ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 301, 17 June 1848, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

M. Alexander Brogniart, the well-known mineralogist, recently died at Paris, in his seventy-eighth year. He was director of the Royal porcelain manufactory of Sevres, at which he resided. It is understood that the unrestricted control of the money-order department of the Post Office throughout the kingdom has been placed in the hands of Mr. Rowland Hill by the Postmaster-General, with a view to its improvement and extension. No step could have been adopted in connexion with this.

branch of the Government service more calculated to afford satisfaction to the public, while at the same time it furnishes a good precedent, and in England a most rare one, in allowing freedom of action to a reformer, master of his subject, instead of permitting bis plaus to be marred by official pedants, and then complaining of delays or imperfections. — Times. Nine years ago, Mr. Hele, postmaster of Alphington, trained a dog of the bull-terrier breed, to fetch from the guard of the Bath mail, as it passed through the village, the bag of letters. On the guard sounding his horn, the dog would leave the office and meet the mail ; and when the guard dropped the bag, he would bring it safe to the office. From his sagacity and faithfulness, a collar was given him with the following inscription :—": — " Mungo, guard of the Alphington mail bag." Many gentlemen and passengers have witnessed his performance during eight years. On Tuesday last, the mail was taken off the Plymouth road ; the dog was in waiting for the bag at the usual time, but no mail arrived ; and he has been apparently in great distress ever since. He may be seen every day waiting and walking up and down the road, and will not leave the accustomed spot. A correspondent says, "We hope his case will be represented in the proper quarter, and that he will receive the reward of faithful service." — Western Times. Last year there was such a demaud for ashes, for the purpose of making bricks expected to be required for railway constructions, that the various Loudon parishes received large sums from the dust-contractors for the privilege of removing the refuse : this year, all is changed ; ashes having fallen in value to an extraordinary degree. The contract for Lambeth was sold last year for £1,112 10s.; this year it is sold for £31 105., and the contractor is allowed 25 per cent off his former bargain. The Eastern division of Southwark last year gained £310 by its ashes ; this year it will pay £300 for the removal. Other parishes are in the same predicament ; £6,000 will be added to the local burdens in six districts alone. Omnibusses have appeared in Turkey ; a regular course of them has been established between Constantinople and Adrianople, by an Armenian company. These carriages carry twelve passengers inside, two out, and are drawn by six horses. The journey occupies thirty-two hours ; and the fare is 130 piastres. A new description of manure has been lately received in this country, which is likely to become as important to the agricultural interest as guano. The article is called "Tremoco" or "Lupens," and it is said to be the richest vegetable manure discovered. It is sown the same as any other grain, and when tender, before or about blossoming, is dug up and spread on the land with earth, v;ben it rots in two or three weeks, and the land becomes loose and rich for every agricultural purpose. The district of Arsunde, in the province of Noreland in Sweden, was lately ravaged by a water-spout. The water-spoutpassed over two forests of pine-trees, in which it rooted up or destroyed 4000 trees, some of them a century old ; it carried off the roofs of a great number of houses, conveyed two barns a distance of 3000 feet, killed a numerous troop of cattle, and caused the death of twenty-two persons. Such a phenomenon is unexampled in the district, which is so far north as almost to touch Lapland. Lord Hardinge's visit to the King of Oude, at Lucknow. — "Salutes were fired at about every half mile ; oa entering the suburbs Lord Hardinge was met by the King, who took his lordship into his howdah and embraced him. The contrast was most striking ; our great man in a simple General's uniform, and that none of the newest, without even a plume in his cocked-hat, having taken it out to avoid the knocks it received from the 'pearl-bespangled umbrella ; the King, a blaze of jewels — rubies, emeralds, diamonds, turquoises, &c, — on a many-co-loured coat of silk, shot and slashed in a gorgeous fashion, with a tippet, or cape, that seemed actually to stand out with embroidery and jewels, with a bunch of egret's feathers on each shoulder, fixed into a golden socket ; they looked like wings. His cap was not unlike a Highland officer's bonnet, but with half-a-dozen black ostrich feathers drooping backwards, surmounted by three tufts of egret's feathers, to match those on his shoulders. The front of the cap was a blaze of jewels. The howdah was of thick plates of silver highly gilt. But the state howdah sent for Mr. Elliott was the handsomest ; it was of silver, divided into small lozenge-shaped compartments, of perhaps an inch long, with raised little walls of silver between each. In the compartments were hung, so as to dangle freely, glass lozenges, white, emerald, ruby, and turquoise coloured ; the effect of these sparkling in the sun was very beautiful. The way we came to the palace led us through the greater part of the city. The streets are as

