The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-09-13 00:00:00

niisallauenus

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

INTERNATIONAL COURTESIES.-110ratiO Seymour,
being on a recent occasion seated at a public dinner
with Lord Houghton, of England, that gentleman said
to him :—" Governor Seymour, are you not some-
times sorry that Mother England let your States
escape from under her wing?" "Well, no my lord,
not exactly," said the Governor, with a sly twinkle in
his eye, "but I do sometimes think we should not
have allowed you to leave us I" "What in the world
do you mean?" asked his lordship, laughing good-
hurnouredly, but evidently a little astonished, "Oh,
simply that it would be rather pleasant to have you in
the family of States," replied the Governor. "Having
50,000,000 people on our side, of course we could do
most of the governing. Still, for the sake of old
relationship, I have no doubt we could have afforded
to allow you a few extra Congressman and a Senator
or two." Lord Houghton seemed to enjoy the joke
immensely--New York Times.
TREATIES or COMMERCE.—A return has just been
issued giving a list of all treaties of commerce and
navigation between Great Britain and foreign Powers
which are now in force, stating the date of each and
the period when terminable. The return also states
whether these treaties provide or not the " most-
favoured-nation " treatment and the terms by which
such treatment is stipulated for and how far they
apply to our colonies.
• -

PRICES Or FOOD IN BELGIUM. - The gradual but
steady increase in the cost of provisions in Belgium has
been very marked of late years. Mulch cows, which
in 1860 fetched 2501., now sell for 3141., average price;
oxen have risen from 297 f. to 4241. ; bullocks from
1411. to 2311.; calves from 52f. to 681.; sheep from
301. to 401.: lambs from 131. to 261. The same in-
crease, though not so pronounced, is observable in agri-
cultural produce. Wheat has advanced from 281. 73c.
to 321. 580. the 100 kilogrammes; rye from 19/. to 16c.
to 221. 620. ; buckwheat from 191. 44c. to 23f. 79e. ; oats
from 18f. 9c. to 21f. 79c.; barley from 21f. to 221. 75c.;
potatoes from 61. 79c. to 101. 63c.
THE EDDYSTONE LIGHTHOUSE.-A correspondent
writes to The Times :-`• So much has appeared in The
Times of late relative to the Eddystone Lighthouse
that I think it would interest many to know that it is
represented on all the three copper coins, on the left
side of each on the reverse,"
AN INTERESTING INVALID. - Galignani says the
ourang•outang of the Jardin d'Acclimatation is
seriously ill, and not expected to live more than two
or three weeks. The complaint from which the
poor animal is suffering is apparently a sort of con-
sumption, characterised by frequent attacks of fever,
want of appetite, and sleeplessness. During the
whole day the sufferer lies prostrate on the floor of his
cage, and frequently puts a paw to his forehead like
persons afflicted with bad nervous headaches. Sometimes
he nibbles at the oranges or little bits of bread which
his visitors present to him, but apart from those dain-
ties he takes little or no sustenance. Though so very
ill, the ourang-outang continues to prove himself a
most affectionate father to his young and, it must be
admitted, very ugly little s ,n. Though no longer able
to indulge in gambols with the latter, he carefully col-
lects the straw and other warm materials that have
been supplied for his and the baby-ourang's use, and
having prepared it, waits till the other is ready for
bed, and then carefully "tucks him in." In fact,
not only in this, but in other respects, the quadru-
mane's habits present a close and striking resemblance
to those of human beings.

