OCCASIONAL NOTES.

THE NEW ORGAN IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY.

The old-new, or the new-old, organ of Westminster Abbey was formally tried on the 24th of May, at the usual afternoon service, after which a recital, which served to exhibit the extreme beauty and power of some of the new work, was given. The new organ has fifty-six speaking stops, besides many mechanical stops, couplers, &c., and is placed in two lofty blocks, like the one in St Paul’s Cathedral, at the west end of the two choir screens, only that in this case the player sits between the two over the doorway of the choir. The magnificent oak case, designed by Mr Pearson, has not yet been erected, because the funds for the purpose—about fifteen hundred pounds—are not, as we write, yet collected. The principal bellows are blown by a gas-engine, and are placed in a vault below the cloisters, the pipes conveying the air being nearly one hundred feet in length. A curious arrangement exists to connect the keys with the pipes, which is done by tubes, through which, on the key being pressed, wind, under heavy pressure, is admitted, and acts instantly on a small bellows at the other end of the tube. This, on being inflated, pulls down the pallet or valve under the sound-board, and thus gives air to the pipe. This clever system is said not to get out of order or to be affected by changes of temperature.

It may be interesting to state that this organ was in the first instance built by Schreider and Jordan so far back as 1730. Exactly a hundred years after (1830) it was added to by Elliott; and again in 1848 and in 1868, Hill made many additions; and it has now been almost completely reconstructed by Messrs Hill and Son, of the same well-known firm. It may fairly be considered, with that in St Paul’s Cathedral, and All Saints, Margaret Street, to take rank as one of the finest church organs in London.

THE ANTHROPOMETRICAL LABORATORY AT THE HEALTH EXHIBITION.

Without intending the smallest disrespect to our numerous readers, we will venture to say that more than one will be inclined to ask the very obvious question, ‘What is anthropometry?’ Well, this fine-sounding, Greek-adapted name signifies the art of describing and recording, in a schedule provided for that purpose, the particulars appertaining to the condition, functions, powers, and capabilities of the human body and limbs. Every person visiting the Laboratory at the Health Exhibition can have his or her schedule filled up with a statement, ascertained on the spot, of his name or initials, age, sex, occupation, place of birth, colour of hair and eyes, height standing and sitting, weight, length of span of arms, strength of squeeze and of pull, swiftness and weight of direct fist-blow, capacity of chest, lungs, and breathing, as measured by a spirometer, acuteness of vision as measured by a test type, conditions of colour-sense, and acuteness of hearing. The ascertaining of these particulars, and any others of a like nature bearing immediately on the principal question, seems to be the especial business of the art of anthropometry. It may be objected that the collecting of these facts, though interesting enough to the individual practised upon and his family, can be of no possible use beyond that limit, or indeed anywhere else; but the gentleman who has originated this novel and ingenious scheme (Mr Francis Galton) proposes to keep a duplicate of the filled-up schedule which each person operated on will receive; and by this means he hopes to obtain a very large number of facts and statements, which will doubtless be ultimately arranged and tabulated, and made good use of by the originator, who may possibly submit them to the Registrar-general, or to the Statistical Society, for enrolment amongst their curious records. It is, at anyrate, in spite of its somewhat alarming Greek name, an interesting experiment.

ADVICE TO INTENDING EMIGRANTS.

A correspondent in New South Wales writes to us as follows: ‘Australia offers a wide field for the capitalist and the manual labourer, but I should not advise others to try their fortunes here. For educated persons, male or female, without capital, Australia is a death-trap. Such persons would, according to my observation, do far better in America, or in the English settlements in China. In China, young gentlemen possessing no other fortune than a good education, are soon employed in the warehouses and stores by the Chinese merchants, who value Englishmen whenever they can get them to take charge of the more responsible parts of their businesses. The Chinese Customs’ Departments also are open to educated young Englishmen. But in Australia, brains are not a marketable commodity; strong arms are more sought for. The streets of Sydney are thronged with hundreds of educated young Englishmen, who have come out here persuaded by their friends that work is easily got, as well as money, which is not the case, except in one or two kinds of labour. I know of scores of temperate young gentlemen out here who have done all they could to find employment, and failed; and at last have had to seek relief in the Refuge. Some commit suicide out of sheer despair.

‘No one, unless he can swing a pickaxe well and is possessed of plenty of muscular strength, with not too much refinement in him, should think of coming out here to earn his bread, much less make his “pile,” unless he has some capital, say a few thousands, to start a warehouse, or take up land and go in for sheep-farming. Sometimes young educated men, who bring good letters of introduction and good characters also, are given government situations, as I am thankful to say was the case with me. But I should warn any educated young man who has no friends here or capital, against coming to Australia. Even where he brings letters, he often has great trouble to get a situation, as there are so many colonials’ sons hanging about doing nothing. The towns are overloaded with men, and the country is left untouched for want of capital in the majority of those who come out here.

‘Servants of all classes do well here; ten shillings per week and board and lodging is the usual wage for female servants good or bad; and one pound per week with board and lodging for male servants. Governesses are an utter failure; hundreds are doing nothing here now; and when they do get employed, they don’t do much better than at home; sixty pounds with board and lodging is the usual salary; but they have to act as nurses often as well, for that sum.

‘My advice to young gentlemen and ladies who are thinking of giving up their situations at home and emigrating to Australia in the hopes of getting work and good salary, is—Don’t.’

A CURIOUS DISEASE.

The London Medical Record quotes some information regarding a strange disease that is met with in Siberia, and known to the Russians by the name of ‘Miryachit.’ The person affected seems compelled to imitate anything he hears or sees, and an interesting account is given of a steward who was reduced to a perfect state of misery by his inability to avoid imitating everything he heard and saw. One day the captain of the steamer, running up to him, suddenly clapping his hands at the same time, accidentally slipped, and fell hard on the deck. Without having been touched, the steward instantly clapped his hands and shouted; then, in helpless imitation, he, too, fell as hard, and almost precisely in the same manner and position as the captain. This disease has been met with in Java, where it is known as ‘Lata.’ In the case of a female servant who had the same irresistible tendency to imitate her mistress, the latter, one day at dessert, wishing to exhibit this peculiarity, and catching the woman’s eye, suddenly reached across the table, and seizing a large French plum, made pretence to swallow it whole. The woman rushed at the dish and put a plum in her mouth, and, after severe choking and semi-asphyxia, succeeded in swallowing it; but her mistress never tried the experiment again.

ANOTHER UPHILL RAILWAY.

The Hôtel des Alpes at Chillon, and the Hôtel de Mont Fleury at Montreux, Switzerland, are situated at no great distance apart; but the difference of elevation between the two is over two hundred feet, and the incline very steep. To get over this difficulty, it is intended to call in the aid of that mighty power which has of late so prominently come to the front—electricity. After a long series of carefully conducted experiments, it has been determined that an uphill railway shall be constructed between the two hotels named, to be driven by electricity. An electric motor will be placed on a car to drive a cog-wheel; this wheel will gear into a central cogged rail, and by this means draw or pull the car up the ascent. Conductors placed beside the central rail will convey the current of the generator, which will be kept going by a five-horse-power locomotive engine. It is, however, in contemplation to drive the dynamo not by steam, but by water-power, abundance of which, descending from the hills, can be had close by, and only requires utilising. This railway will in many points resemble that up the Righi, only that electricity will be its driving-power instead of the odd-looking little engine so well known at the latter place; and when it is completed, it will certainly be a great boon to travellers frequenting these beautiful spots.