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Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2554, 25 April 1871, Page 2

Telegraphy in England. The Queen’s speech was transmitted by postal telegraph to nearly two hundred towns in the United Kingdom. The speech contained 1,780 words—that is, more than double the number of words contained in the speech of 1870. The transmission began immedidiately after the commencement of the delivery of the speech at 2.19 p. m. Opportunity was taken to test the powers of the various instruments employed by the Post-fliee fo" the transmission of messages. For the transmission to Brighton, Southampton, Portsmouth, and some other towns the Morse printing instrument was employed. The transmission to Brighton was completed in 43iminut s, the transmission to Southampton in forty-five minutes. The operators in these two cases were females, and it is believed that the speed which they attained of over 40 words per minute is the greatest that has ever been obtained for an equal length of time on the Morse printer. As an experiment the Speech was transmitted to Liverpool by the Hughes type printing instrument, which prints its messages in ordinary Roman type. The speed attained was between 36 and 37 words per minute, and as in working this instrument abbreviations are not used the speed may be considered fully equal, if not superior, to the Morse, on which abbreviations are used. For the transmission to all the principal towns in the country the Wheatstone {automatic transmitter was employed. Messages fur transmission by this instrument are, it is well known, punched out on a separate instrument, the punched ribbon being afterwards passed through the transmitter. By the employment of additional punches at one end, and additional writers-out at the other end, the preparation and writing out of the messages are made to keep pace with the transmission. The speed attained ye-terday varied with the length and quality of the wires employed. The highest speed attained was to Bradford, to which place the Speech was sent at the rate of 24 words per minute. The Speech, as transmitted by telegraph, was published in Newcastle and t dinburgh at 3.45, in Dublin at 3-47, in Glasgow at 3.50, in Cork at four, in Jersey, wi'h two transmissions, at four ; in Darlington, with two transmissions, at two minutes past four ; in Dundee, with two transmissions, at 4.20 ;in Belfast, with two transmissions, at 4.28; in Inverness, with two transmissions, at 4.40 ; and in the Isle of Man, with two transmissions, at 5 p.m. The length of the ribbon punched for the Wheatstdhe transmitter was upward of 111 yards for a single copy of the message. This is the first occasion on which a message of this kind has been transmitted on the Wheatstone automatic instrument. Times,

Princess Theatre,—Mr Gourlay is undoubtedly an admirable delineator of Scottish character. If we say that he is not equal to the highest efforts of the dramatic art, wc mu;t still, in justice, acknowledge that there are few who can infuse so much life into the old Scottish traditions, or bring back to our minds more perfect pictures of the Scottish past. He is essentially Scotch—in thought, in feeling, in language —and his pomtrayals are nightly received with manifest interest an 1 enthusiasm. The “Heart of Midlothian,” presented last evening, is well adapted to test the capabilities of an actor ; and while Sir Walter has furnished no work more replete with dramatic situations, Mr Gourlay could not possibly appear to greater advantage or be more conspicuously happy than he does as the Laird of Dumbiedykes. The whole piece is full of movement and picturesque groupings, and Dumbiedykes, always appearing in prominent relief on the canvas, softens down the minor parts, and gives artistic finish and completeness to the pictures. Mn Gour'ay did not strike us as being so happy as is her wont in the pourtrayal of Madge Wildfire, and the fluctuating humours of the daft lassie were, to our thinking, imperfectly rendered. In the hands of a person capable of expressing emotion, the grave scene might have been made one of the most effective in the whole piece. Miss Carry George invested the part of Jeaunie Deans with life and interest, though, if the Scottish dialect be deemed imperative to the faithful delineation of Scottish character, Miss Carry George can hardly be said to have been successful. To English people, however, to whom “ one touch of nature makes the whole world kin,” this deficiency of mere dress will not militate against Miss Carry George’s delineation of Jeannie Deans appearing in the light of a perfect success. All the other parts were well filled and creditably sustained. This piece is excellently placed upon the stage, and is in every way deserving the support of the public. We can must cordially recommend a visit.

