The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-11 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 11, 1866.

TIIL LINES OF VERONA.

(From the Times Military Correspondent)
VERONA, Sept. 5.

The sensations with which one regards a nest of
fortresses such as the Quadrilateral are very diffe-
rent in war and pea (.2. When the Archduke fought
the battle of Custozza, Verona was regarded as a
port in a storm—a refuge in the hour of need; for
his whole army might have sought shelter within
the line of her forts if the fortunes of the day had
turned against the Austrians, and defeat instead of
victory had attended their arms. But now that Italy
has achieved her long self-set task, and it only re-
mains for diplomatists to settle the exact terms of
the treaty, there is a crushing weight in the para-
pets; ditches, and detached forts that makes one long
for the free mountain air, so near in space and yet
so far removed in nature from these oppressive for-
tifications. Josefstadt, Koniggratz, and Theresien-
stadt are border strongholds ; Olmutz is a great
fortress ; Venice is a pearl placed in an almost im-
pregnable casket ; but Verona is a fortified camp,
built to contain a host, which it can shield from
sudden attack, and yet suffer to go forth against the
enemy without a check upon the mobility of the
mass of men. The Austrians have not exaggerated
its capabilities in this respect, nor have the sums
spent upon it been overestimated, and yet it is dis-
appointing on the whole, and for purposes of defence
does not appear to me nearly equal to Venice. In
studying its capabilities it is always necessary to take
into consideration that the lines have been con-
structed rather as a refuge for an army and as a
great strategical point to be held than as an ordinary
fortress. The town contains some 60,000 inhabi-
tants, yet it seems but a garrison of soldiers ; some
of its fine old churches are turned into hospitals, its
theatres into corn stores, and the most perfect
Roman amphitheatre in Europe, a contemporary of
the Coliseum at Rome, was used as a prison for the
Italians taken at the battle of Custozza.

