CAPTAIN ROSS AND THE ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 61, 28 February 1843, Page 3

CAPTAIN ROSS AND THE ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION.

(From the Guernsey Star of September 15.) The Alarm , Captain T. L. Stewart, left Guernsey last year for the Falkland Islands, and departed thence at the end of May last for Buenos Ayres, A gentleman of this island (Guernsey) having received a letter by her, giving some account of Captain Ross and the vessel under him, engaged in a scientific voyage of discovery towards the Antarctic Pole, has favoured us with the following extract: — “ Captain Ross and the Antarctic expedition are now here. The Erebus and Terror came in contact, ,on endeavouring to escape an iceberg, in the seas of the Southern Pole. The tion will positively be here for five or six months to repair the vessels, and to make observations. “ Captain Ross has erected an observatory at the old French fort built by Bougainville.

A most interesting series of observations is carrying on, which 1 will greatly interest the scientific world. Those upon the pendulum are noted every quarter of an hour. Astronomical observations are also carefully made by the officers. Thermometers are placed both above the ground and under it; mine, with my barometers, are now doing duty with the rest, and have the honour to be registered also. The anemometers, showing the direction and force of the winds, will add much to the valuable information afforded by Captain Sullivan, R.N., respecting these islands. Pluviometers are also carefully registered, and we are now about the end of your Guernsey November. A tide-guage is by the jetty, and an excellent magnetic observatory, where the dip, intensity, and variation of the needle are carefully registered by able observers. The officers relieve each other in regular watches on these duties ; and I never met with such devotees of science. You would be delighted to see Captain Ross’s little hammock swinging close to his darling pendulum, and a large hole in the thin partition, that he may see it at any moment, and Captain Crozier’s hammock is close alongside of it. The floor of this room is mother earth, from our want of timber.

“ Captain Ross has been so kind, at my request, as to add to these observations another series, to ascertain the rate of evaporation in these islands; and Hooker, the botanist, is also so good as to draw up a report on the grasses, the prevailing gramina being unknown in Europe. The splendid tussack grass is the gold and glory of these islands. It will, I hope, yet make the fortune of Orkney and Irish landowners of peat bogs. Every animal here feeds upon it with avidity, and fattens in a short time. It may be planted and cut like the Guinea grass of the West Indies. The blades are about six feet long, and from 200 to 300 shoots spring from one plant. I have proved, by several experiments, that one man can cut 100 bundles in a day, and that a horse will greedily devour five of these in the same time. Indeed, so fond of it are both horses and cows, that they will eat the dry tussack thatch from the roofs of the houses in preference to good grass. About four inches of the root eats like the mountain cabbage. It loves a rank wet peat bog, with the sea spray over it. Indeed, when the sea beats with the greatest violence, and the sea spray is carried furthest, then the tussack grass thrives the best on the soil it loves. All the smaller islands here, though some of them are as large as Guernsey, are covered with tussack, which is nutritious all the year.

“ The whole of the gentlemen in the expedition are delighted with the Falkland Islands, and express themselves as being more pleased with them than with New Zealand. Some think them in every way better for colonization, even with the drawback of wanting timber trees. “ When the observations made during their voyage are published, you will be surprised at their favourable account of the climate. " In addition to all these scientific observations, the surveying department is exploring and examining different harbours, sites for different objects in a new settlement, &c.” We have all-sufficient reasons for believingthat the Queen contemplates visits not only again to Scotland but to the sister isle, as well as to several of the seats of her noble subjects in England, and as surely as she pursues this design so surely will distress diminish in the land. Did her Majesty ensconce herself in her carriage corner, with the blinds down, and the postillions driving as though an enemy lurked in every habitation, this result would not occur except to a limited few; but Victoria, on the contrary, pauses, investigates, lingers over historical records, and listens to supplications, for she feels secure amongst her people, whether in the glens of Scotland or on the lawns of her palace-home at Windsor. We must confess we have no feeling but unalloyed satisfaction at the result of the late tpur. It has not only proved to Scotland that the Queen possesses those endearing qualities which we so appreciate on this side of the Tweed, but it has exhibited the natural character of the Scotch in a manner that Englishmen will be proud to acknowledge. While they have treated their visitor with all the respect due to her high position, they have never permitted obtrusive adulation to interfere with her private pursuits; they have welcomed her to their land,teeming with historical reminiscences, but they have dwelt lightly on events which told of defeat to her ancestors, while they have dilated on those that could bring a flush of satisfaction on the fair cheek of the ardent young Queen. We will owp we watched with a jealous eye the reception the royal visitor was receiving, and a careful one to note aught that was uncourteous or unbecoming; and we must as candidly say all that we have seen, heard, or read, redounds to the credit of the Scotch, and gives them as much a character for kind feeling, as they already possess for talent and learning. Such visits from the Sovereign place a fresh rivet in the chain of good feeling which connects us with Scotland. It obliterates more

and more those jealousies and disagreements which the progress of intellect is fast wearing away, and cements the esteem which should ever exist in an island so small as ours. We must remember the fasces separated', could one by one be destroyed, . but together, they were secure and indestructible.