THE POULTRY YARD.—The preservation of eggs
for winter use must be proceeded with aecording to
supply and requirements, and surplus stock must be
disposed of. The later broods will now have attained
a suitable size for table or market, and pullets not
wanted for breeding or laying, and cockerels in excess
of the requirements of the yard, as in the case of those
hatched off early in the year, must be draughted off
and marketed as soon as ready, or be killed for the
table as required. Those intended for market should
have a little fattening food in addition to the usual
supplies of corn, to get them out of hand as quickly as
possible. It is not necessary to separate those in-
tended for home consumption from the stock birds,
for all that is necessary in the way ii feeding is to
maintain them in good condition; but itiiesaential to
determine at an early date which birds are to be killed
and which are to be kept, BO that the best for breeding
may be preserved. Poultry of all kinds should be
allowed as much run as possible, especially where
there is a good breadth of stubble near to the yard, as
they will be able to pick up a considerable proportion
of the food requisite for their maintenance; moreover,
the exercise and the fresh air will be most beneficial in
their effects. —Gardeners' Magazine.
A DOG'S SAGACITT.—Here is a dog story, with the
hero of which I have the honour of a personal
acquaintance. Some time ago a gentleman went to
Florence, and took with him a noble colley named
Rover. On arriving at the city, poor Rover missed
his master while being led across the station by a
porter, and no sooner had he done so than he adroitly
slipped his collar and went off to search, He, too,
was soon missed, He was something more than
a great favourite was a valued friend and
his master was in despair, for placards on the
walla stated that dogs found wandering without
collars would be killed. Up and down the streets
Rover's master trudged, backwards and forwards, in
and out of the station, but nothing could he seen
or heard of the truant. At last, after hours of search,
the gentleman went to an hotel to dine, the hour for
talk (note having come; and in the hall, quietly lying
down, was Rover. What Rover tried to say need not
be recorded, but his master raked the landlord how the
dog came and when, and was told that he ran in early
in the day, scampered upstairs straight, and took
possession of No. 44, where he had been all the time
till about half an hoar since. His master had been at
this hotel rather more than two years before (and had
been since, it should be mentioned, in some hundreds
of others), and he asked the landlord to turn back and
see what room he had then occupied? Surely enough
it was 44. In spite of all that he had seen since, and
of the fact that he had only stayed in Florence a few
days, Rover remembered the place and knew his way
to his old quarters.—" Rapier," in the Illustrated
Sporting and Dramatic News.
THE TURKISH HAZEL-NUT TRADE.—A considerable
trade has sprung up of late years between the Trebi-
zond district and Great Britain in the article of hazel-
nuts, which are a very important source of wealth in
the coast extending from a little south of Batoum to
Kerassnnd. Upwards of £20,000 worth per annum
are shipped to England, the chief supplies of the best
nuts coming from Tireboli, between Kerassund and
Trebizond. Walnut trees, too, are largely grown ita
the forests of Lazistan, partly for the sake of the nuts,
bat principally for the walnut-tree knobs, which are
much in request in France.

CONCENTRATED FOOD FOR HORSES.—It is known
that the Russian and Prussian Government have
adopted a kind of biscuit for horses, containing much
nutritive matter in small volume. According to La
Nature, the biscuits are formed of the meal of oats,
peas, and linseed. The various combinations have
been studied with care, and a mixture has been ob-
tained such that one kilogramme of it is equivalent to
five kilogrammes of oats. It has been found that
horses bear fatigue better and are more vigorous when
fed with these biscuits than when fed with oats. The
biscuits can be threaded together by means of an iron
wire; thus a horse may carry its own food for four or
five days. During the late war with Turkey, Russia,
used 20,000,000, of these biscuits, and the results
was so good that the authorities have continued
their use in time of peace. In France, it is stated,
feeding horses with such biscuits, would be a little
more expensive than feeding with oats. When,
however, they have llecome more common, there
are various instances in which, on account of
their easy transport, it will be advantageous to use
them—wherever in general, animal strength has to be
employed at a distance and it is undesirable to carry
provisions of large volume.