The strategical importance of the Quadrilateral
chiefly depends upon the facts that it covers the
passage of the great rivers, that the principal roads
from the south and east pass through it, and that
can always contain safely an army prepared to issue
forth at any moment and act on the enemy's com-
munications, or attack him in flank or rear. By its
proximity to the Tyrol and its command of the
great route to Vienna, by the Brenner, it may also
be considered as the key of the Tyrol. If Austria
could continue to hold Verona, she could pass her
armies into Italy whenever she pleased, and it is not
too much to say that Italy's existence as a nation
capable of holding its own depends more upon the
possession of Verona than of Venice. This strategi-
cal importance is not a late discovery. Parts of the
walls of the Emperor Gallienus still remain, but for
the most part forming the sides and angles of more
modern houses. Theoderic and Charlemagne suc-
cessively fortified the place, and the works of the
Scaligieri, improved by San Micheli in the early
part of the 16th century, are left to show how art
can be combined with utility, and beauty with the
strength required to resist the sieges of that period.
But long-rouge rifled guns have introduced a new
era in fortifications, so that if the enemy is to be
kept at a safe distance it is necessary to build forts
far outside the enceinte, and when these are taken it
is doubtful if the main works would be of more use
than to gain better terms of capitulation. Here lies
Verona's weakness, for if the besieger advances
steadily against two or three of the forts and takes
them, as he easily may, by regular attack, the re-
mainder of the works are almost in his power. The
outer forts have all been built since 1815, and may
be said to have always been in process of building
since that year, for, as the arms improved which
could be brought against her, Verona stretched
out her grasp further and further upon the sur-
rounding country. And this process was very
needful, for the enceinte is weak, consisting on
the east and south for the most part of very
flat
_bastions, weakly flanked and capable of
being enfiladed without much difficulty, and on the
west and north by irregular works, some of which
are more picturesque than powerful.
Though Verona lies at the foot of the last spurs
of the Tyrol, the town itself is almost completely on
flat ground, and is commanded by the most salient
point of the mountains which juts out from the im-
posing Alps above, reaching close down to the Adige,
which here.winds backwards and forwards through
the town and its protecting forts. These windings
are all in favour of defence, for they render a direct
advance up or down the river bank impossible. The
mountain spur above the town divides itself into
three different elevations. That on the west comes
quite down upon the Adige; about 5,000 paces from
the nearest point of the enceinte, and as an enemy
could not turn the fortress in this direction without
crossing the Adige and exposing his flank and com-
munications to the army in the shelter of the works,
there are no forts on this elevation; but that in the
centre completely commands the town, touching the
river where it makes its next bend, about the very
centre of the works, and is occupied, besides the
Scaligierian main works with their towers and forked
battlements, by four forts and four towers, eight
distinct works, all completely detached from one
another, the furthest of them being about 5,000
paces from the bend in the Adige, and the nearest
about a sixth of that distance., The third division
of the spur is separated from the others by a consi-
derable-valley, and may indeed be called a distinct
spur. ' It does not reach the river, but commands
the third bend and the country to the south-east by
two forts, the furthest of which is under 5,000, paces
from the stream, and about the same distance from
Fort Empress Elizabeth, which is situated on the
road to Vicenza, and commands the approaches
from the east both by road and railway. Supposing
an enemy to have taken Fort Elizabeth, and to be
advaneing along the road to the town, he would
pass close by the bend of the river, receiving the
fire of Fort Catterina (within the loop), and
after marching 5,000 paces, would reach the part of
the aleeinte to the east of the place, and find him-
self face to face with the first pentangular bastioned
front constructed in Europe, by the genius of San
Michel This part of the works is flanked on its
left by Fort Biondella at the south-east point of the
central spur mentioned above, and on its right by
Fort Scholl, which lies between the loop of the river
in which is situated Fort St. Catterina (or Fort
• Hess) and the loop which passes through the town.
But I must not _forget that a new fort has lately
.been constructed, though not yet quite finished,
about half-way between Fort Empress Elizabeth
and the nearest of the forts on the last-named spur
of the hills. On the west and south of the river are,
first, part of the enceinte flanked by Fort Procolo
on the right, near the Bastion St. Procolo, and in
front of it the Redoubt Wallmoden. Both of these
flank the river in the north-west direction, and sweep
the ground in rear of the next line of forts which lie
outside, forming a chain along the railway at dis-
tances from each other of about 1,000 or 1,500
paces from centre to centre. A train coming down
the valley of the Adige would, cross the river just as
it reached
mediately the first spur mentioned above, and im-
on, the right of this point lies the Work
(or Fort) Albrecht.
before the railwayaand
The river makes a small bend
runs close to it again between
the stream
a Fort Emperor Francis Joseph. Here
water
the line of the is abandoned, and the train
sweeps round in a curve which passes close to Forts
Strafsolde, Radetaky (the only one behind the rail-
way), Lichtenstein,
Aspre,
zartzenburg, and
point Wratislaw. At this s
south-`lest
st of the centre
of the town the railway turns la, leaving the chain
of works, which are continued by Fort- Clam, the
tower of Caloz, and, finally, a little retired, stands'
the large fort of St. Catterina (or Hess) mentioned
above. In this line there are, therefore, 11 forts,
covering the town and a,considerable portion of the
winding river, while their rear is protected £6olllC-
times by the river, sometimes by Forts Wallrnoden
and Procolo, sometimes by the enceinte ; and,
finally, behind Fort Catterina is Fort Scholl on the
other side of the river.
But the hand has been stretched further than this,
for there are five forts in a curve extending to those
just named—Crown Prince, Archduchess Gizella,
New Wratislaw, Stadion, and last but not least in-
teresting, the new and excellently-constructed earth-
work Ca Vedchia. The outer line averages about
5,000 paces from the nearest part of the enceinte,

and the inner line wanders rather irregularly about
half-way between. Ca Vecchia is particularly inte-
resting, because it is the newest specimen of Austrian
fort building, and indicates the result of their expe-
rience. In the first place, then, it is entirely built
of earth, the men living in bomb-proof sheds, so to
speak, coveredwith earth, and forming by their roofs
a wide ramp behind the parapet. By this means the
defenders are always close to their work, and never
under fire except when at their places on the walls.
In the next place, the thickness of the parapet is 24
feet, which is considered necessary to resist even the
comparatively small rifled guns likely to be brought
against it. Thirdly, between every two guns when
in a position at all exposed is a traverse, 24 feetlong
and 12 feet thick, made of large gabions of 7 feet
high and 4 feet in diameter, the interstices between
each gabion being packed with fascines, the top
being also of fascines, and then two or three feet of
earth. But the circulation of men through the
works must not be interrupted, so passages are
made just under the shelter of the parapet and
running all round the fort. The roofs of these holes
through the traverses are bomb proof, and afford
the men a shelter under which they can seek safety
if the enemy's shot and shell are coming too thickly.
Out of this passage, and at right angles to it, there
leads from each traverse into the parapet a small
chamber where ammunition is kept in small
quantities at a time for immediate use. The road
into the fort from behind dives under ground
through a passage of wooden beams supporting the
earth at the sides and on the top, galleries on each
side lead up into the interior of the work, but the
main passage is continued to the main ditch in front.
Covered caponnieres flank the ditches, being placed
at three of the .angles. The gorge is closed by a
parapet also of earth, and two small bastions pro-
ject in rear of each end of the fort, armed with three
field guns each. The whole was two months in pre-
paration, and cost about £lOO,OOO. It is constructed
for 35 guns. Numerous earthworks have been built
this year between the old works, besides three new
forts, and the sum mentioned above as the cost of
one of the latter may give an approximate idea as
to the expense which the retention of Venetia has
been to Austria.

