last, Mr. Pryer ascended for some thirty | in regular order; soon they began to cirmiles the Sapugaya River, which flows in- cle up, rising into the air in a corkscrew to Sandakan Bay, on which the town is flight. Having reached a certain height, built. Passing through the mangrove and a detachment would break off and fly nipa swamps which line the banks, he ar- away rapidly. He counted nineteen flocks rived at noon on the second day at his go off like this, each flock consisting of destination the celebrated birds'-nest many thousands, and then they comcaves of Gomanton. These caves, which menced to pour away in a continuous are two in number, called by the natives stream until it was too dark to see them the Black and the White Caves, are situ- any longer. Soon after the bats emerged ated in a limestone cliff nine hundred feet from their cave, the swifts began to rein height, which the traveller came on turn to theirs, first in tens, then in hunquite suddenly in the centre of the forest. dreds, and at last they too streamed in The porch, Mr. Pryer writes, is rather continuously, and when the traveller went over one hundred feet wide by two hun- to sleep at midnight they were still flying dred and fifty high, and the roof slopes in in undiminished numbers. Rising be up for one hundred and ten feet more, so fore daylight the following morning, Mr. that the height of this magnificent natural | Pryer witnessed a reversal of the procathedral is three hundred and sixty feet. ceedings of the previous night, the swifts The interior of the Black Cave is well going out and the bats coming home. lighted, as there is a large circular hole in The latter, he says, literally rained into the roof on the right, and a smaller one their chasm for two hours after sunrise; on the left, forming two aisles. The walls looking up to the bright sky, numbers of and roof are rugged, and beautifully col- small specks appear, flash down perpenored, shading from black to brown, gray, dicularly with great rapidity, and disapdark yellow, red, and green. The nests pear into the darkness. From specimens of the bats and swifts were seen hanging of the bat which were secured, they were in clusters from the sides and roof, and found to be all of one species, the caudal here and there in seemingly the most in- membrane extending only half-way down accessible places were the rattan stages, the tail, which is free for an inch and a ladders, and ropes of the nest-gatherers. half, giving the animal, when the wings These latter reached their perilous heights are folded up, very much the appearance by means of many smaller caves in the of a mouse. The wings are very long and cliff above. The White Cave is four hun- narrow, and it flies with great speed. dred feet higher up than the Black Cave, Two species of birds of prey -one a kite, and at the entrance to this the nest- the other a hawk-the Haliaster indus gatherers live under a guard of the North and the Macharamphus alcinus, prey on Borneo Company's soldiers. After some the bats and swifts when swarming into examination Mr. Pryer was able to dis- and out of the caves. A detailed examcover the material which forms these mys-ination of the latter was rendered disaterious nests, and from which they derive the qualities which render them so highly prized in China. They are made from a soft fungoid growth that incrusts the limestone in all damp situations; it grows about an inch thick, outside dark brown, but inside white. The birds make the black nests from the outside layer, and the best quality of white nests are, of course, from the inside. It is taken by the bird in its mouth, and drawn out in a filament backwards and forwards like a caterpillar weaving its cocoon. At nightfall takes place what the natives style with much justice the most wonderful sight in all Borneo, and it might be added, one of the most wonderful sights in the world. viz., the return of the swifts to their nests, and the departure of the bats for the night. About that time a rushing sound was heard, and peering over the abyss into the Black Cave Mr. Pryer saw columns of bats wheeling round and round the sides

greeable by enormous quantities of guano, the deposit of centuries. Its depth is not known, but a long spear does not touch the bottom when thrust in to the hilt. All the roof of the dark parts of the cave was occupied by birds who keep up an intermittent twittering, sounding, from the im mense number of them, like the surf beating on a rocky shore. Near the centre of the largest cave the explorer was shown a small beam of light from a funnel at the top of the rock, exactly six hundred and ninety-six feet above his head. The nests are gathered from these enormous elevations by means of flexible rattan ladders and stages. On these two men take their station; one carries a light four-pronged spear about fifteen feet long, and just below the prongs a lighted candle is fixed. Holding on to the ladder with one hand, the spear is managed with the other, and the nest transfixed, a slight push detaching it from the rock. The spear is then

withdrawn until the head is within reach | may be that as yet the fewer numbers and greater earnestness of female students account for the comparative dearth of bon-mots.

