NEW PLYMOUTH.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 76, 21 April 1843, Page 2

NEW PLYMOUTH.

To the Editor of tkoNelson Examiner. Sir,-—! observe a notice of New Plymouth, in your journal of the 4th instant, and the ex-

pression olf a wish for more information respecting the state and prospects of this settlement ; I have therefore thrown together a few facts, which are at your service, if you think them worth printing. During the last ten months, since the arrival of the Company’s present Agent, there have been forty-two arrivals of vessels of various sizes, chiefly, however, small craft. All these have been discharged of cargo and passengers without accident or damage of any kind. During some heavy gales, large vessels have held safely to the moorings, and smaller ones have generally gone to sea; but the latter class may now find a safe harbour in the Waitera, the entrance to which has been deepened and widened by a recent flood. Bad weather never comes on suddenly in the Taranaki Roadstead and sufficient time is always given to get vessels away from the coast. These facts, which are now well known to the Port Nicholson merchants, ought to be published also at Nelson ; with which port, l am inclined to think, we are likely to have more intercourse than with Wellington. It is plain that a trip to Nelson must be more easily and safely accomplished than a passage down the Straits. But, of course, this advantage will not be worth much to Nelson, unless the supply of things useful and desirable is as good there, and the prices as low, as at Port Nicholson. The Company’s wages to laboring immigrants will be lowered, after the 15th of April, to sixteen shillings a-week, without rations ; but, to prevent some of the hardships attendant on this reduction, the resident Agent has been instructed by Colonel Wakeffeld to allow the laborers who have arrived in the last four immigrant ships gratis occupation of town sections (one-quarter of an acre each) for two years, with liberty to purchase them at the end of that term for.s/. each section. About fifty persons will avail themselves of this permission; although, I am happy to sav, the farming settlers are prepared to employ most of them at 3s. 6d. a-day. It is supposed that landowners may cultivate their property with profit on this rate of wages. Of course, the town sections disposed of in the manner mentioned, are not among the most valuable of the 750 reserved by the Company for sale in the settlement. Preparations are in progress for large crops of barley next year. The lighter lands are very well suited for both barley and oats, and the prospect of a considerable demand for malt, to be used in the Wellington brewery, with the certainty of a large increase of live stock, will, I think, tend to reduce the cultivation of wheat in favour of oats and barley and Indian corn. There is abundance of excellent timber land, within half an hour’s walk from the beach, which may hereafter be cleared and put into wheat.

The crop of potatoes in European gardens is so ample that the natives find no sale for their stock; and, as this source of money-making will be soon entirely dried up, it is possible they may turn their attention to flax-cleaning, which at present they rather dislike. The European children can earn more, money by bringing in wood, doing odd jobs, and working with their fathers, than by cleaning flax; so there is little or nothing to say just now about the preparation of the “ staple” of New Zealand in this district, formerly noted for producing the most and the best of it. T have seen maps of Nelson, and of the accommodation sections. Your settlement has a rather straggling look, on paper at least, when compared with the compact district of Taranaki. But. if the land is good, and its situation convenient, the want of beauty and regularity in a map is of no consequence, save to those who aim at gulling distant and ignorant speculators. In the meanwhile, you have the incalculable abvantage of a safe and sufficieut haven. Wishing you all the success you can desire or deserve, I remain, sir, Your obedient servant, A Resident of Taranaki. New Plymouth, Taranaki, March 31. PHORMIUM TENAX.