Verona is, however, indifferently' armed. The
guns are few compared with .the extent to be de-
fended, and of small calibre, those rifled being sel-
dom heavier than so-called 12-pounders.
The sympathy. of Austrian officers for English
ideas was very strongly illustrated this evening. An
engineer, speaking of visiting England, said that
one of his greatest wishes is to hear Charles Dickens
read his own works. He added, " Pickwick' is my
constant companion, and I read it through at least
once a year." There is a mine of wisdom and true
liberality, combined with faithfulness, in the Aus-
trian army that is little understood in England, and
which only needs working by a master hand to bring
forth some very precious metal.

Of the immense preparations for provisioning
Verona I will speak in another letter.

September 6.

The more a fortress extends its defensive works
the greater becomes the garrison necessary to occupy
them, and as men cannot live upon earth nor Vero-
nese marble every fort that is built involves, not
only the cost of its erection, but a permanent in-
crease is the stores of ammunition and provisions
for the soldiers, and in these respects Verona has
been well prepared for a siege. The great cost of
ammunition for heavy guns and the difficulty of
its transport may possibly have something to do
with the low calibre of the guns at present mounted
on the works. Venice can be more easily sup-

plied since there is communication between it and
Vienna by railway and sea,
_but the only route
open to Verona since the early part of July
has been over the Brenner pass, where the toilsome
ascent must be made by horsed carriages, and trans-
port must have been rather scarce, for the north
army was partly delayed in its early movements by
want of a sufficient train. But the fortress has no
reason to complain of being insufficiently provisioned.
Some thousands of tons of cheese have lately been
sold there to the public ; many herds of cattle browse
in, the grassy ditches surrounding the works; while
theatres, old .convents, and other available places
have been taken up to hold the corn and oats in-
tended to provision the garrison for six months, and
the army of operation for two, as well as I could
ascertain.

In spite of her deficiency in funds, Austria ma-
nages these matters in a truly imperial style, and the
provision stores and bakeries, which I visited yes-
terday, are well worth attention, though they are
not quite finished, and have not yet disburdened the
impromptu granaries of their unaccustomed stores.

Near the Porta Vescovo certain buildings have
been erected by the military engineers, showing,
like all Austrian military edifices, considerable archi-
tectural grandeur, and containing huge receptacles
for grain, together with all the arrangements neces-
sary for supplying fresh bread daily for 40,000 men.
The system is a patent of a Belgian, Devaux by
name, and is most complete. Time and space pre-
vent me from detailing the whole apparatus, but I
will endeavour to explain the most interesting part
of it.