of the second man, who takes the nest off the prongs and puts it in a pouch carried at the waist. According to statements made by the headman of the place, the There are some blunders which approx. annual value of the nests taken varies imate unconsciously to a joke, and to this from five to six thousand pounds sterling. category belong the following samples: This, it is to be presumed, means the Q. What is the feminine of senex? A. value on the spot; their value on reaching Seneca. 2. Give the genitive and EnChina must be far higher. The caves glish of grus. A. Gruntis, a pig. It often have been worked for several generations happens that the new pronunciation, spite without any apparent diminution, although of incontestable merits, is, nevertheless, a three crops are gathered in the year. Not- fruitful source of error, while we continue, withstanding the dangerous nature of their when naming the vowels, to employ the occupation - for even samphire-gatherers English method. Thus, we spell emi[the work in the open-accidents are very perfect of emo] ee, em, i, but pronounce rare amongst the natives employed in col-it aymee. So it is entirely to sounding lecting the nests. There is an almost in the c hard that the following literal renexhaustible supply of guano in the caves, dering must be attributed, "Quem . . and the number of bats and swifts in them demisere neci" (Eneid 11.), 'They is so enormous that if they are undis- hanged him by the neck." Virgil has at turbed a regular quantity may be taken all times afforded wide scope for mistransout yearly. Should the visitor to the lations; and to a young lady of a musical Health Exhibition who obtains some of turn it no doubt seemed the most natural this far-famed and mysterious soup have thing in the world to translate, ("Epylittle relish for it, as is not unlikely, he tides) signum dedit insonuitque flagello," will at any rate have the satisfaction of "Gave the signal and sounded his flageoknowing that he has before him a dish the let." It is not unreasonable to suppose principal ingredient of which was formed that an imposing equipage was present to by the little swifts and bats which inhabit the mind of another pupil who rendered the Gomanton Caves in the centre of the" Hannibal quadrato agmino venerat," magnificent tropical forests of North Bor. "Hannibal had come with a four-fold neo. There is probably no other article | van.' of food in the Health Exhibition, or in all Europe, more extraordinary in the mode of production, or in the method, and circumstances under which it is obtained.

From The Spectator.
CROOKED ANSWERS.

In one department, however that of malaprops-girls undoubtedly bear the palm. Sheridan was true to nature in representing a woman as the most perfect exponent of this peculiar figure of speech, and it was from an intellectual descendant of that entertaining character that the following specimens emanated. Speaking of the treatment of Roman slaves, she remarked, "Once they mutilated [mutinied], but it did no good." And again, in the course of some discursive lucubrations on the life and character of Pope, "Not many perhaps, excepting Dennis, ventured to attack him, except anomalously."

WITHIN the compass of two short article in Macmillan, under the title of "Diversions of a Pedagogue," Mr. Raven gave to the world such a delightful and well-assorted collection of schoolboy blunders as it would be hopeless to attempt to rival. It is at present our purpose merely Lewis Carroll gave quaint utterance to to supplement these with a few specimens a real truth in his explanation of sundry of the inaccuracy of some of their sisters, vocables in his immortal "Alice," as beover whom it was the writer's lot at one ing portmanteau words. There is a hazy, time to preside in the capacity of "gerund- ill-defined image floating about, and a grinder," to borrow Carlyle's phrase. fancied similarity or false analogy is all Entertaining as these answers have often that is required to produce some such been, the general impression left has been result as the following: Q. What were that in the quality of reckless daring, boys the points of dispute at the Synod of are as yet far ahead of girls. Certainly, Whitby? A. (inter alia) The tonciad as far as the faculty of diverting the peda- | (obviously a mixture of tonsure and Dungogue goes, Plato's distinction between ciad). The next blunder, again, is an exthe powers of men and women as one of cellent instance. Minucius was described degree only, seems to hold good. Or it as "Hannibal's (sic) horse-bearer," the

