The Express.
London, England, 1848-06-03 00:00:00

wEsr INDI 1 MAIL.

By the arrival of the steamer Severn, Captain
Vincent, Lieut. J. Kiddie, R.N.' Admiralty agent, at
Southampton this morning, we have accounts to the
following dates: Chagrts, 28th April; Carthagena,
Ist; St. Jago de Cuba, sth; Demerara' 6th; La
Guavrst and Trinidad, 7th ; Grenada and Jamaica,
Bth ; liarbadees, 10th ; Martinique. 11th ; Porto
Rico and Antigua,l2 ; and St. Thomas's, I sth May.
The Severn brings, on freight, 107,000 dollars from
the Spanish Main, 9,466 ounces gold dust, and
2:1,7401. in silver bars, besides sundries.

Ttw following are the passengers by the Severn :
Mr. Hartwig, fr-m M. equals; Absent Juchter, Carizac
and land:y, Montane and family, Ravenscroft, Bantus,
Dutry, Wbite, Sowell and family, Leroy, Alcubilla, Great',
from Chapel.; Mr. S.blosa, from Carthagena : Messrs.
1)e Wilder and Henry, trim Havana; Mr. and Miss
Atkinson, Mrs. Higier, Miss Chanter, Mita Serraut, Mr.
and Mrs. Henriques, Air. J. Walton and family, Mrs.
Edwara and family, fitwars. Ropewalk, Groom, Frontbeek,
1). Da Costa, J. C. Da Costa, Mozey, Owen. Macao. and
Campbell, tram Jamaica; Mr. de Judie), from Jacmtl;
Messrs. Romberg, Stewart, and family, from Porto Rico;
Capt. Wigley, R N., Messrs. Nienolaoa and Palmer, from
Demerara ; Mears. ebot and Macfarlane, from Trinidad ;
Capt. and Mrs. CarJeu, and Miss II delay, from Barbadota;
Mn. Hanley and (runty, and Mr. lweeisel, from Sc. Lanni ;
Mr. litaduin, from Martinique, and Mr. Mooril, from
o..daloupe.
Thu %test India Islands were healthy, except Bar-
badoes, where a few cases of lever had occurred. In
all average crops were expected, though Jamaica had
suffered for want of rain. Santa Anna had arrived
at Jamaica.

A revolution broke out at Port-au-Prince on the
IGth of April, previous to which an insurrection
took place iii the south of the republic, called the
Plains of Aux Cayes. The revolution was
commenced by the President of Hayti, Soluqui, pub-
licly accusing General Ordovein of having conspired
against the government, and ordering him to prison.
On Ordovein making some opposition, a shot
was fired at him by one of the black party,
which, however, missed, and, after receivi, g a
sabre cut, he was conveyed to prison. Being
a brown man, a party of his colour immediately
armed themselves, and assembled to the number of
about 200 before the palace, with the intention of
displacing the President. The government troops
were cane,' out, and a severe conflict en-
sued, in which twenty of the browns were killed,
and twelve were condemned to death by the Pre-
sident, but they succeeded in getting on board
the French corvette Danide, and afterwards procuring
a schooner to take them to Jamaica. The number
of the black troops killed is unknown.
Port-au-Prince and its vicinity became quiet, and
the President had gone to the south with about 200
troops, to endeavour to restore tranquillity. lier
Majesty's brig Daring was ordered to proceed to Port-
au-Prince. It is reported that the English consul at
Port-au-Prince had refused protection to the defeated
party ; but that the French consul protected all who
required it.
On the 10th of May, at Jacmal, M. de Jardin, a
French merchant, embarked on board the ro3 al mail
steamer Severn, charged with despatches for tne
IFri rich government, from the French consul at
Port-au-Prince.

On the 26th of April, Gen. Flores was at Panama,
and was kindly received. Col. Wright, his aide-de-
camp, on .ed at Chagres, and proceeded to Panama
to juin him ; it is reported that they are raising troops
and procuring vessels.
(hi the 16th May, when the royal mail steamer
Conway arrived at Martinique and Guadaloupe, the
negroes assembled, expecting news 1•or their eman-
cipation. A French frigate was expected out with
commissioners.

