The young man entered the neat, prim, formal parlor.
"You are welcome!" said Mrs. Avenel, in a firm voice.
"The gentleman is heartily welcome," cried poor John.
"It is your grandson, Leonard Fairfield," said Mrs. Avenel.
But John, who had risen with knocking knees, gazed hard at Leonard, and
then fell on his breast, sobbing aloud--"Nora's eyes!--he has a blink in
his eyes like Nora's."
Mrs. Avenel approached with a steady step, and drew away the old man
tenderly.
"He is a poor creature," she whispered to Leonard--"you excite him. Come
away, I will show you your room."
Leonard followed her up the stairs, and came into a room--neatly, and
even prettily furnished. The carpet and curtains were faded by the sun,
and of old-fashioned pattern, but there was a look about the room as if
it had long been disused.
Mrs. Avenel sank down on the first chair on entering.
Leonard drew his arm round her waist affectionately: "I fear that I have
put you out sadly--my dear grandmother."
Mrs. Avenel glided hastily from his arm, and her countenance worked
much--every nerve in it twitching as it were; then, placing her hand on
his locks, she said with passion, "God bless you, my grandson," and left
the room.
Leonard dropped his knapsack on the floor, and looked around him
wistfully. The room seemed as if it had once been occupied by a female.
There was a work-box on the chest of drawers, and over it hanging
shelves for books, suspended by ribbons that had once been blue, with
silk and fringe appended to each shelf, and knots and tassels here and
there--the taste of a woman, or rather of a girl, who seeks to give a
grace to the commonest things around her. With the mechanical habit of a
student, Leonard took down one or two of the volumes still left on the
shelves. He found SPENSER'S _Fairy Queen_, RACINE in French, TASSO in
Italian; and on the fly-leaf of each volume, in the exquisite
handwriting familiar to his memory, the name "Leonora." He kissed the
books, and replaced them with a feeling akin both to tenderness and awe.
He had not been alone in his room more than a quarter of an hour, before
the maid-servant knocked at his door and summoned him to tea.
Poor John had recovered his spirits, and his wife sate by his side
holding his hand in hers. Poor John was even gay. He asked many
questions about his daughter Jane, and did not wait for the answers.
Then he spoke about the Squire, whom he confounded with Audley Egerton,
and talked of elections and the Blue party, and hoped Leonard would
always be a good Blue; and then he fell to his tea and toast, and said
no more.
Mrs. Avenel spoke little, but she eyed Leonard askant, as it were, from
time to time; and after each glance the nerves of the poor severe face
twitched again.
A little after nine o'clock, Mrs. Avenel lighted a candle, and placing
it in Leonard's hand, "You must be tired--you know your own room now.
Good night."
Leonard took the light, and, as was his wont with his mother, kissed
Mrs. Avenel on the cheek. Then he took John's hand and kissed him too.
The old man was half asleep, and murmured dreamily, "That's Nora."
Leonard had retired to his room about half an hour, when Richard Avenel
entered the house softly, and joined his parents.
"Well, mother?" said he.
"Well, Richard--you have seen him?"
"And like him. Do you know he has a great look of poor Nora?--more like
her than Jane."
"Yes; he is handsomer than Jane ever was, but more like your father than
any one. John was so comely. You take to the boy, then?"
"Ay, that I do. Just tell him in the morning that he is to go with a
gentleman who will be his friend, and don't say more. The chaise shall
be at the door after breakfast. Let him get into it: I shall wait for
him out of the town. What's the room you give him?"
"The room you would not take."
"The room in which Nora slept? Oh, no! I could not have slept a wink
there. What a charm there was in that girl!--how we all loved her! But
she was too beautiful and good for us--too good to live!"
"None of us are too good," said Mrs. Avenel with great austerity, "and I
beg you will not talk in that way. Good night--I must get your poor
father to bed."
When Leonard opened his eyes the next morning, they rested on the face
of Mrs. Avenel, which was bending over his pillow. But it was long
before he could recognize that countenance, so changed was its
expression--so tender, so motherlike. Nay, the face of his own mother
had never seemed to him so soft with a mother's passion.
"Ah!" he murmured, half rising and flinging his young arms round her
neck. Mrs. Avenel, this time, and for the first, taken by surprise,
warmly returned the embrace; she clasped him to her breast, she kissed
him again and again. At length with a quick start she escaped, and
walked up and down the room, pressing her hands tightly together. When
she halted, her face had recovered its usual severity and cold
precision.
"It is time for you to rise, Leonard," said she. "You will leave us
to-day. A gentleman has promised to take charge of you, and do for you
more than we can. A chaise will be at the door soon--make haste."
John was absent from the breakfast-table. His wife said that he never
rose till late, and must not be disturbed.
The meal was scarce over, before a chaise and pair came to the door.
"You must not keep the chaise waiting--the gentleman is very punctual."
"But he is not come."
"No, he has walked on before, and will get in after you are out of the
town."
"What is his name, and why should he care for me, grandmother?"
"He will tell you himself. Now, come."
"But you will bless me again, grandmother? I love you already."
"I do bless you," said Mrs. Avenel firmly. "Be honest and good, and
beware of the first false step." She pressed his hand with a convulsive
grasp, and led him to the outer door.
The postboy clanked his whip, the chaise rattled off. Leonard put his
head out of the window to catch a last glimpse of the old woman. But the
boughs of the pollard oak, and its gnarled decaying trunk, hid her from
his eye. And look as he would, till the road turned, he saw but the
melancholy tree.
FOOTNOTES:
[K] This aphorism has been probably assigned to Lord Bacon upon the mere
authority of the index to his works. It is the aphorism of the
index-maker, certainly not of the great master of inductive philosophy.
Bacon has, it is true, repeatedly dwelt on the power of knowledge, but
with so many explanations and distinctions, that nothing could be more
unjust to his general meaning than to attempt to cramp into a sentence
what it costs him a volume to define. Thus, if in one page he appears to
confound knowledge with power, in another he sets them in the strongest
antithesis to each other; as follows, "Adeo, signanter Deus opera
potentiae et sapientiae discriminavit." But it would be as unfair to Bacon
to convert into an aphorism the sentence that discriminates between
knowledge and power as it is to convert into an aphorism any sentence
that confounds them.
[L] "But the greatest error of all the rest is the mistaking or
misplacing of the last or farthest end of knowledge:--for men have
entered into a desire of learning and knowledge, sometimes upon a
natural curiosity and inquisitive appetite: sometimes to entertain their
minds with variety and delight; sometimes for ornament and reputation;
and sometimes to enable them to victory of wit and contradiction; and
most times for lucre and profession,"--(that is, for most of those
objects which are meant by the ordinary citers of the saying, 'Knowledge
is power;') "and seldom sincerely to give a true account of these gifts
of reason to the benefit and use of men; as if there were sought in
knowledge a couch whereon to rest a searching and restless spirit; or a
terrace for a wandering and variable mind to walk up and down, with a
fair prospect; or a tower of state for a proud mind to raise itself
upon; or a fort or commanding ground for strife and contention; or a
shop for profit or sale--and not a rich storehouse for the glory of the
Creator, and the relief of men's estate."--ADVANCEMEMT OF LEARNING, Book
I.
