The Aberdare Times

AIR BAGS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS. The Titnes gives the following interesting description oi this useful discovery for raising sunken vessels :— The enormous ascensional power possessed by air when properly applied to the I urposa of raising sub- merged bodies long Biuoe pointed it out as one of the most useful agents in such operaiioi 3. The difficulty, however, was to obtain a material for making rvn p. tacles to contain the air which would offer sufficient resistance to the water-pressure at considerable depths of submergence. Ninety years since—in 1785—Pro- fessor St. C aire, of the University ot E-iinburgb, proposed the employment of ;sir Imps in raising sunken vessels, and the material which sugge- ted itself as the most desirable for the bags was india- rubber. But the india-rubber industry was then only in its infancy, and it does not appear that manufac- turers could then aid in giving practical value to the Professor's suggestions, so that the idea was not then further developed. The first appli 'ation of the air- bag system was made so recently as 1864 by M. B., tier in raising the steamer Louis, which foundered it the Lake of Boden. The operation, however, did not prove successful, the air bags bursting owing to the faulty form given to them. which was somewhat that of a balloon. In Russia the air-bag system was first introduced by M. J. Alexandrovsky, who successfully applied it in assisting to raise the turret ironclad Snurtch, whien sank in the Baltic in 1865. Admiral Popoff, of the Russian Imperial Navy, from the first realised the practical value of the invention, and mate- rially assisted M. Alexandrovsky in perfecting his system. After a course of experiments it was in time developed into a valuable means of raising sunken ships, and as such it has formed a very important ad- Sict of the Russian Imperial Naval Service, and has ewise proved useful to the mercantile marine of that country. The system as carried out in Russia consists in the employment of a series of cylindrical bags which are drawn down empty to the hull of a submerged vessel and are attached to it. Air is then pumped in from above, the bags are inflated, and the vessel is raised. This is the broad principle cf the application of the invention, which, however, is subject to various modifications, as will presently be seen. The bags are about 2U feet in length and 12 feet in diameter, and the lifting power of one of these is equal to about 60 tons. The larger baps measure 20 in length and have a diameter of 15 feet, and their lifting power is equal to about 100 tons. The cost of these bags varies from JE350 to JM75 each in St. Petersburg, according as a greater or less number is ordered. They are formed of thick canvas and india-rubber in alternate layers. The .inner and middle layers of canvas are formed of strips sewn together along the edges and placed longitudinally, or in the same way as the staves of a barrel. Between these, and on their outside, is a layer of sheet india rubber, next to which comes an outer layer of canvas formed of strips sewn together at their edges and disposed around the bag as are the hoops of a barrel, thus insuring strength and resistance against internal and external pressure. All the canvas layers are saturated with a solution of india- rubber. Over the outward canvas is a layer of matting, outside which comes a rope netting which is held up to the bags by straps, and cannot slip off when the bag is not inflated. The bags are further encased within a system of thick ropes placed around them horizontally and vertically, to which iron eyes are attached for con- necting them with the sunken vessel. By this arrange- ment the strains due to lifting are equally distributed over the entire exterior surface of the bag. In some cases a stout oaken beam is attached to the outer ropes, and the connecting chains are made fast to the beam. At the top of the air-bag and in the centre is a valve &om which proceeds the inflating hose, which is of indiarubber. In line with this hose, and at each end of the bag is a tube with a valve for the emission_of air, Which is fitted, when necessary, with a pressure gauge, by which the pressure in the interior of the bag can be ascertained. At the bottom of the bag are two lengths of hose, each opening into the bag at one end and ter- minating in a safety valve outside the bag at the other. When the bag has been fully inflated, if the air pumps be kept at'work, the surplus air will effect its escape through these valvee. The bursting of the bag is thus prevented, and an even distribution of the air pressure at the ends of the bag is secured. In the bottom of the bag, and placed directly under the inlet valve, is a manhole for the admission of a workman to inspect or Repair the bags. When not in use these bags occupy but little space, and therefore are convenient both for stowage and transport. Simple as are these useful appliances in construc- tion, in use they are no less BO. Assuming it to be required to raise a sunken veesel, divers would first descend to the wreck and ascertain the most convenient Points for passing the cables under her. That settled, Points for passing the cables under her. That settled, they would first pass a thin rope under her, with which they would draw uudcr a stouter one, by which in turn a chain cable would be hauled under. The ropes are ordinarily drawn under by means of wif: cbes on board ships above. It has, however, happened that this plan has failed to draw the cable under. In this emer- gency an air bag has been attached to the rope, and its asceusional power has been found ample to draw the cable under the vessel. The required number of chains having been drawn under the ship and made fast around her, the air bags are attached to them as near to the bottom of the ship as possible. The transverse chains are connected with a horizontal chain, which prevents them slipping laterally. Upon the baps being inflated, by means of air pumps placed on board a ship above, the submerged vessel begins to rise, and as the pressure of the surrounding water decreases, the surplus air quits the bags through the safety valves. When the sunken ve.sellieli in very deep water only a certain number of the air bags required to give floa- tation are attached to the vessel directly. Tho re- mainder, which are few in number, are made fast to chains connected with the wreck at a depth of only a few fathoms below surface. Upon inflating the bags the vessel is raised as far from the ground as the upper bagg were from the surface at starting. The ship, with all the air bags connected to it, is then floated into Shallower water, where the upper bags are detached from the chains at the surface and reattached a few fathoms lower down, when the ship is again raised to the height allowed by the upper bags and floated into still shallower water. This operation is repeated until the ship is raised to the surface, and the necessity for it arises from the fact that a vessel ascending with |reat rapidity acquires a momentum which raises it higher than is consistent with equilibrium at the sur- face, and it eventually becomes submerged again. A his is due to the continued decrease of pressure in the hags as they rise, owing to the escape of air through the valves, so that when the vessel reaches the surface the bags do not possess sufficient power of flotation to retain her in that position, and she therefore sinks ?gain. The same method of procedure is also observed ln cases where the Bhip does not begin to rise hori- 2°ntally, but with one end much higher than the Otha* vention has proved very valuable to the Rus- rernment, a number of vessels having been some of which were sunk at great depths—and irtially lifted on the surface by its aid. Among instances of its successful application was the if a merchant ship which foundered in the 1 1869, She was laden with pig iron, and, her great weight, it was resolved, if possible, ire her deck and take her cargo out after- The air bags were therefore attached with v, and when they had been inflated they to surface the deck, with the masts and together with the upper Btrakes of her rhich were torn from the hull of the thus demonstrating the power of the air- jm. In 1870 the gunboat Metch foundered in i of Tranzund in 21ft. of water, and was raised a of this system of air bags. The Ilmen was the same year in ten days, and the ironclad 'A was lifted for repairs, and was properly while-so lifted, the destruction of the lower her armour-plating, due to the action of the iheathing, being satisfactorily stopped. But lystem the vessel must have had her armour- jmoved before being docked, as at that time sre no docks which could take her in with irnr on. Similarly, in the same year, the the ironclad frigate Minin was raised, led by some barges, she was successfully I over the Neva bar to Cronstadt. In 1870, > Imperial yacht Standhart was conveyed Neva bar in thersame way, and the stern of the Prince Pojarskp was lifted by the same means. ompt was made in 1872 to raise a vessel ad mink in Biorke-Zund at a depth of 15 by means of barges, but the attempt failed. -bag system, however, was successfully ap- itwithstanding the comparatively small size, ight, and peculiar form of the vessel. In the ? year the pitch of the screw propellers of the Novgorod, required changing, and, three bags teen placed under her ptern, it was lifted 6ft. l6 water, and the necessary alterations made irew. Again, during last year the Novgorod larly twice lifted for alterations to her screws, ialtic, also, last year a mercantile vessel—the —foundered, and was raised by the air-bag notwithstanding that the ship was buried at a 11 fathoms in the mud and ooze at the bottom DM. The -air-bag system is likewise rendering istance to the engineers who are constructing bridge over the Neva at St. Peteraburgh. what has been btated it will be seen that the ystem has many advantages which admirably for the purposes for which it is required. It enoimous lifting power when the bags are in- ud when not in use they stowaway in a very >ace. In rough weather, although opera- >y have to be suspended, the work of raising is only delayed, and there is no labour away, inasmuch as the bags, uuiuflated,. can jd and left under water untilcalmer weather operations to be resumed, In the case of kat, owing to the winter setting in, the bags attached to the ship were left to themselves be winter, and operations were re-commenced jrmg at the point at which they had been re- id, no damage having been sustained in the e. It was one of these bags whiuh-as Etated Times—tbe Rusaian frigate Oiaf recently over as r. present from the R Admiralty, which experiments arc to be ma.de in order to dRptahility for raising th? V^g^ard.

