The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-11 00:00:00

THE AIIIOOR RIVER.

The United States Government has just pub-
lished, by order of Congress, the despatches of
Mr. Collins, the commercial agent of the United
States in the Amoor River. That gentleman
reached St. Petersburg in May, 1856, and ob-
tained his passport to go through Russia to the
Pacific Ocean in October in that year. He pro-
ceeded eastward soon afterwards, through Russia
Proper, Western and Eastern Siberia, and Trans-
Baikal, and having visited the Mongolian Chinese
frontier town of Maimattschin, through which the
Russo Chinese trade passes, he descended the river
Amoor at the latter end of 1857. He then visited
Hakodadi, in Japan ; Petropaulovsky, in Kams-
chatka ; and thence he went to Honolulu, in the
Sandwich Islands, arriving at Washington, via San
Francisco and Panama, in Feb., 1858, after an
absence of two years, during which period he had
travelled 30,000 miles.

The following is the substance of Mr. Collins's
despatches relative to the great Amoor river, which
has just been added to the Russian dominions, and
of the valley through which it flows :
" The Amoor enters the Straits of Tartary in
about lat. 54 N., and making a great sweep to the
south-west pierces the centre of the Chinese state of
Manchooria, and with its more southern branches
interlocks with the streams towards the more
southern portions of China in the direction of Pekin
and Corea, then, bending to the north and west in
its main channel, seeks the dividing waters of that
gigantic system of rivers that find their way into
the Frozen Ocean. Ascending the Amoor to the
west, you enter upon the route of the great Russian
overland interior commerce, which finally conducts
You to the imperial marts of Moscow and St. Peters-
burg.
" From Ouse Strelkah, at the head of the Amoor,
to the Orgoon tributary, the bed of the great river
is mica slate, with small veins of quartz often visible
upon the banks, and with good indications of gold
in the small rivulets that fall into the main stream.
Midway between the Oldoy and the Albasin, a
southern tributary, the formation is clay slate ; and
near the Albasin, cornelian, inferior chalcedony,
and a few stones of siliceous formation are found.
From the Albasin to the Simclsky the shores are
mostly sandy until you reach a short distance below
the latter stream, where, on the left shore, syenite
is seen. Before reaching the Kahmara there
are cliffs of yellow sand, where amygdaloid mixed
with decomposed earths, at the foot of which were
cornelian, chalcedony, and agate. Below the
Kahmara granite is again seen. From above the
sea to below the Booreya the banks are generally
sandy ; and the country around is a plain prairie.
From thence to the Garen is found trap, feld spar,
flinty slate, and green stone ; from the Geren to the
Amgoon is mostly green stone. As you approach
the sea, nearly up to Nicolaivsky, granite is again
found ; and immediately upon the sea coast is lime-
stone. The Hingan range of mountains is reputed
to be rich in gold.
" The valley of the Amoor covers, from west to
east, 40 deg. of longitude, and 13 deg. of latitude
from south to north, having for its northern and
western boundaries the Altai, Yablonovey, and
Stanovey mountains. Its southern boundaries are
the head waters of the Hongharee, the Onsuree,
the Songharee, the Albasin, and the Argoon. Its
eastern boundaries are the Straits of Tartary, the
Okholsk, and the Japan sea. The valley of Amoor
is situated relatively to Southern Asia as the valley
of the St. Lawrence is to southern North America,
supposing that the Hudson, the Ohio and its tri-
butaries, and the Illinois, emptied into the lakes,
instead of running off to the south and east.
" Within the vast area of the Amoor valley is.
found every natural requisite for the habitation of
50 millions of human beings, with climate, soil, pro-
ductions, minerals, and forests. Game is found in
the greatest abundance, the wilds abound with the
most valuable fur animals, the rivers teem with fish
and fowl, while the mountains yield gold, silver,
copper, iron and coal.
" The Amoor river is of much beauty, and combines
many of the varieties of the picturesque, the beauti-
ful, and grand, of such rivers as the Hudson, the
Conntcticut, the Ohio, and the Mississippi, with the
San Joaquin, and Sacramento of California. As to
its size and navigable qualities, it may be compared
with the Mississippi, leaving out the Missouri, Red,
and Arkansas rivers. It contains hundreds of islands,
with many lakes, bays, and island chutes. The
reaches arc often grand and extensive ; white snow-
capped mountains, rugged sierras, and smoking vol-
canoes, add beauty and grandeur to the scenery.
"The country bordering upon tke Amoor may be