From the new novel, "Rose Douglass."
A FAMILY OF OLD MAIDS.
Such a family of old maids! The youngest mistress was forty, and the two
servants were somewhat older. They had each their pets too, except I
think the eldest, who was the clearest-headed of the family. The
servants had the same Christian name, which was rather perplexing, as
neither would consent to be called by her surname. How their mistresses
managed to distinguish them I do not recollect; but the country people
settled it easily amongst themselves by early naming them according to
their different heights, "lang Jenny," and "little Jenny." They were
characters in their way as well as their mistresses. They had served
them for upwards of twenty years, and knew every secret of the family,
being as regularly consulted as any of the members of it. They regulated
the expenses too, much as they liked, which was in a very frugal,
economical manner. The two Jennies had not much relished their removal
to the country, and still often sighed with regret for the gossipings
they once enjoyed in the Castlegate of Lanark. But they could not bear
to part from the family; so they now boomed at their wheels or mended
the household linen in the damp dull kitchen of Burnside, instead of
performing the same work in their old cosy, comfortable one in the burgh
town, and tried to indemnify themselves for their privations by
establishing a kind of patronizing familiarity with various of the
cottagers' wives.
Miss Jess and Miss Jean were the names of the younger ladies. There was
that species of resemblance among all the sisters, both mental and
personal, which is often to be observed in members of the same family.
Menie, the eldest sister, was, however, much superior to the others in
force of character, but her mind had not been cultivated by reading.
Jess, the second, was a large coarse-looking woman, with a masculine
voice, and tastes decidedly so. An excellent wright or smith she would
have made, if unfortunately she had not been born a gentlewoman. She had
a habit of wandering about the grounds with a small hammer and nails in
her huge pocket, examining the fences, and mending them if necessary.
She could pick a lock too, when needed, with great neatness and
dispatch. I rather think she could repair one also. I have still in my
possession a small box of her making, which, for execution and
durability, I will match against the performance of any rival amateur of
the opposite sex. In spite, however, of such freaks, and as if to make
amends for them, Miss Jess possessed one of the softest and most
impressionable hearts which ever fell to the lot of a mature maiden of
forty-five. She had suffered from no less than six different attachments
during her life (she made me her confidante), and most unfortunately
they had never been to the right individual, for they were not returned.
But poor Miss Jess cherished no malice; she freely forgave them their
insensibility. Indeed, she had not the heart to kill a fly. Every beggar
imposed on her, and her sisters were obliged for her own sake to
restrain her charities. Her dress, like her pursuits, had always a
certain masculine air about it. She wore large rough boots, coarse
gloves, and a kind of man's cravat constantly twisted about her neck
when out of doors. In short, she was one of those persons one cannot
help liking, yet laughing at. Jean, the youngest sister, had been a
beauty in her time, and she still laid claim to the distinction
resulting from it. It was a pity, considering the susceptibility of her
second sister, that her charms had not been shared by her. Jean was
coquettish, and affected a somewhat youthful manner and style of dress,
which contrasted ill with her time of life. But the rest of the family,
in which of course I include the servants, evidently considered her a
young thoughtless thing for whom much allowance must be made.
_Historical Review of the Month._
THE UNITED STATES.
Since the close of the Executive Session of the Senate and the departure
of the members for their homes, Washington has relapsed into the usual
quiet of its summer season. Mr. Corwin, Secretary of the Treasury, has
been dangerously ill, but is now slowly recovering. The duties of the
office were temporarily performed by the Chief Clerk of the Department.
Senor Molina, Charge to the United States from the Central American
State of Costa Rica, has presented his credentials to the President. M.
Bois le Comte, the French Minister Plenipotentiary, having been
superseded by the appointment of M. de Sartiges, has sold his furniture
and gone to Havana. A public dinner was given to Mr. Webster at
Annapolis, Maryland, on the 24th of March, by the Delegates of the
Maryland State Convention. It was attended by a large number of
distinguished persons. Mr. Webster then proceeded to Harrisburgh, where
he had been invited by the Legislature of Pennsylvania. A grand
reception was given him in the Hall of the House of Representatives.
Gov. Johnson introduced the distinguished guest in a brief address of
welcome, to which Mr. Webster responded in a speech of an hour's length.
He spoke of the commanding physical position of Pennsylvania, forming,
as it were, the key-stone between the North and the South, the waters of
the Atlantic and the Mississippi. Occupying, thus, a middle ground
between the two conflicting portions of the Union, he considered her
disposed to do her duty to both, regardless of the suggestions of local
prejudices. He then pronounced a most glowing and eloquent eulogium on
the Constitution, and concluded by affirming his belief that ages hence
the United States will be free and republican, still making constant
progress in general confidence, respect, and prosperity. Mr. Webster is
at present on his Marshfield estate, recovering from an indisposition
consequent on his labors during the past winter.
The State Convention of Ohio has framed a new Constitution, which is to
be submitted to the people for acceptance. It provides for the
maintenance of religious freedom, equality of political rights, liberty
of speech and of the press, and no imprisonment for debt. The members of
each branch of the Legislature are chosen biennially. The Governor,
Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, and Attorney
General, are to be chosen by the people for a term of two years, and the
Judges for a term of five years. The Legislature is to provide a system
of Free Education, and Institutions for the Insane, Blind, Deaf and Dumb
are to be supported by the State. The Ohio Legislature has passed
resolutions in favor of the repeal or modification of the Fugitive Slave
Law, principally on account of its denial of a trial by jury to the
fugitive.
The Union feeling is entirely in the ascendant throughout the Southern
States. A Committee of the Virginia Legislature, to whom the resolutions
of the South Carolina Convention were referred, reported a preamble and
series of resolutions of the most patriotic character. They declare that
while Virginia deeply sympathizes with South Carolina, she cannot join
in any action calculated to impair the integrity of the Union. She
believes the Constitution sufficient for the remedy of all grievances,
and invokes all who live under it to adhere more strictly to it, and to
preserve inviolate its safeguards. Virginia also declines to send
Delegates to the proposed Southern Congress. In Georgia, a number of
Delegates have been elected to a State Convention of the Union party for
the nomination of a Candidate for Governor. The State Convention of
Missouri has adopted an address and resolutions fully sustaining Mr.
Benton in his course in opposition to the Disunionists. In Mississippi,
the Union party have taken measures for a thorough organization.
Delegates have been chosen to a State Convention for the nomination of a
ticket. The Southern party are about forming a similar organization, the
old party lines having been almost entirely abandoned. The only
counter-movement in the North, is the assembling of a State Convention
in Massachusetts, in opposition to the Fugitive Slave Law, without
distinction of party. In Tennessee, the friends of the Free School
System have called a General State Convention, to be held at Knoxville.
