The Express.
London, England, 1861-11-05 00:00:00

OPENING OP A NEW LECTURE HALL Ar

iiidiaii

Last evening a large number of persons met
together for the purpose of celebrating the opening of a
new lecture hall, which has just been erected at Bromley-
by-Bow by Mr. Harper Twelvetroes. The ball is situated
in Three Mills-lane, where Mr. Twelvetrees has a factory,
in which about 500 workmen are employed. The locality,
it seems, was deticieet in the means of affording anything
like intellectual entertainment to the working classes or
to the inhabitants generally of the district; and, there-
fore, Mr. Twelvetrees, who is • strong advocate
of the temperance movement, thought be could
not direct his benevolence to • better object than that of
providing • substitute for the attraction* of the public-
house. The hall is a plain but substantial room, and capa-
ble of accommodating a considerable number of persons.
Mr. A; KTOM, M.Y. in the absence of the Earl of Har-
rington, who was to Lave presided. took the chair.
The meeting was atklriased by Mr. Twelvetrees, the
Rector of Bow, Mr. J. Canal, Mr. Sheriff Cockerel!, Mr.
Sheriff Twentyman, the Rev. B. W. Backe, the Rev. Dr.
Burns, Rev. R. Parnell, Judge Payne, and otJaen ; after
which the proceedings terminated.

NATIONAL SAVINGS BANN ASSOCIATION.
The ordinary annual meeting of the shareholder!
was beld yesterday at the London Tavern ; Mr. J. W
Wttua mew; in the chair.

The Clerk read the report to the meeting, which corn-
mewed by congratulating the shareholders on the continued
satisfactory progress made by the association, in spite of the
many discouraging circumstances of the past year, arising
from the high rate of interest, the stignation and uncer-
tainty in every branch of commerce, the American war, mid
other adverse elements, strain iog heavily,more especially upon
that dam with which the association was more immediately
connected, and for whose benefit it was established. One
most important circumstance indirectly affecting the ease-
elation, unhinging the minds of depositors, end creating
doubt and perplexity, was the various measures brought
before parliament during the past session in connexion with
navings banks. These measures were carefully watched by
the directors, and owing to their representatioos two out of
the three bills brought before parliament were withdrawn,
the Post-office Savings Bank Bill alone becoming law. Thi
measure the directors look upon as rather favourable to
them than otherwise, as directing the attention of the ope-
rative classes to the propriety and advantage of saviog
habits, and laying by for adversity or old age.
The report then states that the business of the emacia-
tion showed a steady end progressive inert:WM, the more
encouraging as having taken place in unfavourable times ; it
had produced during the past year 4,27gf. as main* 3,3001.
the preceding year, and 1,960‘. the year previous ; while
the dirc,tora had succeeded in reducing nearly every item of
expenditure below that of the preceding year. The num-
ber of branches open is $O. four having been closed sa not
being sutficicotly remunerative. The depositors during the
year have increased 9,9:ti, the number being 31,4t1,
against 21,459, or at the rate of 191 per week. re. amount
deposited was 70,0601. The subscribed capital was 20,872141
sod the number of shareholders 772. The investments or
the association have been made with all care and coosidera;
tioa as to aecunty, and no loss has occurred during the
year.

•
The CHAIIIIMAN having moved the adoption of the report,,
it waa, altar a brief disctuaion, received pro forma, and the
nialasag stood adjoursed until this day. It was under
steed. !however, QM an Win= would be transacted all
basis=
to-dies sasekins, iheitsiamemosil. thee 'pedal general meeting far
weeillme

DA LII73OBTONITS EXPEDITION.

The following letter from Dr. Livingstone to
Governor Sir George Grey has been laid before the Cape
Town Clamber of Ganmeroe :

Mobilla Island, near Comoro, April 4, 1861.