DEATH OF A TELEGRAPHIST.—The NC21.1 York
Times says :—" Mr. Henry T. Rogers, who died at
Baltimore on the 20th ult., aged 69, had devoted his
attention almost exclusively to the art of telegraphy
and signalling. In 1843 he was engaged on his system
of marine signals, since adopted by the United States
Government, and upon the return of Professor Morse,
who had been sent to England by the Government in
relation to telegraphic matters, joined with him in
establishing the first line of magnetic telegraph in the
United States, between Baltimore and Washington, the
Government appropriating 50,000 dole. for the experi-
ment. The line was completed in 1844. The first
message was sent over the wires by Professor Morse
to Mr. Rogers. The message was "What bath God
wrought." Mr. Rogers was superintendent of this
line and subsequently of other lines. The first game
of checkers_ *lvey plll,p4v pyer a telegraph line was
played by a gentleman in Tiltimole"' Mr.' Rogers
operating. During the war he aided the Government
In the construction of telegraph lines, and was engaged
in writing a history of telegraphs at the time of AiS
death.".

iNMMIININI

STORK FOBEOAET.—The following cablegram has
been received at the London office of the New York
Herald from the Weather Bureau, New York :—" A
depression crossing; will probably. develop° energy,
east longitude thirty, and will arrive on the British
and Norwegian coasts between 10th and 12th, pre.
ceded and attended by rains, gales, and lightning."
ORDERS FOR THE THEATRE.—A good story is Old
about a well-known theatrical manager. He had the
misfortune to know a man who persistently pestered
him for "orders." Now this manager was a good-
natured fellow, and for a long time he submitted to
the persecution without a murmur. But a time came
when human nature revolted. A fatal day arrived
when again he was asked foi an "order." Sitting
down at a desk he wrote it, and then folding it
neatly in an envelope he handed it to the well-dressed
mendicant before him, uttering at the same time these
remarkable words, "Here it is, my dear boy, and God
bless you." Cheerily the beggar of orders carried his
treasure home, but his joy was turned to anguish
when he read, "Pass two to gallery; evening dress
inclispensa bre,"
A MET TO FARMERS.—At a meeting of the Royal
Society of Edinburgh, January 5, 1874, Dr. John
Roebuck, an eminent physician and great benefactor
of Scotland, read a paper "On the Ripening and
Filling of Corn." He found that corn ripens at a
temperature of 43 degrees, and he advised farmers to
be cautious in cutting down their unripe corn on the
supposition that in a cold autumn it could fill no
more,

BATHING IN THE SEA. The woman's idea of a
bath in the sea is to step down to the water and try
the surf with the tips of her toes to see if it really is
water( says the Court Journal). Then should a bold
wave rush up and wet her ankles she must utter a
shriek and run back where it is dry. Bye and bye she
gets braver and goes in knee deep and catches hold
of the rope. Then she will sit down in the water,
but must jump up again and say it's "awful cold."
When she isn't looking, a big wave will break over
her, and she gets thoroughly wet, much against her
will, for she intended to keep her hair dry. Then
she moves along the rope a little, and strikes her
dainty foot against a shell. She screams, splashes
out of the water, and declares that she has been
bitten by a shark. She goei in again after her fright
Is over, and catches hold of the rope with a dozen
other women, and jumps straight up and down in the
water, uttering the strangset soun' ds most like the
crowing of an infant. When a wave breaks over her
she puts it down as of the masculine gender by say-
ing "Wasn't that a big fellow."

THE NEW " TRAMP " ACT IN PENNSYLVANIA.-It
is hoped that the long•felt nuisance of tramps will be
abated in Pennsylvania by an Act which came into
force on the 15th of August. The Act is of consider-
able stringency and prescribes a punishment, on
conviction, of imprisonment in the county gaol or
workhouse for not more than twelve months. Females
or minors under 16 years, and blind, deaf, dumb, and
crippled persons unable to perform manual labour are
exempt from the provisions of the law, and alleged
tramps who have been arrested and committed to
prison can regain their liberty by proving that they
have not made a practice of begging. Tramps who
enter dwellings without permission, carry firearms or
other weapons, or who threaten to injure either per-
sons or property, are liable to imprisonment for a
period not exceeding three years.
A CONSIDERATION.—Sir Charles: "I should like
of all things to see you in Parliament, Charley."—Son
and Heir: "Well, Sir, I don't mind ; I believe it's a
very good sort of place; and then It's so handy to the
Aquarium."—Punch.

