The Swansea Gazette and Daily Shipping Register

CSK Swansea Gaze«'A And Oailp SDippiia Register Swansea, February 3, 1909. ';i

Swansea Harbour Trust Weekly Trade Report. Officially Communicated. There was a good deal of improvement in the trade of the port in the week just closed and compared with the corresponding week of last year there is an increase of 24,000 tons. The import trade was brisk with better weather conditions There was more activity in the coal trade, but less in the patent fuel. But the general trade owing to the non-arrival of expected shipping was quiet. The shipments of coal and patent fuel were 84,040 tons. Imports include-Germany 200 tons gen, Holland 200 tons general, France 1515 tons iron ore, 2584 tons pitwood, 195 tons phos- phate and 242 tons general, Portugal 956 tons pitwood, Spain 1500 tons iron ore, Italy 1600 tons calamine, Algeria 1946 tons calamine, Chile 263 tons copper ore and 19 tons silver ore, New York 124 tons general. Imports 19,509 tons, exports 90,376 tons and total trade 109,885 ton 3 compared with 75,702 tons the previous week and 85,586 tons the corresponding week last year. Shipments of coal were- Sweden 720 tons. Germany 2550 tons, Holland and Bel- gium 8200 tons, France 45,150 tons, Spain 2330 tons, Portugal 470 tons, Italy 8840 tons, Algeria 1550 tons, Alexandria 900 Chili 1900 tons, Home ports 8900, total, 76,510 tons. Patent fuel-France 2420 tons Spain 1010 Italy 400 tons Algeria2200 tons, Alexandria 1500 tons, total, 7,530 tons, Tinplates and general goods 6,836 tons, the latter for Sweden, Germany, Holland & Belgium; France, Portugal, Italy and home ports. Shipments of tinplate 71.129 boxes, and receipts from works 69,718 boxes. Stocks in the dock warehouses and vans, 218,117 boxes compared with 219,528 boxes this day week and 169,828 boxes at this date last year To load--Veghtstroom for Amsterdam, Milo for Rotterdam, City of Cadiz for Ham- burg, Vadso for Copenhagen and Stettin, Laura for Reval &c, Mercury for Bordeaux, Solis for Spanish ports, Demetian & Aleppo for Mediterranean ports, Wells City for New York, Priam for China & Japan. Vessels in dock-Steam 46 sail 33 tot tl 79.

I Local Chartering. Boulogne, 4/, Greenhill, Wms & Behenna Cherbourg, c & f, 4/9 and 5/3, Idaho or Wyoming, Societe Commerciale Havre, 4/1i, City of Rochester, Glasbrook Bros Noirkopping, 6/9, Atos, A Andrews Rouen, 5/4-1, Idaho, Sth Wales Anthra. Co Stettin, 4/9, Ulla Borg, Wms & Behenna Arzew, coal and fuel 8.50 and 9.50frs, Hansa, Societe Commerciale Genoa, 7/3, Everest, G Thomas London, 4/8, Gem liner, E W Cook Rouen, 4/9, Alice M Craig, E W Cook Rouen, 4/9, Alma, P H Coward and Sons Rouen, 5/1-1, Baron Selwood, Sth Wales 2 Anthracite Co Stettin, 4/9, Wermland, Inter. Anthracite Association Caen, 4/9, Rossmore, E W Cook Fecamp, 4/9, St Patrick, E W Cook & Co Genoa, 7/ Neapel, E T Agius Havre 4/9, Glassalt, Williams and Behenna La Rochelle, coal and fuel, 4.87t and 5.37t, 2 Rouen, 5/1, Stokesley, M Depeaux

Vaugnan's Year Book 1909 Now ready, and may be obtained from all Newsagents Price one penny

IV Wie wintry weather, In Swede*, asHorway Wesaes of straw and hay are tied to the lamp-pest? fer the benefit of the birds. Tn hottest springs in Europe are the Italian taths of Nero, where the water is 182deg« It* 49d",s at Bath are I15deg. I

TBR WOMEN OF INDIA. Many of th& women of India, and especially Kiose of Cashmere, are beautiful. In a typical BIndu beauty the skin is just darfc enough to gifi a rich, soft appearance to the complexion. "tM features are regular, the eyes mild and black, and tbaded by long, silken lashes, the hands and feet are small and well foinitd, the demeanour is modest, the manner is gentle, the voice low and sweet. There are fine-looking women among th, waiddle-class Hindus, as well as among the upper teen, and evm among the lower class the faces are often very pleasing. Many a Hindu woman wh( has, perhaps, little pretensions to beauty of fact", has, nevertheless, the stey and carriage of a princess, and if r.oe is not tco fastidious afoonS ')f'rfection of eyes and month 1>\(' nose, her figur* M she walks down the street, with her loa$«?a hfltf wmt, is truly a beautiful sight. I