divided into three distinct regions, according to the
nature of its shores. From Ouse Strelkah, at the
head of the Amoor, to the Zea, a distance of
700 miles, is a mountainous country, with numerous
bends, having considerable fertile bottom-land,
covered with excellent grass ; and. is well but not
heavily timbered with white and black birch, pitch
pine, fir and larch, and inferior oak, and linden.
From the Zea to the Hongharee, a distance of 800
miles, the air is mild and the water warm. From
the Zea to the Songharee the mountain ridges recede
towards the south. The soil is good, and the timber
chiefly consists of birch, oak, ash, maple, cork, and
elm ; and in the distant mountains cedar, pine, and
larch. The land here is covered with innumerable
flowers of rich and varied hues, and the grape vine
and grass grow to luxurious perfection.
" From the Hongharce to the Straits of Tartary,
a distance of 600 miles, the region is covered with
dense forests. The country gradually rises from the
Onsuree to the coast, forms a mountainous district,
which declines abruptly at the sea. The climate on
the sea coast up to 300 miles is very severe, the
snow in winter coming down in fierce and over-
powering storms.
" From Ouse Strelkah to the Zca the coast is in-
habited by the Tonguse tribe. From the Zea to the
Hingau mountains the inhabitants are chiefly
mountains is
a Tongucsean race, and from the Songhaie: to the
Garia there is a mixed race of Manchoo-Tartar and
Tonguse. A slightly different race inhabits the
country below the Onsuree. Between the Amoor
Onsuree and the sea-coast south of De Castries the
country is inhabited by a semi-nomadic people ;
and along the shores of the Amoor for several hun-
dred miles from its mouth there is a people different,
from any already mentioned. The native or semi-
civilised tribes number less than 10,000 souls. The
whole population of Manchooria has been estimated
at from 3,000,000 to 5,000,000, and the Mongols
from 5,000,000 to 10,000,00 D. The head of the
Amoor is 5,220 miles, and the mouth 7,220 miles
from St. Petersburg. The mouth of the river is.
2,800 miles from the Sandwich Islands ; 3,800 from
the mouth of the Columbia river, in Oregon ; 4,200
from San Francisco ; 1,000 from Hakodadi (Japan);
and 1,600 from Shanghai.
" The head of the Amoor is in 53 deg. 30 min.,
and the mouth is in 53 deg. 15 min. north lat. The
mean of the thermometer in June at the head of the
river was 59, and 68 at-the mouth in Ausust. On
some days between June and August the tempera-
ture on the Amoor in a boat was 82 deg. in the
shade. The Russians were delighted when they ob-
served the spontaneous growth of the grape on the
shore of the Amoor, as that fruit is unknown in
Siberia or in Central Russia. The growth of the
grape vine, the pea, clover, asparagus, the straw-
berry and poppy on the Amoor attests the superior
agricultural and grazing qualities of the coGuentvreyrn.
" The commercial system of the Amoor
ment is separate and distinct from the
Commerce
general' sys-
tem of Russia in Europe.lBs6.
There are
entering the
Amcor is free for five years from
no lighthouses, tonnage dues, or port
merchant ships and enteredsteamerscharges. Nine
the Amoor in
1857, chiefly American. Twoian river steamers,
rafts, and boats were
and nearly 300 Rlissian
barges,
esar. 15,000 Cossacks
plying in the river in that y
were to emigrate into the Amoor country in 1858,
and the Grand Duke Constantine was to descend
on the- river is Russian
the river. The currencyroubles ; American gold be' 0.
bank (paper), silver
5 er cent. premium. American m , exlcan,
at par to p
h silver wold
Russian, and Sparps u Comm 10 to
15 per cent. premium.
.A commercial company, called the Society of the
Amoor, has been established in St. Petersburg to de-
velope the commerce of the great Liver, which has
received the sanction of the Emperor, and which has
many special privileges for a term of 25 years.
The great river is formed by the junction of the
Schilkah and Argoon; the Lugadah is also one of
its feeders. It is susceptible of navigation the whole
length by steam, and steamers of light draught
could enter its head from near Chetah, the capital
of Trans-Baik.al, through the Lugadah. By a few
hundred miles of railway the Amoor could be con-
nected commercially ith the three great r:V 21T, C 0
Lena, the Obi, and the Jenisea, which drain the
whole of Siberia, and then flow into the Icy Sea.
Boats of a peculiar construction can reach within a
few hundred miles of Pekin, from the Amoor up
through its greatest southern tributary, the Song-
haree.
" Nicolaivsky, the chief Russian town on the
Amoor, is built about 20 miles from its mouth. It
has become the Russian seat of govErnment for the
proyince of the eastern coast of Siberia,
The best