NOTHING IN THE PAPERS.—As we have before had
occasion to remark (says the Graphic) the term "silly
season" is rather unfairly applied, as regards the con-
tents of the newspapers, to the present holiday-making
time of year. The subjects discussed are often of more
permanent importance, and are certainly more attrac-
tive to the great mass of readers, than the haute
politique which is supposed to form the daily news-
paper reader's most delectable pabulum. Indeed,
take them all round, we maintain that the daily
newspapers are more interesting to read now than
during the height of the season. In the first
place, there are no Parliamentary debates, and
as most people, when there are debates, are content
with the summary, their place is probably filled with
something which at leasts forms more attractive
reading. Then we are freed from the long lists of
distinguished personages who attended State concerts,
levdesi and drawing-rooms, aspecies of chronicle which
to outsiders is almost as fascinating as a perusal of
"Kelly's Post Office Directory." Then during the
autumn, those ingenious gentlemen who sit at the
Paris end of the newspaper wire mercifully restrict
their floods of gossip and surmise about Continental
politics. The space thus saved is occupied by matters
which may be of minor importance, but which are
decidedly more entertaining to read about.
THERE IS LIFE, ETC.—Engliehman. "And so you
all think over there that the old country is played
out? "—American. "Well, I guess you can't get on
much longer unless we help you? "—Englishman.
"Well, I calculate we're in a middling bad sort of
way then, eh?"—Judy.
THE DEAF OLD GENTLEMAN !—She was a stylish
young lady of about eighteen years, and to accommo-
date a friend she took the baby out for an airing. She
was wheeling it up and down, when an oldish man,
very deaf, came along and inquired for a certain person
supposed to live in that street. She nearly yelled her
head off trying to answer him, and he looked around,
and caught sight of the baby, and said—" Nice child,
that. I suppose you feel proud of him?" "It isn't
mine!" she yelled at him. "Boy, eh ? Well, he
looks just like you." "It isn't mine 1" she cried
again ; but he nodded his head, and continued—
" Twins, eh? Where's the other one ? " Despairing
of making him understand by word of mouth, she
pointed to the baby, at herself, and then shook her
head. "Yes, yes, I see. T'other twin in the house.
Their father is fond of them, of course?" She turned
from the perambulator, and hurried the other way,
but he followed, and asked—" Do they kick about
much at nights?" "I tell you 'taint mine ! " she
shouted, looking very red in the face. "I think you're
wrong there," he answered. "Children brought up
on a bottle are apt to pine and diet' She started on a
run for the gate, but before she had opened it, he came
up and asked, "Have to spank lin once in a while, I
suppose ? " She made about twenty gestures in half
a minute, and he helped the perambulator through the
gate, and said, "Our children were all twins, and I'll
send my wife down to give you some advice. You
see--" But she picked up a flower-pot and flung it
at him. He jumped back, and as she entered the
house, he called out, "Hope insanity won't break out
among the twins,"