narrow and dirty as could be wished, and winding and crooked in a still higher degree, really handsome houses alternately with the most squalid wretched hovels, and the usual conglomeration of displeasing odours, something like the Nottinghamshire clown's description of bad ale — 'nome teastes, and ne'er a one on 'era good. About half-past 9 o'clock, Lord Hardinge approached the palace selected from the many royal residences for his reception. In the square were drawn up the royal carriages, headed by a double storied platform shaped like a bungalow, about 20 feet long, fall in both stories of musicians playing on sackbut, psaltery, lute, and harp, but on the remaining ( all kinds of barbarous music' The carriages were curiosities. One was like a boat on wheels, but with springs, and able to go as fast as active horses can trot, with a gaily comparisoned team of nags. Next came a fish carriage, like a bull-headed 'Roohoo muchee, I—this1 — this being the supporter of the Oude Royal arms; this had a chestnut team. Next was a peacock cabriolet, or carriage at least, with a gray team ; and last of these fancied vehicles was a tiger, the colour of the horses I did not remark. There was a pavilion coach also, exactly resembling a summer-house, with verandah, drawn by eight horses, the coachman being attired in a cocked hat, with a plume hanging down his shoulder, and a red coat most profusely embroidered. Then were ranged three European- built coaches. After these we came upon the line of motley troops drawn up to do honour ; — we were deafened by the sound of five bands of all sorts, with fancy accompaniments of tomtoms and 4runsinghas,' or long copper squeaking trumpets. The breakfast was laid out in a long apartment on open arches. The dishes were of silver, highly gilt, and there v,ere three large massive chandeliers suspended from the ceiling, the centre one crystal, and the two others claret-coloured glass, all of English manufacture, of course, as is everything else about the palace in the way of furniture. The sowaree, as to numbers, appointments, and the appearance and dress of the natives, was infinitely superior to that which was seen at Lahore. It is utterly impossible to give any idea of the town by mere description. There are some places well worth seeing, from the outside at least, and, on a bird's eye view from the roof of the residency, I thought I never had seen so much garden-ground and so many trees within the limits of a densely populated city. There are two very fine bridges over the Gooratee, one of stone, and the other with stone piers and three elegant arches of iron. On the 18th the King came in state to breakfast at the Residency, but I really cannot tell you what he wore, save that he was in quite a different dress from what he had on on the former occasion. * * • On the 19th the King sent a heap of little embroidered bags of all sorts and sizes, with other little mattors, for the ladies. In the evening there was a large dinner party, to which every soul was invited; and for two hours, when matters looked heavy, there was polka dancing. On Saturday, the 20th, we all proceeded to the palace, to see the much talked of animal fights, &c. The amusements opened by seeing extraordinary boats, of all shapes and sizes, rowed up and down the river before the palace. Then came sword-playing. A curious feat was cutting a solid piece of sandstone, about afoot long and 18 inches thick, into two portions by a single sword stroke. Horsemen fired their matchlocks while swinging nearly under the horse at full speed, and such like things. In the evening we went out sight-seeing in the King's carriages, and first proceeded to the menagery, which contains but tew anin:als ; there were, however, some beautiful paroquets, and lories, &c, with pigeons of the many curious and rare breeds for which Lucknow is so famous. One pair of very large pigeons had topknots of gorgeous feathers, but we detected gum, and the pigeon-keeper confessed that they were ' borrowed' for the Governor-Gene-ral. There were several hutches of guineapigs, which fhey call * Belaitee chooha.' We then saw some partridge fights, and then a hearty battle between rams, deer, and antelopes ; then came the dens of seven tame tigers, so tame that they are led by single men through the grounds. I saw a man leading one by a thin string down the street, which was thronged with people, and on the beast sitting down to scratch itself, the leader kicked it up, and it followed him like a dog. The pigeon-keeper shewed us his power over flights of pigeons by setting off parties of 50, and making them manoeuvrt in the air, wheeling and circling by word of command, and waving flags. We then went to see the tomb of the present King's grandfather. As a building it was not worth seeing, but there are some beautiful and most costly silver tigers, standing three feet high — not of course solid, but very thick. This ended the sight-seeing. After this we drove to see the cantonment, which is a neat place, but said to be very hot, and full of mosquitoes. We went to see the observatory, in which are some very excellent

astronomical instruments. The astronomer is Lieutenant- Colonel Wilcox, who receives a very handsome salary for his functions. The appointment arose from the reigning King of Oude some 30 years ago hearing that in England there was an astronomer royal, and so he set one up also, expecting to get a little astrology done into the bargain ; but, failing that, the appointment is continued. One of the most amusing feats of the processions, while the King was with us, was the throwing money from the Minister's howdah, and the fighting and scrambling that occurred among the very lowest of the mob, which pressed in front of the elephants." — Times, Jan. 26. Influence of Vegetation on Climate. — There are various circumstances which may contribute towards the formation of rain. Temperature, piessure of the atmosphere, and its electrical state, are chief agents ; mountain chains and forests form local causes. The effect which forests exercise upon the condensation of vapours has been ably treated by Daniell, in his Meteorological Essays (1827, pp. 230, 232, 278.) Humboldt considers that forests exercise a triple influence upon climate ; first, they protect the soil against the rays of the sun ; secondly, they produce by the vital activity of their leaves a constant evaporation of aqueous vapours; thirdly, these leaves increase the radiation. These three simultaneous causes, as affording shade, evaporation, and radiation, are so influential that the knowledge of the extent of forests, compared with the naked savannahs, steppes, and champaign ground, forms one of the most important elements in the climatology of a country. Hales computed the perspiration of plants to be seventeen times more than the human body ; he calculated that the leaves of a single helianthus three feet and a half in height covered forty square feet ; and comparing his former observation of the perspiration of leaves with this circumstance, Humboldt observes properly, if a plant of such small size exercises influence upon evaporation, how much greater must be the perspiration of the forests of the Upper Orinoco, which cover two hundred and sixty thousand nautical square miles ! The cloudy and misty sky of those regions, and of 'the province of Les Esmeraldas, to the west of the volcano of Pechinche, the decrease of the temperature in the missions on the Rio Negro, and the streams of vapour which become visible on fixing the eyes on the top of the trees in the equatorial forest, must be alike ascribed to the aqueous exhalation of the leaves, and to their radiation towards the space of the atmosphere. It is asserted that there is at present much less rain in Barbadoes than there was formerly, and many of the inhabitants ascribe it to the unlimited clearance of forest and brushwood; and although Me have no direct reasons to prove why such clearances lessen the annual quantity of rain, we have abundant proof that it is so. In every instance, and in every part of the globe, where forests have been cleared, a diminution of aqueous precipitation has been noted : and as it is a fact which remains uncontested, that Barbadoes, within the last fifty years, was much more wooded than it is now, the diminution of rain must likewise be expected as the natural effect. The evidence of Humboldt Leopold de Buch, Daniell, Dove, and others, is so powerful on this subject that I should wish to press particularly upon the attention of the reader how important the existenct of wooded spots becomes to the agriculturist. 1 cannot do better that quote the words of Humboldt to enforce my own view : "By felling the trees that cover the top and the sides of mountains, men in every climate prepare at once two calamities for future generations — the want of fuel, and a scarcity of water. Trees, by the nature of their perspiration, and the radiation from their leaves without clouds, surround themselves with an atmosphere constantly cool and misty." — ScJiomburyh's History of Barbadoes,