An Indian sword-player declared at a great public festival, that he
could cleave, vertically, a small lime laid on a man's palm without
injury to the member; and the general (Sir Charles Napier) extended
his right hand for the trial. The sword-player, awed by his rank, was
reluctant, and cut the fruit horizontally. Being urged to fulfil his
boast, he examined the palm, said it was not one to be experimented on
with safety, and refused to proceed. The general then extended his
left hand, which was admitted to be suitable in form; yet the Indian
still declined the trial; and when pressed, twice waved his thin,
keen-edged blade, as if to strike, and twice withheld the blow,
declaring he was uncertain of success. Finally, he was forced to make
trial, and the lime fell open, cleanly divided: the edge of the sword
had just marked its passage over the skin without drawing a drop of
blood!--_Sir Charles Napier's Administration in Scinde_.




WIRE USED IN EMBROIDERY.


In the manufacture of embroidery fine threads of silver gilt are used.
To produce these, a bar of silver, weighing 180 ounces, is gilt with
an ounce of gold; this bar is then wire-drawn until it is reduced to a
thread so fine that 3400 feet of it weigh less than an ounce. It is
then flattened by being submitted to a severe pressure between
rollers, in which process its length is increased to 4000 feet. Each
foot of the flattened wire weighs, therefore, the 4000th part of an
ounce. But as in the processes of wire-drawing and rolling the