General News.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 310, 30 March 1878, Page 20

General News.

A bar of gold valued at 16,357 dollars, obtained from 368 pounds of rock from the Perseverance quartz niiue, Oariboo, arrived at Victoria (Vancouver Island), recently. A study of the sulphur springs of Baden, near Vienna, has shown, inter alia, that these springs, withui the last 150 years, during which thermometic measurements are to hand, have undergone only a slight decrease of temperature, and that tlieir specific gravity and chemical composition have remained constant for 100 years. Two rifles of a rather novel character have recently been made by Mr. Wm. Sumners, gunmaker, of Oldliall-street, Liverpool, to the order of a native emperor in Africa. They are on the patent repeating principle., firing eighteen shots without reloading; but it is for tlieir gorgeous ornamentation that they are chiefly 5 noticeable. The stock of each is covered wioli tortoisehell and mounted i-i gold, and the body and all round the lock are richly inlaid with gold, elaborately chased. A Rome correspondent of the Philadelphia Press (fives an interesting account of the sanitary virtues of the eucalyptus tree. He says that the supposed place of the execution of tet. Paul, some two miles outside the walls of Rome, and on which there has long been a monastery, was one of the most pestiferous spots iu that malaria-affected atmosphere. Such was the mortality among the monks that for more than fifty years no one lived in the monastery. Now, by the careful management of some Trappists, a grove of the poison absorbing eucalyptus tree has been raised to a great height, and for tlie last three yeais the monks have been able to live there with perfect impunity, and it is now as healthy as the Quirinal itself —the most salubrious section of the citv.

The French detectives have discovered this time the murderers of Mme. Cremieux, an. old lady living at Neuilly; they fled to Belgium, and one of them had in his possession the moiety of the flannel jacket he tore off the old 1 lady during her death struggle ; search led to the discovery of her jewels. The following appeared in the Kulnishe Zeitung of the 12th October:—The Leipzig police issued the following regulations a few days ago:—l. All persons wearing a draggling or ground sweeping article are forbidden the trottoirs, promenades, and footpaths, in the radius of the town, under a penalty of from five to fifty marks. 2. The police are to bring all offenders to the police station, and a list of their names will be published weekly in the Leipzig daily papers. The Emperor of Brazil (says the Paris correspondent of the A F. Bulletin) startled Parisians by his early hours; but he positively astonished the managers of the Hamman, or Turkish baths, by arriving one morning at six o’clock ; the managers declined to take a fee ; the honor of having a live Emperor in these republican times, was in itself a recompense. But a journal asserted a sum of 000 francs had been paid, lienee an action for damages for defamation. The plaintiffs tried to overtake his Majesty in his travels, to obtain a denial, but like Young Rapid, lie ever “ kept moving,” and the chase was given up only on learning he had arrived home. The Monde has been condemned to pay a slight compensation. A small English colony, according to the Zacht, a Russian paper, exists near Archangel, which at the present time enjoys a perfect independence. This colony was formed gradually by emigrants drawn there by tlie establishment by an English company of some important sawmills. The colonists have raised a town the existence of which is, so to speak, unknown, as it neither figures on maps nor upon official records of real property, nor in the rate-books. Tlie inhabitants of tliis happy place, whose numbers are not mentioned, are therefore (remarks the Ball Mall Gazette ) free from rates, taxes, and all other burdens, such as weigh so heavily on British householders. They are, moreover, independent of all local authority, and, indeed, of authority of any description. This strange colony is, it is stated, not the first of the kind which has sprung up in these quarters. Not long ago an American town, established under somewhat similar conditions, was discovered in the neighborhood of the Bay of Morton, Karastcliatka. A correct list of these independent little colonies, with information as to the readiest method of reaching them, would doubtless be a boon to a large and important class of her Majesty’s subjects. Another gigantic engineering project has been suggested, viz., diverting a portion of the flood-water of the Nile into the deserts of Nubia, Libya, and Soodan. As is well known, the main stream of tlie Nile