The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-25 00:00:00

THE EAST INDIA TEA COMPANY, in
the absence of direct information from their own Cor-
resnondent, can only rely on that received through Russia,
and will consequently continue their extraordinarily low
quotations of 2s. per lb., for Black, Green, or Mixed Teas, in
f;lb. bags; and Coffee. in the Berry, at lld. per lb.—Ware-
houses, 9, Great St. llelen's-churchyard, Bishopsgate-street.

THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION.

LEEDS, FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

The auspicious opening of the 28th annual meeting of
the British Association, which has already been recorded
has been followed up with continued success. The sectional
meetings yesterday were well attended, and they are
equally well attended to-day, while the conversazione held
last night in the Music-hall was one of the most distin-
guished, as well as gay, assemblies ever seen in a provin-
cial town. There were nearly 2,000 persons present, in-
cluding the elite of the West Riding of Yorkshire, as well
as most of the distinguished visitors now in Leeds.
_ _

It is impossible to-notice more than a few of the papers
read in the different sections yesterday.

Dr. IVhewell presided in Section A, which was ap-
pointed for the consideration of mathematical and physical
science.

A communication, by Professor Siljestrom, was read by
Mr. Earnshaw, " On the Constitution of Comets."
A MEMBER suggested, as the result of his own observa-
tion, that comets might be merely electric fluids—a sort of
phantasma from the aim's rays. He had made certain ex-
periments, in the course of which he had almost succeeded
in realising the appearance of a comet.
The Rev. E. Tnor.r.orn read a paper on " The Geology
of a part of Lincolnshire hitherto unexplained." His remarks
were confined to the coast near the Wash, and he said there
was abundant evidence of the alternate submergence and
elevation of a large part of the district within the human
period, which he attributed to volcanic causes.
' Mr. PAGE mentioned instances of similar submergence
and elevation of the coast of Scotland also within the human
period.
Professor On Ex, with reference to this part of the sub-
ject, said that, some time ago, ho was sent for to the North,
to examine a fossilised tree, which had been found in digging
the Jarrow dock, which bore undoubted evidence of having
been cut by human hands. It was supposed to be a most
important discovery, as showing the antiquity of the human
race, and at first everything appeared satisfactory. On pro-
secuting his inquiries, however, ho learned that one of the
navvies, not then on the works, was said to have discovered ,
a similar tree in another part of the dock, which ho cut to
lay down a sleeper. The man was sent for and, on his
arrival, he declared that the tree pointed out was the one he
had cut. It was endeavoured to be explained that that was
impossible, as the place had not been excavated before ;
but, looking with supreme contempt upon the assembly of
geologists and engineers, the man persisted in the identi-
fication of his own work, and exclaimed, " The top of
the tree must be somewhere," upon which he (Professor
Owen) offered half-a-crown to the first navvy who would
prodnce it. Away ran half-a-dozen of them, and in a few
minutes they returned with the top. This explained the
mystery. The man had cut off the top with his spade to
make way for a sleeper ; the stump afterwards got covered
up with silt, and on being again uncovered it was supposed
to be a great discovery. Never had he so narrow an escape
from introducing a " new discovery" into science, and never
had he a more fortunate escape. (Laughter, and " Hear.")
The Rev. F. F. STATHAM read a paper " On the Geology
of the Scilly Islands," in which he described their geologi-
, cal structure, their probable union at some geological period,
the evidence afforded of their elevation and depression, and
the effects of the sea upon the rocks.
Mr. H. C. SORRY then read a paper "On the Currents
present during the Deposition of the Carboniferous and Per-
mian Strata in South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire."
Section E was devoted to geography and ethnology.
Sir RODERICK MURCHNON, the president of the section,
opened the proceedings with a brief speech. He read ex-
tracts from a long letter written to him by Dr. Livingstone,
and dated the 24th of June last. The general tone of the
letter was encouraging, and the principal subject mentioned
in it was the river Zambese. It appeared that the antici-
pations that a great amount of fever would prevail on that
river during the hot season had happily not been realised.
During his six weeks' stay on the river not a single case of
fever had occurred, and the Zambese had proved to be an
exception to the generality of rivers in Africa. These state-
ments were confirmed in another letter which had been re-
ceived from the commander of one of the ships forming the
expedition with which Dr. Livingstone went out.
Dr. LLOYD said that, having merely been to the mouth
of the Zambcse, he could not give any account, of his own
knowledge, as to' the characteristics of the river, but he had
no doubt that Dr. Livingstone's statements were true.
The next paper read related to British North America,
being entitled Notes on the Geography of British North
America, more particularly British Columbia, Frazer River,
&c." Dr. Norton Shaw, secretary to the Royal Geogra-
phical Society, was the author of it, and read it to the as-
sembly. It commenced by referring to the, exploration of
the interior of North America, the first steps towards which
Dr. Shaw attributed more to the French than to the Eng-
lish, the early Anglo-Saxon settlers in that country con-
fining their attention chiefly to agricultural pursuits. The
essay proceeded to give anaccount of the:various discoveries
which have been made in North America, alluding minutely
to those made since the cession of Canada by France to
Great Britain in 1763. He referred to the reward of £20,000
offered by the English Parliament in 1745 for the discovery
of a north-west passage, and to the explorations stimulated
by an organised association of the traders of Canada, under
the name of the " North-West Company," whose right of
trading, he observed, they not unreasonably supposed was
altogether irrespective of the charter of the " Hudson Bay
Company," since they existed before the cession of Canada
to the English, and the King of England could not, of
course, grant what did not belong to him. The paper next
gave a succinct description of the geographical position
of the Frazer River, the boundaries and limits of British
North America, the mountains of the coast, called the
Rocky Mountains, and British Columbia. Dr. Shaw
gave interesting information also with reference to the cli-
mate of the country, the facilities of communication from
one point to another, and the characteristics of the rivers
and the mountains. Speaking of British Columbia, he said
that the face of the country presented a succession of moun-
tain ridges, valleys, and plains, the more fertile districts
lying, for the most part, between the Cascade mountains
and the ocean. That portion of the country which lay be-
tween the Cascade mountains and the Pacific was subject
to a remarkably equal temperature, the mean being about
' 54 degrees Fahrenheit. There were only about four months
of winter, and all fruits and vegetable were as early as in
Canada. In many respects the climate of the middle sec-
tion was less favourable; it was subject to droughts, and
was warmer in summer and colder in winter. The air,
however, was pure and healthy. The eastern section,
' under the snows of the Rocky Mountains, could not be
' praised for its climate. It was subject to great and sudden
' changes of temperature, occasionally going through all the
gradations of summer, autumn, and winter in a single day,