The New-Jersey Legislature has enacted a law prohibiting the employment
of children under ten years of age in factories, and providing that ten
hours shall be considered a legal day's labor in all manufacturing
establishments.
The Annual Election in Rhode Island resulted in the choice of Philip
Allen, the Democratic Candidate for Governor, by 600 majority. The
Legislature stands--Senate, 14 Democrats and 13 Whigs; Assembly, 31
Democrats and 25 Whigs. The Election in Connecticut gave the following
returns for the next Legislature: Senate, 13 Whigs and 8 Democrats;
Legislature 113 Whigs and 110 Democrats. As the election of Governor
falls upon the Legislature, the probability is that the Governor and the
United States Senator for the next six years will be chosen from the
Whig party. The Legislature of New-York paid a visit to the cities of
New-York and Brooklyn, about the end of March. They remained four days,
during which time they visited all the charitable institutions on the
island, in company with the city authorities. This is the first instance
on record of an official visit of the Legislature to the commercial
metropolis of the State.
Boston has been the theatre of some disturbing and exciting proceedings,
growing out of the anti-slavery feeling of a portion of the community. A
fugitive slave named Sims, who had escaped from Savannah, and had been
in Boston about a month, was arrested by the Deputy United States
Marshal, at the instance of an agent of the owner. On being taken, he
drew a knife and inflicted a severe wound on one of the officers in
attendance. An abolitionist lawyer, who attempted to interfere, was
arrested and sent to the watch-house. Fletcher Webster, Esq., son of the
Secretary of State, was also seized and taken to jail, on account of
having attempted to prevent a watchman from ringing the bell of King's
Chapel, under the supposition that it was a trick of the Abolitionists
to collect a mob. The next day, this sect called a meeting on Boston
Common, which was largely attended. Rev. Theodore Parker, Wendell
Phillips, and other speakers, addressed the meeting, urging instant and
armed resistance to the operation of the law. The Police, on the other
hand, took every precaution to prevent a forcible rescue of the
prisoner. The Court-House, in which he was confined, was surrounded by
chains to keep off the crowd, and guarded by a strong force; several
military companies were also kept in readiness. The friends of the
fugitive endeavored to make use of the case for the purpose of testing
the constitutionality of the law, and a hearing was had before the
United States Commissioner, in which the question was argued at length.
In order to prevent the delivery of Sims, a complaint was instituted for
assault and battery with intent to kill the officer who arrested him.
Chief Justice Shaw, of the Supreme Court, however, decided that a writ
of habeas corpus could not be granted, and the United States
Commissioner having, from the evidence adduced, remanded Sims to the
keeping of his claimant, authority was given to take him back to
Savannah. As an assault was feared from the abolitionists and colored
people in Boston, the brig Acorn was chartered to proceed to Savannah,
and Sims taken on board, in custody of the United States Deputy Marshal
and several police officers. A large number of persons offered their
services in case any attack should be made. A large crowd collected on
the wharf as the party embarked, and a clergyman present knelt down and
pronounced a prayer for the rescue of the fugitive. No open act of
violence was committed, and after laying a day off Nantasket Beach, the
schooner proceeded on her way to Savannah.
The Equinoctial storm, this spring, commenced on the 16th of March, and
raged for three days with unusual violence. It was severely felt along
the Atlantic coast, and did much damage to the shipping. Amin Bey, the
Turkish Envoy to the United States, sailed from Boston on the 9th of
April, on his return to Constantinople. The election of a United States
Senator by the Massachusetts Legislature has twice again been tried,
unsuccessfully. On the last ballot, Mr. Sumner lacked 12 votes of an
election. It was then further postponed to the 23d of April. The census
of Virginia has been completed, showing an aggregate population of
1,421,081, about 473,000 of whom are slaves. At the last accounts Jenny
Lind was in Cincinnati, after having given two very successful concerts
in Nashville and two in Louisville. She has also paid a visit to the
Mammoth Cave. Several large crevasses have broken out on the Mississippi
River, and another overflow of the plantations is threatened.
The latest mails from Texas bring us little news beyond the continuance
of Indian depredations on the frontier. Several American outlaws, who
had crossed the Rio Grande for the purposes of plunder, were captured by
the Mexicans and executed. Major Bartlett, the United States Boundary
Commissioner, arrived at San Antonio from El Paso, on the 17th of March,
with a train of fifty wagons. He immediately proceeded to New Orleans
for the purpose of arranging for the transmission of supplies. Four
persons, who were concerned in the murder of Mr. Clark and others, at a
small village near El Paso, have been captured, convicted by a jury
summoned on the instant, and hung. The Boundary Commissioners have at
last agreed on the starting point of the survey, which will secure to
the United States a much larger and more valuable tract of territory
than was anticipated. The point established is the intersection of the
parallel of 32 deg. with the Rio Grande, which is about 18 miles north of
El Paso. From this place the line runs due west till it strikes some
branch of the Gila, or if no branch is met, to the point nearest the Gila
River, whence it runs due north to the river. It is ascertained that the
only branch of the Gila which this line can strike is about one hundred
and fifty miles west of the gold and copper mines, leaving that rich
mineral region within the United States. This boundary lies to the south
of the old limits of New Mexico, and takes in a large region that has
always belonged to the State of Chihuahua.
We have accounts from Santa Fe to the 17th of February. The winter had
been unusually mild, and the prospects of the spring trade were very
favorable. The United States Marshal had completed the census of the
Territory. The total population is 61,574, of whom only 650 are
Americans. Of the Mexicans over 21 years of age, only one in 103 is able
to read. The number of square miles in the Territory is 199,027-1/2. The
depredations of the Indians are on the increase. The tribes have become
bolder than ever, and the amount of stock driven off by them, is
enormous. Great preparations are making at Fort Laramie, on the Platte,
and all the other stations on the overland route, to accommodate the
summer emigration. A substantial bridge has been built over the North
Fork of the Platte, 100 miles above Fort Laramie. Here, also,
blacksmith's shops have been erected to accommodate those who need
repairs to their wagons.
Two mails and about $3,000,000 in gold dust have arrived from California
during the past month. The accounts from San Francisco are to the 5th of
March. The Joint Convention of the Legislature, which assembled on the
17th of February for the purpose of choosing a United States Senator,
adjourned till the first day of January next, after one hundred and
forty-four ineffectual ballots. On the last ballot, the Hon. T. Butler
King, the Whig candidate, had twenty votes, lacking four of an election;
Col. Fremont nine, and Col. Weller eighteen. Another Legislature is to
be elected before the next session. The bonds offered by Gen. Vallejo
have been accepted, so that nothing but their fulfilment remains to
secure the seat of government for the yet unbuilt city.