DVERTISBMFNT TO TI-1b "ODD < JOES" CLASS. Scotsman gave its readers a most curious, interesting article on advertising the other narks the Pictorial World). The following paragraph occurs in the article :—" When nal began (1817), we were so mighty genteel sh as to announce that we wouldjreceive no Miieuts but those of a literary character-a as to our true relations with the public which corrected, and have since, we hope, atoned he inference to be drawn from this is that the lion for advertisements, caused by the in. lumber of newspapers, hks put everything like selection quite out of the question. But in ]g this quaint article the Scotsman appears to i another object in view, namely, to show by advertisement how deep an ijasight may be into the social and iiiora) condition of id jobs" class. Take the following, for :-A few days ago aa advertisement appeared ilumns, offering 30s. a-week for a married man business promisee—a joiner, or any Qm handy iooal repairs, preferred. Immediately the ad. vertiser found himself smothered under applications to the number of 814 He has, nothing loth, favoured us by returning the whole documents, and they are curious reading, often sad, of'en funny. More than half (479) of the applicants professed to be joiners, or something equivalent; the rest as per list Blacksmiths, 20; bookbinders, 2; brewers, 3; bellhaugers, 4; barber, 1; brass-finishers, 3 butlers, 9; bricklayer, 1; bootmakers. 5; coachmen, 9; coopers, 8 coachbwilders, 2 collector.. 1 chemist, 1 carriers, 2; clerks, 2 carter, 1 cornmilli-rs, 2; corkcutter, 1 detective, 1; diaper, 1; engineers, 13 eng'ne keepers, 5; estate managers, 2 elders, 3 farm bailif, 1; fire- man, 1; flvsher, 1; French polishers, 2 gas manager, 1; grocers, 5; gardeners, 8; gilders, 3; game-eepers, 3; hammerman, 1; ironmonger, 1; ironfounder, 1; janitor, 1; jeweller, 1; litho-printers 3 masons 19 miner, 1; millwright, 1; merchant, 1; "mechanics," 3 miscellaneous, 68 machinist, 1 organ builder, 1; i printers, 4; painters, 9; policemen, 5; plasterers, 4 plumbers, 15; papermaker, 1; ploughman, 2; pattern- makers, 3; railway-carriage builder, 1; roadsmac, 1; registrar, 1 ship carpenters, 4 steward, 1 sheriff-officer 1 stationmaster, 1 soldiers, 19; sheriff-officer 1 stationmaster. 1 soldiers, 19; saddlers. 4 sawmillers, 3 sauce manufacturer, 1 shuttlemaker, 1 slaters, 3 tinsmiths, 3 tele- graphist, 1; trumpeter, 1; tanner, 1; tailor, 1; van- drivers, 3 weaver, 1; woodcutter, 1; wood and ivory turner, 1; wood carvers, 2. All but about a tenth of the applicants were married-some of the remainder intimated that they could easily qualify in that respect in a day or two if the advertiser seriously insisted. The spelling and grammar of most of them were strikingly defective, though by this test many seemed qualified for better things. On the whole, well re- marks the Scotsman, experiences of this sort are doubly painful, as eliciting not only the great amount of need, or rather perhaps of discontent, but also of in- effectiveness, still existing among what may be called the unattached if not loose classes of the population.

As illustrating the curiosity of advertising, the Echo also reinarks:- The advertisements in trade journals are calculated to inspire the uninitiated with strange notions of the wants of the industrious classes, and are by no means dry reading, though commonplace enough to those whom they concern. The following are all curreut at the present time :-A furrier wants a good nailer who can use the knife and goad sewers," which, unless a misprint adds to the alarming character of the adver- tisement, seems hard upon sewers, however idle. An experienced cutter is also required who tho- roughly understands squirrels' backs," a demand calculated to abash the many whose knowledge is less concentrated, and whose information on the subject of any part of a squirrel is meagre and superficial. A youth is wanted to improve in trowsers," knicker- bockers having evidently been unbecoming to him. A "sharp young man" is required as gridiron cook he "must be quick." This sounds nice, and suggests chops "hot and hot." A cabinet-maker seeks "a young man used to the Bench," which is all very well provided that the Bench at any Police-court is not used to him. Even this, however, would not deter some employers, for a tailor wants a steady man used to police tunics and trowsers," surely a spécialité of the imsteady. A jewellery jobber is wanted "to do up as good as new," and doubtless remain "beautiful for ever." A "lapper" is called for, presumably by a party who objects to drinking habits. An employers of "box hands" is not particular as to their shape, since he asks for "100, square, oval, plain, or fancy." A manufacturing firm needs feeders and pickers-up," and might as well advertise for a charwoman at once. A young man is wanted as an improver on pegged and sewn work." Peggy should sew better, and apply to that plicenix among employers who promises constancy if suit- able."

THE QUARTERLY RETURN OF THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL. It is shown in the quarterly return of the Registrar- General, that, next to diarrhoea, scarlet fever was by far the most fatal epidemic disease during the past summer. The last two general epidemics of scarlet fever in Englandreached their climax in 1863 and 1870, causing a death-rate equal to 1*5 per 1,000 in both of those years. After 1870 the mortality from this disease declined rapidly and steadily until the end of the September quarter of 1873; it was but 05 per 1,000 in 1872, and further fell to 0'4 in the first nine months of 1873. The present epidemic, commenced in the last quarter of that year, causing a death-rate of 0 9 per thousand it increased in intensity throughout 1874, and a death-rate of 1'4 in the last quarter raised the average of the year to 104, which was, however, 30 per cent, below the rate in the two epidemic years 1865 and 1870 above-mentioned, During the first nine months of this year the epidemic has continued to prevail, but the-iact that the fatal cases in each quarter have been helow those in the corresponding quarter of last year appears to suggest that the climax of the present epidemic occurred in the last quarter of 1874. The marriages in England and Wales in the second quarter of this year were, according to the same docu- ment, no less than 7 per cent. below the average number in the three preceding corresponding quarters, and if the increase of population be taken into account this decrease per cent. becomes 9. The most remark- able decline in the number of marriages occurred in Westmorland, Cornwall, and Cambridgeshire, in which counties it was equal to 23, 2,1" and 27 per cent, res- pectively. The marriages were below the average, al- though to a less extent, in each of the other counties, except in the North Riding (,f Yorkshire, and the extra-metropolitan portions of Middlesex and Kent. It may be noted that in the principally agricultural counties of the South Midland, South Western, and North Midland registration divisions the marriages in the second quarter of this year were 12 per cent. below the average, whereas the deficieu :y in the North Western, York, and northern divisions, in which the bulk of the population is engaged either in manufacture or mining, did not exceed 5 pur cent.

A NIGHT AT SEA. The report of Captain Adder Hansen, of the Nor wegian barque Powsin, of Mandal, is interesting in connection with the recent violent gales in the North Sea, and gives an extraordinary account of his pluck in navigating his ship during a fearful night. The vessel left Gefle with a cargo of deals and iron on October 6, and proceeded on the voyage, all going well until in the North Sea on the 19th, when the wind, which was ESE, increased to a gale, and later in the day to a complete hurricane, with a tre- mendously high sea, which caused the vessel to labour heavily and ship large quantities of water. At 10.0 p.m. (the captain reports) we sighted a light SW by S, four milas distant, which we took to be the Hinder Light. We tacked and stood to NE. The vessel becoming leaky all hands were kept constantly working the pumps. On the 20th we kept away, and steered SW, the hurricane still continuing with un- abated violence, and the sea, which was now fearfully high, and the heavy ground breakers continually breaking on deck, making a complete breach over the vessel, breaking loose and carrying away portions of the d-ckload, and doing much damage to the ship's topsides. The crew were working the pumps incessantly, but could not keep the water under. It was gaining on them considerably. At 8.0 p.m. only one of the pumps remained in working order, and at 12 0 mid- night we could do no more with either of them. On the 21st, 4.0 am., wind SE, we had more moderate and better weather, but the vessel was roll- ing most fearfully, and we could do nothing with the pumps. At 8.0 a. m a steamer hove in sight. I did not yet dare to lift the pumps, as the decks were being constantly filled with water. During the afternoon the weather cleared up, and became finer, with a mode- rate breeze from SE. A smack now made up to us, although I had by this time persuaded one of the crew to take the signals down but the smack being now close alongside, the mate and the boatswain told me there was nothing left for them to do but to leave the ship. The whole of the crew now took their respec- tive baggage, and were conveyed in the smack's boat to that vessel, leaving me alone to my fate. As I did not consider it consistent with my duty to leave the vessel, especially as I saw that she could be taken into harbour without much danger, I now shaped my course to the west, in the hope of getting the vessel into Grimsby, and gained the information from the smack that I was 25 miles NE. of the Lemon and Ower light ship. The wind freshened, and the fishermen hoisted their tiag and tried by this and other means to persuade me to heave to and leave the vessel; but I kept steering towards the west, and by much exertion succeeded in setting the foresail and the mainsail, also lighting the binnacle lamp and side lights. During the night I had several fqualls, with lightning and rain in fact, it was a most dreadful night. The sea was still very high and break- ing on deck, as the vessel was very deep. The cabin wna full of water, which, by the rolling of the vessel, kept rushing from siJe to side and making a fearful noise, and destroying every thing in it. I was now almost exhausted with the continued working of the wheel, as the vessel steered very badly, and I fell down several times through sheer exhaustion, but after a while I recovered again, and continued steering WNW. Later on towards morning, and with a strong breeze from the SE. I sighted several steamers and other vessels. On Oct. 22, about 9.0 a.m., Spurn light ship in the N by E, the Hull pilot cutter No. 1 spoke me, and on hearing that I was aLne put their boat out, and four of them eauie on board. Later on some more pilots came on board from another cutter and assisted in setting more canvas, and steered up the Humber. The pilots en- gaged a tug to tow the vessel to Grimsby, and she was towed oa to the mud near the entrance to the old dock there."