is fed by the great equatorial lakes of Africa, and its annual inundations are caused by the in-rush of torrent water, laden with soil from the fertile slopes of the Abysinnian plateau. This silt is now for the most part deposited in tlie bed of the Mediterranean, where it is gradually forming a new delta. Sir Samuel Baker, in a letter to the London Times, after rehearsing these facts, proposes a plan by which not only the waters of tlie Nile, but the mud which it now deposits wastefully, may be utilised as a means. of fertilising the deserts south of Egypt. He proposes, by suitable engineering works, to divert a portion of tlie Nile flood-water into these deserts, where it can deposit its rich sediment in the sands, and also irrigate them so as to transform them into “cotton fields that would render England independent of America.” He would construct sluices and dams at different points of the Nile ; at the cataracts, for instance. These dams and sluices, by enabling craft to pass the cataracts, would also render tlie Nile navigable from the Mediterranean to Gondokora. General Neal Dow has presented to the Temperance Convention of (Maine a Bill to make the sale of liquor a felony. Tlie Act contains 24 sections, and makes tlie penalty for the fir J offence, single sale, lOOdols. and six months in the county gaol ; second offence, lOOdols. and one year in the State Prison ; prohibits the transportation of liquor within the State, even for private parties, making parties responsible on whose territory it is found ; apparatus for selling to be deemed evidence of sale ; takes away°all power from county attorneys to enter a nolle pros., this to be done only by the courts ; in default af parties paying a fine, an additional year in the State prison or gaol ; officers having seized liquors not to give them up, except by order of tlie court, the burden of ’ proof to be on tlie parties claiming tlie same ; the horse and carriage conveying or drawing liquor to be seized ; persons arrested as common drunkards to be sent summarily to the county gaol for one year, to be let out when tlie person selling them liquor shall be convicted ; no surety received from a person who has been convicted of liquor selling ; liquor runners fined lOOGlols. and one year in tlie State Prison ; a reward of 20dols offered for the arrest and conviction of parties ; no stay of proceedings or compromise made at any stage of proceedings ; 500dols. fine and six months in the county gaol for displaying a sign offering liquors for sale or advertising the manufacture ; all other liquor laws to be repealed. The committee have the Bill under consideration. In July last (says tlie Pall Mall Gazette), a Erencli sailing vessel, the Fiigorifique, returned to Rouen from Buenos Ayres with a cargo of fresh meat, preserved in chambers in which the temperature was kept at freezing point by means of an apparatus through which methylated ether flowed. The experiment was so successful that in August last, a steamer, the Paraguay, was fitted out at Marseilles for a similar expedition. Instead of methylated ether, however, ammonia was used, and it was found that by employing this latter the temperature could be lowered to more than 20deg. below freezing point. On leaving Marseilles the carcases of twenty sheep aud two oxen were placed iu the cold chambers of the Para-

guay and sealed with the seal of the Consul of the Argentine Republic. Advices recently received from Buenos Ayres state that this meat had arrived iu perfectly good condition. Several hundreds of guests bad eaten of it at a banquet given in the town; and the opinion had been unanimously expressed that the meat was in every respect as good and palatable as when first killed. Neither tlie nutritive qualities nor the taste bad been in any way affected by its prolonged exposure to cold. Since then the Paraguay has left Buenos Ayres and Montevideo for Havre with a cargo of 10,000 dead sheep, for which it is confidently expected a ready market will be found. On her next voyage the Paraguay is to bring home 50,000 sheep, and it is anticipated that more ships will soon be fitted out for tlie trade. A correspondent of the Morning Post translates for that journal a forecast of “ England’s future, from a German point of view,” which lately appeared in Kladdcradalsch. Some of our readers may find it amusing:—“English journals intimate that if Russia were quietly to appropriate Kars aud the whole of Armenia, British interests would not be effected.” “ Russia retains possession of Kars and Armenia.” “According to English newspapers the features of the war would have no prejudicial effect, as regards England, should Russia take aud keep Constantinople and Asia Minor.” “ Russia seizes Constantinople