Every one knows how difficult it is to preserve
grain for a long period from damp, worms, rats, and
other "small deer," and a system that will effect
this is worth much expense when this is compared
with the value of the lives that depend on a due
supply of wholesome food. The reservoirs intended
to contain the corn are 130 in number, each of them
being 42 feet (Austrian) in height and 7 feet square,
made of iron plate pierced with small holes all
over its surface. A hollow cylinder of the same
metal, also pierced with holes, runs up the centre
of each reservoir, and communicates at the bottom
with a tube, through which a:blast of air can be
driven by a fan when required. I was informed that
each reservoir will contain 1,000 measures of 451 b.
When a new supply of grain is to be brought in it is
run into the establishment in railway trucks, and the
sacks are emptied into square receptacles consisting
of large iron boxes let into the ground, and from this
time forth the food is touched by no hand of man till
it is taken hot out of the oven in the form of the ex-
cellent bread supplied to the soldier. To carry the
corn to the top of the reservoirs an endless leather
band covered on its exterior surface with a number
of small buckets is employed. The apparatus on this
principle most familiar to the general reader is pro-
bably the machine used to clear the channel of a
river from mud.
As the hand revolves by the ac-
tion of a steam engine,
each bucket scrapes up its
share of grain and conveys it to the top of the
house, dropping it into long iron troughs, which
pass over the tops of-all the reservoirs.
In each trough works an Archhnedian screw,
whichoTasses on the corn without ceasing to its
furthest end, or drops it into any selected reservoir
by the opening of a small door in the bottom of the
trough. There is, of course, a door above each re-
servoir. When one is filledtits
wdohoeratisersheuatts are
dry
next opened, and soon. If
and clean when put in, the natthuerahlocleirs iculnattihoen of air
through the centre shaft and
exte-
rior of the iron reservoir cases
is sufficient
it for some time ; but if more drying
isto preserve
needed,
or
the
top of the centre tube is closed an
if it be required to guard against
dwoarirmhsio&wen.,
into
it from underneath. The draught having no means
of exit except through thg numerous small holes,
,is
dries thus driven through the corn, and not only it,
but creates such a vibration as to render the life of
any worms that may be in it such a burden to them
that they cannot enjoy domestic ease nor bring up
their young, but are driven, Tantalus like, to de-
spair in the midst of plenty.
But even this is not considered sufficient. The
great weight in each reservoir might cake some of,
the corn at the bottom, and in any case a little cir-
culation is good for it, so shutters are provided at
the bottom of the reservoirs near the ground to let
ont the corn when necessary. Spouts under the
shutters conVey the grain into troughs with Archi-
median screws, and these lead it, tumbling over and
over, to the endless band and buckets which raise it
again to the top, where it goes through the usual
u
having been well mixed on itway. Then
thererotniaer'e steam mills for grinding, steam apparatus
for mixing the dough, and small carriages to run
the bread into the ovens, of which there are twelve.
En attendant the completion of the whole establish-

ment, the sacks are stored partly in large granaries
on the premises and 33 other depots of various kinds
in the town of Verona. From the quantity that I
have seen I should say that the attempt to starve
out the garrison of Verona would be a very hope-
less enterprise. And this reminds me that the Gari-
baldians were lately hard pushed for subsistence, the
Italian commissariat department being evidently not
yet in a satisfactory state. As soon as the armistice
was established I am informed that they constantly
asked food from General Kuhn, and received it too;
for though he had a regular system of rewards for
his own soldiers, to be given to those who should go
in groups of two or three by night to harass the
Garibaldians, and keep them ever in a state of wake-
fulness and irritation, he was very ready to relieve
them when they were no longer foes. General
Kuhn speaks with gratitude of the way in which
Garibaldi treated his prisoners, while those taken by
the regular Italian army were by no means so for-
tunate. The Garibaldians are spoken of as being
very insubordinate and ill-disciplined, and Garibaldi
himself is said to be reconciled to the disbandment
of the Volunteers. They would be very difficult to
break into a steady military life. Garibaldi himself
is at Brescia, and said to be slowly improving, but
he suffers from the wound received at Aspromonte,
though the new one is quite healed. The Sole
reports that the old General has given the sword
that he wore in Sicily to Colonel Chambers, and
grieves that " this monument of valour of which
the Italians would be ever proud has passed into the
hands of strangers." _ _

'MIL" Sept. 7.

The good intentions of the Emperor of the
French in demanding a plebiscite of the Venetians
are not accepted as theyare said to have been meant.
People say that the reorganisation of the province
is thereby delayed and the King placed in a false
position. It is a dangerous experiment, and may pos-
sibly lead to some disagreeable scenes. The Aus-
trians will have to display much good temper while
the inhabitants of Venice itself are being polled, and
it will always leave an opening to say that the pro-
vince was under the ihfluence of the Royal army,
which occupies it at present. The Minister of War
and the Commander-in-Chief are taking measures
to break up the army in view of the cholera, which
has broken out at Alto Friuli. The official Gazette
of Florence announces that four army corps will be
quartered along the line Piacenza-Ancona. The
other corps will enter into more commodious quar-
ters in Venetia. There have been cases among the
soldiers at Palma and other places, so the authorities
are taking strong measures against it. Should this
scourge reach Ancona it is likely to make fearful
havoc there, for the town is ill drained, and evil
smells salute the nose from heaps of old rubbish
lying doss to some of the most frequented streets
near the harbour.

On arrival here lastnight I was supplied with files
of the Times, and it is most satisfactory to see that
the Chlum difficulty has been cleared up by your
Special Austrian and Military Prussian Correspon-
dents. Thequery "What's in a name?" has received
a very sufficient answer on this occasion. Lipa lay
at the foot of the hill where Benedek and his Staff
remained during most of the day ; Chlum was be-
hind, and a little to the right. The capture of the
former would have been of little comparative im-
portance ; the latter was the key to their position.
Mr. Layard, M.P., left Milan for Venice this
mornin g.