girl having confused the two titles of of taking "shots" rather than own to "standard-bearer," and "master of the ignorance is the cause to which some of horse," without in the least intending to the most delightful errors are due. Here ascribe such Herculean powers to the are two or three examples: " Odora canum officer in question, as the appellation vis," "a strong doggy smell." Q. What might seem to imply. Two definitions English word is derived from Phasis (the may suffice to complete this collection of river)? A. Facsimile. 2. What was schoolgirl blundering: Q. Who were the the sound of the Greek digamma? A. non-jurors? A. Non-jurors were those Like a big drum. Our last specimen is who would not or could not be jurymen. perhaps out of place in a collection of Q. What is an Agnostic? A. A sort of mistranslations and crooked answers; but riddle. We doubt whether at present any we trust our readers will find in the folgirl could perpetrate such astounding lowing verses enough intrinsic merit to blunders as the rendering of "Ultro pol-warrant their intrusion. They were writ licitus est quod antea negaverat," by "He ten in perfect good faith by a little boy of promised to the uncle what he had re- ten years old in response to the (in our fused to the aunt;" or that of "remigio opinion) somewhat ill-advised request of alarum," by "in the midst of alarms." his master that he and his form-fellows We are inclined to believe that Latin is should all write poems on the Taybridge not yet a sufficiently familiar subject in disaster:girls schools to breed the contempt or neglect requisite for the commission of

such enormities.

While on the subject of mistranslations, it may perhaps be allowable to introduce a notable instance of the result of using a "crib" not wisely but too well. An undergraduate having been put on in vivâ voce to construe Livy, boldly started off, Hitherto, the Carthaginian General," etc., to the great bewilderment of his examiners, inasmuch as there was no proper name in the text. Eventually it transpired that in the translation, which he had employed so assiduously as to know in great measure by heart, the first word of every chapter was printed in capitals; and he was thus beguiled, on the analogy of such words as "Himilco," into mistaking an English adverb" Hitherto" for a Carthaginian proper name. A desperate love

Now it nears the dreadful place,
Death is staring in its face,

But wince not, budge not, gallant stoker,
Near the fire stand with your poker.
Now the wind blows loud and strong,
Shaking all the bridge along,

But wince not, budge not, etc.
Then there comes an awful crash,
And with it a dreadful smash,

But wince not, budge not, etc.
Down sinks the train into the deep,
Many gentle mothers weep,

But wince not, budge not, etc.
On the next day were divers sent,
On bringing up dead bodies bent,

But wince not, budge not, etc.
Several bodies there were found,
But every one of them was drowned,

But wince not, budge not, gallant stoker,
Near the fire stand with your poker.

THE MOHAIR TRADE. In a report upon the commerce of Angora, Vice-Consul Barnham states that the mohair trade of the district is gradually decaying. Ten years ago the greater part of that trade was, he states, in the hands of the Christian natives of Angora, but almost the entire trade is now in the hands of the English. In its present state, however, it offers no profit, but rather entails a loss upon all who engage in it. Cape competition is killing it. The Cape farmer pays no tax for his mohair, whereas the tax on Angora mohair is six piastres per oke. And when to this tax is added the difference in the cost of farming, and in the expense of transit, the Angora exporter, when prices are regulated by Cape competition, gains next to nothing. And this state of things

has reacted upon the import trade of the province. "The Angora mohair merchant purchased mohair at the spring clip, and if he succeeded in disposing of it at a large profit, would at once invest those profits in Manchester goods or Scotch woollen stuffs, for which he always found a large demand both in the towns and outlying villages. Poverty has, however, laid such a hold upon the people here, that there is not one-third of the demand for these goods which existed five or six years ago. The apathy which characterizes trade throughout the province is painful to witness. Merchants remain idle in their shops from morning to night without receiving a single customer.'

Economist.

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