The weather still continued to be remarkably dry and mild, owing to
which cause, the miners were doing less than usual, and business was
consequently dull. In many localities, the miners, after waiting in vain
for showers enough to enable them to wash out their piles of dirt, set
themselves to work at constructing races to lead off the mountain
streams. In some places mountains have been tunneled to divert the water
into the desired channels. The yield of gold, wherever mining can be
diligently carried on, has in nowise diminished, and new placers of
remarkable richness are announced as having been discovered on the Yuba,
Feather, Scott and Klamath Rivers, and in the neighborhood of Monterey,
Los Angeles and San Diego. Veins of gold in quartz are far more abundant
and of richer character than was anticipated; several companies have
been formed for working them with machinery. Dredging-machines, attached
to steamboats, have also been introduced on the Yuba River, the bed of
which has been dug up and washed out in some places, with much success.
The excitement in relation to the Gold Bluff is over. Several vessels
have returned filled with disappointed adventurers. The black sand on
the beach contains a large quantity of gold, but in particles so fine as
to prevent its being separated by the ordinary process of washing. On
Pitt River, the principal affluent of the Upper Sacramento, a hill of
pure carbonate of magnesia, 100 feet high, has been discovered. Large
masses are easily detached, and thousands of wagons could be loaded with
very little labor.
The Indian hostilities have not yet ceased. After the taking of the
stronghold on Fresno Creek, Major Burney and Mr. Savage returned to
Mariposa for provisions. They raised a force of 150 men, which they
divided into two parties, one of which met the Indians on San Joaquin
River, when a running fight ensued that lasted all day. The Indians were
driven off, after the loss of forty men. The Legislature has passed a
law authorizing a loan of $500,000 for the purpose of prosecuting the
war, but upon such terms that it is doubtful whether the money can be
obtained.
The condition of society in California shows an alarming tendency among
the people to take the law into their own hands. The papers ascribe this
state of things to the imperfect and corrupt manner in which the
officers of the law have discharged their functions. Acts of violence
and crime are frequent in all parts of the country, and the mining
communities, with few exceptions, administer summary punishment wherever
the offender is captured. Sacramento City has been the scene of a case
of this kind, where the people, having no confidence in the ordinary
process of the law, took the avenging power in their own hands. A
gambler named Roe having shot an inoffensive miner, an immense crowd
assembled around the guard-house where he was kept, a jury of the
citizens was chosen, witnesses summoned, and the case formally
investigated. The jury decided that Roe was guilty of the act, and
remanded him for trial. This, however, did not satisfy the crowd, who
clamored for instant punishment, and finally succeeded in forcing the
doors of the jail and overcoming the officers. The prisoner was hurried
forth, amid the shouts and execrations of the multitude, a scaffold was
erected, and at nine o'clock the same evening he was hung, with the
ceremonies usually observed. An attempt at lynching was made in San
Francisco about the same time. Two ruffians, having attempted to rob and
murder a merchant of that city, the people assembled on the plaza and
demanded an instant trial, with the understanding that if found guilty,
the prisoners should be immediately hung. An examination was held, but
the jury could not agree, after which the accused were given into the
charge of the regular tribunal.
An unfortunate catastrophe occurred in the Bay of San Francisco, on the
4th of March. The steamer Santa Clara, lying at Central Wharf, took
fire, which communicated to the steamer Hartford, lying near, and to the
rigging of several vessels. The latter boat was considerably damaged
before the conflagration could be extinguished; the Santa Clara was
entirely destroyed. She was the first steamboat ever built in San
Francisco, and was running on the line between that port and Stockton.
The loss by the fire was about $90,000.
News from Oregon to the 1st of March state that the Legislature had
adjourned, having established the seat of Government at Salem, in
Maryland county, the Penitentiary at Portland, in Washington county, and
the University at Marysville, in Benton county. The Governor, however,
had refused to sign this act. The agricultural prospects, both of
California and Oregon, are very flattering. During the past winter a
great deal of land has been broken up and planted, and the fields
promise abundant harvests.
EUROPE.
The ministerial crisis in ENGLAND terminated on the 3d of March by the
recall of the Russell Cabinet, entire and unchanged. In making this
announcement in the House of Commons, Lord John Russell stated that a
coalition between himself and the party of Sir James Graham and Lord
Aberdeen was impossible, on account of the refusal of the latter to
consent to the Papal Aggression Bill. In returning to power, however,
the whigs brought up this bill in a modified and milder form. The
situation of the ministry was hardly less precarious than before their
resignation. They were again defeated in the Commons, on a motion to
reform the administration of the woods and forests, 120 voting for the
reform, and 119 voting with the ministers against it. The Papal
Aggression Bill has been the cause of several exciting debates in the
House of Commons, Mr. Drummond, an ultra Protestant member, created
quite a disturbance by ridiculing the relics which have lately been
displayed in various parts of the Continent. At the latest dates the
bill had passed to a second reading by a vote of 438 to 95, the radical
members voting in the minority. The fate of the bill is still far from
being decided; the ministry are weak, and it is predicted that the
Cabinet will not last longer than the session of Parliament. Lord John
Russell has brought in a bill reforming the administration of the Court
of Chancery, but the new budget, which has been looked for with a great
deal of interest, has not yet made its appearance. During the debate on
the Papal Aggression Bill, Mr. Berkley Craven demanded legal
interference in the case of his step-daughter, the Hon. Miss Talbot,
who, being an heiress in her own right to eighty thousand pounds, had
been prevailed upon to enter a convent for the purpose of taking the
veil. As the ceremony was to be performed before she had attained her
majority, this sum would in all probability go to the funds of the
Catholic Church. The statement of this case produced a strong sensation
throughout England, and added to the violent excitement on the Catholic
Question.
The preparations for the World's Fair are going on with great energy,
workmen being employed, day and night in finishing the building and
arranging the goods. The severest tests have been used to try the
strength of the galleries, which sustained an immense weight without the
least deflection. In rainy weather the roof leaks in places, a defect
which it has been found almost impossible to remedy. Several changes
have been made in the exhibition regulations, to which the American
delegates in London take exceptions, and they have appointed a Committee
to confer with the Commissioners on the subject. A splendid dinner was
given to Macready, the actor, on the 1st of March, on the occasion of
his retirement from the stage. Sir E. Bulwer Lytton presided, and
speeches were made by Charles Dickens, Chevalier Bunsen, Mr. Thackeray,
and others. Three hundred Hungarian exiles recently arrived at
Liverpool, from Constantinople, on their way to the United States. A
large number of them, of Polish origin, preferred remaining in England,
to wait a new revolution on the Continent. A terrible accident took
place at a coal-pit near Paisley, in Scotland. Sixty-three men and boys
were at work when an explosion took place, supposed to have been caused
by fire-damp. Of the whole number in the pit but two were rescued alive.