HE COULD NOT DO IT I—A professor of legerdemain
who was recently exhibiting in a provincial theatre,
got a country boy on the stage, and told the audience
that he would pass a coin into the boy's coat pocket
from a box. "You don't think I can do it, do you ? "
"No, sir—l don't," answered the lad, with decided
emphasis. "Well, do you stand up here and we
shall see." "But, sir," persisted the boy, " ther ain't
no use 'r yer tryin', 'cause I know yrr can't do it."
"You know I can't? Don't be too sure. Wait and
see, Just you stand right here—there I Now hold up
your head and look steadily at me, to see tbat I do not
cheat you. "Oh, well," muttered the persistent
urchin, with a comical grimace, "I'll stand anywhere
ye want; only 'f 'a git any money into my pocket, I
reckon ye'll hey to find the pocket, for I had 'em sewn
up by master, 'cos of the apples."
liz FELT FLATTERED.—A young attorney, who
lately passed the bar of Detroit, was bragging of the
brilliant prospects before him, when an old gentleman
remarked—" Yes, you will get along. Judge----was
speaking in your praise the other day." "He was,
eh?" replied the young limb. "Well, I always
thought I stood in pretty solid with the old man.
Words of praise from him mean something and are
worth something. What did he say ?" "He said you
had already made your mark in the world." "Old
he? Well, I'll show my gratitude if I live long
enough. Then he's had his eye on me, he? Please
tell me how he said I'd made my mark." "Let's see !"
mused the juryman as he scratched his bead. "Well,
now, I can't recollect whether he said it was in the
mud or on the ice, but next time I see him I'll have
a pencil handy !"
HELIOGRA.PHIC MESSAGES —Twelve sets of hello-
graphs have been sent out from the Royal Arsenal at
Woolwich to Sir Garnet Wolseley, commanding in
Zululand. The successful signalling between the
Lower Tugela and Ekowe has given an enormous im-
petus to army signalling. On Monday afternoon helio-
graphic messages were exchanged between Shooter's hill
(two miles south of Woolwich) and the Essex hills, a
'distance of fifty miles, and a few nights ago the five
words, "The baby gorilla is dead," formed a helio-
gram from the Crystal Palace to Woolwich-common
by moonlight. Heliographic signalling has also been
successfully accomplished at night by throwing light
from strong reflecting lamps on to the disc, and it is be-
lieved that, by means of the electric light, messages
may be sent by night as well as by day (some
officers think better). Experiments in army signalling
show that the use of the heliograph is only limited by
fog and the dip of the horizon. To signal ten miles
requires an altitude of 68 feet; twenty miles,
,273 feet;
thirty miles, 616 feet; and fifty miles, 1,771 feet.
THE Don's DAT.—The dog has been hitherto con-
sidered a lucky quadruped, because he has his day,
but his proverbial allowance has sunk into insignifi-
cance, since we have seen in all the papers a full
account of the "Cowes week" !—Fun,
TELIC COTTON TRADE IN ITALY.—There are at present
about 54,000 cotton operatives employed thioughout
the kingdom in spinning and 80,000 in weaving. Italy
possesses 800,000 spindles and 15,000 power looms;
and there are three large print works at Milan, Torre.
Pellice, and Salerno. The average earnings of spinners
are :—Men, 2 liras 25 cents; women, 1 lire; children,
75 cents. Wages of weavers run rather higher—viz.,
men, 2 liras 40 cents; women, 1 lire 20 cents; chil-
dren; 75 cents.

THE VALUE OF STEAM POWER.—The aggregate
steam power in use in the world is at present 3,500,000
horse-power employed in stationary engines, and
10,003,000 horse-power in locomotive engines. This
force is maintained without the consumption of animal
food, excel tby the miners who dig the coals, and the
f.)rce maintained in their muscles is about one to 1,080.
The steam power is equal to the working force of
25,000,000 horses, and one horse consumes three
times as much food as one man. The steam power,
therefore, is equivalent to the saving of food for
75,000,000 human beings,—Wool Trade Review.
KANGAROO TONGLTES.—A new Australian delicacy
is finding its way into the London markets in the
shape of dried kangaroo ,tongues (says The Colonies and
India). The tails and skins of these animals have long
been utilised—the former for making soup, the latter
for leather ' • and the recent enormous destruction of
kangaroos has given considerable impetus to these two
trades. Struck by the waste of food occasioned by the
slaughter of so many thousands of these marsupials,
whose bodies are frequently left alone to rot where
they have fallen, a Waroo settler made an experiment
in curing the tongues of some of the slain, and so
highly were they approved that a considerable trade
has sprung up in this commodity. The tongues are
easily cured by drying in smoke, like the Russian
reindeer tongues ; but a much better plan is to pre-
serve them -in tins, like the sheep and ox tonguestre-
ceived from America. Tongues lend themselves to his
treatment better than almost any other portion of an
animal, awl they stand the excessive boiling better than
beat or mutton. _

Ass•TouNDING.—Old Lady:—" Boy, boy, isn't this
very dange,rous 7 " Boy :—" Werry dangerous indeed,
marm ; there was a lady a•ridin' up here last year, and
the donkey fell, and the lady were chucked over the
cliff and killed." Old Lady :—" Good gracious; was
the donkey killed too." Boy :—" No, marm, that's the
werry donkey."—Pun.