ECCENTRICITY AND CHARITY. A gentleman of French birth, named Pierre Henri Baume, has just died at Douglas, Isle of Man, leaving a large sum for charitable purposes. He was born at Marseilles in 1797, and at an early age was sent to a military college at Naples, when he became private secretary to King Ferdinand. About the year 13-5 he came to London. At ore time he was a preacher holding peculiar views on theology. T ien ha liecame ma-ufeger ox.a theatrical company, 'am subsequently got up a scheme for the establishment of model gardens, iiO took a lively interest in various charitable institu- tions and expressed a strong desire to accumulate a great fortune, with the object of eventually endowing or establishing an institution, on principles which he had himself drawn up, for the education and benefit of youth of the poorer classes. By great perseverance and industry, and by subjecting hinaself almost to privation, he at last succeeded in amassing a consider- able fortune, and bought land at Coiney-hatch, together with a small estate called Chifont, or Dibdin- hill, in Buckinghamshire. Several obstacles arose to the fulfilment of his educational project, and he was ultimately induced to abandon this* idea. After living about a quarter of a century ill London he went to Manchester, and engagetigpigorouflly in a movement to establish "pubiiehouaea without drink. 113 also instituted Sunday afternoon lectures to work- ing men, which were carried ol\ with varying success for several -years. In 1857 he settled in the Isle of Man, purchased' aa estate tuere, and has ever since resided in tne island. At D^agiis he fitted up an odd kind of residence-, the entrwee to which he m&ae almost inacceeMMe, and admission to which could only be obtained by those whom he had initiated into a peculiar knock. In this little den be lived like a hermit, sleeping in a hammock slung from the roof, for the room was crowded with dusty "books that there was no space left for a bedstead or even for a table on which to take his food. He stated that his object in living in this condition and de- priviDg him?»lf of all comforts was to enable him to leave as much money as possible for charitable and educational purposes. He resided in this inisfr.tble place for several yews, but his health failing him he was induced, about twelve months r.gt., to remove, and died at a tradesman's h"u"e in D ike street, Douglas, on Thursday morning in last wetk. Public attention was directed to M. Baume's affairs in London four or five jears asro, in coi.sequence of proceedings taken by him to evict a number of Fquat. ler,, who had located themselves on his Colney-hatch prop rty, which was popularly known as "The Frenchman's Farm." In It 32 M. Baume took out letters of naturalisation, which enabled him to enjoy the rights and privileges of an Englishman, and to dispose of his property as he tijpught best. He has left the whole of his real and jfirsonal property, valued at £ 54,000, in trust for charitable purposes in the Isle of Man. I'

THE LATE PROFESSOR NEWTH. The llev. J. A. Macfadyen conducted the service in the Chorlton Road Congregational Church, Manches- ter, on Sunday evening, with special reference to the death of the Rev. Protessor Newth. In the course of his sermon, which was founded on Numbers, 26th chapter, and 28th and 29th verses, Mr. Macfadyen said death had again invaded the house of God. The prophet was numbered with the dead the watchful eye was closed in darkness the instructive tongue was mute, and would speak no more. One of the most manly men that ever lived upon earth was dead one of the most tender hearts they had ever known had ceased to beat; one of the best furnished minds this generation had produced was lost to them one of the dearest friends that some of them ever had was present no longer to guide and comfort them one of the ablest and most dearly beloved of their profes- sors had passed from his place one of their most thoughtful and eloquent preachers would never again be heard there. Such men were sadly too few, and could ill be spared. He was a friend among a thousand, and the love he scattered around him while living was mirrored in the deep sympathy excited by the fear that he was dyillg and by i he news that he wa" dead. He did the will of God in life unfalteringly and un- hesitatingly. Never did professor love his students more than he. He rejoiced in their success; he stimulated their energy and he felt for them in their griefs. He had the joy of knowing that he had lived a life worthy of imitation, and he earned his rest. He died in harness not a moment was ^iven him to brush the dust of conflict from his garments before he was summoned by his Master. They mourned him for themselves, but not for him; for him it was better as it was, to be with Christ.

DAMAGED WHEAT FOR SEED. A Correspondent of the New YorT. Tribune writes :— Nothing but necessity would lead me to sow damaged wheat. I would as soon think of raising colts from heavy, ring-boned, spavined, used-up parents. Musty seed will not grow if the must has come from heating in a mow or in the bin. Seed corn is perhaps more likely to be injured than seed wheat. I once lost a planting of corn by using seed that had been for a short time in a bin. It was in good, merchantable condition far grinding, and we had no thought that it had heated at all, but it did not grow. One one occasion we had a pile of wheat heat a very little on the barn floor, which we had intended for seed. Before sowing tests were made by placing soil in a pan, and planting in it a known number of kernels to test the question of vitality. A very large percentage failed to germi- nate under those very favourable circumstances. Many years ago we had a harvest so wet (rain fell eleven successive days when the wheat was in just the condition to sprout), that there was no sound wheat to be had, and we were forced to sow seed that was ''grow." M%ny farmers made tests on this sprouted wheat, and it was found that it had sufficient vitality to grow, and of necessity it was used for seed, and did so well that many persons thought the sprouting in the field did it no injury. In this they were probably mistaken, but it was a point that could not be determined with absolute certainty either way. Thus we have proved, as we think, that mere sprout- ing of the kernel is not fatal to the seed, but heating to any considerable extent, either in the mow or in piles of thrashed grain, is ruinous. I strongly advise my brethren of the plough handles never to sow infe- rior seed of any kind of grain if they can avoid so doing, but to select the very best they can without much regard to cost. Seed of wheat should be graded -that is, the small kernels should be in some way separated from the large and perfect ones, and only the best sown.

THE PRINCE OF WALES AND THE JEWS. The Rev. Dr. A rtom, chief rabbi of the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish congregations, at the conclu- sion of the sermons preached by him at the Upper Bryanston-streec Synngcgue, on the 21st October, and at the Bevis Marks Synagogue, London, on Saturday List, offered up the folhtwing prayer for his Iloyal Highness the Punce of Wales :— "Almighty God Although our hearts arc fondly attached to Palestine, the inheritance of our fathers and the place of Thy choice, yet, in accordance with the commiml given us by Jeremiah, we are faithful and devoted to the Sove- reigns whose subjects thou lifist maoe us-we love the country of our bIrth. Through our loyalty we pray unto Thee on behalf of the Powerful Prince, the Heir Apparent to the Throne, who, animated by the noble fi-eliiigs which ought to warm the heart of every monarch, hai just undertaken a lone, fatiguing, and perilous journey. Thou, 0 Lord, who makest a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters, protect, 0 protect, the aut-ust traveller who cnrries with him the good wishes of a whole nation. Save him from the attack of the tempestuous sea, from the effects of a tropical climate, from all kinds of danger. Give prosperity to his mission, the object of which is not only to make the imperial rule more and more solid, but also to spread the Western Civilisation, which means industry, education, and toler- ance, among a race which, from the most distant antiquity, has been very great, but whose greatness was always dissociated from a spirit of justice and equality among men. Cause the noble Prince to exercise a happy influence over the inhabitants of beautiful India, so that they may see that the happiness of a nation does not de- pend upon the infinite wealth of its country, but upon laws of wisdom and goodness, upon those laws respected and obeyed by all. Grant our beloved Prince a happy return -a return which is earnestly prayed for not only by millions of human creatures, but also by a mother and a wife, whom their august rank does not prevent frum being the most affectionate mother, the most loving wife. Cause the Prince to be alwajs full of the fruits of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and might, of knowledge and the fear of God, so that when in the proper time he reigns over us he may be great through justice and kindness, and show friendship to the people of Israel. May David's words be applied to him, 0 Lord, through Thy infinite mercy—' For thou pre veil test him with the blessings of goodness Thou settest a crown of pure gold upon his head. He asked life of Thee, and Thou gavest it him, even length rf days, for ever and ever.' Amen."