The Caledodian Claim. —This mine still yields its treasures unsparingly, the rich reward of three years’ heavy labor and expense. During the month of March, 38,4530z5., the yield of the claim, were lodged with the Bank of New Zealand ; and up to the 18th inst., 29,G650z5. have been taken out of the mine. This enabled the company to declare two dividends of Ll3 each. Altogether up to the prtsent time L 72 per share on 2860 shares have been paid since February 1. This represents a sum total of L 205,920 paid by this mine in dividends in ten weeks. In the words of Dominie Sampson, it is “prodigious.”

The Telegraph.— Mr. A. D. Lubecki, who has had charge of the Dunedin Office for nearly five years, has been obliged to obtain leave of absence for a couple of months, owing to ill-health ; his place during his absence will be taken by Mr. J. K. Logan. We understand that communication will be opened with Riverton to-morrow, and with Hampden next week. It was anticipated that the line would have been comEleted to Naseby within the next fortnight, ut there has been a delay in the delivery of poles, which will keep the work back a couple of weeks.

Mayor’s Court. —The business at this Court to-day consisted of lining three drunkards. Jane M’Beath was lined 10s., Edward Robinson, 10s., and Henry McGuire 40s.

Enthusiasm.— The enthusiasm of the Gorman residents at Ross, Westland, was instanced by two of their compatriots oflering a free banquet to celebrate the termination of the war. A Romance of the Ocean.—The Melbourne correspondent of a Bendigo journal, wraps a halo of romance around the late successful voyage of the Pi ima Donna, from the South Sea Islands. He states that the captain of the crafr, was lately wrecked on one of the islands of the Pacific Ocean, but succeeded in making his escape to Now Caledonia, and eventually arrived in Sydney. While wa'kingthe qu*y there he noticed the arrival of a small craft from the west coast of Australia with pearlshell, which afterwards sold for upwards of L 14,000. The shipwrecked captain, on examining this valuable cargo of shells, immediately recognized them as the same species that he had observed in immense quantities on the uninhabited island on which he was wrecked. Pie kept his counsel, came to Melbourne, where lie had friends, disclosed to them what a prospect there was for a fortune to he made. They believed his tale, and at an expenditure of a few hundred pounds, fitted out the Prima Donna for the venture. She has been away between three and four months, found the island, filled up with shells, and arrived at Melbourne with a cargo worth many thousands of pounds.

Preserved Meat. —By H.M.S. Challenger, a quantity ofjpreserved meat was shipped at Wellington, in order that its quality might be tested during the voyage home. The ship’s paymaster, writing under date, Peh. 30, says:—“ For a considerable portion of the voyage from Wellington to the Cape of Good Hope the weather was very trying for all sorts of preserved provisions, being very hot, and with a peculiar moist feeling ; in fact, a large quantity of salted meat had to he thrown away, having become putrid. From first to last, the meat proved exceedingly good, and I express the opinion of my messmates when I tell you that the mutton hams, both in quality and flavor, wore the best we ever tasted in the Australian colonies. We treated the meat in every way, hot, cold, grilled, &c., and found it excellent. At first, wc were rather fearful about keeping it, because (during the hot weather) the middle of the rolled sides, and part of the hams close to the bone, were quite soft, bub from the absence of any bad odour, and the flavor being unimpaired, wc concluded that it must have been something in the preserving process which affected the fibre of the meat, although it did no harm apparently. The last ham was kept nearly three months ; it was exposed to the changes of temperature on the main deck during the whole of that time, and when the weather became good we ate it. It was equally good with the others,.”—The Independent understands that the sheep were of the Southdown breed, bred by Mr. George Hunter, and preserved by Mr. F. Sidey’s new process.

The members of the Otago Kilwinning Lodge, No. 417 S. C., and Celtic Lodge SC., arc requested to meet at the Masonic Hall to-morrow (Wednesday) afternoon at 3 o’clock, for the purpose of attending the funeral of the late Bro. Alexander Stewart.

A Public Meeting of the Dunedin Abstainers’ Union will be held in the Congregational Hall, Moray-place, to-morrow (Wednesday) evening, at 8 o'clock. Mr. Torrance will deliver a lecture on “ Temperance. ” The Dunedin Mutual Improvement Society will meet in the Large Hall, Athemeum, tomorrow (Wednesday) evening— Subject for Debate : Protection v. Free Trade. The public are invited to take part in the discussion.

The attention of members of the Naval Brigade is directed to an order which appears in our advertising columns.