WET DAYS IN NORWAY.—The greatest number of
rainy days occur in the northern districts of Norway,
and particularly at Christiana. On the Dovre Plateau
they average about 90 in the year, on the Skagerrack
coast from 90 to 100; at Tromso and Vardo about
120 ; Skudeanaes and Christiana, 140; Bergen, on the
fiordes to the north, and at Veateralen, ; and at the
Loffoden islands, 180. Generally speaking, through-
out Norway, it may be calculated that there is one
wet day out of four, but at the Loffoden Islands every
other day must be reckoned upon as wet.

SPEAKERS IN THE REICHSTAG.—The annual return
Is prepared by the President's bureau of the Reichstag
showing the number of times each member has spoken,
the divisions, &c. The return for last session has just
appeared. Of the 397 members, 216 addressed the
House (including personal explanations, observations,
on calls to order, &c.) The Progressist deputy
Richter, of Hagen, stands at the top of the list, having
spoken 154 times; Windthorst spoke 129 times; Rickert,
.93; Luker, 90; Von Kardorff. 70: Hammacher,
67; Count Stolberg-Rastenburg, 49; Sonneman (the
proprietor of the Democratic PranAfiirter Zeituno),
43 times; Delbriick, 47; Von Kleist-Retzow, 40;
Reichensperger, 39; Stiunm, 35 ; and Banibei•ger, 32
times.

RAILWAY TARIFFS.—A Parliamentary return has
been issued of the maximum rates of charges which the
railway companies of the United Kingdom are autho-
rized to make for the conveyance of passengers,
animals, goods, minerals, and other articles upon their
own railways and upon other railways held by them
under lease or under working or other arrangements,
in each case specifying the section of the Act or Acts)E
Parliament under which such maximum charges are so
authorized.

THE SING AND THE ACTOR.—A few days ago (the
Copenhagen papers say) the King of Denmark was
being driven along the road by the seaside leading
from the capital to the Palace of Bemstorff, when
suddenly the royal equipage came into violent col-
lision with a vehicle which was being incautiously
driven by a well-known young actor. The King, hap-
pily, was unhurt; but his carriage received such
serious damage that his Majesty alighted in order to
finish the journey on foot. When the rising young
votary of Thespis discovered that he had actually en-
dangered the life of his Sovereign by the clumsy way
in which he had acted the part of a coachman, he be-
came so confused that he was unable to give utterance
to his feelings. Nor was his perplexity much relieved
when the King, before pursuing his journey, turned
round and addressed him to the following effect
"My dear Mr. —, I would really suggest to you the
propriety of studying your part, as coachman, a little
better next time. If you had not prepared yotuself
more carefully for previous performances in which I
have seen you, I am afraid I should never have had the
pleasure of witnessing your performances at all; and
if you continue to appear in the Hie you have now
taken up with no better success than has attended you
to-day, I fear that that may happen which will effec-
tually deprive me of the pleasure of ever seeing you
again ! "
LIVE STOCK OF Niw SOUTH WALES.—The official
returns for the year ending the 31st of March, 1879,
issued by the Registrar-General of New South Wales,
show that the effects of the late severe and long.
continued drought are disappearing. There has been
.an increase of sheep during the year reaching three
million head; and the colony now possesses, in round
numbers, 24 million head, or within half a million of
the number returned for March, 1877, the largest
number ever owned by the colony. In horses, horned
cattle, and pigs there has also been an increase,
although not of large proportion. Altogether, the
colony owned last March 27,286,123 head of live stock,
which is less by only 888,585 than the largest number
ever returned before. This must certainly be regarded
as a singular proof of the recuperative power of the
pastoral industry, achieved, as it has been, so soon
after a couple of disastrous seasons. The wool alone
from this increase of sheep will add nearly a million
pounds to the year's income of the stockholders, who
are said to number 35,517, scattered over the country.
NEW SYSTEM OF EDUCATION. —First Mamma. "I
see that your children paddle—Second Mamma.
"Yes. Don't yours? "—First Mamma. "No •' I've
managed to make my three boys believe that it is
vulgar and ungentlemanly either to get their feet wet,
or sit in a thorough draught, or bolt their food, or eat
goodies between their meals, or go to juvenile parties,
poor dears. They're rather soft, perhaps, but they're
twice the size of any other boys of their age, and they've
never had an hour's illness in their lives."—Punch.
ANTHRACITE COAL IN CHINA —A valuable bed of
anthracite has just been prospected and begun to be
worked at Ching•men-chow, near Ichang, on the banks
of the Yang-tze-kiang. The coal district extends for
75 square miles, and possesses ten beds of coal, one of
them (the Wotztikow bed) being estimated to contain
1,200,000 tons, and being only 100 ft, below the surface.
The coal is of excellent quality and particularly suit-
able for smelting; and as the province of Hupei, in
i which the basin s situate, is known to possess some
valuable iron ores, it is nct improbable that an iron
industry may rise up of vast importance to China.

