GLEANINGS FROM THE PAPERS.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 79, 5 April 1879, Page 3

GLEANINGS FROM THE PAPERS.

The Pall Mall Gasette writes:—We learn by a telegram from Berlin that it is proposed to entrust to the Imperial Geographical Society of St Petersburg the organization of a scientific expedition to Afghanistan, " under cover of which the Amir could be supplied with first-, class military talent in the event of a war/' We are also informed that at this moment the Turkomans are attacking General Lomakine, who is operating against them on the northern frontier of Persia. Theoountry round Tekhe, where the fighting is going on, has never been properly evamihed; and the opportunity which ir now afforded to the Royal Geogrnphi Society of London to enlarge the sphere of its labours and organise a scientific expedition for the exploration of ■the Turkoman steppes, under cover of which first-Kilass technical military talent might be supplied to the Turkoimans, is one which they cannot let slip—unless, indeed, they are prepared to allow the rival society to carry olf the honours of war as well as geography.

London covers nearly 700 square miles It numbers more than 4,000,000 inhabitants from every quarter of the globe. It contains more Roman Catholics than Komi! itself; more Jews than Palestine; more Irishthan Dublin; more Scotchmen than Edinburgh; more Welshmen than Cardiff; has a birth every five minutes, and a death every eight minutes; has seven accidents iu it every day in its 7000 miles of streets; has 12+ persons every day and 45,000 annually added to its population; has 117,000 habitual criminals Tan its: polico register, and has 38,000 drunkards aunually brought before the Magistrates, Reports of icebergs (says the Melbourne Argus) being fallen iu with in the track of vessels outward-bouud to these oolouies still come to hand. The latest and largest as well as the most numerous of these dangers were encountered by the ship Eurynome, which arrived yesterday from Liverpool. On December ti and the following day, just after crossing the meridian of Greenwich, in lat. 34deg. 8., a number of ie«bergs were passed, severol of them being of large size. Captain Cooper had to alter the vessel's course to avoid them once or twice, and the ship passed within 100 yards of three of thein. About noon on December 7 between CO and 70 were counted from the ship's deck and a great many more were .visible from the mast-head. Altogether the ship was amongst them for a distance of about 400 miles. There bos been quite a concurrence of testimony with regard to the position of this ice-field and the dates on which it was visible.

ttjiTroy, N.Y., Junuary o,—Gilmore's hand, with Levy, tho cornet-player, gave a concert last night The performance was delayed half-un-hour by a constable seizing levy's cornet on an attachment for a debt contracted by the musician when he gave a concert here some two years ago. When the constable, tried to serve the process at Troy House, Levy ran away, leaping into a sleigh containing Mine. De Murska, making frantic but ineffectual efforts to conceal the horn ♦bout his person. The constable, nothing daunted, followed, and lauded on Muie De Muraka's lap. . The sleigh was driven to the Music ILlll, where Levy jumped out, and ran upstairs blowing and shouting to the members of the band, "Throw him down stain 1 Kill him !" After the constable seized the cornet, Levy denied the ownership, but as Mr. (iillmoro agreed to pay the bill, the waiting audience was enabled to hoar the dulect tones of the much seized instrument. It is asserted that the cornet did not in fact belong to Levy, but was the property of the maker, whose lien upon it had never been discharged. Mme. De Murska in doing well.

Africa will be the next great field of British enterprise an capital. A cable despatch of the 11th announced that the Secretary of State for the Colonies had declared that the British Government will endeavour to provide a fresh commercial outlet in Africa for tho consumption of Bhglish manufactures, which ore being undersold on the Continent of Europe by American competitors. This announcement will probably possess little significance to many of our reader*, but regarded in the light of what was transpiring when the mail left London, the statement of Sir Michael Hicks-Beaehis one of the most important over uttcrod by any Eftg-

lish statesmen of the day. It means nothing Tess than that tne British Government contemplate the colonization of Africa on a large scale, with all the concomitants of railways and modem facili-, ties for production and commerce. Mr. Stanley the famous African explorer, has | been making a stir in the great manufacturing centres of England. He ex* presses his conviction that the construction of a railway from Zanzibar to the great Lake of Nyanea is easy of accomplishment, and that the interor of Africa can, in the hands of Englishmen, bo libked with the markets of the world, and that on that vast continent the light productions of English looms may flu* a ready and almost unlimited market, while ivory *ud gold-dust would pay for those manufactures, and (revolve British industry in all its pristine vigor. Meantime the French are competing in the race .by sen ding a well-equipped expedition under the Abbe Debaige to ascend the rivers Niger, Benone, and Chari, travelling south-east to the point attained by Livingstone, and then north-cast to the Nile Moos. Marche, is now engaged in France in preparing a second expedition -which is to follow. The Frenoh Government have already explored the route for a railway from Algiers to Timbuotoo, a distance of 1,500 miles, and a scheme has been mooted for proviJing the necessary water-supply. But English engineers and English capital, backed by the influence of the Government in the shape of special chartors, and probably an Imperial monetary guarantee, would, ' hoWever, soon distance the French in an undertaking of this character.—-Auckland Weekly News.