MISCELLANEOUS AMERICAN NEWS.

.e. , -

Up to the end of July our importations of foreign
wheat this year have been 45 per cent. in excess of
those up to the same date last year, but only 10 per
cent. beyond those of 1864. The chief arrivals
were during the earlier months, and those of July,
owing to the satisfactory prospects of the English
harvest, were of only about the same amount as in
the July of the two preceding years. Russia con-
stitutes our chief source of supply. She has con-
tributed 29 per cent. of our total importations,
while the proportion from the United States has
been only 2 per cent. The quantity from France
has been 23 per cent., from Germany 25 per
cent., and from all other countries 21 per cent. Of
flour our importations have been nearly double those
of last year, and about 11 per cent. in excess of
those of 1864. Six-sevenths of the entire quantity
arrived from France. Of other descriptions of
grain, and especially of :Indian corn, the importa-
tions have been large. The advices from America
regarding the harvest seem to indicate a deficient
wheat crop, but an unusually abundant yield of
Indian corn, which for home purposes in that coun-
try is the most important staple. A few weeks back
the reports of the growing wheat were disastrous
from most of the 'Western States, from the effect of
protracted rain, but the subsequent accounts have
been less discouraging. In California there is un-
usual abundance, and a probability is asserted of a
surplus of 850,000 quarters for exportation. The
crop of Indian corn this year will, it is said, be the
largest ever produced in the United States. In 1840
the total crop was 47,000,000 quarters, in 1860 it
was 104,000,000 quarters, and this season it is
estimated at 130,000,000. In relation to the sup-
ply of this country the American wheat crop has lost
its direct importance, the total receipts during the
last two years having fallen to an insignificant point,
owing to the superior power of Germany, Russia,
and France to'ship to us at present. prices ; but of
Indian corn our imports this year have been very
greatly in excess of those of the two preceding years,
and the consumption will most probably be s)timu-
lated by the moderate terms on which the American
dealers may now be able to send it forward.

The Philadelphia correspondent of the Times
begins to discover that the Radicals have not
vanished into thin air. He recognises the difficul-
ties before the Conservatives, as he terms his own
party. " For a year, or perhaps two years," he
says, " the chief part of the President's Adminis-
tration, which ends March 4th, 1869, he will be
baffled by a hostile Congress, and for success during
this period the National Union party can only look
to one of those great political revolutions that come
only once in a generation. They have started well
ant favourably, and with perhaps the best platform
of principles that have yet been put forth by any
AMerican political organisation. But in this coun-
try it is difficult even for virtue to detach hundreds
of thousands of voters from an old organisation
they have so often followed to victory. . . At
present all the enthusiasm is against the Radicals,
and the new party have the vantage ground, for it
possesses Presidential patronage, and is the attack-
ing body. But the extreme difficulty of it achiev-
ing, success has led me candidly to lay these facts
before the public. A long and difficult, but, it is to
be hoped, successful campaign is before the new
organisation just born in Philadelphia." We have
all along said that the National Union party can
only look for success to a great political revolution,
which we hope may occur, for it is desirable that a
threatening question should be decided amicably
and speedily. The correspondent terms the party led
by Congress a dominant faction, but it is in reality,
apue during
the sentiment of the Northern people, and a repeti-
tthioen
Civil
itlhlevgarrewa
lbl
againu occurnder made
e in E
if the
Englishnglnd d
are deceived on this point. Such a revolution
may be
the result of the wise and moderate sentiments ex-
pressed by the National Union party, led as that party
is by many of the most prominent statesmen in Ame-
rica. All the people require is faith in these pro-
fessions. If Congress be sustained in its opposition
to the President's policy by the feeling of the mass
of the people, the National Union party will effect
no good. But we have reason to believe that so
ably has the Convention been organised, and so
powerfully supported, that it may Succeed in effect-
ing the desired change, and inspiring the necessary
confidence in the people. The Preside-at is working
earnestly, and with the singular determination which
has marked his career, to gain the object on which
pledged
he has set his heart, indeed, we may say,
his very existence. But he cannot stand unless the
anticipated change in the feelings of the people takes
place. In truth no force can stand unless it be in
accord with the national sentiment. _ _ _

Robert Reid, a Liverpool tinker, murdered his
wife in Thurloe-street, of that town, in: 1862, and
disappeared. A reward was offered for his appre-
hension, and the American police thus stimulated
had for some time been on the look-out for hini.