The correspondent of the Journal, No. 71, for October Ist, at p. 231, complains that no- ■ thing has been done in producing quantities of the fibre of this plant for exportation. Is he aware of the great difficulties which the colonists have to encounter, and how much it must have impeded their progress, not merely in cultivating the plant itself, but in dressing that which is but an indigenous weed. There are few circumstances connected with the prosperity of the British Empire, of more - importance than the successful cultivation of this plant; Let any politician who has not - already examined the - subject, read the short paper upon it inserted in the New Zealand Journal\ No. 1, of Feb. Bth, 1840, p. 7. This indigenous weed of the country is harvested by the ignorant savage as suits his whim, and who never heard of any science which could be applied for its preservation; * but, after reading the trials of its strength as stated in the paper to which reference has been made, and the evidence of Mr. Enderby, Captain Fitzroy, and others, it is difficult to believe that it wants '.anything but cultivation. It is a bulbousrooted plant, of quite a different class to either hemp or flax ; it grows spontaneously, along

the shores, on the banks of rivers, in the swamps over hundreds of miles of plains, but still it is but a weed. Every known plant has been improved by cultivation, and none more so than the bulbous-rooted tribe, and it will be well to recall the attention of the colonists at New Zealand to an article inserted in the Journnl, No. 62, of May 28th, 1842, recommending their attempting to cultivate this weed, and ascertaining the right season for harvesting it. This must precede the dressing it; it is all. very well for the colonists to offer a premium for a machine with which to do it, and it is very well for Sir George Parmer to apply his ingenuity to the same purpose, but it may be surmised that in its present wild state a great deal which is gathered is done so at a wrong season, and that this is the New Zealand flax which breaks at the bend or knot, whilst that which is gathered at the right season forms the material with which nets are made, and the ropes which Mr. Enderby uses in his South Sea whaling ships, ft is but so lately that the colonists even landed, that the seasons are really hardly yet ascertained. Dixon, in his Book on Van Diemen’s Land, says, that even there, in 1839, '* the diversity of the climate in the different districts is still overlooked; the seasons are scarcely ascertained, and the proper times for sowing remain doubtful, and are adopted irregularly.”'!' Much may be expected from the formation of the Horticultural Society •end the Botanic Garden at Wellington, which must be extended to New Plymouth and Nelson. In these gardens, and subject to the inspection of gardeners and botanists, trials will be made of propagating it, not merely by seed, which most probably will throw out many varieties, as the seed of other bulbous roots do, but by the root itself ; taking it out of the ground as the potato and dahlia is treated, during the right season ; but all this must be a work of time.

Complainers in England should bear in mind, that the settlers never received a title to their lands until September 18414 and that our present dates are only from March; there is as yet no reason to find fault with the colonists for delay. The Colonial-offi—the governor sent out by it, checked the exertions of as brave a set of Englishmen as ever combined together for a great public object; it is not surprising that Professor Merivale, in his public lectures at Oxford should assimilate them to Raleigh and his followers, and the historian will, no doubt, mark those who covered them, as it were, with a damp sponge; give them but a little time, and Phormium Tenax will be cultivated largely, and turned into cords, nets, and canvass for exportation, and in all this the politician is as deeply interested as the meritorious individuals that may carry it into execution; with him it is the simple question, whether British power should be created in the Southern seas, or whether the maritime power of England should remain dependent upon Russia for its existence.

Gentlemen write in England as if all that was necessary, was to go to New Zealand, and there receive from the natives any quantity of readydressed tow or hemp for immediate use. However their eagerness may be forgiven, since those who thus write, do so, convinced of its political importance, without considering the great difficulties which must attend the turning the greater part of the commerce from Russia to New Zealand, but it is essential to convince our public men of its necessity, particularly those who form the Board of Trade, and on this account the attention of Mr. M'Gregor, Mr. Gladstone, Lord Ripon, and Sir Robert Peel, is particularly called to the article to which reference has already been made, viz., at p. 7, of No. 1. of the New Zealand Journal, of Feb. 8, 1840 ; a more important political paper is hardly in existence. W. (From the South Australian Register.J

Captain Grey’s Rkcal. — A large and highly respectable meeting was held in the Town-Council room, on Thursday evening last, at wh ; ch a provisional committee was appointed to draw up a memorial, and arrange the other necessary preliminaries for a public meeting, to be held in the Queen’s Theatre, Gilles-arcade, on Thursday the 16th instant, for the purpose of petitioning the Home Government for Captain Grey’s recal. We contratulate the colonists on the bold step they have at length determined upon taking, and entreat them to confine themselves to one object—union, in a matter of this kind, as in all others, being strength.

