Handy- side Rouen, 4/111, Havtor, Wms and Behenna Rouen, 5/ Thames, Inter. Anthra. Assos Ronen, 5/ Eppleton, R L Morgans Rouen, 5/ Patronia, Coward and Sons Rouen, 5/ Start, M Depeaux Rouen, 6/Si, Ossian, Sowth Wales Colly Co St Nazaire, 5 fr, name not out. Cie Blanzy St Servan, 4/9, Blue Bell, Bazzahi & Co Stockholm, 5/3, name not out, Cleeves & Co Belfast, 3/li, The Marquis, W E Williams Caen. 4¡'4t, G Player, Lewi3 Stephens 2 Dundalk, 3/9, Deansgate, Cann and Glass Genoa, Savon or Leghorn, coal 8/- and 8/9, Atlantic Co Littlehampton, 4/6, name not out, Aber- pergwm Co Rouen, 5/3, Ossian, Atlantic Co Rouen, 5/3. Glassalt, Atlantic Co Spezzia, Leghorn, or Catania, 7/ Craig- forth, Stettin, 5/ Orion, International Anthracite Association Venice, coal and fuel 8/- and 8/9, Emanuel, Atlantic Fuel Co

FOREIGN ARRIVALS AND MOVEMENTS OF LOCAL VESSELS. Cremon s arrived Harburg from Swansea 18 Flaor s arrived Bordeaux from S'sea 18 Arethusa s arrived Bordeaux from S'sea 18 Shoal Fisher s arrived :8t Valery from Swansea 17 Tecwyn s arrived St Valery from S'sea 17 Solis s arrived Barcelona from S'sea 15 Ida s arrived Genoa from Swansea 18 Carl Levers s arrived Savona from S'sea 16 Ebenezer s arrived St Valery from Swansea 18 Essonite s arrived Rouen from Swansea 19 Corneille s arrived Nantes from Swansea 19 Ren s arrived Valencia from Swansea 16 Maria Vittorta. s arrived Savona from S'sea 17 Thurston s arrived Beyrout from Swansea 20 Montana s arrived Philadelpoia from S'sea 21 Norderney s arrived Stetttn from Swansea 16 Carlos s arrived Stettin from Swansea 16 City oi Cadiz s arrived Hamburg from S'sea 15 Bamse s arrived St Malo from Swansea 15 Nephrite s arrived Cherbourg from Swansea 15 Start s arrived Cherbourg from Swansea. 13 Ville d'Eu s arrived Sreport from S'sea 16 Agnes Craig s arrived Treport from S'sea 18 Cognac s arrived Cearente from Swansea 17 Voltaire s arrived Bordeaux from S'sea 15 Duchess of Cornwall s arrived Civita Vecchia, from Swansea 18 Penmount s arrived Torre Annunziata from Swansea 18 Reynolds s arrived Venice from Swansea 18 Peter Benoit s passed Brunsbuttnl from Swansea 16 City of Hamburg s arrived Hamburg from Swansea 18 Lutece s arrived Rouen from Swansea 17 The Eonaach s arrived Rouen from S'sea 17 0 Kronprinz Olav s arrived Barcelona from Swansea 14 Lena Petersen s arrived Catania from S'sea 11 Bergslagen s arrived Stockholm from S'sea 15 Iser s arrived Ergasteria from Swansea 20 Caswell s tr arrived Oporto from S'sea 18 Ailsa Craig s arrived Caen from Swansea 20 Orne s arrived Trouville from S'sea 21 Start s arrived Rouen from Swansea 21 Lycidds s arrived Rouen from S'sea 21 St Kevin s arrived Rouen from Swansea 21 Inver s arrived Rouen from Swansea 21 Ebenezer s arrived St Valery from S'sea 18 Neapel s arrived Bona from S'sea 17

