Punch (53.1867)

158

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

[October 19, 1867.

NEW AND INGENIOUS IDEA FOR CROQUET.

If Men will Flirt, instead of paying Attention to the Game, make Hoops of them

EARTPIQUAKERY.

The newspaper acquaints us with
an Indian Collector who “ has tbe
honour to report the occurrence of
the Shock of an Earthquake on tbe
3rd of July/’ a specimen of precise
official language which we may
expect to see followed by an acknow-
ledgment of the receipt of a Hurri-
cane on the 10th inst., or an advice
of the departure of a Tornado under
date of the 20th ult. Tempests duly
filed, and Typhoons carefully dock-
eted. Monsoons minuted, and Trade-
winds deposited in the official
Registry.

Writing of earthquakes, people
who live in countries afflicted with
them may possibly like to know that
they are not unavoidable calamities.

The most Incorrigible Delinquent to be the Middle

Hoop.

at least according to a notorious
Prophetic Almanack for 1868, one of
the articles in which is advertised
to be—“ Earthquakes, and How to
Prevent Them.” If the writer
possesses an infallible specific against
these little unpleasant commotions,
no doubt his practice in the Tropics
will be large and lucrative; but
most likely he is no great shakes—
only one more of our many earth-
quacks, who deserves to be made to
shake in his shoes for his pre-
sumption.

a professional view of things.

Our Doctor, who goes every
Autumn to Brighton, invariably makes
the same remark when he first sees
the sea—the saline mixture as before.

British and Foreign Fashions.

Some people fear, and others hope, that Romanism will go on very
largely extending amongst the higher classes in this country, especially
the women. Very likely it will. They always begin to adopt foreign
fashions just when foreigners are leaving them off. So they now, while
Continental peoples are forsaking the Pope, are very likely to assume
the rags of Popery.

REMARKABLE PHENOMENON.

It appears to have escaped the notice of the scientific that at a little
town in Cambridgeshire, marked on the maps as Newmarket, the year
is longer than in any other place in the world, the inhabitants now for
many consecutive Autumns having had a Second October.

Bleeding the Sick Man.

A Combination of French and Belgian speculators, MM. Toucas
et Compagnie, have obtained concessions for a net of Turkish railways,
for which twenty-four millions of capital have to be raised, and seven
per cent, interest guaranteed by the Government. As no Turkish
railway line is paying five per cent., while every Turkish railway
guarantee is in arrear, this would seem to hold out for both Govern-
ment and subscribers a safe prospect of loss, en tout-cas.

the romance of surgery.

There has just appeared an advertisement of a work by an eminent
surgeon, under the title of “ Rodent Cancer.” Now does not this
look like the announcement of a surgical novel ?