The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-11-27 00:00:00

.42?1?IVAL OF AUSTRALIAN SHIPS.

gauntly. a telegOaphAd inessake was received by Messrs.
Piik•
in
ail Packet-ship
u and Wilson, intimating that their splendid Royaln
" White Star," Captain Brown, which sailed
'4
o-
-01 Melbourne on the 31st of August last, was off Cape
Lear on Thursday. The owners immediately despatched a
'tug to assist in bringing her into port. The " White
has 95,000 ounces of gold on board, worth about
Z4(00, besides a large and valuable cargo, including 70
;of copper, 1,200 bales of wool, and a great number of
11s. She has also about 150 passengers, and may be looked
the Mersey in the course of to-day.
Tha "Oliver Lang," belonging to Messrs. James Baines
the C'B CM; " Black Ball line," which sailed from Melbourne on
kse}2,.,:i of August, was telegraphed yesterday in Liverpool,
tzo7tug off Qneenstown. The wind was blowing strongly
he east, without any indication of a change. Under
Z, !
circumstances, she was telegraphed to land her mails at
town, and in all probability they will be delivered
k;:rctill course of to-day. She has 75,000 ounces of gold on
dates by both of these ships have been anticipated via
411, by the overland mail which arrived lately.

LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL

SOCIETY.

40-
llight' 'mirth ordinary meeting of the session was held last
41,t ,bat the Royal Institution, in Colquitt-street ; the 'presi-
kV' WAndrew, Esq., F.R.S., in the chair. Mr. Alexander
The was was elected an ordinary member.
v• H. H. HIGGINS read a highly-interesting paper on
liktivation of Mosses," not only describing many of the
ktu,'4l of this beautiful and curious portion of the vegetable
8047:3, but also the best modes ef their artificial cultivation,
render them an appropriate ornament for the drawing-
dpile!eral admirable specimens were exhibited, growing
11,native
,blitive spots.
ai~elh'• C. ARCHER remarked that the sphagnum was exten-
lereaCsed in packing articles, and that other descriptions
't,l dal e 'illag tilued as stuffing for beds and cushions. He suggested
re
eqi,. vements in the construction of vessels for the arti-
„,l4, tion of mosses.
ieh 11-,*Al:. TOWSON also made some remarks on the success
The
"ev
'h p 74 attended his mode of cultivation.
171113(Leap ,_..11 H. lirGenis observed that he had above two
distinct varieties, growing in one case, all in good
jP,
Zittee" • Itimnint, Esq., Secretary of the Compass Com-
47eriki. toad paper on the operations of that committee,
qie 1,7111 e the a various objects which they had in view, and
~Ilbjectanon! by Which they sought to attain them. _ One chief
;`,11.4„7 itivestigation was the variation in the needle of the
altiO ;`,l°olnpass, which was gradually changing, and 0b5er-
,"44:1,,- re 'desirable, in order to supply the materials for a
'Lot 4rt Variations. They had been indebted to Col. Sabine
f.,;;e4.vilttable communications, containing most elaborate
and these were open at the office of the Compass
"at ""oe to any one interested in the subject. He regretted
dip .lElfabient advantage had not been taken of this informa-
t InToodern charts, even in those issued 'by the Admiralty.
4111gRested that the date of the variation should be given
kip,„arto, and the probable rate of change, so as to enable
krcooters to make their own calculations. These changes
Ntlio doubt, caused by a change in the intention of the
the
etil„,o Pole, the South moving from E. to W, and the North,
the to E. He entered into an ingenious theory as to
liis„,vrobable cause of this variation ; and at the conclusion of
l
'rkPer, which was illustrated by maps:a:nd charts, received
hulks of the meeting.