Captain Grey’s attempt to sell South Australia:— We stated,in our last, on the authority of the Perth Examiner, ,ofJanuary .the .11th, that Captain Grey had written to. the Home Government, to inform them that, “if Western Australia was in want of labouring emigrants, he, Captain Grey, had three or four hundred, which he could well spare to them.” EXTRAORDINARY INVESTIGATION. Arrest of the. Archbishop of Tripoli in Birmingham. —This morning, a foreigner, who represents himself, and has been received here by the clergy, as the Archbishop of Tripoli, accompanied by a young gentleman, a native of Syria, were brought before the magistrates at the public office, charged with the serious offence of obtaining money under false pretences. The Archbishop and the young Syrian, arrived

in Birmingham a few days ago, and obtained an ntroduction to the Rev. Josiah Allport, minister of Ashted Chapel, to whom he presented the following paper, explanatory of the bbject of his visit to this country : . “ In consequence of the sufferings of the Christian Church in Syria, the J rchbishop of Tripoli, whose province includes Mount Lebanon, has visited, and is now in England. In 1840, five small towns near Mount Lebanon, besides many villages, were consumed by fire, and Tripoli, Beyrout, and other maritime towns, suffered severely. In 1841, a civil war broke out and raged between the Druses and the Maronites, in which the Christians were greatly oppressed: upwards of 25 towns and 125 churches were destroyed. The Archbishop’s residence having been destroyed by the former calamity, and the people being too much impoverished to help him, he solicits assistance from the British Christians, but is at the same time more especially solicitous to raise a fund for providing means for extending education on true scriptural principles throughout his whole diocese. About 200/. is still wanting to enable him to return and commence preliminary measures, whilst he will leave a young Syrian, who has accompanied him, under the care of the Rev. Joseph Baylee, of Birkenhead, near Liverpool, to be educated for carrying out his subsequent objects. These include the effecting a new translation of the Scriptures into Arabic, with elementary books on religion, and school books on general subjects ; and on the young man’s return to Syria, duly qualified, the Archbishop purposes (D.V.) to ordain him for the ministry. These proposals have been most kindly entertained by the Archbishop of Can - terbury and the Bishop of London. The latter, in transmitting the sum of 50/. from himself and the Archbishop of Canterbury, observes, in the note accompanying the donation, ‘We hope your eminence will receive it in testimony of the good will we entertain for the Levant Church.’ Several clergymen of distinction in London, Liverpool, Bristol, Brighton, and other places, have warmly patronised the Archbishop’s objects, and he hopes to meet with the generous consideration of Christians in Birmingham. Anv donations in aid of his plans may be paid into Messrs. Taylor and Lloyd’s bank, and the Rev. J. Allcort has engaged to see to the due transmission of any sums to the Archbishop.” Amongst the donors to the objects set forth in the address, and appended to the document, are the names of many of the clergy of Birmingham, including the Rector for 3/., the Rural Dean 1/., the Rev. R. R. Mendham, 1/., the Rev. F. Allport 1/., the Rev. J. O, Oldham 1/., and the Rev. E. Kempson 1/. In addition to these, we find the names of the Rev. J. A. James (Independent Minister) for 1/:, James Taylor, Esq. 1/., Mr. R. G. Reeves 1/., Mr. H. H. Cracklow 1/., Mons. O’Flanagan 10s., &c. Mr. Allport interested himself very much in the object of the Archbishop, and introduced the prelate to several of the clergy of the town. In the course of yesterday, however, whilst the prelate and his protegd were engaged in soliciting subscriptions in the adjoining district, Mr. Allport received information that the strangers were impostors; and on making enquiries at Beech’s at the railway station, lie ascertained that the gentleman to whom he referred had been stopping there, but that he had removed to the Liverpool station. On proceeding there, in company with Inspector Hall, of the Birmingham police, Mr. Allport met with the Archbishop and his young friend; and not feeling satisfied with the explanations which he received, the prelate and the young Syrian were taken into custody by the officer, who also seized their luggage. The prisoners were confined during the night at the lock up in Moor street, and this morning they were brought up and underwent an examination before Charles Shaw, Esq., Dr. Booth, and Dr. Melson. The inquiry was strictly private, the only parties admitted into the room being the complainant (the Rev. J. Allport), and the Rev. J. Garlett, rural dean of Birmingham. Mr. Allport having stated the circumstances under which he had been led to adopt the present very painful proceedings, the prelate presented his credentials and documents tending in the judgment of the magistrates to disprove the charges, or at least to afford them no ground for detaining the Archbishop and his friend, who were accordingly discharged.— Herald.