With reference to the state of commercial affairs at
Jamaica, we extract the following from De Cordora's
3forcastle lele(liyencer :
The cot chtMn of our mark. t has not undergone the
-lightest alteration fur the bet er sine,. our issue of the
_loth ult., and matters wear the same features of nucir-
minty and depression as they presented at that puled.
We leer that this unhappy and cli%tressiig state of thinga is
hkely to be of some CULaiIMILICC, and tuat there is ever)
prohohility of their becoming worse after August. The
mops which are now on the ground, and in tnii taking off of
tu. mous ,nes ut latinurers are empl.:ycd, wit: then
have taco gatheied in—the tam wiutt fur tueir services coos.
ing to a
.great latent, Omelet the whole of the operatives at
present on employment will be thrown out of work—a la.ge
..mount of money will he withdrowu from circulation, end
every interest in the island will suffer tom extent which it
is thstieosing to reflect on.
The Bahama Royal Ga:ette of the 12fu April men-
tions that the schooner Adventure had arrived from
the Alecranes, with a few more jars of quicksilver,
saved from the wreck of the late steamer 'Tweed, and
a large amount of specie, tonether with materials of
considerable value, which had been delivered up to the
company's agent, altt r being duly entered.
The Ilenduras Obserrer reports that a rumour was
current in Belize of a melaucholy accident at the
Roman River, where it is reported that Mr. Hutchin-
son, the captain of the Carshallton Park, aad three
sailors belonging to the barque Sophia, were drowned
by the capsize of a ship's boat while croasinT the bar
of that river.

FRANCE.—About fift en days since a man called
on )1 Caussidiere, then prefect of police, and offered to give
information enabling him to arrest M. Hebert, " e:-garde
des Demur." " And how much do 3 ou want fir your trouble ?"
asked the prefect. The man named a large sum. " Scoun-
drel," cried the prefect. with his naive and peculiar elo-
quence ; " start directly, or in an hoar M. Hebert himself
shall horsewhip you." You'll be punted to find him," impu-
dently replied the man. The prefect took his pen and
wrote " 1 urn away your servant ; he haa denounced you."
He sealed and addressed it to M. lidbert, whose hiding-
place he had lees known.