THE NEW AUSTRIAN GUN. The Austrians have taken the bold step of adopting a gun dissimilar to that of any other Power, and have decided upon spending nearly a million of money in its manufacture (says the Daily News). The cannon with which the Austrian Artillery is at present armed has long ago been declared unsatisfactory, and has, indeed, been doomed ever since the new Krupp weapons were universally adopted by the North German States but no definite step was taken to supersede it. Some time since a trial was made between these steel Krupps and a new steel-bronze weapon of General von Uchatius, when not only were the results furnished by the experi- mental bronze guns declared to be superior to those obtained from the Essen guns, but the Uchatius cannon were also far easier and less expensive to make. Accordingly, the Austrian War Department decided in favour of hardened bronze, but it was only last week that a vote of £ 8-F>0,000 was agreed to for the new weapons, while another similar amount is, we are told, to be included in next year's Estimates. The Uchatius gun is made of ordinary bronze, cast in a chill, to harden or "steel" it, a crystaline and perfectly uniform alloy being thus ob- tained, such as cannot be produced, it is said, in any other way and when the cannon has been bored out almost to the proper calibre, the tube is still further enlarged by dilation. These constitute the two main principles of the Uchatius system, and if all the weapons produced are as long-lived and satisfactory as the half-dozen experimental guns already made, the AusLriau general may be congratulated upon his in- vention. Hitherto, the defects in bronz-j guns have been that they have a tendency to droop at the muzzle after firing, and that the alloy composing thtin has not* been homogeneous, but it is fair to say that neiiher of these imperfections was observed in the guns recently under trial in Austria. ?v- • >

THE RED INDIANS. Every one knows that the North American Indians are gradually disappearing (remarks the G!oùc). Taere is a vague impression that this is due partly to direct extermination, partly to the injurious influence of civilised customs suddenly adopted by savages. A paper by Dr. Daniel Wilson in the Canadian Journal, on which Nature Comments, seems to indi- cate that the popular idea of the subject will lia^e to be modified. Dr. Wilson baR long resided in Canada, and enjoyed many opportunities of studying the lied Indian race, so that his opinion has an authority which aUaehes to that of few other ethno- logists. His theory is that the tMuo is disappear- ing berv»,u,»e it' is being gradually ahoorbtd itito the white community. The process of absorption haq been carried, lie believes, to a much greater ex- tent than is com m.;u] ly supposed; he even questions whetLer ia the Uniied States or Canada there now mfiny I,1Jh"Q of puru brvtsJ. lI,i..breelb p,ra iu Canada "the r-Imost universal representatives of the former Indian tribes, and many of them are settling down to a steady, civilised life." If this view is correct, it is clear that the aborigines must have introduced frei-h elements ofcotisiderabie im- portance into the physical and mental character of Americans. The fact is not disputed by Dr. Wilson, who, indeed, traces to this influence the peculiar conrour of face and figure usually ascribed to such outward causes as climate and food. That the A iulo-Saxou type has undergoue striking changes even in Massachusetts, where the memory of ihe old world still excites considerable sympathy, is obvious to the most superficial observer. Even, however, if tho ad- mixture of Indian blood V>'is bad much to do with the alteration, it is reasonable to suppose that a certain approximation to the Indian type would be effected by the caused by which that tjpj was originally pro- duced, P.

When a cookie of young folk3, writes an American critic, get so tnaf. Cbey want ro waltz ali iho li-ne at a bill and have no iiu;»drilies, last's a sign that. they are uavet going to nlip until some furniture man Is madej^Bpy, I

f FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE. The following letter, sent to The Times for publication, will interest many of our readers :— Sir,—On Tuesday last you quoted an authority to the effect that the los< by foot and mouth disease in the year 1872 was estimated at £600,000, and you also published a letter from the editor of au agricultural j paper in which the damage this year is set at not less than JE4,000,000 sterling. I believe that the prevent- able contagion now rioting through the country has iuflicted and is inflicting upon us a money loss this year very far beyond those estimates. Thus, in 1871, no fewer than 519,523 cattle, or 10 per cent, of the entire head of cattle in Great Britain, were reported to the Vete-inary Department as attacked. But the report of the Department states that the num- ber so officially notified must have been much below the truth. In that year, some localities did report more, as, for instance, Somersetshire, in which 12 per cent, of the whole hiad of cat.tie were reported as attacked within 12 months by foot and mouth disease. And in 1S72, Captain T. Johnts Smith reported that the enormous proportion of one-third of the total I horned stock of Cheshire were smitten with the disease the money loss being valued at 9 to 10 per cent. of the value of the whole head of cattle in the country. What would be found to be the actual loss if com- plete information were obtained from all counties, and if police reports were supplemented by true statements from farmers, can be ] udged of, not only from the re- markably careful inquiry of Captain johnes Smith, but from the few independent investigations which have been made. The Herefordshire Chamber of Agriculture instituted a systematic inquiry through the waywardens of the Highway Boards, and ascertained that, in the year 1872, more than 35,000 cattle, 108,000 sheep, and 9,000 pigs in Herefordshire had been at- tacked by foot and mouth disease. Allowing a fair value for animals which died, and £3 per head.; or cows, JE2 per head for calves and other cattle, and 103. per head for sheep and lambs and pigs, which recovered, the total loss was shown to exceed £156,000 in that one year. There is no reason for supposing that the disease at that time was more prevalent aud destruc- tive in Herefordshire than throughout Great Britain altogether indeed, in the previous year, when returns were furnished to the Veterinary Department, the number of cases reported in Herefordshire was slightly below the rate per cent, (in proportion to total stock) for the remainder of Great Britain. The money )o?3 of filofi.OOO^ for the cattle, sheep, and pig stock of Herefordshire was at tbe rate of jE13,000,000 upon the cattle, sheep, and pig stcwk of Great Britain. The loss in Leicestershire for the same year was similarly investigated by the Leicestershire Chamber of Agriculture, and the proportion came out very nearly the same, allowing for the incomplete nature of the returns obtained. Information with respect to districts will reveal an extent of mischief comparable to that in Cheshire in 1872. An inquiry made by the South Wiltshire Chamber of Agriculture showed that, in 13 parishes around Shaftesbury, 10,000 cattle, or nearly one- fourth of tho whole head of cattle in those parishes, were struck by foot-and-mouth disease in 1874, and the money loss was estimated at jE10,000, certainly at a very moderate valuation per beast. This plague had visited those 13 parishes three to four times in six years. It is, in my opinion, not beyond the mark to assume that the sacrifice of meat and milk by this one malady in the present year, when it has spread further into remote localities, and has missed fewer farms that it was ever known to do before, must be, for Great Britain and Ireland, very much more than four mil- lions sterling perhaps that sum multiplied several times over. In evidence before the Select Committee of the House of Commons in 1873, I calculated our annual production of beef, veal, mutton, and lamb as worth about £60,000,000. If we let a controllable foreign contagion walk in and destroy, or, what amounts to the same thing, prevent the production of meat to the value of certainly several, and probably many millions of pounds every two or three years, whose fault is it that the commodity becomes so dear?—I have the honour, to be your obedient servant, JOHN ALGERNON CLARKE. Central Chamber of Agriculture, the Salisbury Hotel, Fleet-street, E.C., Oct. 29.

