The Express.
London, England, 1865-04-22 00:00:00

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

The Union Company's Cape Royal Mail steam-
ship Cambrian Captain Will Ladd*, arrived at
Plymouth yeslerday, from Tiam
able Bay, March 15,
St. Helena, March 24, and Ascension, March 28.
Her oargo omelets of 11,150/. specie from Cape
Town ; 6501. do. from St. Helens ; 30 MCs of
ostrich feathers, valued at 6,0001, i 3 ones et
iewel-
; 3,000 bags cop :it or • Of bales wool ; 83
os seal skips; 198 tales skins ; 36 casks wine ;
47 tusks ivory ; 70 packages sundries.
The Cambrian experienced very tine weather
throughout the voyage, but had head winds from
Madeira to the ChanneL At the Cape there was no
political news of importance. The Eastern pro-
viso. members were, however, much annoyed at
the Governor having convened the parliament spin
at Cape-Town, and they had threatened to obstruct
every measure that was brought forward, in order
to force the western party and the home govern.
ment to agree to a separation of the provinces,
The rumour that bad prevailed in the colony,
that the home government contemplated the con-
version of Kaffraria Proper into a penal settlement
had been authoritatively denied by the High Com-
missioner. The Portuguese government were esta-
blishing a convict station in the Mozambique
country.
On the frontier matters were rumoured to be
still unsettled, but there did not appear to be any
fear of any war, involving the colony with the
natives. It was still said that Kreli was persis-
tently endeavouring to induce the various native
tribes, both within end beyond the colony, to unite
with him in an effort to regain by force the
whole of the country be formerly occupied,
and a portion of which was recently re-
stored to him by the High Commissioner.
But this rumour, which emanated from British
Kaffraria, did not obtain much reliance. An affair
had taken place in Kaffirland, near the Seabee,
between a party of the armed mounted police and a
body of Tambookies. Four of the Tambookies
were killed. The war between the Hottentots and
the Damaras seemed as far from a settlement as
ever. In the colony business was in a healthy
state, and public confidence, which had been much
shaken, was again being restored, especially in the
western division of the colony. Tenders for the
construction of railways from Cape Town to
Malmesbury, from Cape Town to Worcester, and
from Port Elizabeth to Graham's Town, had been
called for in the colony. Tenders for rails, bridges,
and such like had been called for in England. The
Wynberg Railway wee working very satisfactorily ;
the passenger traffic upon it was very great. All
differences between the Wycberg Company and the
Wellington Company regarding the terms of the
lease had been settled provisionally, subject to ap-
proval by the London directors of the latter com-
pany. The Union Company's steamer Saxon
arrived with the February mails on the 11th inst.,
in 28 days 16 hours from Plymouth. A compli-
mentary dinner to the officers of the company was
given by the Cape Town merchants in the Com-
mercial Exchange the evening before the Cambrian
left.
The news received from the mines of the Cape
Copper Company during the past month had been
of the usual satisfactory character, and the yield of
ores in no way diminished. In the Free State the
news continued favourable, and the Volkarsad had
passed a unanimous vote of thanks to Sir P. E.
Wodehouse, for his exertions in the settlement of
the boundary line question.

THE WRATH= AND THE CROPS.—In the West
Midlands spring opens in an exceptiooal manner. The
winter has been a molt protracted one, which, bined
with the taunts of the root crops generally last year,
has put farmers almost to their wits' sods to provide
fodder for their stock. They have bad to report to the
use of oore to an unusual extent, sad this they were en-
abled to do on account of its cheapness. In the lest fort-
night the weather has changed from told east winds and
frosts to went and dry sunny days. Rain was much wanted,
and its advent on Raster Monday, with the exoespenimeet
of thunder and a soft south breeze, was most welcome. The
effect upon vegetation has been most remarkable in the
agricultural counties of Worcester,Hereford, and Gloucester.
Fields brown ten days ago now present a brilliant green
aspect, and hws have suddenly put on their
verdure. The wheat,gero
which was hardly visible during
the dry weather, has linos grown sufficiently to bide •
Mrs, and barley end beans have sprung up as if by magic.
The autumn sad spring sowing of grain has been the most
successful ever remembeed. Farmers our every hand agree
that • more favourable seed time they elver recollect to have
aspermeced. Should the present Bne weather continue,
vegetation will be in quite as forward a state as on the
average of years, while every crop her at present a most
healthy appease*. There is now • good crop of pees foe
ewes sad lambs. Hops are 'bowleg on the stools in Hera
tordabire sad Woecedenhire, and polling has oommeeced.
The pleura tress stein biessons, and preemie • very promising
eppeeresoe, some el the trees being literally "as whitest;
aslieet:' with blossom. Apples and pears are more scantily
bloomed, and an abundant crop is cwt to be looked forefeet
the eztascedleary quantity grown list year. Potatoes het
wall, and • peat nay have already been pleated for the
present yew's mop.
The Ryde wad Shanklin Railway will, it is
impeded, le speed to Vastest In July mat.