The Press.
London, England, 1853-09-10 00:00:00

Stitna anb Xittraturt gtbroab.

MATERIAL PROGRESS or ltr•ssLA.—Regular steam.
packets have been established on the whole course
of the Volga, the extent of which is 3,400 kilometres.
At the fair of Nkini-Novogorod, which is held every
year, large quantities of merchandise have been
brought from Astrachan by barques which were
drawn by steamers the whole distance. News front
4impheropol state that the culture of silk amongst
the (termini colonists of Tauris is making great pro-
gress, and that the last crop amounted to 4,000 'was
(NII,IMNI kiltogrannileS). It is very likely that silk
will, in a short time, rank amongst the most important
produce of Southern Russia.
Muntett.—EXPERIMENTI4 WTTII W 1101) GAR.--A com•
mission, with Baron liehig at its head, has gone to
Ueyreuth to report on some experiments to be made
there with the above gas. A tbrmer cufflinks' ,
consisting of members of the city council of Munich,
had reported unfavourably. This will decide whether
coal or wood gas shall be preferred, a question of
iutportanee where wood is abundant. _

111,PitiARIAN LITERATURE. —The first work in the
ilutnnutian language on the East Ladies has just
appeared, front the pen of Count Andrassy. The
count has visited Aden, Ceylon, .Ima, China, and
Bengal, and his descriptions of nature and hunting
scenes are interesting. The illustrations are front
sketches by the author, lithographed and printed in
Paris.

REFLECTINO SPECULA havelbeen known in China
for thousands of years. They are of finely-polished
metal, and on the hack some fantastic figures are
engraved. I f one looks at the plate itself he perceives
nothing; but. if the sun shines on the polished mur-
faee, and its rays fall on a White wall, the figures will
appear shadow-like in this retlectigni. The Chinese
could not explain this phenomenon. M. Lerebours,
the skilled mechanician of Paris, has not only made
but perfected them, and they were exhibited to the
Academy of Sciences.

Totem. Tullman' TIM Airs.—A convention has
been coneltuled lately at Lausanne, between the dele.
gates of Sardinia, of the Valais, snot the Canton du
Vaud, according to which the road fr►m Martigny to
Ao,tta by the (treat Saint Bernard is Lobe cnn►pleted
in five years. Sanlinia will form the road through
its territory entirely at its own expense, Is 4 Valais
will form that up to the tunnel, and the Canton du
Vaunt will pa) 9.01),000 fr►uies for the construction of
the tunnel, aunt obtain equal sum from the other
cantons anti the federal llover►ment.

IIoTzEN, in the Tyrol, on the southern slope of the
Alps, is most advantageously situated for the growing
If fruit and vegetables, already extolled by lioethe.
The late Archduke Himer bad for some time patron-
ised yearly exhibitions, but that of this year sur-
passed all others of former years.

DEEP-OCEAN SousinNo has occupied much
)0 among American navigators, and several i ingenious
inventions have been deviseAl in order to facilitate the
operation, or extend the range to which soundings
can be carefully carried throngh the profoundest
waters of mid-ocean. Charged to carry out this object
of discovery, one United States brig, the Dolphin,
has been engaged for some months upon the OCC4II
belt stretching between America and Scotland, and
his now arrived in the Southampton Water, prior to
rvommeneing experiments in other directions :

!' This brig, which in empowered under an act of Con.
Kress, in connection with thi scientific niiearches of Lieu.
teinuit sury, for the purpose of votoring into a series of
inetcorobogical observations .RIIII discoveries, left Chexr
!wake Hay on the 314 t of May. tool has romplet.4l a
ptatuot Inn of soundine4 actor. thy Atlantic to livcinies