Show BRIEF information short items of interest gathered from all over the world in 1898 earthquakes were felt in ausalia on days vegetable lifo 1 I does not alst in the sea below a depth of 1 feet the sea freezes at 29 deg fahr fresh gatei lakes at 32 deg fahr the hottest and coldest months tor the ocean are august and february moscow Is situated almost in the geometrical center of european russia british south africa has a population of 1133 white people and 3 colored st petersburg is i occupies six large and many small islands at the mouth of the neva scotland a nt Is connected by merged baneat a fath 1 wb M ff 8 w the largest island j in the world Is bew guinea square miles great britain square miles three fourths of the area of japan Is mountainous and less laper cent isa 1 f under cultivation 1 aft the casp an sea square miles Is the largest lake in the world lough leagh Is square mile y mount everest in the himalayas 29 feet Is the highest mountain nahe world ben nevis Is 4 feet H 1 the forests of roumania cover about one sixth of the total area of the country reaching a total of over 7 acres the average depth of the sea Is about 12 feet the a height of the land above sea 1 level Is about 1 feet queensland 1 assesses oss esses the most interesting flora end the most numerous and ablo wild fruits in the world russia in europe alone has an area of 2 square miles the area of siberia 1 Is 5 square miles the norwegian lakes sometimes freeze with such rapidity that it Is possible to cross them on ice formed in a single night f butterflies are numerous in uganda that they may be seen covering the ground in dense white 01 yellow clumps the area of the groups of islands of which japan Is composed Is about two thirds greater than that of great britain 1 I 1 the congo flows with considerable rapidity in ita upper reaches A speed of feet per minute has been the deepest sounding yet made in the oceans Is the aid rich deep to the east of new zea land here the sea Is 30 feet deep japan Is fifty times smaller than cussia in superficial area and her total pop Is about one third that of the russian empire lake Is the only large sheet of fresh water in japan worthy of mention it la 36 malejs long 12 miles wide and its greatest depth about feet loch Is one of the deepest lakes in the british isles A maximum sounding of feet has been made in this lake whilst the mean depth Is feet new zealand s scenery Is so beautiful and so varied that it has been termed a alon of switzerland southern france norway the tyrol and north italy recent travelers in tibet have noticed that while the effects 0 rarefied air are severely felt at altitudes of between 14 and 16 feet on going yet higher all disagree able sensations pass oft snow even in the tropics never melts but remains continuously all the year round above a height of feet in colder climes the snow line Is much lower than this hough icebergs sometimes rise to a height of feet above the sea level eight ninths of their total height Is below the water during the challenger arctic expedition an iceberg three miles in length w as seen kongwha Is an island ott the west coast of korea of considerable am it has a curious appearance ow ing to the tact that it Is crossed from east to west by tour parallel chains of mountains A volcanic eruption at st vincent once threw a cloud of dust against the wind to st bar badges a distance of miles the deposit fell for twelve hours over the entire island attaining a thickness of nearly halt an inch its estimated weight was therefore nearly 2 tons I 1 central china there Is a province cunnan the entire population of which men women and children are hopelessly given to the opium habit the poppy Is cultivated in almost every available patch or arable land and the in habitants are absolutely demoralized and fit for nothing by reason of their abuse of the drug the kea la a greenish brown parrot of new zealand which Is as dangerous to the sheep of that country as wolves would be these carnivorous birds fasten themselves on the backs of grazing sheep tear through wool and skin to the kidney tat which they devour leaving the unfortunate animal to perish in agony the natives of i in the east african protectorate go about well armed they carry a stout ace of spades shaped spear a real buffalohide buffalo hide shield a heavy dou afe edged sword a club and several strong sticks their principal gar ment is a plentiful coat of terra cotta earth and they wear numerous arti cles of metal as ornaments |