KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 
into the water, and diving underneath the shark, 
turned himself on his back, and thrust the knife 
into the belly of the monster in several places ; 
but it was of little use, the shark having seized 
upon Hanson, and taken his leg off near the 
knee. 
Flowers then endeavored to get his comrade on 
his back ; but both of them were nearly exhausted. 
He succeeded, however, in getting him into the 
boat, and bound up the wound with his shirt.When 
they reached the hospital, their unfortunate com- 
rade was nearly dead from exhaustion, but after a 
short time recovered. While on their way, they 
captured the wounded shark, and towed it on 
shore. It weighed 234 ]bs., and when opened the 
leg was found in its throat, the bone mangled to 
bits. The body of the shark has been placed in 
the Sailors’ Home at Corfu. 
THE BLESSINGS OF PURE WATER. 
Wine, wine! thy power and praise 
Have ever been echoed in minstrel lays ; 
But Water, I deem, hath a mightier claim 
To fill up a niche in the temple of Fame. 


ALL WHO ARE well versed in the contents 
of OUR JOURNAL, can testify to our un- 
flinching advocacy of aqua pura—WATER. the 
very fountain of life. We have not blindly 
spoken in its praise, nor sung of its many 
virtues without giving reasons out of number 
for our first love—first and last with us, good 
people; for we know its inestimable value. 
Some may say, “It is all very well for you, 
Mr. Editor, who live in the country, to talk 
about rivulets of water, pellucid streams, 
erystal fountains, babbling brooks, &c.; but 
how can WE, who live in London, ever become 
water-drinkers ? ‘The sources from whence 
it flows are so filthily impure—even the best 
of them, that we verily believe many are 
quite, and others more than half poisoned by 
taking it in combination with beer, tea, and 
other beverages. If we deliberately ask for 
a glass of cold spring water, and drink it off 
(believing it to be such), our stomach soon 
sets us right as to our ‘ great mistake.’ We 
pay a penalty for our credulity, that makes 
us hate cold water ever afterwards.” 
This is good argument. we admit; and we 
as freely confess that we seldom ourself 
venture on a draught of cold water in Lon- 
don, for the reason above assigned. There 
can be no doubt whatever that the flavor of 
dogs, cats, rats, &e. (so peculiar to, and so 
inseparable from, all river waters—our own 
Thames, par excellence) is not an amiable one, 
and the sooner it is got rid of the better. 
The object of this article is to point out a 
remedy for so great an evil; not a partial 
remedy, but an effectual one. We mentioned 
in our last, that we had received a new patent 
Filter ; and we promised to test its powers. 
We have done so. Now, we are well aware 
of the great prejudice existing with the public 
against the use of filters generally.. Our 
| everything. 

185 
dislike to them is as great; but we are not 
obstinate in our dislikes; and we like to try 
It is well for us that we are 
thus pliable. 
RANSOME’S PATENT FILTER came direct 
to us from the Depot, 71, Baker Street. 
We examined it carefully, and were sur- 
prised to find no sponge attached to it—as 
is usual with the common filters hitherto 
in use; and the filth necessarily collected in 
which is too horrible to be dwelt upon. 
This gave us hope. Nor was our hope 
doomed to be disappointed. We found 
the filter to be (what all good inventions 
invariably are) perfectly simple. The water 
is filtered through stone only. There is no 
sponge whatever required. A small quantity 
of river shingle (first carefully washed) is 
placed in the filter. On this the water is 
poured ; and by it, nearly all impurity is an- 
nihilated ere it reaches the stone diaphragm 
of the filter below.* 
Here it distils itself, like nectar, into 
the reservoir beneath; and by simply turn- 
ing a neat little tap, you have a necta- 
reous draught, whose purity can never be 
over-valued. Early and late are we at this 
running stream; and to its influence do we 
mainly attribute the fact of our brain being 
unusually bright. 
Some affect to despise cold water. The 
Goths! We wish such people could see 
us at 6 a.m., taking our matutinal draught 
at the pellucid stream flowing from Ran- 
some’s Filter. ‘They would envy us ourtreat. 
Talk of Mount Helicon, indeed! Why 
go noodling so far a-head, when a Hippo- 
crene can be found bubbling up in one’s 
own garden—aye, and attached (at a very 
cheap cost) to every cistern in every house 
in the kingdom, where water has access? 
How beautiful cold water is! 
Oh, is’t not wondrous fair ? 
No spot can ever lonely be 
If water sparkle there ! 
It hath a thousand tongues of mirth, 
Of grandeur, or delight ; 
And every heart is gladder made 
When water is in sight. 
These sweet lines are by a lady. Welove 
to let the ladies have ‘‘ the last word’’—when 
they speak so much to the purpose ! 
* This shingle can be lifted out every now and 
then, carefully washed, and then replaced. It 
will last, we are told, for a considerable time ; and 
nothing can be more cleanly, sweet, and whole- 
some. 
WHO SHALL DECIDE? 

Ir is with our judgments as with our watches, 
none go just alike, yet each believes his own.— 
Pope. 