My dear Sir George,—You will probably have heard ere'
this reaches you, that we went to Rom= in Fehruary,!
and made an attempt to ascend that river in March. Our,
program was arrested when only some 30 miles from the.
mouth, by observing that the water was falling at the,
rate of seven lashes achy—we had mew over some paled.
not more than five or six feet deep, and our vessel was
drawing four and • half feet—so we had to make
up our minds whether to proceed further and remain
among • people whom we did not know till the
next flood, or come back, sail work on our obi " spoor" up
the Shire. The detention would have been each a waste of
time for those who remained at Johanna, and would not
have advanced the object of those who bad come to Ruvuma
more effectually than by spending the same period up the
Shire. For the general gond therefore we returned, and were
favoured by a rise in the river of three or Lour feet. This
lest Y said to be the last flood of the year, and made us fully
olive to the fact that, from one call or another, we were
quite two months too late for successful exploration.
From the little that we saw we are disposed to think
favourably of the river as an entrance into Eastern
Africa. It has • :sandy bottom, three-quarters of a mile
broad, end partakes much of the character of the Zambesi.
Unlike that river, with its abominable bars, it flows into •
magnificent bay. Aod the only danger in its mile-wide
'south, is a sort of " bore " formed by the water of the
river of a few fathoms meeting the ocean tide of nineteen
fathom. at full tide it is all smooth. By keeping near the
shore it is quite safe at all periods of the tide. We have a
very short delta, end the land rises up from the bank in
• gentle elope to three or four hundred feet. It in well
wooded, the ebony attaining a much larger size then Adzes
say where ea the Zambesi. The country is very beautiful,
but there is something wrong among the people. Food
seemedsearce is *soil where everythiug could grow. Half
auto Aruba appear to lord it over the general population,
and they were inclined to do the same with tia.
When my brother took the Makololo on shore to cut
wood, some of them came and assumed the airs we
read of in countries further north. They demanded pay.
meet for the wood, and he offered to give it,
. provided that
they should cut it. But no, they would seize that already
cur. The Makololo were unarmed, hut made a rush to
their arms ; they would not let their white men be 103-
posed on ; the flestarla made a rush the other way, end
could scarcely he prevailed on to come back and take up the
vegetables they had left behind. But for this little show of
pluck we should have had the company of these half-castes
at every village, fines levied on every possible pretext, sad
the word passed on beyond their beet that we were a herd
of she-asses to be milked for the pnblie benefit. It is of
the utmost importance here, as in Europe, for the people
to feel that you are not dependent on them. If they
see that you can get on without them they are much
more obliging I have always foaud that the
prosenee of a trusty band of Makololo, though useless for
ship work. was invaluable on land. It was not without
considerable regret that we gave up the project of a land
Jamey with them up to llovtuna. It wu the worst reason
for travelling ; rain and heavy dews would have cut us up.
In fact, the some maims that prevailed for the postpone-
snout of the landing of the mission still contiuue in force.
By the time we teach the Shire we shall be in the healthier
season' and a bricitining will be made of the general la-
bours from the other end of Syszta to that which we
looked on by the Rowena. It is curious that all the
people declare that Ituvunia comes out by Nyasa ; this,
I weeding to • curious idea that has cocas over the
geographical mind in England, must mean that
Nyasa comes out of Rovuma. I wish oar friends
would only tell us all about it beforehand ; it would save
as a great deal of trouble, and deliver us from the per.
tally of guessing and grumbling. We see, for
ire never discolours iu flood, but is always of a dark mosey
hue, carries a great deal of mica, has a muddy bottom, and
never rises or falls more than a few feet. Severna rime
suine five or six feet, is very brown and muddy, but bass
sandy bottom, water carries little or no mica, and tames of
rain rather than mom. Now, anything positive' ii given
beforehand, will be thankfully received, though it come
from the archives of Premier John.
P.S. Johanna, at William Stanley's, her Majesty's ('on.
std. Comoro Islands—We require two well.trained stropg
mules, tit for and used to either harness or the saddle, and
two good strong Scotch carts with harness, Ikc., complete,
to transport good. put Murehisoo's Cataract. I propose to
submit a spot near the village market, " Minton not
far from the bottom of Zomba, for the bishop's inspection.
The head man, called Chibaba. is s fat. franti, jolly fellow ;
the elevation acme 3.000 or 4,000 feet above the sea, cool in
the hottest part of the season, and well watered. This will
be a sanatorium, and there stands Zoluba's top, a day's
journey up, inhabited, and a fine rivulet. Some work will
be required to Bud a good sloping kloof up to the plateau.
All have had fever except one. Indeed, but two at the
entire expedition have escaped, yet notblog swim ownorod.
—I am, &c.. DAVID LIVISOSTOSZ.

Letters dated Sums, of Much, hays been re.
mired by the Bishop cif Cape Turn from Bishop
Mackenzie. The mimics party appear to bays been well,
sal in good spirits. At the close of his letters the mit.
skyway bishop says :—" As to the future, Dr. Livingstone
Yea ap• boat tithe Benne for beads, and Rome other
of the things he has left there, and the Pioneer must
await their return, which will be on Monday, probably.
lbw we shell be ready to start up the Shire, having only
ewe ether stiguese for wood before we reach the Murchison
011.111,814. TbIlS, as I think I told you. Livingstone most
kindly proposes to come with us to the plateau south of the
eausesit off Lemke, • high table land (from clues to four
thousand feet above the sea). in some part of which, be
thinks, we shall dad a deumble site for the mission after
which we shall apply ourselves to making acquaintance
with our neighbours, learning their langtuire, getting up
our stores, sod making ready for our belies, whom we expect
about the end of the year,