THE COMET. In / the absence of any scientific account of this beautiful phenomena in Van Diemen’s Land, we embrace. the opportunity of giving such particulars as have appeared in print in the sister colony; The following observations are from the meteorological account published weekly in the Sydney Morning Herald. It will appear that the comet was first noticed there on Thursday evening, the 2nd March, when it appears to have presented the same phenomenon there which it exhibited in Van Diemen’s Land on the following day, Friday, the 3rd:— “ Wednesday, Ist. —Moderate wind in the .morning, veering, from south-west to south-south-east; heavily clouded and showers before 10 o’clock, afterwards cleared off; wind fresh from between south-south-east and south;

toward sunset due south, moderate, and dame over cloudy, “ Thursday, 2d.—Light west*-soUth-Westerly airs in the morning, cumuli overspread, cleared off by 9 o’clock, and continued bright and clear all the day; light north-easterly breezes, p.ui., veering north in the evening. At 7 o'clock this evening, my attention was attracted by a remarkable luminous beam in the heavens, re-* sembling at first view a solar ray, diverging from a point, about 8 degrees above that part of the western horizon where the sun had set, and extending in a line upwards, with a slight northerly inclination, making an angle with the horizon about equal to that of the sun’s course; as the sky darkened this beam became brighter and more defined and developed ; at its lower extremity, a speck or head like a star, brighter than the rest, although encircled by a luminous mist or film, similar tb the other portion of it, which at once determined the phenomenon, in my mind, to be a comet, and one of considerable magnitude! The head or nucleus , Which in size equalled a star of the first magnitude, progressed (i. e. iti relation to our earth) steadily in a course toward the horizon, setting at or near the point of sunsetting, carrying behind it, in direct opposition to the sun, its immense appendage of tail, which resembled a stream of transparent yellowish-white vapour or film, most dense and bright the nearest to the nucleus, and diverging very gradually to its extremity, where its width might be about 34’ and becoming more transparent, pale, and undefined. This luminous train seemed to elongate before the head reached the horizon; but there might be a deception here, as the fainter extremity might not during the twilight be visible. From about the middle of the train to the end, stars were visible through it. The precise time of setting I could not record, owing to a haziness in the

horizon, in which the nucleus of the comet was lost to view; but it would be about twenty-five minutes past 7 o’clock. Before two-thirds 'of the tail had sunk below the horizon, an elongation of it occurred, in a long faint beam of light, which shot out at a tangent, as it were, from near the extremity of the main tail, at an angle with it of about one degree, and inclined to the north. This elongated beam reached nearly midway to the zenith, which would give the total length of tail between sixty and seventy degrees. This latter portion remained visible till past 10 o’clock. Friday 3rd.—"-Very light north-westerly airs before 10 a.m.; clear blue sky; afterwards gentle south-easterly breezes through the day, southing toward sunset; delightful day, sky cloudless, excepting some light cirrous clouds in west horizon at sunset; night cumuli gathered over. The comet was visible again this evening about the same hour; when first visible, it seemed about 11 degrees above the horizon. The phenomena bore the same characteristics as last night, the# elongated beam ot light proceeding from the tail being brighter than before. “ Saturday 4th.—Light westerly airs during the morning; the dark clouds of night dispersed by 9 o'clock ; afternoon, pleasant south-* easterly breezes; died away at sundown; during afternoon clouds gathered over, and became darkly overcast after sunset, which prevented a view of the comet this night. Between 9 and 10 o’clock clouds broke and cleared off.