The third anniversary of the Republic was celebrated in FRANCE with
imposing ceremonies. During the Carnival week, however, the people in
various localities chose to hang the President in effigy, and utter
socialist cries. For these offences arrests were made in more than fifty
towns. These facts, with the suspension of Michelet as Professor of
History in the College of France, because his lectures were considered
too democratic, denote an unquiet state of things in the Republic. As
the term of Louis Napoleon approaches its termination, the position of
parties becomes more nervous and uncertain. In the Assembly, the
proposition of M. Creton to take into consideration the abolition of the
law exiling the Orleans family, brought on the most violent debate of
the session. The adherents of the Mountain were strongly in favor of
continuing the exile. Negotiations have been carried on for some time
past between the Orleanists and the Legitimists, and early in March it
was announced that an alliance had been effected, the Orleanists to
acknowledge the right of precedence of the Count de Chambord, (Henri
V.,) who, in his turn, was to proclaim the young Count of Paris as his
successor. The Count de Chambord was at this time dangerously ill, and
his recovery was scarcely hoped for. Since then it appears that there is
much confusion between the two parties, the duchess of Orleans refusing
to set aside the claims of her son, on any consideration whatever. The
party of Louis Napoleon are intriguing to prolong the presidential term,
and it is said that in this they will be joined by the Orleanists. No
permanent ministry has yet been organized. It is rumored that Odillon
Barrot refused to accept the principal place, which was tendered to him,
unless Louis Napoleon would agree to leave his office at the end of his
term.
A quarrel has broken out in the French Catholic Church. Some time ago
the Archbishop of Paris issued a pastoral letter, recommending the
clergy to avoid engaging in political agitations, and appearing to the
world as party men. The letter was mild but decisive in its tone, and
met with general approval. Lately, the Bishop of Chartres has published
a sort of counter-blast, in the shape of a pastoral to his own clergy,
written in the most severe and denunciatory forms. This letter he
ordered to be published in the religious journals of Paris; and the
Archbishop has referred the matter to the Provincial Council, which will
be called this year.
GERMANY is still pursuing her ignis-fatuus of Unity, which is no nearer
than when she first set out. The Dresden Conference is still in session,
and up to the 20th of March had not adopted any plan of a Federal Diet.
It is almost impossible to conjecture what will be the basis of the
settlement. More than twenty of the smaller states protested against the
plans proposed by Austria; and Prussia, assuming the character of
protector, refused to allow their further arrangement. The King of
Prussia also refuses to accede to an agreement which his delegates had
made, allowing Austria to bring her non-German provinces to the
confederacy. In this he is sustained by Russia, who would not willingly
see the former country restored to virtual independence by the supremacy
which this plan would give her. A return to the old Diet is spoken of in
some quarters, but perhaps the most likely result will be the concession
of the presidency to Austria, on the part of Prussia. A meeting between
the ministers of the two countries is contemplated. The entire
population of Prussia, by the census taken last year, is 16,331,000. A
fire in Berlin has destroyed the building in which the Upper House of
Parliament held its meetings.
The old order reigns in HESSE-CASSEL, Baron Haynau having issued a
proclamation to the Hessian army, in which he declares that _he_ is the
Constitution, and will crush under foot the "God-abandoned, pernicious
gang, which threatens the welfare of the State." Nevertheless, the
popular feeling remains unchanged. Lately, the citizens of Cassel were
forbidden to shout or make any demonstration, on the return of a
regiment which had been marked by the Government for its sympathy with
the popular cause. The people preserved silence, but adroitly expressed
their feelings by chalking the word "Hurrah!" in large letters on the
backs of their coats and walking in front of the regiment. The
Government of SWITZERLAND has at last yielded to the demands of Austria
and Prussia, and authorized the Cantons to refuse shelter to political
refugees. Those already there may be expelled, should the Cantons see
fit. After the insurrection in Baden, the refugees who entered the Swiss
territory, amounted to about 11,000, but they have so decreased by
emigration to England and America, that at present there are but 482
remaining. The Government of Switzerland lately endeavored to procure
passage through Piedmont for some Austrian deserters from the army in
Lombardy, who wished to sail from Genoa for Montevideo; but the
Piedmontese Government refused to allow it.
ITALY is fermenting with the elements of revolution. The bandits, who
have been committing such depredations in the Roman States, are not
robbers, it now appears, but revolutionary bands. Their extermination is
almost impossible, on account of the secrecy and adroitness with which
the peasants are enrolled into the service of their chief, Il Passatore.
They only meet at a general rendezvous, when some important expedition
is contemplated, and afterwards return to their own avocations. They
receive regular pay from the moment of their enlistment, and as the
links of the organization extend over a wide extent of country, the
system must require a considerable amount of money. It is conjectured
that this band is the preparative of a political revolution, instigated
by the agents of Mazzini. In Lombardy the most severe restrictions have
been issued by Radetsky. An interdict has been laid upon a hat of
particular form, and a republican song in favor of Mazzini. The
populace, however, inserted the name of Radetsky in place of the
triumvir, and now sing the song with impunity. A plot has been
discovered among the aristocratic party of Piedmont, to deliver the
country into the hands of the Absolutists. The army of the kingdom is to
be put upon a war footing. Washington's birthday was celebrated in Rome,
with interesting ceremonies. About one hundred Americans met in the
Palazzo Poli, where they partook of a splendid banquet, at which Mr.
Cass, the U. S. Charge, presided.
In NORWAY the Thirteenth _Storthing_, or National Assembly, has been
opened by King Oscar. In his speech, he spoke of the tranquillity which
the Scandinavian Peninsula had enjoyed, while the other nations of
Europe had been convulsed with revolutions, and warned the people
against delusive theories and ideas which lead only to discontent with
existing relations. He also recommended the construction of a railroad
from the city of Christiana to Lake Mjoesen. Several serious riots have
taken place in Stockholm, and Drontheim, in Norway. On February 14th,
the students of the University of Upsala, to the number of 500, paraded
the streets of Stockholm, and were not dispersed till a collision took
place between them and the police. The same scenes were renewed next
day, when the students were joined by the people; the streets were
cleared by squadrons of cavalry, and the principal rioters arrested.
The dispute between TURKEY and EGYPT is still far from being settled.
Abbas Pacha, however, is not at present in a condition to come to an
open rupture with the Sublime Porte, and these differences will probably
be quietly settled. The Pacha is also involved in a dispute with the
French Consul-General, in relation to the claims of certain French
officers, who were dismissed from the Egyptian service before the
expiration of their terms. Late advices from Constantinople state that a
definite arrangement has been made with regard to the Hungarian
refugees. The Emperor of Austria has granted a full amnesty to all
except eight, among whom are Kossuth and Bathyany, on condition that
they shall make no attempt to return to Hungary. The eight proscribed
persons are to remain at Kutahya until further orders. General
Dembinski had reached Constantinople, where he was well received, and
would shortly leave for Paris.
BRITISH AMERICA.