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entrance to the Amoor as Vie
~ ,rep W. ~::..
the south, through the Strait4t o iqtary, p•p , •
at Dc Castries for a pilot. There is')ieope or • e
introduction of foreign merchavdise to the amougt
of millions sterling annually Ito Siberia, Tx....
Baikal, Mauchooria, and Mongolia, by melt ia of
the Amoor and its affluents, and there is. it
desire throughout those countries for foreign_trade.
All trade hitherto has come to Trans-B1 from
Western Russia, and is occupy,ingnearlytivo:ievs
in its transit, at an expense of Between-0
... ) and £5O
a ton. ,;-
" Coal has been found in two plaftekinithe Amoor
but it is not of good quality. UpOW:-the western
shore of the island of Sakhahlin, which faces the
mouth of Amoor, there are extensivedeposits of
coal already mined by. the Russian Government.
American engineers have pronounced it to be of
good quality. The supply is said to be inexhani.
tible and easy of access.
" Situated on the Amoor is a Chinese convict
colony called Ingoon. The population is about
15,000.

" The Russians have two harbours considerably
to the south of the mouth of the Amoor, to one of
which, opposite the Japan coast, communication
can be had all the year round. From this harbour
easy access overland can be had to one of the great
affluents of the Amoor, which rises far to the south
in iklanchooria.

" About 150 miles from the mouth of the Amoor,
at a place called Teer or Tyr, are two monuments
of sienite, with inscriptions on them, relating to the
dynasty of the Great Mogul Ghengis Khan.
" The Russian trade from the shores of the Ok-
hutsk Sea, Kamschatka, and the western coast of
America, was obliged, previous to the Russian pos-
session of the Amoor, to make a considerable
northern detour through Yahoutsk and Ayan."

CONVOCATION OF THE UNIVERSITY
OF LONDON.

Yesterday an adjourned meeting of the Convo-
cation of the University of London—the second
under its new charter of incorporation—was held
in Burlington House, Piccadilly, Dr. C. J. roster
in the chair.

At the commencement of the protracted proceed-
ings the meeting was very numerously attended.
The first business on the paper was the considera-
tion of the Report of the Committee of Convocation
as to the constitution of the Convocation itself, and
the mode in which its business should be in future
conducted ; and the chairman having moved that
the report be taken as read, it having been in-the
hands of members for some time,
Dr. BIUNTON moved, as an amendment, that the
question as to the election of a representative of the
University on the medical counsel, under the act of
last session, which stood fifth on the list upon the
paper, should take precedence.
There was a large attendance of the medical
11 graduates of the University, and the decision of the
Convocation as to the matter in dispute would, in
all probability, determine the question whether
they should or should not continue to be members
of Convocation in future. _ _

