CAMBRIDGE'S ENGLISH SPEAKER. [From Punch.]

New Zealander, Volume 1, Issue 26, 29 November 1845, Page 4

CAMBRIDGE'S ENGLISH SPEAKER. [From Punch.]

The frequency of the Duke of Cambridge's appe.irdiiee.at i>ubiic diuneis, where he of course occupies the chair, and is called upon to speak very often, has the effect of making his Royal Highness a perfect master of the arts of eloquence. It is, we believe, the intention of ihe Duke of Cambridge to publish a new " English Speaker." including a number of after-dinner orations applicable to all sorts and descriptions of charitable purposes. The collection will include several of the Duke's own powerful bursts of eloquence, of which we arc happy to have the privilege of giving alewspecunens. Speech of the Dukb of Camdridge, on behalf of the Royal Free Hospital, 1845. Gentlemen, —ahem, I —l—I —rise to say—that is, I wish to propose a toast —wish to propose a toast. Gentlemen, I think that you'll all s<iy—ahem, at least, I think that this toast is as you'll ail say, the toast of the evening—toast of the evening. Gentlemen, I belong to a good many of these things, — these things —and 1 say gentlemen, this hospital requires no patronage —at leait you don't want any letter of recommendation. You've only got to be ill —only got to be ill. Another thing —they'ie all locked up, I mean they're all shut up separate —that is, they've all got separate beds —all got separate beds. Now, gentlemen, 1 find by the ropoit [turning over the leaves,) I find gentlemen, that from the year seventeen—-no eighteen —no, ah, ye»-— I'm right— eighteen hundred and fifly—No ! it's a 3, thirty-six, eighteen hundred and thirty-six, no less than 193 millions, no! ah ! (to a committee man at his side,) eh 1 \vhat? oh ! thank you, ye&—193,000, two millions, no—[looking through his eye glass,) two hundred and forty-0ne —193,241. Gentlemen, 1 beg to piopose Success to this Institution." Speechof the Dukb op Cambridge on the occasion of his Health being- Drunk. " Gentlemen —l'm much obliged to you for drinking my health. Health, gentlemen, is a great bles sing, a very »reat blessing, and I'm pretty well, very well! Gentlemen, I can only say, I'm very much obliged to you.'' Inaugural Address of his Royal Highness on Laying the First Stone of a Lite) a) y Institution. "Gentlemen,—This is a very interesting occasion, and I'm very proud to be here, doing what I am. This -.tone, I hope,—that is, I'm sure; I'm certain, gentlemen this stone will cemtnt the interests of this bociety Gentlemen, I wUh success. Literature is a great thing, gentlemen —at least I think so. I hope,geutleme», this Institution will be successful."

The Niger.-—lt appears, though the fact has not yet come piominently into public notice, that another expedition to the Niger lifts been organized, and is by this time far on the way to its destination The subscriptions fur it have been raised chiefly in London and in Liver pool, and at the head of the former list is the name of the late Sir T. F. Buxton, for £500. The command of the expedition is entrusted to Captain John Becrofl, u ho was second in command under Colonel Nicholl,at FernandoFo.and this will be Iris fourth ascent of that river, so that he may be said to be perlectly seasoned to the climate. He is accompanied by Dr. King, and the same engineer who went with him in his former voyages: and, to guard further against the fatality which visited (he previous expedition, the rest of the crew is composedof Africans. Among the assistants to the engineer is an African youth, nineteen years of age, who has had the advantage of ten years education here, the scientific part of which was obtained in Ihe engineering department of Woolwich dockyard, and who worked the Wilberforce up the Niger in the last ti ip she made : alsodown that river and to Fernando Po, and, I ack to England. Several of the crew are expeit seamen and boatmen, others are good tradesmen, and al[ able to read and write —also professing the Chribtian religion. The tradesmen ate to be left with certain proportions of merchandise at the most populous and convenientstations on the river Niger and its tributaries, to collect a cargo for the Ethiopia, the vessel fitted out for the exploration of thatiiver,where she arrived, accord ing to accounts received, on the 22d of November lust, from Liverpool, and is to re nain until the proper time for ascending the Niger in July next or be employed meantime in surveying the entrances of several nveis on the coast, from the Old Calabar to the Congo. Connected with this subject it may be mentioned that Ca[ tain Becroft has furnished letters of introduction to parlies in Kngland interested in the expedition j to Mr. W. Daniel, a well informed and enterprising surgeon who has devoted himself to the cause of humanity, by visiting Africa for the purpose of finding out the best mode of counteracting or curing the African fever, w Inch ban been heretofore so uniformly fatal. His proceedings in the pursuit of this object are both interesting and valuable to medical science. In his first voyage to Benin, he lost six men out of his ship's company, the whole of them being attacked by the fever, whom he treated according to the method adopted by other medical practitioners on the coast. This loss stimulated the more his exertions to discover a better remedy ; be, therefore, next proceeded to Old Ciflabar, one of the worst parts on the coast. His crew was forty in number: thirty-seven of whom had the fever during a protracted stay of 70 miles up that river, but having now brought his plan of treatment into use, he succeeded in bringing the whole of the crew safely back to Liverpool. In a succeeding voyage he brought the whole of the crow safely back with theexception of one man, who died of an organic disease, which would hate been fatal under any circumstances. These facts have all been laid before Government as the foundation of a claim, if they are well established, for an appointment for Mr. Daniel under the Colonial Office, in order that he may go on with his plans at the other stations ou the African coast. If these beginnings terminate in safe exploration of that pait of Afr ica, its benefits must soon be made mauifest upon the profitable commerce of this country, — London Paper.