An interesting election has just been held in the county of Haldimand,
Canada West, to supply a vacancy in the Canadian Parliament, occasioned
by the death of David Thompson, Esq. There were four candidates, one of
whom was the noted William Lyon Mackenzie, leader of the Rebellion of
1837. The election resulted in the choice of Mackenzie, who, after an
exile of twelve years, resumes his seat in the Legislative Assembly. The
Government had previously recognized his claim for $1,000, with
interest, for services rendered antecedent to the rebellion. The
annexation feeling is reviving in some portions of Lower Canada. At a
public meeting recently held in the county of Huntingdon, several of the
speakers expressed themselves very strongly in favor of annexation to
the United States. The Catholic clergy oppose the movement. One of the
leading Canadian politicians has drawn up a scheme of Federal Union for
the British Provinces, including the Hudson's Bay Company's Territories,
modelled on the federal system of the United States. The Canadian
Government recently had under consideration the expediency of closing
the Welland Canal against American vessels, on account of the refusal of
the United States Government to adopt reciprocity measures. This course,
which would seriously injure our commercial interests on the Lakes, has
not yet been pursued, and the Government will probably abandon the idea.
MEXICO.
The administration of Gen. Arista is still a subject of much interest
and some curiosity. According to the representations of his friends, he
is about to take a firm stand in the accomplishment of his leading
measures; while, on the other hand, he is charged with weakness and
subjection to the influence of irresponsible favorites. Our latest
accounts from the Mexican capital predict that the Government will soon
be in a state of great embarrassment. The American indemnity money was
nearly spent, and there was already a deficiency of near $2,000,000 in
the Treasury. In consequence of the many robberies recently committed in
and around the city of Mexico and on the road to Vera Cruz, the most
stringent measures have been adopted for the preservation of order.
Congress is still in session, but has made no modification in the Tariff
bill, as was anticipated. It is feared that the Tehuantepec Railroad
Treaty will be rejected, notwithstanding that Arista is known to be
strongly in its favor. The exclusive privilege of a railroad from Vera
Cruz to Medellin, has been granted for one hundred years to Don Jose
Maria Estera.
The revolutionary difficulties in the State of Oaxaca, have not yet been
settled. A treaty was made not long since, between Munoz, the Governor
of the State, and the rebel, Melendez, which gave great offence to the
people. In order to reinstate himself in their favor, Munoz pretended
that the treaty had been violated on the part of Melendez, marched
against him, and drove him and his followers into the mountains of
Chimalapa, where he has since remained concealed. The Tehuantepec
Surveying Expedition is now encamped at La Ventosa, a port on the
Pacific. The route of the Railroad across the mountains has not yet been
decided upon, the survey being a matter of difficulty on account of the
dense forests with which the country is covered.
In YUCATAN, the war between the Spanish and Indian races is raging with
great ferocity. The Indians, who are supplied with arms and ammunition
by the English at Belize, have advanced to within thirty miles of
Merida, where a line of defence has been established by the Spaniards.
Fourteen thousand soldiers are there opposed to more than twenty
thousand Indians, and the subjugation of the latter, without help from
abroad, is impossible. The troops of Yucatan are destitute of clothing
and supplies, and as most of the wealthy citizens of the State have been
reduced to beggary by these reverses, the threatened extermination of
the Spanish race seems near at hand. A conspiracy to burn the city of
Merida, formed by some of the soldiers, in conjunction with the convicts
in the city prison, was discovered but a short time before it was to
have been carried into effect. The conspirators were condemned to death.
CENTRAL AMERICA.
The hostilities between Guatemala on the one hand and the States of
Honduras and San Salvador on the other, have been temporarily suspended,
since the defeat of the latter States. The armies met at a little
village called La Arada. The battle lasted four hours, when the allied
army, commanded by Vasconcelos, President of San Salvador, was
completely routed, with a loss of 500 men. His arrival at the capital
was the occasion of a riot among the lower classes, and he did not
immediately resume his executive functions. Carrera in the mean time
advanced to Santa Anna, thirty miles from the frontier, where he made
propositions for peace. The provisional President of San Salvador
replied that no negotiations could take place until the troops were
withdrawn from the territory. This was done, but at the last accounts no
treaty had been made. The President of the National Diet of Central
America has issued a proclamation demanding the cessation of
hostilities. The blockade of the port of Amapala, in Honduras, has been
abandoned by the British fleet. Three iron steamers, intended for the
navigation of the San Juan River and Lake Nicaragua, are now building in
Wilmington, Delaware, and will be placed upon the route on the 1st of
July, at which time the line will be complete, and steamships will leave
New-York and San Francisco direct for Central America. The journey from
sea to sea will be made in about twenty-four hours.
THE WEST INDIES.
The Island of CUBA is at present in an excited state on account of
rumors that another piratical expedition was being fitted out in the
United States, the vessels of which were to rendezvous at Apalachicola
Bay. This was at first looked upon as entirely groundless, but letters
from Georgia and Alabama have since partially confirmed the statement.
There is an active force of 25,000 men on the island, and any attempt at
invasion will be unsuccessful. The Captain-General, Concha, continues
his course of reform, abolishing all useless restrictions, and
establishing needful regulations, so far as his power extends. The
Venezuelan Consul at Havana has been discharged from his functions, and
ordered to leave the island in eight days, in consequence of having
furnished money to Gen. Lopez, with whom he is connected by marriage.
Mr. Clay, during his stay on the island, was honored with every
expression of respect.
In HAYTI, the efforts of the American, English, and French Consuls have
thus far succeeded in preventing a war between the Haytiens and the
Dominicans. A commission of four persons has been appointed to confer
with the Consuls in regard to this subject. Several of the Dominican
chiefs have arrived at Port-au-Prince, where they were very kindly
received, and it was believed that peace will be speedily established. A
political conspiracy has been detected at Port-au-Prince. Among the
persons concerned in it was the late Chief Justice, M. Francisque, and
one of the three ministers of Soulouque. A large number of arrests were
made, and the prisoners tried by court-martial. Eight of them, including
the Chief Justice, were condemned and publicly shot.
The cholera has not yet wholly disappeared from JAMAICA. The budget for
the island estimates the liabilities at L248,300, and the income at
L215,850, leaving a deficiency in the revenue of L32,450.
SOUTH AMERICA.
There are now about 900 persons employed on the Panama Railroad, and the
track to Gatun, a distance of twenty-six miles, will be ready for the
locomotive by the 1st of July next. There was much excitement on the
Isthmus towards the close of March, caused by a report that the specie
train, carrying $1,000,000 in silver for the British steamer, had been
attacked by robbers. It happened, however, that only a single mule-load
was taken, which was afterwards abandoned by the robbers and recovered.
Three of the boatmen arrested for the murder of passengers on the
Chagres River have been found guilty and sentenced to be shot. A large
fire broke out on the island of Taboga, in the bay of Panama, destroying
fifty huts, and property to the amount of $50,000. Several parties have
returned to Panama from the gold region of Choco, in New Grenada. They
found the rivers of the region abounding in rich gold-washings, but were
forced to abandon the enterprise from want of supplies.