ROYAL AGE LTURAL SOCIETY
ENGLAND.
A weekly council was Leld at the Society's house,
in Hanover square, on Wednesday last, the 31st of May.
Prewnt: Colonel Challoner, in the chair; Lord Ca-r.oys;
sir Robert Price, Ban., Id P. ; Sir Francis La-ley, But. ;
Mr. Burke; Mr. Evelyn Denison, M.P ; Mr. Dunne; Mr
G. Dyer; Mr. Fuller, M.P. ; Mr. Baskerville °keg, Mr.
Grant (Glamorganshire), Mr. Halyard, Mr. Fisher Hobbs,
Mr. Kinder, Mr. Morant, Mr. Parkins, Prof. Sewell, Prof.
Simonds, Rev. T P. Blapp, Rev. J. It Smythies, Mr.
Hampden Turner, Mr. T. R. Tweed, Prof. Way, Mr. Bul-
lock Webster. Mr. Whitmore, Mr. G. Wilbraham.
The following new members were elected: John Walker,
Iron.foundry. York ; Robert Duocembe Studio, M.P.,
Hampworth Lodge, Salisbury; Robert Eden, Hampton Court,
Middlesex; Richard Hey, York; William Hey, Leeds;
Bir James Remedy, Bart, Bamff House, Aylth, Perthshire ;
Joseph Hunt, Addlethorpe, Spilshy, Lincolnshire; Thnmaa
Abbey, Dunnington, Yorkshire. The names of 18 candidates
for election at the next meeting were then reed.
VEGETABLE CHAUCOAL Mr. Wolryche Whitmore
favoured the council with the inspection of samples of the
various artificial manutes he ha I formed of bone and charred
vegetable refuse, obtained by the proms. described by him
at the previous meeting, as well as of specimens of the bone
and charcoal when incorporated, and also in their separate
state, previously to admixture. The bones, as used by Mr.
Whitmore, were boiled for two or three hours in water, for
the purpose of removing the greasy matter they contained,
but without extracting the gelatine more intimately com-
bined with their phosphate of lime, or earthy material;
and he had every reason to believe that by thus leaving in
the bones their animal matter, the value of the manure re.
suiting from their decomposition was proportionably more
valuable- The et der in which these bores had been boiled was
reserved as the liquor for moistening the conical heaps of
mixed bone and charcoal, and promoting their fermentation
and the decomposition of the bone, so that, although the
oily matters hod thus, in the first place, been withdrawn by
boiling from the bones, in order to render them more easily
decomposable, by this economy in the use of the water em-
ployed in the process, a large part of the animal matter ex-
tracted by boiling was restored, and he believed the liquor No
obtained would be found superior to common water, or the
liquid from the manure tank. The hones were relueed, by
mown, of a mill, into splintered fragments, varying in length
horn an eighth to half an inch. By cenyerting also the whole
of tee refuse vegetable matter on his garden and farm
into charcoal, or reducing it at least into a charred state,
and employing it as a valuable manure, such refuse was
removed from the land and turned to good account,
with this further nelvanta,,e, that the seeds of all weeds
collected for the purpose were completely destroyed by
the combustion to which they were subjected ; while in
the case of manure heap., in which, according to the
old plan, sue h weeds were mixed, the vitality of their
seeds remained uninjured, and the weeds themselves con-
sequently proved as abundant as ever on the land to which
such manure was applied. Mr. Whitmore had for many
years expert, need the value of charred refuee for garden use,
but had only recently directed his attention to its more
extensive application on his farm. lie conceived that its
adoption would lead to an improved system of culture en
inferior soils; for he had found thet earth on which
nothing would grow hue only to be dr, reed, in furrows,
with virgin mil and the charred refuse, when the finest
mope would be produced, quite irreepretin of the sterile
snit below the surface, an artificial bed for the seed being
thus formed upon it. He had no doribt that the greatest
advantages would eventually be derived by mixing
equal quantities of the charred refuse whit virgin soil,
and thus forming artificial seerLhede, which would not
be liable to the inconvenience arrising to the growing
plants from the caking which so often ensues on a change
of weather from wet to dry. As he had remarked
on the previous occasion, vegetable refuse of every
description was available for the purpose of the charring
required, whether consisting of hedge.cuttinge or other
woody material, or of stubble, Couch-grass, or other
weeds; and the heaps being formed of a conical shape,
covered with earth or weed,, had only to be lighted, and
care taken, denote the slow combustion, that no flame, and
as little smoke as possible, issued from the heap.. He had
found that ten days or a fortnight were sometimes required
in large heaps to effect this object, but the longer the process
MU in operation, the better was the result obtained. This
charred substance, even with undissolved bones, had pro.
duced large crops ; and he had ascertained that by mixing
it with an equal quantity of wood-charcoal, it would effect
the fermentation and entire disintegration of hence, on Mr.
Pusey's plan, hut not quite with the same facility as wood-
charcoal only; while with sand or soil, with which others,
as he had understood, had succeeded, be hod entirely tilled.
The proportion in which the bane and charcoal were used
was one part bone to two parts charcoal in a pulverised
state, the bone being, as before stated, wetted with
either water, liquid manure, or liquor in which the hone has
been boiled; then mixed with the charcoal, and placed
wide r a abed. A strong fermentation soon took place, and
in about a month the bone was dissolved, and incorporated
with the charcoal Col. Chafinner stated that, having on
his estate I thousand loads of fern, he would make
trial of the experiment of charring it, and would report to
the council on a future occasion the result attending the
application of such charred fern as a manure. He had for
the last fifteen years been in the habit of manuring from
fifty to sixty acres of turnip land with charred peat or bog-
soil, and soap•ashee, at the rate of forty bushels of such mix-
ture per acre, and had derived most excellent crops, although
of course not equalling such as would have been obtained from
f rm-yard manure.—Mr. Fisher Hobbs did not think the
ashes of commerce equal in their effects to the charred aub-
stances. He had been much struck with the great distinc-
tion which Mr. Miles had some time ago pointed out be-
tween the action of burnt clay and clay that had been only
charred; and he had, in consequence of the result of Mr.
Miles's experiment, been led for the last two years to
submit all the waste timber on his farm, as well as roots,
turf, and bog earth, to the action of fire, for the purpose of
reducing them into the conditi. n of manuring substances. At
int he entirely burnt the refuse in question, and obtained
teem stacks, 14 fe et long, 3 feet high, and 3 feet wide, formed
al logs of wood about a yard long each, only 3 bushels of
esker, when entire combustion was allowed to take place ;
hat from 28 to 30 bushels of charred manure when the pro-
ems was that merely of a slaw and stifled combustion.
The charcoal burner first *elected a bank of earth in a finely-
pulverised state, in order that the heaps of burning refuse
might be further covered with mil, in case any increase of
tendency towards flame evinced itself ; but as this wan found
to he a waste of fine earth containing vegetable mould, Mr.
Hobbs directed thict sand should be used instead of such fine
earth, and it was found to answer the purpose equally
well. Water was occasionally added to prevent the
heaps bursting out into 11 me, and was obtained either
as occurring near the place, or conveyed thither in a
water-cart. The result of this combustion, if properly
earned on, ought, he considered, to be charcoal of a
dark, carbonaceous, colour, and not mineral ashes of a red
odour. The charred matter, when ready, was placed on an
old barn floor, and its enbatanee reduced to a form of seffi
pent fineness by means of an iron roller passed over it. The
coat of obtaining it, including the labour of splitting the
logs, was about seven farthings per bushel. He was in the
habit of making many hundred 'oads of it during the season,
and of applying it to his carrots and other tont crops on a
sharp gravelly soil, instead of other manure. So convinced
was he of its great value for the carrot cr ip on high barren
sands, and other sterile soils—his carrots growing in rows
under such circumstances with a vigour equal to crops
planted in the valley beneath, that he thought
the plan would prove a great step in the culti-
vation of all root crops —Prof. Way remarked that
the smotheeng up of the heap of stifled burning vegetable
matter, with the intention of preventing its bursting out
into flame, was gained, not so much by such precaution
keeping the smoke or flame in, at it was supposed, but by
keeping the air out, and thus rutting off one of the essential
elements required tee support combustion. With regard to
Mr. Witmorea cap-Tierce of the auccreahtl employment of
charcoal in promoting the fermentation and disintegration of
bones for manure, he confessed that such result was opposed
to pre-conecived notions entertained by scientific men en the
subject; and he ghoul I have iroseire d. on a review of the
consideratkne affeeting the question, that charcoal would
have had quite the oppesite effect, and would have retarded
such decomowition. However, such being the fact,
some good cause no doubt existed for its occurrence;
and it appeared to him that mach cause might probably *rim
in this case as in that of burning limestones into lime, in
which the action ceases, unless the carbonic acid gee sheen-
gaged by the heat applied br carried away from the surface
of the incandescent limestone. He elated that when marble
or chalk (each trine carbonates of lime) was plated at the
bottom of a heated crucible, th a certain portion of the
carbonic acid was forced e W from the lime by the heat, but
was rot carried away, hovering sea dense vapour above the
heated mats, a.:tl preventing further decomposition. He
mild only conceive that charcoal ailed the decompo-
▪ n of hones by carrying off, by eleorption, the
gaseous matter as continuously produced during the pro-
cess, which was thus left unfettered by the presence of any
enoesus body that might otherwise have retarded is progress.
He feared that the distinction between charring and horning
bodies was not sufficiently att-nrb d to b. the lohnuren
employed on a farm. It was, however, an essential distine-
tinn, and
,g.
made all
itnteed 14yff. -r,efer eewihni,
nthnerere.:ualt.a, hwenirntheiy-
of par ii ular Loticr—haa ely, that by burning up all the
weeds on his grounds, he entirely, deer>, ed the ir vitality,
and prevented their, recurrence in enbsenuent sea-
sons.—Mr. Tweed made some observa,inne on the facilities
under which the charring process might M. couducted in
reference to the proximity of "ewer and mod suitable for
• regulating the precees of combustion On the m Linn of
Mr. Dlegg, seconded by Mr. Parkins, the council then voted
to Mr. Whitmore their best thanks fir the kind manner in
which he had taken the trouble of hringiug this important
subject before the notice of the members