“ Sunday sth.—"Morning cloudy, and a calm till near 10 o’clock (vane N.W.,) thin light airs, but remained nearly calm till noon; after* which, gentle north-easterly breezes got up—* veered north-north-east, north-east during the afternoon, blowing fresh towards 4 o’clock; delightful day, sky cloudless, with a slight haziness around horizon in the evening: wind died away after sunset. The comet appeared again this evening, and with greater splendour than on the previous nights; when first visible, the nucleus would be about 14 degrees above the horizon, the tail of gjeater length . than on Friday, but the elongated beam diverging from its extremity did not show this night.

“ From the circumstance of the nucleus of this comet apparently receding from the suu (having each night first appeared at a greater 1 altitude above the horizon,) I should suppose that it had passed the perihelion. “ A comet of this vast magnitude has not, I imagine, appeared since that of 1680; These extraordinary* phenomena, if in this present enlightened age they do not fill the mind of man with awe, are, at any rate, calculated, to exalt it into serious contemplation of their Great Author, to enlarge its conception of his Omnipotence, and to inspire it, with a desire to know more of his works, and to investigate their causes and effects; and more,especially where they are fraught with such wonder, and where, moreover, it is not impossible that these phenomena may be important in their relation to the world we inhabit.” Mr. Dunlop, of the Observatory at Paramatta, also communicated the following particulars respecting the comet: — “ Phenomenon. A very singular phenomenon having appeared in the heavens on Thursday evening (which I trust may .have come under the observation of some astronomer,) the following particulars, made known through, your valuable pager, may, assist in.

drawing attention to its probable reappearance. At a quarter before nine o’clock I first perceived a luminous streak, remarkably straight, and somewhat inclined to the western horizon. But for its steadiness with reference to the star Fomalhant, I should have taken it for a ray of Aurora Australis; but as it maintained its place until it set with the constellation Cetus, I consider it to have been rather of a cometary character, and therefore I am not without hopes of seeing it again to-night (Friday,) as I was late in my observations. It resembled most the attenuated tail of a comet, extending over thirty degrees of space, nearly parallel to the equinoctial, terminating in the colure about the same distance from the common intersection of these lines with the ecliptic.” The observations were made upon the comet and communicated to the editor of the Sydney Herald, upon its first being noticed : “ On Sunday, the sth instant, at seven o’clock in the evening, the right ascension of the head, or nucleus, was 3 degrees, 40 minutes, and 57 seconds, and the declination 11 degrees, 57 minutes, and 46 seconds south. Its daily right ascension is at present 3 degrees, 52 minutes, and 52 seconds towards the east, and its declination 14 degrees, 12 minutes towards the south. The sudden burst of such a splendid meteor upon us has been the cause of much speculation; but its situation and its motion will explain this. On Monday, the 27th February, the comet and the sUn were both of the game right ascension—that is, they both set m the west at the same instant —the comet being 2 degrees 25 minutes to the south of the sun at setting ; and as the direction of the projecting ray, or tail, is always in direct opposition to that in which the sun is situated from the comet, the tail would be parallel to the horizon, and set at the same time with the sun and comet, and, consequently, would be invisible. From the comet’s daily motion, and the great length of its tail, two days would be sufficient to render not only the tail, but (in a clear sky) the nucleus, or head, visible after sunset. The tail is about 40 degrees in length, and about 1 degree in breadth, separating into two branches about 10 degrees from the head; the north side of the tail, or that towards the sun, is brighter, and better defined, than the southern side. The nucleus is fully 1 minute in diameter.