A meeting of the members of the Leicestershire Chamber of Agriculture was held on Saturday at the Bell" Hotel, Leicester, for the purpose of consider- ing whether any and what steps should be taken by the Chamber towards obtaining effectual legislation on the contagious disease of live stock." The president of the society (Sir A. G. Hazlerigsze) occupied the chair, and there were also present Sir F. T, Fowke (Chairman of Quirter Sessions tor the county), Sir A. H. Palmer, theliuv. E. Smythies (vice-chairman),Rev..T. Bird, Rev. E. Elmhirst, Mr. S. W. ClcMfcs, M. P., Mr. W. N. Reeve, Cierk of the Peace for the county, and others. A letter of apology for non-attendance was rtarl from Mr. A. Pell, M.P., aud Mr. W. U. Heygate, M.P., the former «f whom was engaged ia the transaction of county busi- ness at Northampton, and the latter of whom was de- tained in the North. The chairman observed that if any one could suggest efficacious legislation in regard to the foot and mouth disease he would be a bene- factor to his country. The vice-chairman thought they should put a padlock on the dealers, as they propagated the mischief to a great extent. A general opinion seemed to prevail among the members of the Chamber that the introduction of the foot and mouth disease was attributable to the importatinn of foreign cattle, and on the motion of Mr. C. H. Frewen (a Middlesex magistrate), seconded by Mr. R. Pratt, it was re- solved :— "That the fearful ravages made In our herds and flocks during the present year, so far as the foot and mouth disease is concerned, proves that the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act has signally failed to accomplish its objectt." The Vice-Chairman moved a resolution, which was seconded by Mr. S. W. Clowes, M.P. :— "That fat cattle, sheep, and swine from abroad be slaughtered at the ports of demarcation also that cattle, sheep, and swine from the Continent of Europe, as well as frùm Ireland (unless for Immediate slaughter) be subjected to six days' quarantine and inspection at the British ports at whidi they are lauded." Mr. Clowes thought that six days' quarantine would be better than a longer term, and that they would be more likely to obtain a measure for the former period than a quarantine of 14 days. Mr. Wilson, hon. secre- tary of the Chamber, moved an amendment, which was seconded by the Rev. J. Bird,— That no measure adequate to deal with the contagious or infectious diseases can be adopted until the further im- portation of the disease-is prevented by the slaughter of all foreign stock at the port of debarcatiou, and the detention at the port of debarcation of all store stock for at least 14 days And, on a vote being taken, the latter was carried by a large majority. Mr. Wilson, the secretary of the Chamber, next moved a resolution, which was seconded by Mr. R. Carver Ingarsby— That a more stringent regulation and inspection be made as regards the Irish cattle traffic;" But, on the motion of Mr. J. Higginson, J.P., se- conded by the chairman, an amendment was carried,— That all fat and Irish cattle be slaughtered at the port of landuifr, and that all Irish store stock be subject to seven days' quarantine." Mr. Perkins complained of the inability of the in- spectors to carry out the present Act; that out of 1,706 inspectors on the 31st of December, 371 were veterinary surgeons, and 1,021 officers of police, while 314, possessed no special qualification for the office. Saveralmembers of the Chamber expressed an opinion that the only way to get rid of the foot and mouth disease was to adopt the same course which was pur- sued on the introduction of the rinderpest in this country—namely, to stamp it out even, if necessary, by the stoppage of the markets for a time and. on the motion of Mr. Wilson, seconded by the Rev. J. Bird, the following resolution was unanimously adopted :— "That. subject to the above resolution being carried out by the Privy Council, this Chamber recommends that from the 20th of December next to the 1st of March, 1876, no cattle be removed frem off a farm for the purpose of sale except by license, under the supervision of the authorities."

Wet weather has increased the foot and mouth disease in Norfolk. Last official return shows that in the week ending the 23rd of October the number of cases of the disease which occurred in the county was 2,897. The returns for the past week, unfortunately, show a great increase of the disease, which is most rife in the Buckrose (Norton) Division, in East Yorkshire, in- cluding the Wold range. The total number of infected animals is 2,735, against 961 at the date of the last return. The recent returns for Cambridgeshire show a re- markable decline in this disease. In every district there is a decrease, and, should it continue, the disease in the counties of Cambridge and Huntingdon will, it is hoped, soon be stamped out.

THE BLACK HILLS GOLD FIELDS. Professor Walter P. Jenney. chief geologist of the expedition into the Black Hills, and his assistants have returned to Wyoming, having spent five months in the hills, and made a thorough examination of the whole country. The New York Herald says :— He reports gold fields extending forty miles north from Harney's Peak, and twenty miles wide, that con- tain gold in quantities that will pay from 3 dols to 5 dols per day to the man, and that there are. bars on numbers of streams that will pay much more than that. The water supplies are ample for working purposes, and fully sufficient to carry wa!;(Or from the top of most of the bars, and allow the tailings to he readily disposed of. The gold is coarse, good, and easily sepa- rated from the gravel and sand. The professor has with him an ounce of course gold that two men ob- tained in Spring Creek with ten hours' labour. An assay of his gold shows it to be 910 fine, worth 19'43 dols. to the ounce. Professor Jenney corroborates General Custer's report of the bills, and says that they will support thousands of miners when the Govern- ment opens them a settlement. The valleys are all adapted to agriculture, and the hills and canons to stock raising. Rainfall is plentiful, and timber abund- ant.'

Paris GRAVEYARDS. Of course, in 1791, the graveyards, like other church property, were handed over to the State, with the cynical proviso that they must not be sold till ten years after the last interments. But soon Paris was to need burying grounds, as urgently as if a terrible plague was devastating her. The Reign of Terror began. There were two guillotines "en permanence one at each end of the city; and close to them, to save trouble, they made two graveyards—one at the east end, near the Blace du Trdne one at the west, close to the Place de la Concorde. In this latter, Louis XV f. and Marie Antoinette were buried. At tbe Restoration they dug and tdtd the ground till they found, or fancied they found, the precious bones of the unhappy king and his wife; and on the spot where they were discovered stands the Chapelle Expiatoire, one of the sights of Paris, and. as I always thought, a very uncanny sight. We know who stepped out of the end window of King James's Whitehall banqueting-room, and many of us think it was wicked, aa vrul as foolish, to cut hia head off; Due we have happily expunged from our Prayer Book the aervice for the 29th V 1 January. When will the French do away with the idea of expiatory chapel, and just show the spot (if they don't prefer forgetting it altogether) merely as some- thing worth seeing? The East-end guillotine grave- yard is still used; it is that Picpus cemetery which Victor Hugo describes so beautifully in the MiseraMes. A.convent garden, that of the Sisters of the Per- | petual Adoration," stretches up from it to the sti eet and a few of the families who suffered in ?93--the Noailles, the Lafayettes, &c.—have bought it and still bury there.-All the Year Round.

THE MATRIMONIAL QUESTION. The financial aspect of the matrimonial question occupies at present the attentiou of various corre- spondents of one of the Chicago papers. The Tribune of that city takes up the subject editorially and ex presses the opinion, which, in these times at least, will be everywhere recognised as just, that economy is the main pivot upon which the success of every household turns, and that its study and practice are not beneath the attention of any lady. Upon this question Dr. Lorenz Von Stein, an eminent political economist, has recently made some suggestions in a lecture upon Woman in the Sphere of National Economy." Von Stein divides the entire family incom6 into two distinct parts. The first, which depends entirely upon busi- ness and capital, belongs to the husband. The second part, which pertains to the household economy, he subdivides into six parts. Four of these, including that part of the income to be devoted to the dwelling, the standing wants, such as dress, light, fire, and ser- vants, the expense of sickness, death, insurance, and I recreation, and a certain sum set apart as the family I savings-box for the subsequent benefit of the children, are to be under the jurisdiction of the husband and wife together. The wife alone has the sole charge of one-third of the life economy and an equal jurisdiction in the other two-thirds, shall make the closest possible estimates of all items of expense and of the price and quantities of commodities.

