The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-26 00:00:00

approaching when the importation of articles, for
which in the normal condition of the country there
is only a limited demand, will, as formerly, be re-
gulated alone by the requirements of legitimate
commerce, and be made only in exchange for the
national and manufactured productions of the
country."
In Sardinia the effect of the disease has been
comparatively mild, since the vines, though seriously
damaged, were not so destroyed as to necessitate a
fresh cultivation. For the last four years there have
been good vintages, and nearly all traces of the dis-
ease have disappeared. Wine, when abundant,
may be had in Turin for four or five sous the litre
(rather more than a bottle), while beer, which the
peasantry dislike exceedingly, costs five to eight
sous the bottle.

The report on Austria, ranked as second in im-
portance among the wine countries of Europe, must
be reserved for a final article.

RAILWAY ACROSS THE ANDES.

A numerously attended meeting of the Geogra-
phical Society was held en Monday, Sir Roderick
I. Murchison, Vice-President, in the chair. Among
those present were Lord de Blaquiere, Generals Sir
G. Pollock, Portlock, Fox, and Sir T. Phillips,
Admiral Fitz• Roy, Sir J. Rennie, Sir T. Fremantle,
Sir J. Davis, Colonels Anderson, Fox, and Wil-
loughby, Capts. Collinson, Osborn, Sir F. Nicolson,
Robinson, Cochrane, Craufurd, Sulivan, Burstal,
and Pike, 11 N., Mr. Warre, M.P., Consul Hansen,
Capts. W. H. Walker, Allen Young, Sydney Webb,
Espinasse, Jenkins, and Herd, Messrs. E. 0. Smith,
Barrow, Crawfurd, Arrowsmith, &c. Previous to
the reading of the papers the Chairman drew
attention to the Humboldt Foundation Fund. Dr.
Shaw read a paper on the " Proposed Railway
across the Andes from Caldera to Rosario, via Cor-
dova," by Wm. Wheelwright, Esq., F.R.G.S. The
author, whose success in the establishment of steam
communication along the shores of South America,
and the construction of a railway across the Isthmus
of Panama, is well known, has been engaged for
several years in the construction of railways in
Chili, in which he has had occasion to use sharp
curves and steep gradients. Among those already
executed is that from Valparaiso to Santiago and
Talcahuano; from Caldera to Copiapo, Pabellon and
Chanaxillo ; and from Copiapo to Tres Puntos. In
their construction he has used gradients of 152 and
250 feet per mile, and carried them to an elevation
of 6,600 feet above the level of the sea. From their
success the author is led to believe that by a simi-
lar system the Andes might be crossed and the rail
run on to Rosario, via Cordova, a distance alto-
gether of 1,100 miles. Tha route has been care-
fully explored, the elevations fixed by barometrical
measurement, and the Pass of San Francisco ascer-
tained never to be blocked up by snow, travellers
crossing it at all seasons. The author is of opinion
that the construction of such a railway, though dif-
ficult, is practicable, and the advantages that would
accrue by opening up the South American States
to commerce, the Rio de la Plata being navigable
to the foot of Rosario for vessels drawing 12 feet
of water, would be very great ; in addition to
which it was stated that it would place England
within 50 days' communication of Australia. On
the east of the Andes the slope is gradual and pre-
sents little difficulty, while on the western side the
descent is very steep and would require severe gra-
dients. The heavy traffic, consisting of minerals,
would, however, be from the mountains to the shore,
and the carriages would descend by their own
weight, while the return traffic, consisting of lighter
goods, might be drawn up the incline by powerful
locomotives. It appears that the South American
States are so fully alive to the advantages they will
derive from the execution of this project that the
Argentine Republic has offered a free grant of land,
five miles in breadth, on either side of the railway.
Admiral Fitzroy stated that he had the greatest
confidence in Mr. Wheelwright, and believed the
construction of the railway to be practicable, the
only serious difficulty being for about 30 miles
across the summit of the Andes, and, should it prove
greater than could be overcome, common roads
might be made for that portion of the route, and
even with that break in the communication the
railway would be of immense advantage. In answer
to an objection from Mr. Hamilton, he stated that
on some of tae railways in Norway and in the
United States gradients occur of 1 in 30, and even
as steep as 1 in 25, and that powerful engines with
10 wheels, four of them driving, have been con-
structed for drawing trains up these steep inclines.
Captain Sulivan, R.N., drew attention to the navi-
gability of the Rio de la Plata, stating that he had
ascended to Rosario in a vessel of 161 feet draught
of water. After some observations from Mr, Bol-
laert, the second paper, by Dr. Buist, "On the
Kooria *ooria Islands" was also read by Dr. Shaw.

These islands have become famous from the trea-

sure of guano they are said to contain, though the
manure is only found on the tw• smaller islands of
the group, Ibblea and Haski. It was computed to
amount in 1852 to 200,000 tons, of which, up to the
end of 1858, the quantity exported is said to bo
45,000 tons. The author describes the geology,
botany, zoology, climate, and cause of the guano de-
posite, stating that owing to their scarcity and
worthlessness, at the Kooria MooHa, the sending of
vessels for them had entailed a great loss on the
community, and suggested that before Government
again entered on such expensive adventures it
should consult the meteorologist, the geologist, and
the geogiapher, on the chance of discovering any
soluble manure in regions where rain is rare, and
when it does fall, falls in torrents. After some ob-
servations from the Chairman and from Mr. Craw-
furd in confirmation of Dr. Buist's views the meet-
ing was adjourned to the 13th of February.