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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 11, 12 January 1872, Page 4

New Explosive. — Captain Bjorkman, of the Swedish service, has invented a powerful explosive, requiring no assistance to bring out its destructive force. Ex-

periments tried in the neighborhood of Stockholm, prove that a cartridge about an ounce in weight will penetrate an iron plate half-an-inch thick upon which it is placed. Railways In Egypt.— The Viceroy of Egypt has commenced oue of the most gigantic undertakings every attempted in his territory — that of connecting Upper and Lower Egypt by rail, aud assisted by an army of English engineers and navvies, proposes driving an ironroad, not only to the very confines of Nubia, but into the heart of Africa, opening up new fields of commerce. When it is considered that the line, commencing at the Second Cataract, is to be 600 miles long, some idea may be formed of the amount of labor required to complete the work. Among the evil effects of the war it has been observed that in the vicinity of the scenes of great battles vegetation has been generally if not entirely destroyed — at any rate materially impaired. Such plants as have not actually died have withered or grown up wan aod sickly, as if poisoned by some injurious substance in the air or the soil. German chemists have explained the phenomenon as arising from tbe diffusing of sulphur in the air and over the surface of the soil. This sulphur in the shape in which it is contained in the smoke of gunpowder, is supposed to combine with the oxygen in the atmosphere and to form sulphurous acid, a deadly poison in its effects on organic life of any kind. Steam Omnibus for India. — Messrs. Ransome, Sims and Head, of Ipswich have just dispatched a steam omnibus to India, which is built to the order of H.M, Government, for the purpose of being employed in the conveyance of troops in that country. An experimental trial has been given preparatory to its being shipped by running it from Ipswich to Edinburgh. The omnibus has two compartments, the lower one of which is beautifully fitted with crimson, and holds about 20 persons; the upper one is plain, yet is nevertheless airy and convenient, and has room for about 40 persons. The carriage is connected with the engine and stands on two five-feet wheels. The engine has two six-feet driving wheels and a centre guiding-wheel in the front. The wheels ara 18 inches in width, covered with india-rubber 11 inches broad by 4 inches thick at the tyre, and about 5 inches in the groove. The average speed of the car or omnibus is 12 miles per hour, but, if necessary, a speed of 15 miles can be obaindd. The Telegraph thus describes a horticultural show lately held at Napier : — "As soon as darkness covered the earth with its mantle, the Oddfellows' Hall was brilliantly lighted up, and soft and bewitching strains of music impressed the well-dressed visitor with a kind of feeling we can imagine animates the bosoms of those entering a fairy land. Having paid a shilling at the door and turned to the left, the first object presented to the bewildered eyes of the visitor was a ' peerless ' cauliflower ; a crdwd of lovely ladies magnificently dressed, and handsome, well-made gentlemen were gathered round this splendid vegetable, and its contemplation frequently elicited loud applause. To give greater effect to this gorgeous exhibit, the table was bared for several feet on each side of it; further on, eight or ten cherries, reclining on a vine leaf, struck the beholder with astonishment, from which he did not recover till tho strawberries came in view, — these, piled up to an immense height, defied criticism ;

"■ we should say that there were fully two dozen exhibited. The curb visitors had to put on their natural appetites while viewing the tempting fruit was almost beyond humaD endurauce. An enormous citron next burst on the astonished gaze, six carrots, some potatoes-, and one bunch of asparagus completed the list of exhibits on the right hand table, which fairly groaned with the weight and beauty of the lovely objects it carried. The end of tbe room was adorned with ' graceful cacti,' which dazzled the eyes with their brilliancy ; no one could gaze long on these plants, and the visitor turning his back to them would then have beheld the full beauty of the hall stretched before him — a vista of loveliness. We are probably within the mark when we say that fully a dozen roses, three bouquets, and two pelargoniums, a few 'heartseases,' as our contemporary calls them, and some antirhinums were all that was to be seen on the left side table ; and the liveliness and gaiety their exhibition aroused almost justify the committee in the step they contemplate taking — never to give another flower show."