In CHILI, the 12th of February, the anniversary of Chilian independence,
was celebrated with imposing ceremonies. The municipality of Valparaiso
are making exertions to establish a general system of primary
instruction for the children of the city. The survey of the railroad to
Santiago has been carried about fifty miles, to which distance a
favorable line has been obtained. The island of Chiloee, in the southern
part of the Republic, was suffering from a protracted drought. The
election for President was to take place in the month of March.
In BUENOS AYRES, the opening of the Legislature and the Annual Message
of the President have been postponed by mutual agreement. The financial
affairs of the republic are in an exceedingly prosperous condition, the
available resources on hand for the present year amounting to more than
$36,000,000. By order of the government, the civil and military officers
were directed to wear the customary mourning on the 24th of January, "as
a token of grief for the death and respect for the memory of the
illustrious General Zachary Taylor, late President of the United States
of America."
A terrible accident occurred in the harbor of Rio Janeiro on the 8th of
February. The French schooner Eliza, while at anchor near the fort, with
a large quantity of gunpowder on board, blew up with a tremendous
explosion, and soon after sank. She had 240 passengers, only a few of
whom were on board at the time. Ten were killed and twenty wounded.
ASIA.
In BRITISH INDIA, a portion of the Nizam's territory has been made over
to the East India Company, as an equivalent for a debt of L60,000 due to
it. Lord Dalhousie is engaged in introducing a system of education into
the Punjaub. The Sikhs warmly second him in his endeavors. The English
authorities are also engaged in constructing 350 miles of canal in this
district.
Late news from CHINA confirms the intelligence of the death of
Commissioner Lin. Key-ing, the former Commissioner, has been disgraced,
on account of his liberal course towards the Europeans. A system of
smuggling, on a very extensive scale, has been discovered in the
neighborhood of Shanghai. It is announced that a race of Jews has been
discovered by some agents of the London Missionary Society in the
interior of China, about 350 miles beyond Pekin.
AFRICA.
A fierce and devastating war has broken out at the Cape of Good Hope,
between the British Colonists and the native tribe of the Kaffirs. The
savages arose in large bands and commenced a general attack on all the
farms along the frontier. The native servants of the settlers joined
them, and they had penetrated into the older and more thickly populated
districts on the coast, before they received any check from the
Government forces. Several battles have taken place, in which the
Kaffirs were generally routed, but they are a brave and warlike race,
and cannot be subdued without a stronger force than has yet been sent
against them. In the Beaufort and Fort Cradock districts, the country
for the distance of 150 miles was abandoned, the homesteads burnt, and
the stock driven off. At the latest dates, the Governor, Sir Harry
Smith, was raising a force of 10,000 men.
We have news from LIBERIA to the 23d of January. At a late trial for a
capital offence in Monrovia, several native Africans sat on the jury.
Other natives hold commissions as policemen and other minor
functionaries. Bassa Cove, on the coast, had been very unhealthy for
some months.
POLYNESIA.
Some difficulty has arisen at the Sandwich Islands, between the
commander of the French frigate Serieuse and the Hawaiian Government.
The French commander demanded the payment of $25,000 as a commutation
for customs alleged to have been collected contrary to treaty
obligations. The King refused to accede to this claim, and threw himself
on the protection of Great Britain and the United States. Upon this the
French commander landed his men at Honolulu, where he has prevented
several Hawaiian vessels from proceeding to sea.
Several different parties of exploration are now endeavoring to
penetrate into the interior of the African continent. Mr. Livingston, at
the last accounts, was proceeding northward from Lake Ngami. Dr. Beke,
in Abyssinia, and the Rev. Mr. Thompson, on the Gaboon River, have also
made some very interesting discoveries in African geography and natural
history.
_Record of Scientific Discovery._
NEW MOTORS.--Sir JOHN SCOTT LILLIE, Companion of the Bath, of Paris, has
just received an English patent for improvements in the application of
motive powers. One of these improvements consists in directing currents
of air, or other gaseous fluids, through inverted troughs or channels,
for the propulsion of boats and barges in the conveyance of goods and
passengers. The troughs are placed longitudinally, one on each side of
the vessel; or one may be placed between two vessels having one deck.
Their form may be either square or oblong; and they are left open so
that the currents of air in their passage to, and escape at or near, the
stern of the vessel, may act upon the water, until they pass off into
the air. They are supplied by air through a shaft, passing vertically
through the centre of the deck. Another of the improvements consists in
suspending paddle-wheels at or near the stern of the vessel, which are
set in motion by the action of the currents as they pass off into the
air, thereby increasing the motive power; or such paddle-wheels may be
moved without the intervention of the troughs or channels, by the motion
of currents of air or other gaseous fluids, forced through tubes or
cylinders. The patent was enrolled in the early part of March.
* * * * *
WATER GAS.--The English patent for Paine's Light was enrolled on the
12th of December, in the name of Alfred Vincent Newton, of Chancery
Lane, Middlesex. The _London Patent Journal_ publishes the
specifications and figures, remarking that the report has been ready for
some time, but was not published at the particular request of the
assignee of the patent in England. It states that the invention is for
decomposing water by means of electricity, and producing therefrom a
gas, which, after being made to pass through spirits of turpentine or
other hydro-carbonous fluids, will, when ignited, burn with great
brilliancy. The invention is known by the name of "Paine's Light"--this
being, in fact, Mr. Paine's specification, in which he states, that
although water has been spoken of as decomposed by the electric
currents, he wishes it to be understood that this is merely to accord
with the generally received chemical doctrines and phraseology, and that
water, after all, may be a simple element; however that may be, the
patentee wishes, at present, to lay it down as certain that by
discharging electricity through water, large quantities of gases are
evolved; and that one of such gases, at least, when passed through
turpentine, in the manner described, will burn and give a highly
illuminating light. Mr. Paine's affairs in England being thus adjusted,
it is possible that more will be heard of it on this side. The benefits
of the invention are hid under a bushel.
* * * * *
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STEAM-ENGINE.--An English patent has been granted to
Mr. GEORGE SMITH, of Manchester, engineer, for four improvements upon
the steam-engine. The first is an improved arrangement of apparatus by
which cold water is made to enter the exhaust passages of steam
cylinders, as near the valves as possible; by condensing a portion of
the exhausted steam it becomes hot and then passes off, while the
uncondensed steam passes either into the condenser or the atmosphere.
This improvement is applicable to marine, stationary, and locomotive
engines. The second improvement consists in an improved apparatus
applied to low-pressure boilers, by which the water in the boiler is
maintained at a regular height, and by which the danger of explosions
from deficiency of water is removed. The third, consists of hot and cold
water pumps, and is also applicable to air-pumps and lifting-pumps. The
fourth is in the construction of metallic packing of pistons for steam
cylinders, air-pumps, and other similar pistons, by which greater
strength and elasticity are obtained.