Burritt, the Learned Blacksmith. This extraordinary individual, whose life, labours, and acquirements, all considered together, appear altogether too incredible for belief, is now in the city, and lectured in the tabernacle on Thursday night. The house was thin—very thin—but it was a most wretched and horrible night out of doors, and this we are sure was the sole reason of it. He will have auditors enough next time. He is one of the most original, profound, brilliant, industrious, and characteristic men of the age, and we are very certain that our citizens will not suffer him to Idfcture to empty benches. Do our readers know that this man, while blowing the bellows and beating out red hot iron with a sledge hammer, heavier than most of them could lift, learned thoroughly twenty-six languages, and has read —devoured would be a better word—nearly all the history, science, philosophy, and metaphysics ever put between book-covers since the invention of printing ? Come—we hope we shall have no more thin houses, wherf such a man as this is to talk with us. —New York Aurora.

Queer Regatta. —Last week the inhabitants and visitors of Hastings were highly amused with a regatta, not by members of the Royal Yacht Squadron, but by eight fishermen in tubs, with a shovel to steer by. The distance to be performed was from the battery round a tub moored at Beech Cottage and back. The party steered off amidst the cheers and laughter of the spectators, but had not proceeded far before six out of the eight tubs were capsized, which the men did not attempt to recover, but set off to swim the distance. The tubs, however, proved victorious, as they both got in before the swimmers. The first contained Charles Brazier, who was declared the winner of the prize: and the seccond, a fisherman, named Richard Hide, who reached the battery in his frail craft in safety. A second match of the same description then took place between eight boys, sons of fishermen, but their tubs met with the same fate, as only two out of eight reached the goal in safety, the boys swimming like fishes after them. —South Australian. Adelaide Market s.^ —Bread, 21b. loaf, 3d.; flour, 16/. per ton; butchers’ meat—beef, 3d.; mutton, 3d.; fresh butter, Is.; cheese, 9d. to Is.; eggs, per dozen, Is. 6d.; potatoes, 7s. to 88.,per cwt.; wheat, 4s. 6d, to 6s. per bushel; oats, 7s. to Bs.; barley, 4s. to 55.; maize, 7s. to 10s.

Emigration to Auckland. —The Westminster has sailed from London for Plymouth, whence she sails on Tuesday, for Auckland, New Zealand. We learn that she was engaged by Government, to convey 180 emifrants to the colony, but only seventy odd were on board when she left London, including one cabin passenger. She is to take in some more emigrants at Plymouth, but we doubt whether she will take enough to enable the Commissioners to fulfil their contract.