SUPERSTITION'S 3 ROUT BABIED. There are many superstitions with regard fJII babies which mothers .-rL, careful to observe. In Germajy, for instance, as in some parts of England, the infant must be carried upstairs fcefw*' It goes down. If is happens to be born in an at in- the nurse cvpt-.v-mep the difficulty by mountitg a shair with the babe m h»r arms. Scottish mother? be!irve their babies wtfl te* "*«cky if they handle thftr spoons with their left- flands, and prosperity in later life ip supposed to follow many tumbles in the first year. A new-born Yorkshire infant is placed in thf arms of a maiden before being Kmched by anyon# ip order to secure good luck. In the Isle of .vlan it is said that M aDTone waii ittund,, or step over a baby, it will be dwarf fed wizened. Binding the baby'ft right hand i- mused fa mm pJV*:1J of Knffland to aecute "t Hfe-

Fiss WHICH F,.sii CTHTBR FISH. Fish, as a rule are not supposed to be gwe& admirers of fishing. With them it is generally a matter of being at the wrong end (..J the lias. But there are some curious-looking fish which do a great deal of fishing themselves. They bw long to the silurus faraiJj, and their d'tinguisli- kig features are the fia&acle appendages of thtt mouth. For a long. tane, says Science Sifiingt precise object of these tentacles was Dot mik- derstood There did Lot seem to be &W possible use for them. Clo:,e observation, hew. ever, in a tank with numerous other small ftaife K'^w the sly silurus ising th-vir tentacles as ooys, like the fin rat s of tht> fishing frog, to entice unwary little fish within reach of tke mouth. The long silvery tentacles were wavei to and fro until some unwise little fish would approach, either fascinated by the display 01 consumed by curiosity. When the little fish cot close enough there was a wild rush, a gobble and it was all over. The silurus also uses ita tntacles as hands. The fish has been seen to e approach some object in the water, and then, ia stead of getting any closer, it would project tta points of its tentacles to The object and feel it very gingerly, as if satisfying itself that there was no danger before making any closet as. quaintance. 4 —

THE QUAKER AND HIS WATCH. The following quaint letter was addressed hy a Doncaster Quaker to his watchmaker over a hundred years ago; Friend John,—Once more I send rny erro- neous watch which requires thy friendly caro and correction. The last time he waa at thy school he was by no means benefited by thy in. «t ruction, as I fino oy the index of his tongue h" is a liar, and his movements are wavering and unsettled. This m.ike« me think he is not right in the inner man. ). mean the mainspring. Teach him to sneak the truth and the equa- tion table, and when ihou finds him conformable bo these, send him hou.a with a bill in modera- tion, which will {uwsuiedly be paid by thy true 'riend,—OBACIAH PUINUB." mill I, ii.I

PHOVBEBS ABOUT WOMEN. The Germans say: Listen if a woman's first opinion, but not her second." This pi rfc embodies the world-old theory that a woman's ')* tuition is better than her reason. fhe French say: "A wife i& a perpetual tor- nant," and" A man of straw is worth a woman if gold." The absurd French cynicism th, Vrehch distrust of womankind, is as well por- trayed in those two proverbs aa in one of Guy de Maupassant's stor-ies. 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, bu' every b'island thinks he Ms got ÎIer." Bitter and contcmptuo is the Italian's idea of woman. They say in ialy as they suck des- perately on their miserably-made Government sigal's: "He who loses his wife ard a brass farthing has only lost the latter." The Chinese objection to women is that she talks too much. A woman's tongue is her sword, and she never permits it to rust." The American proverbs are kinder' "Women can keep a secret, but it takes a lot or them to do it," and Women paint to hide their blushes 0

JAPANESE LACQUER TREE. Japanese lacquer is a very curious substance. A øimple 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 vert large. It is always cut down at the age of forty rears, as thereafter it begins to dry up. Each tree yields on its demolition about six barrels of lacquer sap. The Japanese are very careful not to let foreigners into the secrets of lacquering. t

QUEER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. Among the queer instruments in the Motm politan Museum of Art, New York are a cane violin and a trio flute. The former is a peculiar. narrow instrument of small size, but perfect ia every detail, made in imitation of a walking- Stick and furnished with an ornamental k. handle. The strings are held by small iron piDft, and are tuned by a key. When not in use a small bow slips within the stick, attd a rommt cover, held by metaj bands, conceals the eierot little instrument. The' length of the violin it 2ft. llin., and its greatest width is lfin. It in a German conceit, and dates from the nineteenth century. Like the cane violin, the ea»o ia also of German make, but it dates from early is the eighteenth century. The flute is ia C, and is made of light wood, ornamented with tomadl bands of the same colour and Snishttd witfl a knob. The lower joint is solid. It has holes and one flat brass kqy. iattoMMi blown at the side. like the tranaverae Sato, mmi to an excellent soimdm