TRACING THE HUDSON TINDER THE SEA. - The
Atlantic Coast Pilot, published by the United States
Survey, explains the origin of the curious deep holes
met with along the New Jersey coast, some distance
out at sea. Of these " mud-holes," as they are termed,
nine are known to navigators, the deepest and the
furthest out being a 145 fathom hole, 83 miles south-
east of Sandy Hook light vessel. The remarkable
depressions, as the Pilot points out, bear the appear-
ance of having been originally a continuation seaward
of the Hudson river valley. They were in all proba-
bility scooped out by the river being forced to run
through narrow gorges. Several of these gorges can
still be traced running almost parallel with the New
Jersey shore line. In fact, the surroundings along
the coast would seem to indicate that the whole coast
line ages ago, was many miles seaward of its position
to-day; that then the Hudson river entered the ocean
at least 100 miles south-east of its present mouth, and
that the whole continent has since subsided, the sea
encroaching farther and further inland, as the country
gradually sank.
THE JIINGFRAII AND THE MATTERHOBN.—A letter
In the Frankfurter Zeitung, dated August 29, states
that on the 25th of August Dr. Petersen had reached
the highest point of the Jungfrau (12,8281 t. He
began the ascent on the 23rd, with one guide pro-
ceading from the Grindenwald as far as the Hitt, at
the llergli. On the 24th he got as far as the Mooch-
hooh, but was detained by a violent storm of wind and
whirling snow. The following night he continued to
climb, and reached the summit at 1 a,m, on the 25th.
The courageous mountaineer was rewarded by an hour
of beautiful weather and a clear sky. He declares
that he could see the whole chain of the Alps from
the farthest Tyrol to Dauphin, including Mont
Blanc and the other southern giants. On the evening
of the 25111 he got to Visp ; and he purp.sed in a few
days to essay the ascent of the Matterhorn.

A MENDELBSOHN ;JUBILEE. .- On Sunday, August
31, the Synagogue at Leipsic was the scene of a singular
ceremonial. There was an assemblage of Christians
as well as Jews, and among them several members of
the municipal council, with the chief Burgomaster at
their head. The occasion was the 150th birthday of
Moses Mendelsssohn, the friend of Leasing, and a great
benefactor to the Jewish community at Leipsic. The
proceedings were opened and closed with choice pieces
of music performed by a specially selected choir.
Rabbi Dr. Goldschmidt delivered an appropriate dis-
course. The German Israelite Alliance (which now
includes branches in thirty leading towns) endeavoured
to honour the occasion by publishing a " Leasing-
Mendelssohn Memorial Book, in commemoration of
the 150th birthday of G. E. Leasing and of M.
Mendelssohn, and of the Centenary of Lessing's
Nathan." The book contains contributions from the
late Professor Heinrich Mutke, and from Fr. Nicolai