R .art AHILH F itjl'i CTHKB Fisa. Pish, as a rule arenotsuppn.-pdtobogrMA admirers of fishing. With them it is generally a matter of being at the wrong end r.f the lina But there are some curious-looking fish which do a great deal of fishing themselves. They be long to the silurus fairly, and their extinguish- Ing features are the tentacle appendages of th« mouth. For a long time, says Science Siftingi tn., precise object of these tentacles was not un- derstood There did not seem to be any possible use for them. Close observation, how. ever, in a tank with numerous other small fisfe ■f^w the sly silurus ising thpir tentacles as do- ooys, like the fin raj s of the fishing frog, to antics unwary little fish within reach of the mouth. The long silvery tentacles were waT". to and fro until some unwise little fish would approach, either fascinated by the display or sonsumed by curiosity. When the little fish «*» dose enough there was a wild rush, a gobble and it was all over. The silurus also iisei iiA itntacles as hands. The fish has been seen to approach some object in the water, and then, is ttead of getting any closer, it would project the points of its tentacles to the object and feel it very gingerly, as if satisfying itself that there was no dtnger before making any closet so- quaintance.

4 TIll: QUAKER AND HIS WATCH. The following quaint letter was addressed- by a Doncaster Quaker to his watchmaker over t hundred years ago: Friend John,—Once more I Rend my erro- neous watch which requires thy friendly cats arid correction. The! last time he was at thy nchool 'he was by no means benefited by thy in- ♦truction, as I fina by the index of his tongue b* is a liar, wid his movements are wavering and unsettled. This make* me think he is not right in the inner man. ). mean the mainspring. Toach him to speak the truth and the equa- tion table, and when thou finds him to these, send him notice with a bill in modera- tion, which will assuredly be paid by thy true friend,-OBADIAH PEINOB.

*— PBOVKKBS ABOUT WOMEN. The Germans eay: "Listen tp a woman's torsi opinion, but not her second." This pi It embodies the world-old theory that a WOU^D'I wtuition is better than her reason. The French say: "A wife is a. perpetual tor- nent," and A man of straw is worth a woman )f gold." The absurd French cynicism h-r, trench distrust of womankind, is as well ",N. trayed in those two proverbs as in one of Guy de Maupassant's stories. The Spanish love their women, but in a light and jesting way. Thus their proverbs make sport of her. For instance: '"Women, wind, and fortune are changeable." "If you have any- thing; to proclaim in the open market you need only whisper it to a woman." "Be on your guard against a bad woman and never trust a good one." "There is only one bad wife, buv every h'lsiSand thinks he ills got her." Bitter and contemptuo is tne Italian's idea of woman. They say in taly as they suck des- perately on their miserably-made Government tigars: "He who loses his wife aivi a brass farthing has only lost the latter." The Chinese objection to women is that she talks too much. "A woman's tongue M he» sword, and she never permits it to rust." The American proverbs are kinder-. "Women can keep a secret, but it takes a lot oi them to do it," and Women paint to hide their blushes

« JAPANESE LACQUER TREE. Japanese lacquer is a very curious substance. A simple tree sap, like maple sap, it is, yet when applied to wood or metal quite indestructible A coat of lacquer is proof against alcohol against boiling water, against almost all known agencies. The lacquer tree of Japan is ,e Q targe. It is always cut down at the age of forty fears, as thereafter it begins to dry up. Each r»e yields on its demolition about six barrels of lacquer sap. The Japanese are very careful not to let foreigners into the secrets of lacquering

» QuEER MUSICAL INSTBUMENTB. Among the queer instruments in the Metro- politan Museum of Art, New York a.re a cans riolin and a tne flute. The former is a peculiar. Barrow instrument of small size, but perfect in every detail, made hi. imitation of a walking- Stick and furnished with an ornamental knob handle. The stringe are held by small iron piiiN and are tuned by a key. When not in use a small bow slips within the stick, and a rounrf cover, held by metal bft»ds, conceals the elevet Stile instrument. The length of the violin )6 2ft. llin., and its greateat width is Ifin. It is a German conceit, and dates from the nineteenth eentury. Like the os»e violin, the oane flute is also of German make, bat it dates from early in the eighteenth eeattMry. The ffette is in C, and is made of light wood, ornamented with turned Dands of tne same cokwur aad finished with a knob. The lower joint M eøHd. It has six fiajper holes and one flat brass tooy. 1'h4! metmment blown at the side. like the transverse flute, &{u £ M exoeilent wuudef.