ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 99, 11 July 1843, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

A destructive hurricane occurred on the night of the 13th January, by which great loss of life and property had been occasioned both on shore and off the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. The Times states that 78 vessels were lost in the Channel, The Canadian loan of 300,000/. had been taken by Messrs. Maubert and Jalbert at 8 per cent., with the exception of 5,000/., which had been taken by another party at a higher rate.

Several destructive fires had occurred both in Liverpool and London. The King of Hanover had contributed 100/. towards the subscription in progress for the widow and children of the late Dr. Maginn. The Frankfort Journal states that his Majesty intended to Visit England after the marriage of the Prince Royal, for the purpose of consulting his former physician, Sir Henry Halford, his confidence in German physicians having diminished considerably. The Marquis of Anglesea was to succeed the late Lord Hill in the Colonelcy of the Blues. The London Globe confidently states that it was contemplated by Sir Robert Peel, that the leadership in the Lords was to be confined to Lord Stanley, who was to be created a peer, in order to give him a seat in that assembly. The Yorkshire Agricultural Bank had stopped payment. Among the vessels destroyed by the late terrific storm at Maderia was the Creole, whose name became so notorious in the recent discussion with America. Dr.' Whitfield, the celebrated botanist, had sailed for the African coast in search of natural cariosities.

At Udirta, in Friuli, a poor man lying under the frightful tortures of hydrophobia was cured with some draughts of vinegar, given him by mistake instead of another potion. A physician at Padua got intelligence of this event at Udina, and tried' the same remedy upon a patient at the hospital, administering to him a pound of vinegar in the morning, another at noon, arid a third at sunset, and the man was speedily and perfectly cured. We find that Miss Mary Anne Walker is giving lectures on the British Constitution, the Charter, &c., and charging 3d. a-head for admission. This is better than making shirts or writing novels. We have received information from a quarter on which we can entirely rely, that it is not the intention of her Majesty’s Government to propose any alteration in the Corn-laws. —British Queen.

The Edinburgh Town Council has passed a resolution, objecting to the Income-tax, as suited only to a' war time ; and demanding its repeal, as the cassation of war in India and China, and the consolidation of peace with America, have removed the circumstances which formed a temporary reason for it. In Russia, at Petersburgh, one of the principal theatres had caught fire during a performance, and, being built of wood, was quickly destroyed. Upwards of 300 persons perished in- the flames.

Another eruption of Mount Etna has taken place.

The number of ships cleared out from British' ports, for New South Wales and New Zealand, between the Ist June and 30th Septernber, 1842, was 122 ; tontiage, 45,733; men, 2,515.' In the same period of 1841, the number was 241; the tonnage; 97,346; men- 5,045. Showing a decrease in 1842, of 119 ships;' 51,513, tonnage, and 2460 men: In 1842, the clearances were : : —from Londod 100 ships; 38,036 tonnage, 2,192 men : from Liverpool,' 10 ships, 3165 tons, 160 men; from-Clyde, Leith, and other British ports, 12 ships; 4,532 tons; and 228 men. In * 1841, the clearances were : —from London, 164 ships, 61,484 tons/ 3,326 men ; from Liverpool, 36 ships, 58,291 tons, 779 men; from Bristol and Hull, 7 ships/ 2,505 tonsl 142 men; from Clyde, Leith and other British ports, 34 ships, 15,066 tons, and" 798 men.

Eclipses in 1843.—1 n the course of the' present year there will be three eclipses, viz., two of the sim and one of the moon, of which only the latter will be visible in England. The first of these phenomena will be an annular eclipse of the sun, on Tuesday, 27th June, commencing at 20 minutes past 7 in the evening, and being visible in the Great Pacific Ocean and in South America. The second is a partial eclipse of the moon, on the night of Wednesday, 6th December, which will be visible in' these parts, commencing at 18 minutes past 11,. and when two digits of the lower disc of the moon will be eclipsed. The third and last is a total eclipse of the sun, early in the morning of Thursday, the 21st December, and invisible’ here, but visible in the. Chinese Empire, Hindostan, the Islands of Ceylon, Sumatra, Borneo, &c.

Adulterated Flour.—When you are about to try the quality of flour, proceed as follows : —Grasp a handful, give it a sharp squeeze, and set the lump on the table. If it holds together and preserves the form of the cavity of the hand, the flour is good; but if the lump soon falls down, the flour is adulterated. When the' adulterant is ground bones, or plaster of Paris, the lump of flour falls down immediately; but when whiting or pipeclay is present, the lump keeps its form a little longer. The presence' of much bran is detected by the colour and feel of the flour ; but in this case also the grasped' specimen soon crumbles. Genuine flour retains the fine impressions of the grains of the skin much longer than any which is adulterated. Rub a little of the flour between the palms of your hands when they are moist; if you find any resistance, the flour contains whiting. Moisten the fore-finger and thumb with a little sweet oil, and rub a small quantity of the flour between them. If the flour is pure, you may rub it for any length of time without its becoming- sticky and adhesive; the flour in the meantime becomes nearly black. But if whiting be present, the ftbur will' soon be worked up into the consistence of putty, which will retain the original white colour, or nearly so. Mix a little flour with water in a tumbler, then drop a little muriatic acid into this water. If any chalk or whiting be present, an effervescence will be' produced by the discharge of carbonic acid gas.