The "VANGUARD.PERILS of DIVERS. During the recent operations on the Vanguard, two of the divers narrowly escaped death. The first in- stance was that of a man named Rowe, who went down quickly to his work knowing that he had not much time to stay below. In his rapid descent, the pressure became suddenly increased to such an extent that he lost his senses. The signalman above twice gave the signal All right," and receiving no response, ordered his men to haul up Rowe, however, was fastentangled in the spare rigging floating about, and it was only by the combined strength of seven or eight men that he was eventually brought to the surface quite black in the fa 3e. A few minutes more under water and he would have been dead. The next case was that of Ingledon, who went down to the bridge of the Vanguard, in crossing which he slipped, and fell on to the deck. Stunned by the sudden increase of pressure, he was unable to answer the signals, and was in consequence at once hauled up into the boat in an apparently lifeless condition. Re- storatives were applied, but it was two hours before he revived, and he is still in the hospital under medical care. The greatest dangerhe divers experience is from the ropes, sails, shrouds, &c., which incessantly move in the waters below. As the tide, which here exceeds the rate of four miles an hour, sets in one direction, all the various moving objects go with the stream, and the divers, who have to wait until the water is moderately still, go down clear of all embarrassment. As, however, the tide reverses its course, the moving mass returns upon them, and they often have to cut their way through to gain the surface. Notwithstanding all these difficulties, the divers-and especially two of them, White and M'Colloch—have successfully reached the hull, which lies in deep darkness, and measured the hole in the side by means of notching a wooden lath carried down for the purpose, and pi aced against the aperture. The Denayrouze lamp, which had been materially useful in removing the rigging of the ship, was not taken down on this occasion, inasmuch as the divers required to use both hands in endeavouring to escape entanglement by some stray rope. The men consider that with the aid of the lamp a great difficulty will be overcome when working at the hul of the vessel aiter the top-hamper is removed.

"A RARE COIN IN FRANCE." A French Correspondent writes :—"A very valuable collection of coins was offered for sale at the Hotel des Ventes in Paris the other day, and among them was a five-franc piece with the effigy of Prince Louis Napoleon, President of the French Republic, and the date of 1851. This coin, much to the surprise of a by- stander not in the secret, was run up to 118 f. Curious to know why a coin which, from its recent date, could not, he imagined, be a rarity, fetched such a high price, he asked the unsuccessful bidder why he had offered as much as 110 f., and was met with the somewhat contemptuous reply, 'Why, don't you see it is a piece with the lock of hair?' (unie pikce k la mfeche). More and more puzzled, he was obliged to ask for an explanation, and was told that one of the first decrees issued after the coup d'état on the 2nd of December referred to the coining of new money, which was to be stamped with the effigy of the Prince-Presi- dent. One of the five-franc pieces was brought to the Elysde for approval, but the late Emperor, having his attention taken by other things, forgot all about it for a few days. When he came to examine it he noticed a lock of hair curled forward near the right temple, which displeased him, and he gave orders to have the mould altered. But, taking his silence for consent, the director of the Mint bad commenced the issue, and twenty-three five-franc pieces could not be withdrawn from circulation. These are the coins which are now so highly valued by collectors, aud one of which was sold a few days ago."

THE FESTIVAL OF ALL SAINTS. The Paris Correspondent of The Times, writing under date the 1st inst., referring to this popular festival of the French people, says To-day is one of the four great fetes of the Catholic world-a fete, however, really secular as well as reli- gious, for the Feast of All Saints announces that the majority of the Parisians are leaving the country and returning to Paris. Putting aside political classifica- tions, Paris is divided into five very distinct classes. First of all, there are the people who never go into the country, the people whose employments continue on Sunday—the factory hands and masons who work during Sunday morning, the small dealers in daily provisions-the grocers, fruiterers, milk- sellers, and th% butchers — hairdressers, cabmen, tobacconists, and restaurateurs, for whom no Sun- day exists. These only know the country by hear- say, and because from time to time they take a suburban train ta attend a fite in the environs of Paris, where the country appears to them under the guise of a place invaded by the crowd, filled with stalls, where the dust is blinding, the noise of a dozen bands deafening, where everything is to be een except a blade of grass in its natural state, and where the trees are replaced by black .wooden stands supporting oil-lamps, which drip on the passers-by. Next there are the small shopkeepers of back streets who hire in the out- skirts of the city a cottage with a garden as long as a thread and as narrow as a corridor, where their families live summer and winter, not for the sake of the air and light, but because such a residence is more economical, because it is outside the octroi because the wife has no need to dress smart to keep up the husband's credit, and because the children, in ragged clothes and boots the worse for wear, can roll in the dust without their mother being blamed for not attending to them, or their father for being too poor to clothe them. Those who inhabit these little houses, small tradesmen, clerks, and subaltern employes, take the 7 or 8 a.m. train to Paris, and come back by the evening trains starting at eight, nine, or ten. These see nothing of the country but the thick veil of night, and at dawn, at the moment when the sun begins to gild the tree-tops, they leave it, taking into their dim offices, their scarcely-lighted shops, the reflection, as it were, of the morning land- scape, the recollect, on of which cheers them during their day's work. After these are the richer shopkeepers who have a country house of their own, which they see only on Sundays, which they decorate for 10, 12, or 15 years, which is in their thoughts during the long years of labour, which receives them every Sunday, to which they carry their most constant anxieties, and which smiles on them as the dream of Paradise whenever their prosperous business allows of their retiring with 6, 8, or 10,000f. a year, to enjoy without interrup- tion the occasional grandeur which now begins with the end of the week and finishes with the beginning. These are the large Boulevard tradesmen, the great milliners or dressmakers, a few superior employes, architects beginning to make their way in the world, manufacturers who have just opened or, bought a factory; all those, in short, who can at once live without pinching, devote some money to their hobby, and cultivate the thrift so dear to the Frenchman which leads to independence. Above these, the banker, the successful manufacturer, the Ministers, chef de division, the insurance manager, the magistrate, the shopkeeper living on his income, or lastly the rentier of the Faubourg St. Honors, has a real country residence, where he passes' four or five months of the year. Rising above all these is the real grand seigneur, who only leaves Paris in August after the Grand Prix and the Great Re. view, who goes to Rome, to the Plombiferes or Vichy baths, who only raturns to his chateau for the opening of the chasse, and does not leave it till after the Christmas festivities. Outside these five classes and escaping all classification are the actor, painter, sculptor, musician, who live at Asnieres, Noisy-le-Sec, Courbevoie, Charenton, Fontenay-aux- Roses, Enghien, and Fontainebleau, who come to Paris in the evening and return after midnight by what are called the theatre trains, bringing to the great city their humour, talent, and vivacity, and seeing its noise at the hour when that noise is stilled. Out of all these classes it is the fourth which returns to town on All Saints' Day. The first three never leave Paris the fifth only comes back later, the sixth only passes, the evening here. The Paris of All Saints' Day is, therefore, the Paris of winter, saving the fleur superfine, the aristocracy, or the banking princes who conceal their absence of coats of arms under a heavy bag of gold p.'soes.

GETTING OVER A DIFFICULTY. An incident connected with the Emperor William's recent visit to Milan his escaped general observation (remarks the Daily Telegraph). When the State visit to the Opera was decided upon, it became a question what music of a special character should be performed in honour of the illustrious guest. The time was too short for Signor Ponchielli, or some other popular composer, to write a new work, and the authorities were nonplussed till it was remembered that the Italian Spontini had composed a national hymn for the country of the illustrious Emperor. No better way out of the difficulty could present itself, especially as William I. is known to hold the music of Spontini in great esteem, and" BGruli- sia" was chosen nem con. But when the hymn was hunted up a new obstacle presented it- self. The words turned out to be a song of triumph over France ia the form of a pompous invoca- tion addressed to the genius of Prussia, lauding the victories of the War of Liberation^ and figuratively treading the enemy underfoot. This would never do but, happily, there was an alternative without sacri- ficing Spontini. Poets in Italy are as plentiful as priests, and one of these gifted gentlemen was set to work at the task of writing new words. From his pen came verses quite as inflated as those they were in- tended to replace, but with the important difference that they glorified the Emperor and the alliance while keeping a discreet silence about France. These were sung at the memorable gala representation, not. many present suspecting, it may be, the nature of the original text.

SOCIAL AMBIGUITIES. Never take Come and see me," says an American paper, as a phrase meant in earnest uuless it is accom- panied with a date. Such an invitation amounts to nothing at all. If a lady or gentleman desires your company he or she will appoint a time for your visit. CaJl on me whea you can make it convenient," drop in as you are passing, "make us a visit when- ever you have an hour or two spare," are social ambi- guities by which men and women of the world under- stand that they are not expected to do the thing requested. When people wish to be cheaply polite there is nothing like this kind of vagueness. The com- plimentary small change of society must always be taken at a larze discount. It is never worth its face or anything like it. Yet it is a convenient medium of exchange, and heavy debts of gratitude that ought to be requited in better coin are often paid with it. People who have more polish than principle use it lavishly—plain, blunt, honest men sparingly or not at all. Whoever makes a friendly visit to a fashionable house on the strength of a mere Come and see me," will very often find that the family circle he has dropped into by request is as ungenial as the Arctic circle, and he will probably leave it with a chilly feeling that will prevent him from venturing into the same high lati- tude again But when a whole sound man, whom you know to be your friend, grasps you vigorously by the hand and says, Come and dine with me to day— dinner on the table at five o'clock—be sure to come, we shall expect you," you can take it as certain that your presence is warmly desired. It is pleasant al- ways to n :;ke or receive a visit from a friend, but a nod 'h<- street is ali sufficient from a fashionable acquair. Uii e.