We understand that a public meeting will be shortly held, in order to memorialize the Government to assist, by ah annual grant of money to enable some influential and enterprising merchants to extend the present steam communication from Ceylon to Singapore, where it meets the China mail;' thence to proceed to New Zealand, calling at Batavia, Swan River, Adelaide, Port Phillip, and Sydney ; completing the whole distance from London to New Zealand in lers than two months. —New Zealand journal. Sept, tl. During one week, 40 soldiers in Belfast signed the total abstinence pledge,' making upwards of 200 of the 54th Regiment who have thus conformed to the " spirit of the age.”

Mission of the Bishop of London to Scotland. —There are rumours afloat, that the object of this mission is connected with measures in progress for the raising the Reformed Catholic Church” in the eyes of Scotsmen, by conferring upon it additional privileges, and putting it on a level with the Church of England. The ultimate end of this is easily seen. If the Evangelical majority should be forced to leave the Establishment, it is clear enough that the Moderates could never stand alone. But what they could not possibly do by themselves it is hoped, it seems, they could do when propped by the apostolic succession, along with the favour of the Intrusion aristocracy. On all hands we hear the Intrusionists speaking loudly of a Moderate Episcopacy. The Tory Intrusion press, which is continually exclaiming against Presbytery as being now “ far too democratic,” is evidently looking in tbe same direction. The emphasis with which the Scottish Episcopal prelates, in, their short address to the Queen, dWell upon their readiness “to obey the law,” is no insignificant symptom. We know that there are Moderate licentiates of our own Church who avow that they regard a Moderate Episcopacy as apostolic in its origin; and one reverend gentleman, if fame speaks true, has been rather in a haste to advertise his alacrity to conform to Episcopacy. It might have been all very well in certain circumstances for a minister of the Church of Scotland to have preposed as a toast, “ Prosperity to the Church of England ;” but to preface it with a speech, in which all the defects of Presbytery were set in contrast with the superior advantages of Episcopacy, and then to conclude with the remark, that the speaker was “ a Presbyterian only from circumstances,” was, we apprehend, rather indiscreet, and somewhat overstepping the modesty of nature. If the Bishop of heard of this, what could he conclude but that Presbytery is weary of itself, and that Scotland is now sighing for the restoration of Prelacy ? Our readers do not need to be told how egregious a mistake he would fall into if he did: but it is well that they should be steadily contemplating the signs of the times. Episcopacy was never a favorite with Scotsmen, and least of all an Episcopacy which is so deeply infected with Puseyism.— Guardian.

Natural Curiosity. —There is at present growing on Richard Mortimer’s ground (nurseryman), Parramatta, a grape vine that extends more than eight rods in length, and completely covers a verandah of upwards of 550 square feet; it also covers one side and two ends of a house about 200 square feet, and is computed to bear about 5,000 bunches of grapes, which, at a very low calculation, will weigh upwards of a ton. His Excellency Sir Maurice O’Connell ahd Staff, as well as many other respectable and intelligent persons, have inspected the vine, and expressed the greatest astonishment on beholding the vast quantity of its fruit. —Sydney Observer.

The TRlemaque Treasure Ship.—Energetic measures are taking under the superintendance of Captain Taylor, one of the chief adventurers in the long-spoken-of speculation fof raising this vessel, which, it appears, is lyofF Quilleboef, dear the mouth of the Seine, on a bed of Sand and rock, in about eight feet water at ebb tide. The whole of the Workmen engaged in this enterprise are English, and conveniences have been provided for th'eir constant residence near the scene of operation. The following is narrated by a recent spectator “ Having moored a barge near the Wreck Upon it Captain Taylor has established his hekd-quarters. Thirty picked English workmen live there night and da/, taking advantage of every favourable hour' of the tide. In the barge they have their workshop, their forge, their berths, and kitchen, all quite man-of-war fashion. The first operations" of this undertaking were commenced by driving wooden; piles pointed with iron, and On these piles/ a stage has been erected so as to form a solid superstructure, or bridge resting over the Telem'aque: Iron harpoons With barbed points were then driven right through' the vessel; and chain cables passed round the bow and the stern, and

longitudinally from the stem to stern of the vessel. The next process will be to fix powerful screw-jacks, and then by them, slowly and evenly worked, to raise the brig. . As soon as it is raised a few inches from the bed where it -now lies, cables chains, worked by powerful capstans on shore, will be attached to it,- and the wreck slowly dragged towards the quay into a position where it will be high and dry at low water. The value of the freight of the Teleniaqne has been calculated as high as 3,000,000/. sterling—a more moderate estimate puts it down at 1,000,000/. Be that as it may the workmen engaged in driving the harpoons into the hulks meet from time to time w*ith resistance, which can only proceed from a body of metal in the cargo. Many persons firmly believe that this vessel contains the valuable' jewels, including Marie Antoinette’s celebrated necklace, which have been missing ever since Louia XVl.’s flight to Varenne's, and others look with great interest to the result of the efforts for raising the Telemaque, as the only means of clearing up the aspersions which rest upon Philippe Egalite in regard to certain of the crown jewels. The general impression at that time was, that she contained immense treasures,'and the great, though unsuccessful efforts made by the government of the day to 1 raise the wreck tended greatly to strengthen this impression.”