Potatoes.—Of vegetable substances that change their qualities for better or worse, when transplanted from colder to warmer, or from warmer to colder countries, none are more conspicuous than the potato. The English potato, which produces mealy edible loots in the somewhat similiar latitudes of Tasmania and New Zealand,and even in the elevated hilly giounds of borne parts of New South Wales, become generaly so tough and waxy in the less elevated lands of the latter, a« to be in a few generations neaily unfit for use. The way in which new varieties of potatoes are obtained is the same as that foi obtaining new varieties of apples, pears, grapes, &c, namely, by sowing of the seed, each of which produces a different variety, so that a good edible variety, suitable to the climate, is eventually obtained, I have seen as fine edible potatoes grown in Chili ,Pern, and Java, as any epicure could desire, the former in a similar latitude to the southern portion of New South Wales and the two former in tropical latitudes: but these were the products of seed sown in those climates selecting, of course, the best edible variety for fu ture propagation, bhould therelore, no Australian be disposed to raise a variety suitable to the climate, by means of seed sowing, Chili or Peru have only to be applied to for a supply, as the Chilian potatoes would no doubt, suit well the colder Australian localities, and the Peruvian the waimcr.

The Sowing of Wheat. —Corn including the grasses, when sown thin in good land, is lound to "plant," that is, to throw out numerous sideshoot, whereas in poor land, however thinly sown, one, or at most, three or four sideshoots only are produced: hence the necessity of the apparent absurd practice of sowing a great deal more seed m poor than in rich land, and the advantage of getting the land into good, heart, whereby this waste of seed is obviated.

Virtue and Vice.—Virtue is not a mushroom that springelh up of lfelf in one night, when we. are asleep, but rather it is a delicate plant that groweth slowly and tenderly, needing much pains to cultivate it, much care to i^uard it, much time to ma ture it —Neither is vice a spirit that will be conjured away with a charm, slam by a single blow, or despatched b) one slab. Who, then will be no foolish as to leave the eradication of vice, and the planting of virtue into its place, to a few years or weeks ? Yet he who procrastinates his repentance and amendment grossly does so ; with his eyes open, he abridges the tune allotted for the longest and most important work he has to perform ; he is a fool —Barrow.

Rather Awkward '. —Gentlemen who are members of the learned association* usually afli« the initials of their society to their names. A new medical society has lately been formed, called the "Medical Association of Genera! Practitioner- in England;" and every unfortunate wight who belongs to itwill,consequeutly, style himself a M.A.G.P.I.E.

Choice.— A good choice arises from judicious and sound taste, study and wit are not sufficent for passing happily through life. There is no merit in the possesionof a thing, unless choice shall have been exercised to obtain it. Many have minds fertile and quick, and powerful judgments, and much knowledge acquired from studious application: nevertheless, they are at a loss, when they are called upon to make a choice. Not to choose, is to take blindfold what is offered by chance or necessity. Let him who has not the art of choosing either seek the counsel of another or follow some example; foi in order to proceed witb. safety, one of these modes must be adopted.