THE WORK OF THE POST-OFFICE IN 1874. The Pobtmaster-General, in his report for 1874, s ates that the number of post-offices in the United Kingdom was increased last year by 280, making in all nearly 13,000, about 900 of which are head offices. The number of road letter boxes is nearly 9,700, as compared with 9,000 in 1873. Thus, the total number of postal receptacles in the United Kingdom, is now more than 22,000, as compared with about 15,600 ten years ago, and with little more than 4,500 before the eftablibhmentofpennypostageinl840. InLondon alone there are nearly 1,700 such receptacles. The number of letters transmitted in England and Wales in 1874 was 804 millions of post-card->. 66 millions and of book packets and newspapers, 207 millions. In Ireland and Scotland the numbers were brought up to 967 million letters, or an increase of 6i per cent. in the year 79 4 1 million post cards, or an increase of 9J"per cent. and 259 million newspapers and book parcels, or an increase of 2 per cent. The number of registered letters in the United Kingdom during the year was upwards of 4,000,000, or about one in 250 of the total number of letters. The number of letters received in the Returned Letter Office was more than 4,400,000, being about one in every 220 of the total number of letters. As respects more than three-fourths of these it was found possible either to re-issue them or to return them to the writets. Upwards of 20,000 letters were posted without any address; one of these letters containing more than £2,000 in bank notes. A registered letter from Switzerland was found open in the chief office, London. The contents, which han become exposed owing to the flimsiness of the en- velope, consisted of cheques for upwards of JB200, and of bank notes to the vidue of more than £500. A registered letter containing Turkish bonds, with coupons, payable to bearer, worth more than JB4,000, intended for a firm in the City of London, was mis- directed to a street in the West-end, where it was de- livered. On inquiry being made for the packet it was found that the bonds had been mistaken for foreign lottery tickets of no value, and had been put aside for the children of the family to play with. In the chief office in London two gold watches were found, each enclosed in an unregistered book packet addressed to New Zealand the leaves of the books having been cut so as to admit of the watches being enclosed. The packets were sent to the Returned Letter Office, whence information was forwarded to the addresses, there being nothing to show who were the senders. 1 here was again a large increase in the amount of postal telegraph business the number of messages (ex- elusive of newspaper telegrams) having last year been about nineteen million, or ten per cent. more than in 1873. The business of the Post-Office Savings Banks con- tinues to increase steadily. Last year there were 178 new offices opened in England and Wales; 23 in Scotland and 14 in Ireland the total number in the United Kingdom at the end of the year being upwards of 5,000. Since the establishment of the Post Office savings banks, thirteen years ago, the number of old savings banks has diminished from 638 to 476 which latter number is less by 100 than the pre- sent number of Post-Office savings banks in the London district alone. The number of depositors has increased by about 112,000, making the whole number at the end of the year nearly 1,670,000; while the amount of deposits, including interest due, was upwards of £ 23,000,000, being about JB2,000,000 more than in 1873. The whole sum deposited during the year was upwards of £8,300,000, as against nearly £6,9<30,000 withdrawn, the average amount of each deposit having been about k2 14s., as compared with about £6 8s., the average amount of each withdrawal. The usual tendency has been for the deposit average slightly to diminish, and for the withdrawal average considerably to increase but last year the tendency in each case, though very small, was in the other direction. The proportion of depositors to population was about 1 to 20, the largest being in England aDd Wales, viz., 1 to 15, and the smallest in Ireland, whitre it was about ] to 100 In the latter case, however, the average sum belonging to each depositor, viz., 916 14s. nearly, was about £ 216s. more than the general average. The gross revenue from postage and money orders, properly appertaining to the year, wast5,651,000, being an increase of 2280.000 on the previous year, or more than 5 per cent. The expenditure properly appertain- ing to the year was £ 3,91">,00!) as compared with jE3,793,000 in 1873. showing an increase of more than 3 per cent. The chief items of expense were f 1,874,000 for salaries, wages, pensions, &e. £916,000 for convey- ance by mail packets and private ships JE650,000 for conveyance by railway; £151,000 for conveyance by coaches, carts, and omnibuses and £169,000 for build- ings, repairs, &c. These items, as compared with those in 1873, exhibit an increase of £100,000 in salaries, &c.; of JE5,000 for conveyance by railway; of JE9,000 for conveyance by coaches, &c. and of £ 36,Of 0 for buildings, &c.; together with a decrease of JE29,000 for conveyance by mail packets and private ships. The net revenue was £1,ï3õ,000, as compared with jEl, 578,000 in 1873, showing an increase of jE153,000, or about 10 per cent. If the several departments of Government had been charged with postage, both the gross and net revenue from postage would have been increased by nearly £100,000. The gross revenue from telegraphs last year was £ 1,160,000, and the expenditure £ 1,051,000 leaving the sum of £109,000 applicable to the payment of interest upon the capital raised for the purchase of the telegraphs by the State. The interest on the money placed in the hands of the National Debt Commissioners on account of the savings banks was last year £743,000, while the interest credited to the depositors was £524,000, and the expen- diture (exclusive, however, of postage, which, if charged, would have amounted to about £ 36,000) was JSI.00,000 making a total of £ 624,000, and leaving a profit of £119,000. Including the profit of previous years, but making no deduction for postage, there is now an aggregate profit of £829,000.

THE WEATHER AND CROPS. The'ifajwr writes The weather last week showed little inclination to settle down to any fixed character, and heavy soils have afforded but little opportunity for continuing wheat sowing and autumn cultivation under favourable conditions. A week of fine dry weather would be a boon just at present, for the season is getting advanced; wheat sowing should be com- pleted very shortly, stubble ploughing finished, and the root crops intended for winter storage lifted. It is not advisable to attempt either of these operations whilst the land is saturated with wet. The area under wheat is gradually diminishing in this country. Of late years the seasons have not been favourable to this crop, and market prices have been low. Other countries can grow finer wheat than we can and in larger bulk. Thecompetitionfromabfoad keepsdownthe price of wheat until it barely realiaesapronttoEngiish growers. Spring sown wheat has not been of late years asuccessful crop. Besides, one of the advantages in wheat growing where a certain prescribed area is set apart for cereals is, that it is principally FOWtl in autumn, and so re- lieves the heavy work of spring sowing, at a time when other crops require all the attention and labour we can spare to put in the seed in proper conditiou. Barley is the most profitable corn crop at present to the Eng- lish farmer, and good partures properly managed pay well, except where that most harassing disease, the foot- and-mouth, prevails. Wheat sowing, when unfinished, should now be continued at every opportunity when the land is fit, and the same may be said of all plough ings preparatory to spring cultivation. It is not well to trust to any great improvement in the weather at this late period of the year, now wet November has set in, to be followed probably by hard frosts or heavy snows in December. The root crops should be trimmed or laid in rows or small heaps to be securely stored whenever the land is dry enough to arJmi( of carts entering in the fallows without injury to the ground or extra labour to the horses employed in drawing the heavy loads after them.

A WELL-KNOWN CHARACTER. —The following anec- dote has just turned r. > f old Doctor Strong, of Hart- ford. On one occasion he had invited a young minister to preach for him, who proved a rather dull speaker, and was unusually long. The people became wearied, and as Dr. Strong lived near the bridge, about the time for the commencement of the afternoon service he saw his people flocking in great numbers across the river to the other church. He readily understood that they should hear the same young man in the afternoon. Gathering up his wits, which generally came at his bidding, he said to the youug minister, My brother across the river is very feeble, and I know he will take it kindly to have you preach to his people, and if you will do so I will give you a note to him, and be will be as much obliged to you as I would to have you preach for me. and I want you to preach the same sermon you preached to my people this morning." The young minister, supposing this to be a commendation of his sermon, started off in good spirits, delivered his note and was invited to preach most cordially. He saw before him one-half of Dr. Strong's people, and they had come to listen one hour and a half to the same dull, humdrum sermon they had heard in the morning. They understood the joke, however, and said they wo ltd never undertake to run away from Dr. Strong I

DISCOVERY OF A PIGMY. It is mentioned in Haywood's History of Ten- nesse," in the United States, that a race of pigmies existed hundreds of years ago in the neighbourhood of McMinville and Sparta, where their cemeteries are yet to be found, though many of them have been torn up by the plough. Professor Henry, of the Smithsonian Institute, lately set his heart on obtaining a skeleton of one of these pigmies, and accordingly the other day Mr. Lillard was deputed to make necessary search. Mr. Lillard proceeded to Hickory Bottom, about five miles from Sparta, where he found the graves of about twenty pigmies, but they had been previously opened and the contents removed. The next morn- ing he was more successful, and from a grave on a neighbouring farm, belonging to a man named Doyle, he extracted the bones of a pigmy. From the manner in which the bones lay it is evident that the pigmy had been buried in a sitting position. The measurement of the skeleton is twenty-six inches in height. The thigh-bones are little larger than a man's forefinger. The remains were at once despatched by Mr. Lillard to the Smithsonian Institute. The grave opened had as a headstone a limestone rock, a thing unusual, and the bones are therefore supposed to be those of a pigmy of importance.—Pall Mall Gazette.