.
~
e LONDON,E, 1; F r French I: SIIIPPING.
?JA1L...9 ARILITED.—Duidin. 3 ; W •t..rford, 2; Donagba-
d Fl3.—anor''Tal this day le noon, south,
light birez,, and fine clear 'weather.
RAM/KLEE, June 2 —Tie T an.it. from Hartlepool to
Torguay„ put into this harbour very leaky, having being on
shore on the Brake Sand.
Cannsanvoy, June I.—The Sim. Fetch, frost Wexford
to Bangor, got aground on the N•'rth Bto k last night, but
gotplT and proceeded, appsrently without much damage.
HAENVICH, June 2.—The London Packet of Ramsgate,
from Hartlepool to Whitt stable, nut into this harbour to-day
leaky, haying been on shore on the hunt. Barber Sand
41719ERLAND, June I.—Sailed : Nautilus, Traiton,
Quebec.
SHIELDS, June 1 —Sailed : Corinthian, New York.
OrP Cortx.—Arrived: Ashley. St. John, N. B.
CogA, May 31.—Arrived : Flora Kerr, Singapore, and
sailed for London. Sailed: Cremnns, New York.
3ifokommi, May 31.—Sailed : Sarepta, St. J go de Cuba.
1
. SHEERNESS, June 2.—The brig Jane and Margaret, of and
from Sunderland, sprang a leak last evening, and has been
assisted Into this harbour.