The Express.
London, England, 1861-03-30 00:00:00

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

The Athena, Captain Clarke, arrived at Ply-
mouth yesterday from the Cape of Good Hope,
Arc., with mails and passengers. Her dates are :
Cape, Feb. 21 ; St. Helena, March 2 ; Ascension,
March 6.

The Athens bad a long passage, 351 days, having
missed the trade winds, and had several days calm.
She brings 44 passengers ; nearly all from the Cape.
She reports ships Renown, Newcastle, Windsor
Castle, Holmadsle, Coldstream, and Alma, and
her blajeaty's ship Prometheus, at St. Helena •
and the Sir W. Peel, Alfred, Mars, and indomita-
ble at the Cape.
The following summary of the news is from the
Smith African Advertiser :
We have to report that Sir George Grey returned to the
seat of government from his overland fron:ier tour on
Thursday last. His progress through the various towns
and villages along his route was something quite trium-
phant ; and for each of the innumerable and conflicting
parties with whom he came in contact Sir George, with his
usual tact and skill, had something conciliatory to say or
some beneficial and probably popular scheme to suggest.
In Beira* where his visit was expected with the mast
anxious interest, the inhabitants seem to have been tho-
roughly satisfied by the interviews he held with them ;
although it is somewhat hard to discover in what
they are politically happier now than they were
two mouths before. One benefit, however, his Ex-
cellency is determired to secure for them without delay—
good law in a regularly constituted local court; and the
leading circuit member of the Cape bar has within the last
few days received the offer of the new judgeship at a salary
of 8001. a year.
Immediately on Sir George's return to town the previous
rumours of his appointment to the government of Canada
were renewed with an increased air of probability ; and it
was deemed likely that be would leave South Afnca within
a few weeks at mast. We have good authority for stating
that no such appointment has ye. been made ; and we CAD
state positively that in any case his Excellency will not
leave the Cape before the close of the parliamentary
session, the opening of which has been fixed this week for
the 26th of April.
The war in China baying been brought so speedily to so
auspicious a close, alarms proportion of the troops engaged
in it are now on their voyage to old England. Within the
last fortnight no fewer than a dozen transports have put in
to Table Bay or Simon's Bay for refreshments, and a few of
*ern to lad parties of invalids for the Sanatorium at
Wynberg, in the near vicinity of Cape Town. The health
and spirits of the troop on board the various vessels gene-
rally are of the very bat, and there has happily been
no.hing repoled in any degree resembling the tragic
fate of the passengers of the Tasmania twelve
months ago. One unfortunate disaster, though not
attended with loss of life, occurred on this alai
tea days since. The transport Miles Barton, with nearly
400 men of the 3rd Buffs on board, under the efficieet acs-
mend of Major King, struck on a sunken rock eastward of
Agulhaz, and has become a total wreck. The misfortune
occurred in the darkness of midnight and while a heavy sea
was driving before a strong south east gale ; but so ad-
mirable were the discipline and coolness of the men, and
the skill and firmness of the officers, military and naval
alike, that on the following day every soldier was landed in
perfect !safety on the adjacent shore. It was the brave old
story of the Birkenhead again, where happily however the
courage and calmness displayed were rewarded with the
success they so abundantly merited and were so well mica-
lated to achieve. The deal!s will be found in another part
of this paper.
The passing preemies of our military visitors has bees
welcomed gladly by all classes of socieq, and has been the
means of exciting much pleasant feeling and much needed
excitement.

The peripatetic agriculturists of the western province
have been -bolding their great annual shoo this year at
Worcester, a distance of 90 miles from Cape Town. The
district itself is one of the wealthiest and most productive
in South Africa; its capabilities are boundless ; its soil is
fertile to an extreme ; it is abundantly supplied with water,
which, by irrigation, can be directed to every acre of its
extensive area; and it seems almost equally adapted for
the rearing of stook, the productioo.of wool. or the growing
of corn, fruits, and wine. The wines exhibited at the show
astonished all who examined them; and one gentleman
present, who is one of the principal exporters for the Eng-
lish market, testified to their merits in the warmest terms.
Our colonial agriculture ham certainly made rapid progress
within the past few years, and these periodical shows are
contributing greatly to advance it more. Another and no
less important aid most soon be applied in the shape of
public experimental farms, some of which will ultimstely
ripen out into agricultural colleges, not much inferior to
those which flourish now so admirably in many parts of
England and of Germany.
In our ecclesiestical world the first topic that demands
passing notice is the Diocesan Synod of the Anglican Church,
which closed its labours on the ?4th ult. On this our re-
marks most be brief—in the first place, because the ground
is somewhat tender, and in the second place, because the
practical results of the 1161111100 amount to so very
little. In fact even its principal supporters seem disposed
to reckon It a decided failure. The principal object of the
meeting was the proper adjustment of the finances of the
church and the formation of an adequate Sustentatiou Fund.
To effect this it was proposed to meanies a board of finance,
presided over by the bishop, and composed of clergymen
and laymen in fair proportion. The scheme, however, was
opposed because it would to some extent diminish the
powers of the bishop, whose authority was held to be
supreme in matters financial, quite is much as in matters
spiritual ; and a commission has been appointed instead of
it to aid and advise the bishop in his work, but with no
power to vote oe any questions that may arise. This seem-
ing distrust of the laity has naturally excited a good deal
of dissatiafactioo, and will, it is feared, very materially in-
terfere with the *seems of the projected fund.' A subse-
quent d. • that arose on the question of patronage
tended sti 1 more to confirm the dissatisfaction resulting
from the previous decision.
it was Meted In our last summary that the railway works
were prescreening well, both in the country districts and at
the terminus in Cape Town. The present advancement of
the works may ho briefly stated thus :—From the Cape
Town terminus station in Ailderlev.street, to a distance of
seven or eight miles across the Downs, the rails are laid,
and in some portions of the line ballasted with iron-stone of
a superior kind, which has been named by the government
and the company's eneineers—both of whom have shown an
evident desire to facilitate the early completion of
the work. The continuation of the line from the
eighth mile to Knit's River is almost cemplete—the
enttings end embankments only requiring what is Mehra.
orally called " trimming "to finish them. Rut there are no
permanent rails laid ; one-third of the culverts have yet to
be made; the erection of two important bridges—one at
Salt River and another at Eljes River—has only just been
begun ; and, although it is known that stone-ballast will le
required overt very considerable portion of the line, nothing
has been done in the way of provbling it, further then the
opening of one or two pets of metal, which are yet unused.
From Erste River to 'Stellenbosch there are rani some
heavy cuttings and a considerable portion of earthwork to
be made, besides bridges to be erected. stations to be built,
crossings and rails to be laid. /sc. Of the works beyood
Stellenbosch it Is unnecessary to my anything, as it was
never expected that they would lie finished before the ex-
treme contract time—October next.
Wages still keep steady at the undermentioned quota-
tions. There is little or nothing to record in the state of
the labour market, with the exception of a greater demand
for goal servants than the previous month. Irish labour
has not been objected to, which shows that English and
Scotch emigrants are mares. This is somewhat gratifying,
considering we have still a great number of Irish out of
employment.
The Royal Albert being shortly expected, the demand for
labour this week has not been in great as at the beginning
of the month. I hope in my nest to give • longer and more
detailed report, but at present there is no change worthy of
/ ante.

Rates of Wages pee Month.—Female seeks, with or with-
out washing, scoring to esosbility, If. ga. to I/. 10s. ;
housemaids, 11. os. to V. 10e ; mars, 11. to 2/. • men
cooks. 21. to 21. 10s. ; palmed ma cooky 31. to 31. 104.