THE PRINCE OF WALES'S JOURNEY. When the Duke of Edinburgh visited India he pro- ceeded no farther south than the town of Madras it- self. But the Prince of Wales will pass through those curious and interesting cities of the Carnatic, Trichi- nopoly, Madura, and Tan j ore. The nearest parallel to the rock of Trichinopoly to be found in Great Britain is the rock at Dumbarton. Both rocks are natural fortresses, and have an eventful history. To the Hindoo, however, the rock of Trichinopoly is something more than Dumbarton is to a Scotch- man. It is one of the favourite resorts of the vengeful Siva, and the Tamilian poet, TSyumanavar, —who, like the most distinguished of his confreres, was considered to be the human avator or incarnation of a deity,—made it his home. From the small cut-stone temple-choultry on the summit of the rock, a match- less view is to be obtained of the broad plains that spread on either side of the Rivers Cauvery and Coieroon, which at the time of the Prince's visit will be in fair flood. This is the country about which, eight centuries ago, the Vahniki of Southern India, the poet Kamban, wrote:— Of streams the stately Cauvery, Of kings is Cholan best. And Chola-land the fairest land In all the earth's broad breast! From this spot the PrinQj will look down on the battle fields of Clive, and the historic island of Sriran- gam, which has the reputation of being the most fertile portion of the most fertile part of India. The chief religious as well as secular authority on the rock is the Tambirftn, or High Priest. This man's own na- tural hair is more than seven feet in length, and he will now and then, as a favour to visitors, unwind it, and stand upon it, and allow its genuineness to be tested. The Tambirita is anastute metaphysician, and travels about the country in a costly palanquin, almost entirely composed of carved ivory. HINDOO CURIOSITIES. During his stay at Prichinopoly, however brief that stay may be, the Prince of Wales will be pretty cer- tain to be escorted to the famous island of Srirangam, across the Cauvery bridge, which is about as long as that across the Menai Straits. There is no need in this place to speak of the pagodas of Srirangam at length, of its grey towers, the fantastic carvings, the exquisitely chiselled sculptures, the court of a thousand pillars, with its sacred monkeys, of the great temple- jewels and treasures of Srirangam. This collection chiefly consists of ornaments for the adornment of the god, the Kristna Avatar of Vishnu, on special occa- sions. There are armlets and necklaces, and breast- plates, and crowns, all set with gems—diamond and ruby, and emerald, topaz, and opal, and sapphire, and pearL One necklace, of emeralds, rubies, and diamonds, with pearl pendants, is computed to be worth six lakhs of rupees (£60,000). The god has several umbrellas, with covers of pearl network, and one of these bears, ac- cording to estimation, 125,000 small, but extremely clear-coloured pearls. Amongst the treasures are huge vessels of purest gold, under the weight of which the attendants who show them to the few that are allowed to inspect the temple treasures, stagger as they bring them into the show chamber. The mace of the god is a mass of gold sheathed for the greater part by large flat diamonds. It is impossible to estimate the in. trinsic value of the Srirangam gems. They are badly cut, and some of the largest emeralds, rubies, and diamonds are scarcely cut at all. Yet some, wretchedly cut as they are, emit a surprising lustre. There are several hundreds of huge pear-shaped pearls, but these again are bort d through the centre and this although it may enhance the value of the gems in the Hindoo's eyes, naturally lessens their value in the estimation of an European jeweller. The Srirangam pagoda re- ceived a valuable gift of a porticn of these jewels a few years ago from a peculiarly holy ascetic. This man, a Brahmin, vowed that for ten years he would not eat a morsel of food or drink a drop of water on any day that he did not receive for the god a donation of 100 rupees (£10). He was at first frequently nearly starved to death, but such a devotee was not to be lost to the faith. The pious rallied round him, and, at the end of the stipulated term, he presented the temple with a magnificent necklace of emeralds and rubies and other ornaments, worth in all upwards of £25,000. t T

THE POULTRY YARD. The American Farmer gives the following on this subject" The Black Spanish, the Polish, the Leg- horns and the Ham burgs are all great layers, and not inclined to set. Some prefer one breed and some another. One cock to every ten or twelve henB is suffi- cient, at most, and some of our best poultry-men keep a less proportion than that. In the egg-producing class, the Leghorns stand pre-eminently above all others. This variety consists of the white and brown. The browns appear to be the favourites, being hardy, easily raised, and maturing quickly—the pullets often laying at four months. Pullets of this breed frequently lay as high as 260 eggs during the year. Their large comb and pendants require a warm house during more rigorous winteus. The next high in favour is the Black Spanish; these, like the former, are non-setters, and prolific, but not so easily raised. They do not, until nearly grown, get their full feathers, being gene- rally half naked for a considerable time after hatch- ing. These, like the Leghorns, require comfortable winter quarters, owing to their large comb and wattles. The Houdans, a French breed, come next as layers and non-setters. This is what they call a made breed, between the Poland and the Dorking—showing the characteristic crest of the former and the fifth toe of the latter, although not as continual layers as the two varieties mentioned, yet they possess points superior to the others in size, delicacy of flesh, and hardihood, but are very liable to disease. The small breeds, the different varieties of Hamburgs and Polands, have their admirers ae fancy fowls. They are excellent layers, partially non-incubators, but are not recommendable, owing to their size, as likely to improve our present stock of common fowls. The Dorkings: This class may be considered the standard English fowl, and combine more general qualities than any other regular setters large size, plump, square built, delicate flesh, and highly flavoured. They lay a full supply of eggs and are probably the best table fowl raised. They likewise have large combs and pendants, like the Leghorn and Spanish. They do not thrive well on damp soil. The Asiatics are the most extensively bred and fashionable class at present raised in America, and on the whole are probably better adapted to the rigorous winters of the United States and Canadas than any other, being well sup- plied with an abundance of feathers down to the toes, having small combs and wattles, no danger thus arising from those parts being frozen."

AMERICAN HUMOUR. Ame^icau papers talk of a Mexican baby-eater, who seems to have fully demonstrated the truth of the saying that the child Is fodder to the man. The American Rochefoucauld says—" Contentment is said to be bettor than riches, but the latter is goodenough for me." The Columbus Journal, deseribing an Ohio barrister, says He is au honest man by profession, and he earns his bread by the strength of his Jaw." Fashionable young lady, detaching her hair before retiring—" What dreams may come when wo have shuffled off this mortal coil Twenty-five young women are studying medicine at Salt Lake. Tbey are to practice for women doubtless they "ill have their revenue at last, and make them scarce even in Mo/mou Land. They have a female barber in Brooklyn. She is seventeen, soft-handed, sweet of breath, pretty, plump, and graceful, and what is better than all, deaf and dumb. "Noone can tell what a day will bring us." This philosophy is from tbe American Rochefoucauld, after Madame American Rochefoucauld had presented him with three. Tne philosopher had provided an outfit for one. A smart young Bostonian offers to wager a consider- amount on his spelling. He says you may give him any word in the English language, in common use, or absolute tech- nical, or otherwi-e, he will spell it correctly the first time. Almost any smsrt >'ew Yorker can do the same "It" is not a difficult work to tackle orthographically. At a recent spelling match the agreement was that the words should be selected from a newspaper of the day of the match The match was between young men and girls, and went no further thin spelling, or they would not have deceived the girls by obtaining the publication of a scientific article full of u:jfa!niii„r terms.

It is sb'Vvv;; by a Parliamentary Blue-bcck recently publiRbt-a i: at iu 187,. £¡)b6,876 was paid by railway com- panies Tor personal injuries in the United Kingdom, and £ ?51,293 for damage to goods, & In the preceding year the ;>v,mnt for persc-ual injuries was £864,500, &nd to gccis, &0 <M31J07.