After some discussion, in which much warmth of
feeling was displayed, the amendment was carried
by a large majority.
Dr. HUMBLE then moved—" That it is the
opinion of Convocation that the Member of the
Gei;eral Council of Medical Education and Regis-
tration of the United Kingdom, to be chosen by
the University of London under the Medical Act,
should be chosen by the whole university, which
consists of the chancellor, vice-chancellor, fellows,
and graduates." In support of this resolution the
doctor stated. that at the close of last session an act
was passed for the better regulation of the medical
profession, and for the distinguishing between qua-
lified ald non-qualified practitioners. Among other
provisions it constituted a medical council, to be
appointed by the medical corporations, and to in-
clude one representative each from the Universities
of Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, and London. The
senate of the London University had appointed Dr.
Storar as representative of the University, and he
contended at great length that by so doing they hid
acted illegally. The various clauses of the charter
which treated of the corporate action of the Uni-
versity, nowhere recognised the senate as having
such a power. It was true that the sent.te,had
acted upon the opinion of counsel, but he denied
that it was justified by the charter, which distinctly
constituted the whole university, namely, the chan-
cellor, the vice-chancellor, the fellows, and; the
graduates, the governing body. The appointment
of the representative of the university at the medi-
cal council by the senate was therefore not only
illegal, but a usurpation of the powers of the whole
body—it was an attempt to trample upon the pri-
vileges of the graduates which ought to be re-
sisted to the last, and whatever might be
the decision of that meeting, the matter could
not rest where it was. If it decided against
his motion, the question must be carried into
the Court of Queen's Bench, or whatever other
tribunal might be the proper one, and if ultimately
decided adversely it would alienate from the Urn-
versity the great body of medical graduates who
claimed a right to have a voice in the election of
the representative of the University on the medical
council. (Cheers.)
The motion having been seconded,
Mr. LITTLER moved an amendment to the effect
that the opinion of the counsel upon which the
senate had acted in appointing Dr. Storar was not
only not decisive, but was totally and entirely er-
roneous, and in proof of that fact he quoted the
opinion of Mr. Edward James, of the Northern
Circuit, to whom a case had been submitted, and
who, upon a full consideration of the charter, gave
his opinion that the election did not rest either
with the senate or the convocation, but with the
whole body of the University ; and, further, that
Dr. Storar might be remored from his position by
a writ of quo warrant).
Mr. G. JESSEL, M.A., to whom the question had
been referred by the Senate, in conjunction with
their ordinary law adviser, T. Tomlinson, Esq.,
explained that he had come to its consideration
with the most earnest desire to find the graduates
entitled to the power for which they contended ;
but the result was that he found himself com-
pelled to come to the conclusion that the power
vested in the senate, as the governing body of the
corporation ; and he hoped that, as he would not
venture to pronounce an opinion on a surgical
question, the medical members of the University
would not rashly decide upon a legal ques-
tion, which decision might afterwards render con-
vocation ridiculous. He moved, as the best means
of disposing of the matter, the previous question.
Dr. BARRATT did not agree either in the motion
or the amendment. It was clear that the question
must be decided elsewhere ; and after hearing the
statements that had been made to convocation, he
moved, as another amendment, that as it appeared
there were conflicting legal opinions on the subject,
the convocation regretted that the election had been
made by the senate before the opinion of the con-
vocation had been taken on the subject. (Hear.)
Mr. JESSEL withdrew his amendment in favour
of this proposition, which was seconded by Dr.
QUAIN.
wasoD
in(aotsht p
oe
nisenate)th
e explained
election
that he favour of p
member
of
until
htitltaht it
the opinion
nmonode on
of convtocheataiuonthohraidtyboefencotuankseenl:
but
and at the urgent instance of the Government, who
wished to appoint their representative.
Mr. WAYLEY moved, as another amendment,
that the question at issue should be submitted to
the law officers of the Crown, and that in the mean-
time the senate suspend the confirmation of the
minute appointing Dr. Storar.
This amendment was seconded by Mr. SPENCER ;
and after some further discussion,
The CHAIRMAN, on putting the questions .to the
vote, declared that both amendments were carried
by a large majority, and the original motion
negatived.

The report of the committee appointed by con-
vocation on the 4th May, to provide a working
constitution and a set of standing orders for the
conduct of its business, was then, on the motion of
the Chairman, taken as read and received.
Mr. JESSEL at some length explained the'various
points in the report, which afterwards became the
subject of a debate confined exclusively to technical
points, and which occupied the remainder of a pro-
longed sitting.
At the same time a protracted and occasionally
personal debate ensued, in the course of which
Dr. STOItAR, amidst loud cheers, said he had
counselled the postponement of the election, and
had, during the time the question was before Par-
liament, repeatedly urged upon GOTernMerit and
members of Parliament the necessity for strictly
and plainly defining the electoral body.
In the course of the proceedings a nomination of
six persons to be submitted to her Majesty to fill
vacant fellowships took place.
The scrutineers reported that out of seventeen
candidates the election had fallen on T. S
M. Osier,
LL.B., J. Storar, M.D.,
Jessel, W. A. Miller, .D. G.
M.A., J. G. Greenwood, 8.A., and R. 11.
Hutton, M.A.
After a protracted sitting the convocation was
adjourned to consider the other questions on the
University-its
rartiamentaqregulations
paper, namely, a building for the
representation—and the
as 'to degrees in arts, adopted by the Senate on the
• .7th July last.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE,
Westminster-road.
Sole Lessee, Mr. William Cooke.
Astounding and Expensive Parisian Engagement.
'HIS EVENING, and during the week, will be presented
T WOODMAN'S HORSE, introducing a treble company
of erg nestrians and the finest Stud of Horses in the world.
Cht :1 eters by Messrs. Holloway, W. Cooke, Anson, Francis,
Mar k Howard, Anderson.
Fo Ik:wed by the inimitable SCENES OF THE ARENA.
in wl licit Mr. W. Cooke, Mr. Runnels, Miss Kate Cooke, and
Madlt'e. Blanche will appear.
mu... which, Madame Amite Maurice, from Paris, will make
her Ter.-A'fic Ascent from the Stage to the back of the Galleries.
ow. urice will also have the honour to introduce his
extraordi, ry Dogs.
To cone le with A MISTAKEN STORY.
Dress Cirrus, ; Upper Boxes, 2s. ; Pit, Is. ; Galleries, 6d.
Private Boxes from £1 ls. to £2 2s. and upwards.