* * * * *
NEW APPLICATIONS OF ZINC AND ITS OXIDES.--Mr. WILLIAM EDWARD NORTON has
obtained a patent in England for improvements in obtaining, preparing
and applying zinc and other volatile metals, and their oxides, and in
the application of zinc, to the preparation of certain metals, and
alloys of metals. The improvements are six in number; consisting of an
improved furnace for the preparation of zinc and its white oxide, with
new forms of front and rear walls--a mode of dispensing with the common
retorts for the reduction of the ores of zinc into oxides, and replacing
them by one large retort, in which the ore is more advantageously
treated--the application of zinc to the alloy of iron and steel, which
are thereby rendered more malleable and less liable to oxidation--a
saving of the products of distillation and oxidation of zinc and other
volatile metals, by means of a cotton, woollen, flaxen, or other similar
fabric, in connection with a suitable exhausting apparatus,--the
application of zinc to the formation of pigments,--and, lastly, the
application of the ore called Franklinite to the reduction of iron from
its ores, and its subsequent purification, and in saving the volatile
products by means of a suitable condensing or receiving apparatus.
Franklinite, which has hitherto only been found in any quantity near the
Franklin forge, Sussex county, in the State of New Jersey, consists of
the following substances, according to Berthier and Thomson: Peroxide of
iron, 66; oxide of zinc, 17; sesqui-oxide of manganese, 16; total, 99.
* * * * *
A new adaptation of _Lithography_ to the process of printing in oil has
lately been invented by M. Kronheim of Paternoster-row, London. Hitherto
no strictly mechanical means have existed for successfully producing
copies of paintings, combining the colors and brilliant effects as well
as the outlines and shadings of the original. The ingenious invention of
Mr. Kronheim, while it enables him to supply copies of the great masters
wonderfully accurate in every respect, reduces the cost of such copies
to one-half the price of steel-engravings, and is a far more expeditious
process. The invention has reduced to a certainty the practice of a new
process by which the appreciation of art may be more widely extended,
and the works of great artists popularized.
* * * * *
THE ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY, (published in Boston by Gould and
Lincoln), is an excellent abstract of all the chief movements and
discoveries in the scientific world for the year 1850. We advise all our
readers interested in any of the sciences to procure it, and its
companion volume for the previous year. The work will be continued, and
it will be invaluable as a library of facts and suggestions.
* * * * *
OXYGEN FROM ATMOSPHERIC AIR.--M. BOUSSINGAULT has recently obtained some
interesting results from his investigations in relation to oxygen. The
problem upon which he has been engaged was the extraction of oxygen gas,
in a state of purity and in a considerable quantity, from the azote in
the atmosphere. For this purpose, a preference was given to baryte,
owing to its property of remaining in oxygen of a moderate temperature,
and abandoning it under the influence of a heat sufficiently intense.
Ten kilogrammes of baryte, completely oxidized, were found able to take
and afterward return 730 litres of gas. This is the number indicated by
theory; for celerity of operation, more than 600 litres can be counted
on. In that limit, and in operating on 100 kilos. of matter, 6,000
litres of oxygen gas might be disengaged at each disoxidization; four or
five operations might be performed in 24 hours, which would thus furnish
from 24,000 to 30,000 litres of gas.
* * * * *
The discovery of the virtues of a _Whitened Camera for Photography_,
announced in our last issue, has excited a remarkable sensation in
England. Mr. Kilburn, photographer to the Queen, who has experimented
upon the new plan with great success, is sparring with M. Claudet. The
point in dispute is the tendency of the improved method to weaken the
image. If the statements of those who claim to have succeeded are
reliable, it is evident that the ordinary form of camera may be
abandoned, and any image be received directly from the lens upon plates
or paper exposed to a diffused light.
* * * * *
M. LABORDE states, in a paper on Photography read before the Paris
Society for the Encouragement of Arts, that the nitrate of zinc may be
substituted for acetic acid in the preparation of photographs on paper;
that it increases the sensitiveness of the silver coating, and even
allows an alkaline reaction to the iodide of potassium bath.
* * * * *
A paper was lately read by Professor ABICH, before the Geographical
Society of London, on the _Climate of the Country between the Black and
Caspian Seas_. Professor Abich noticed the outlines of the extraordinary
variety of climate in the lands between these bodies of water, and
sketched the geological and orological structure of the country, which
he has minutely examined for several years by order of the Russian
Government. The whole tract is divided by three different lines of
elevation--viz. that of S. E. to N. W.--that of W. to E., and that of S.
W. to N. E. The isothermal line of 57 deg. and 59 deg., after traversing
the country between the Black and the Caspian Seas, inflects abruptly
toward the South again, reaching the Caspian. The mean temperature along
the shores of the two seas is for the year about equal; but the difference
of the temperature of the seasons is very great. Lenkoran, in the same
latitude as Palermo and Smyrna, with an annual temperature of 61 deg. and
63 deg., has the summer of Montpellier 76 deg., and the winter of
Maestricht and Turin, 35 deg. In Calchis, there is the winter of the
British Isles, 41 deg. and 42 deg., and the summer of Constantinople,
72 deg. and 73 deg. Tiflis, with the winter of Padua, 37 deg., has the
summer of Madrid and Naples, 74 deg. The extremes of Asiatic climate are
found on the volcanic highlands of Armenia.
* * * * *
The Academy of Sciences at Paris has recently heard a report on certain
explorations made in 1847-8-9 by M. Rochet d'Hericourt, a traveller in
north-eastern Africa. This traveller has, by repeated observations,
determined the latitude of Mt. Sinai to be 28 deg. 33' 16", of Suez 29
deg. 57' 58", of Devratabor 11 deg. 51' 12", and of Gondar 12 deg. 36'
1". Mt. Sinai is 1978 metres (about 6500 feet) high. Mt. Dieu 2174 metres
(7200 feet), and the highest of the Horch Mountains 2477 metres (8100
feet). The Lake of Frana, south of Gondar, is 1750 metres (5700 feet)
below the level of the sea, and its depth in one place is 197 metres
(645 feet). Rar-Bonahite, the highest peak in Abyssinia, is 4330 metres
(14,200 feet) high, but not high enough to have snow. The traveller
describes a great variety of hot-springs, some of which contained living
fish an inch long. The geology of Abyssinia he has thoroughly
investigated. In the north, the principal rocks are granite and syenite.
Among the plants he describes is a magnificent lobelia, almost large
enough to be called a tree, which is found to the very summits of the
mountains, and to a height which would not be supposed to admit of such
a growth. He also finds the plant whose root has been found to be a
specific against hydrophobia. Of this he brought back seeds, which have
been planted in the Jardin des Plantes with success. A peculiar breed
of sheep M. Rochet d'Hericourt thought worthy of being transferred to
France, but of the pair he sent the female died on the route. This
sheep has a very long and silky fleece. On the shores of Lake Frana he
also found a very large sort of spiders, whose cocoons, he said, were
converted into excellent silk. He thinks these spiders might be brought
to Europe, and employed in producing silk, but in this he probably does
not enough consider the difficulty, or rather the impossibility, of
domesticating and feeding these insects.
* * * * *