Romance in Real Paris Globe furnishes us with the following Neapolitan romance. No dates are given, v but we are to suppose that the affair is of recent occurrence ; “ The Countess Mulfioli was left a rich and beautiful widow, at the early and interesting age of 22. Innumerable suitors came, but the Duke de Hermello was the only orte whose sighs were reciprocated. Their union was agreed upon, and deferred only till the term of widowhood had expired. One day, at a fote, the young Countess took the fancy of consulting a fortune-teller, who was there for the entertainment of the guests. He, as usual, examined the lines of her hand, and, with a troubled countenance and tremulous voice, said, “ Lady, you are at the gates of the Temple of Happiness, but you will never pass over its threshold, and will die in despair.” The lady was deeply affected by this prediction, and all the affectionate soothings of her lover were scarcely adequate to restore her mind to tranquillity- Time and passion, however, had obliterated the impression, when the Duke de Hermello went to Rome, and the Countess retired to a convent, anxiously waiting his return. Days, weeks, and months elapsed without the re-appearance of her bethrothed. At last came from him the following cruel epistle : —“ Madame! we deceived ourselves in believing that we were destined for each other. To-morrow I shall be married to the Princess Doria. Let us forget our childish fancies, but ever remain friends.” This was the stroke of fate, for on finishing the letter she sank to the ground, and was taken up a lifeless corpse. On the same evening her father left Naples for Rome, and, five days after, the Duke de Hermello received three poinard wounds as he was getting into his carriage and expired on the spot. The ministers of justice of both countries are engaged in investigating these tragical events, which have occasioned the deepest emotion in many noble families. Extraordinary Affair in Russia. —A singular report has reaches us from abroad, on very respectable authority, for the authenticity of which, however, neither our informant nor ourselves are inclined to vouch. It is said that on the twenty-fifth anniversary day of the Emperor’s marriage, called the silver wedding, the grandees united to present him with a silver chair. On the Emperor entering the room to receive the congratulations of his assembled Court, he proceeded to sit on his chair, when Count Beckendorf stopped him, and begged that he would not sit on it, as he had a presentiment of misfortunes if he did so. But on the Emperor’s ridiculing this phantasy, and proceeding again to sit therein, Count Beckendorf drew his sword, thereby suddenly arresting his Sovereign’s steps. Before the Emperor could recover his astonishment his Minister was on his knees before him. “ Pardon me, Sire ; your Majesty’s safety impelled me ; I was doing my duty; let the chair be examined.” It was so ; upon which it was discovered that it contained two swords, with mechanism so contrived that they would have sprung out on each side of the chair, striking into the person sitting on it. Whether the above be true or not, history tells us of the uncertain tenure by which a Sovereign of Russia holds his life and throne, whilst there must be a sufficient deep discontent and ferment in that society, in respect to which, such rumours reach us from time to time.

An Awkward Mistake.—Arrest op the Ex-Duke of Brunswick on Suspicion op being one of the Swell Mob. —Most of our readers are aware of the extensive robbery committed at Preston on Monday se’nnight, during the celebration of the guild, by a party of accomplished swindlers, who succeeded in introducing themselves to Mr. J. Marquis, of Accrington, and easing him of his pocket-book, containing 1900/. in Bank of England notes, and one hundred sovereigns. In the evening of the Thursday following, a dashingly attired foreigner entered one of the hotels in that town and called for a pint of wine, tendering a 51. Bank of England note in payment. The waiter having heard a description of the persons by whom the robbery of Mr. Marquis had been effected, fancied that the personal appearance of the strange guest tallied with that of one of the parties implicated in the theft; and this supposition was converted into almost absolute certainty when the former withdrew from his purse a note of the identical bank, whose promissory obligations constituted the bulk of the stolen property. Fired with the supposed discovery, he communicated his suspicions to the proprietor of the hotel, who concurred in the probability of the supposition, and despatched a messenger in quest of a policeman, who was ushered into the room where the supposed " conveyancer” was luxuriously reclined on an ottoman, and humming snatches of aii opera tune, when his privacy was thus rudely disturbed. The constable without ceremony marched up to the sofa, grasped its occupant by the collar, and after stating the nature of the charge against him, blandly desired the favour of his company to the station-house. Words are wanting to describe the mingled air of rage and astonishment with which the strange" gentleman” received this intimation and its accompanying infringement of personal liberty. For some