and annexes Asia Minor.” “Tlie English Press makes public the opinion that if Russia forcibly possessed herself of the Suez Canal anil Egypt, England could have no reasonable objection to offer, for she has always the safer road for the defence of India round by the Gape.” “Russia occupies Egypt and seizes tlie Suez Canal.” “ English newspapers openly state that if Russia were to conquer India it would be only a matter for congratulation, as she costs no end of money, and is a heavy burden to England.” “Russia takes India.” “ English papers begin to touch on the probability of a Russian invasion of England. General merriment is caused by this. A vast Russian army, however, effects a landing, conquers England, and abolishes the English Press.” “England now consists only of Heligoland, which the German Empire, out of a feeling of regard, allows to remain undisturbed. The Russian Journal of Artillery states that an Austrian manufacturer has recently arrived at St. Petersburg, and has offered to sell to the Russian Government the secret of the fabrication of a new explosive. This substance, which is called “ lieracline,” is, the inventor asserts, far superior to either ordinary gunpowder or dynamite for blasting and mining purposes, aud, when prepared in a special manner, may also be employed with advantage as a bursting charge of shells. Used as a charge for mines, the new explosive is said to act with a much greater energy, and produce a much greater effect, than the same quantity of powder; and, as both its density and cost of manufacture are considerably less, a saving of from forty to forty-five per cent, will be effected by employing it. It is also the least dangerous of any exjdosive, as it cannot be exploded either by a blow orby friction, but only by bringing a flame into contact with it in a closed vessel. It may, therefore, be igni ed either by electricity or by Bickford’s fuse ; but the detonation fuse required to explode dynamite with effect is not wanted. Compared with this latter substance herncline can be prepared at one-third the cost ; and the effect produced by equal quantities of tlie two compounds is said to be very nearly the same. The actual cost of preparing the hei’acline in Austria, where the inventor has already manufactured and patented it, is given at thirty florins per 1001bs., and thepatentee now offers to make a sufficient quantity for the Russian Government to carry out a series of experiments, finding the necessary substance himself, if the Russian authorities will place one of its powder mills at his disposal. For the present the proposal has been declined ; but 250 kilogrammes of the explosivehave been ordered, to enable the Russian engineers to make experiments with it in mining operations, and also as a charge for hollow projectiles. A great improvement in the system of lowering boats at sea, increasing at once the facility and safety of that operation, has been devised (the Daily Telegraph says) by Mr. Godfrey Lawrence. The most important advantage of this inventor’s plan over other mechanism resides in the immunity which it insures against any risk of collision between the lowered boat and the ship's hull. The curved davits are fitted at their upper extremes each with a head resembling somewhat that of a bird, and are hinged at the lower end to the ship’s side. Each head has a projecting and immovable upper jaw, the lower one working on a pin in its base. An ingenious contrivance provides for the free motion of these heads at the moment when they are required to release their grip, and for their firmness so long as they should hold fast. In the skull itself is placed a sheave of sufficient size to allow free working room for the chain over it, oa its way backwards to the points of support behind. These are so shaped as to enable tlieir lower ends to be placed on tlie deck without taking up much room a great consideration with all seamen. Between the standards and on tlie deck is fixed a very compact winch, the special design of the late Mr. Douglas ; and to this winch the chains used iu working tlie boats and davits lead. A powerful brake controls the winch ; and the ease, rapidity, and certainty with which tlie operation of lowering is performed, at any angle of the rolling ship, caunot be surpassed. The hoisting chains and the releasing ropes command, in a very absolute aud efficient manner, the opening and shutting of the jaws; and the boat’s weight, no matter how increased by crew or passengers, exerts a steady, self-given strain on the chains, which prevents any untimely release till the load is shifted on to the ropes. For hoisting, lowering, and stowing ship’s boats, whether at sea or iu port, the invention, thoroughly fulfils its purpose.