moments he seemed deprived, of utterance, but at length his tongue resumed its office, when, in terms of the greatest indignation and disdain, he haughtily repelled the charge, declaring himself to .be no less a personage than the Duke of Brunswick. This avowal, however, was disregarded by the policeman and his abettors, who considered it a mere artifice resorted to in the hope of overawing them; and in spite of his earnest protest against such a proceeding, dragged him to the police-office, a distance of from four or five hundred yards, a crowd of persons following, attracted by the rumoured detection of one of the scoundrels by whom Mr. Marquis had been plundered. On arriving there the stranger reiterated his former declaration, and, in proof of his assertion, referring to the owner of the mansion where he had taken up his stay, and also to several distinguished individuals whom he named. On inquiry, this statement proved correct, and his Serene Highness, after being literally, overwhelmed with apologies and protestations of regret for the blunder which had placed him in so awkward a predicament, took his departure, accompanied by Baron Andrau, his equerry, who reached the station-house at the moment of his royal master’s liberation. The dethromed prince, we understand, has since received from Samel Horrocks, Esq., the worthy mayor of Preston, a most handsome apology for the unintentional affront, with which his Highness has expressed himself satisfied, and thus ends the matter. The festival of the guild exhibited many sights worthy of commemoration; but the spectacle of a deposed ruler, allied to the most illustrious reigning families of Europe, being dragged to a police-office on a charge of pocket-picking, is, we may safely assert, without parallel. Dew. —The dew, celebrated through all times and in every tongue for its sweet influences, presents the most beautiful and striking illustration of the agency of water in the economy of nature, and exhibits one of those wise and bountiful adaptations, by which the whole system of things, animate and inanimate, is fitted and bound together. All bodies on the surface of the earth radiate, or throw out the rays of heat in straight lines—every warmer body to every colder ; and the entire surface is itself continually sending rays upwards through the clear air into free space. Thus on the earth’s surface all bodies strive, as it were, after an equal temperature (an equilibrium of heat), while the surface as a whole tends gradually towards a cooler state. But, while the sun shines this cooling will not take place, for the earth then receives in general more heat than it gives off; and if the clear sky be shut out by a canopy of clouds, these will arrest and again throw back a portion of the heat, and prevent it from being so easily dissipated. At night, then, when the sun is absent, the earth will cool the most; on clear also more than when it is cloudy; and when clouds only partially obscure the sky, those parts will become coolest which look towards the clearest portions of the heavens. Now, when the surface cools, the air in contact with it must cool also; and, like the warm currents on the mountain side, must forsake a portion of the watery vapour it has hitherto retained. The water, like the floating mist on the hills descends in particles almost infinitely minute. These particles collect on every leaflet, and suspend themselves from every blade of grass, in drops of “ pearly dew.” And mark here a beautiful adaptation. Different substances are endowed with the property of radiating their heat, and of thus becoming cool with different degrees of rapidity; and those substances which in the air become cool first, also attract first and most abundantly the particles of falling dew. Thus, in the cool of a summer’s evening, the grass plat is wet, while the gravel walk is dry; and the thirsty pasture and every green leaf are drinking in the descending moisture, while the naked land and barren highway are still unconscious of its faU.

Automaton Vocalist.—A mechanician of a little town in Bohemia has constructed an automaton which imitates perfectly the human voice, particularly the soprano notes. It sings several difficult airs with the greatest accuracy. Shakes, ruus, and chromatic scales are all executed with surprising precision. This automaton, in singing, even pronounces certain words, so as to be easily understood. The inventor hopes to arrive at such a point of perfection as to bring his machine to pronounce all the words of the best operas. —London paper.

Launceston, March 2.—Fine flour, 16s. per 100 lbs.; barley, 75.; oats, 55.; mutton, 2|d. per lb.; beef, 6d.; pork, 6d.; wheat, 4s. 6d.; fowls, 4s. per couple; ducks,i 55.; apples, 6s. per bushel; Irish pork, 41. 15s. Whale Fishery. —lt is reported that Mr. Wheland, in conjunction with one or two other parties, have purchased one of the whale fisheries. . The* high price of oil and whalebone in England, which‘has risen, the one to 40/., and the Other to 200/. per ton, offers great Inducement to speculations of this nature. It is the price of oil in England that makes the good season for the owners, as even a comparatively poor Catch of fish will produce as much money some seasons, as a very successful fishery at another time. —Adelaide Examiner.