It appears he disguised himself as a woman and
escaped to the United States. For some time he
wandered from place to place as a travelling tinker,
and the blood-hounds of the law tracked the crimi-
nal from one spot to the other. At last they spotted
him, settled near New York, and sent word to the
Liverpool authorities that they thought they knew
where to lay hands on the man wanted. Accord-
ingly a Liverpool detective was despatched. While
on his way Reid was apprehended for a minor
offence, and when the detective reached New York
he found the criminal in prison. On his producing
copies of the evidence given at the inquest on the
murdered woman, Reid was made over to his cus-
tody, and is now in Liverpool, having arrived in
the last Inman steamer.

Besides Louis Agassiz, the great naturalist, and
John Ericsson, the great inventor, the President has
added two more celebrated Americans to the list of
commissioners to the Paris Exhibition—Alexander
T. Stewart, of New York, the owner of the most
gigantic income in the United States, and Robert E.
Patteson, M.D., the celebrated physician of Phila-
delphia.

Adah Isaacs Menken is playing at Nashville,
Tennessee.

Brevet-Major-General A. A. Humphreys, Lieu-
tenant-Colonel of Engineers, has been appointed to suc-
ceed Brigadier-General R. A. De'afield, as Chief Engineer
of the United States army.

Queen Emma, who recently accepted the invita-
tion to Washington, was visited by a delegation of
Indians in full costume, with their wives and papooses.
Major J. H. Nelson, United S,tates Army, has
been charged by tho Government with the survey of the
proposed canal route via Rock River and Green Bay, and
will soon enter upon his duties. The survey will probably
be finished before winter sets in.

Mr. Emanuel Weiss, of Pennsylvania, has pro-
posed to the American Government a plan for producing
opium in the South. The poppy from which opium is ob-
tained is a native of Northern Mexico, and is found in
great quantities in the valley of tho Santa Cruz River.

The late American Congress passed an Act grant-
ing $lO,OOO to Miss Vinnie Ream for a statue of Mr
Lincoln, which will be placed in the Capitol.

Secretary M'Culioch opened to-day, August 18th,
100 proposals for furnishing the Department with patent
seal locks. A New York firm received the award.

Stewart, the New York dry goods man, puts
$50,000 worth of glass into his new mansion.

TELEGRAPH APPOINTMENT.—NEW YORK, Aug.
14.—The patrons of the telegraph will bo glad to learn
that General Marshall Lefferts has accepted the appoint-
ment of Engineers of the Consolidated American and
Western Union lines. General Lafferts' long experience
in the telegraph business of the country, and his standing
as a gentleman of science and as an electrician, render his
connection with the great lines an important one to the
press and commercial public, and this is still more
strengthened by his position as engineer of the Atlantic
cable.

Professor Agassiz recently returned to Boston
from his exploration in Brazil. He has been absent a little
more than a year, and during that time has made many
important discoeries in geology and natural history, find-
ing abundant evidence to establish his favourite theory of
glacial action, and adding to the classification of the
animal kingdom several hundred species hitherto unknown
or undescribed. We hear that he will at once begin the
preparation of a scientific memoir, embodying the result of
his investigation, and a work of popular character from his
pen, entitled, "Travels in Brazil," is already announced
by Ticknor and Fields for publication in the fall.

The unfortunate holders of stocks in bogus oil
companies are beginning, says the Philadelphia Ledger, to
"realise." In New York recently, a well-known auctioneer
sold 99,860 shares of the stock of the Reno Oil and Land
Company, for tan thousand dollars the lot, an average of a
little less than ten cents a share. Railroad stocks in the oil
region seem also to be in a bad way, for at the same sale
4,958 shares of the Reno, Oil Creek and Pithole Railway
Company's stock were disposed of for $2,500 the lot—
about 50 cents a share. 'This is but the flattening out a
the sham companies. The real petroleum business still
goes on, as the enormous exportations from this port give
solid evidence.

The cable despatch printed in the papers on one
day in America contained 1,158 words, which, at $5 a
word, payable in gold, amountstothe round sum of $5,709,
or $8,569 in currency. The cable is an expensive luxury
for the newspapers.
THE PRAYER ON OPENING THE PHILADELPHIA
CONTENTION.-0 Lord God, Jehovah ! King of kings ! we
adore Thee as the first, the brightest, and the best of beings
All things, visible and invisible, are Thy creation. Of old
didst Thou lay the foundations of the earth. Thou filledst
the heavens with Thine immensity. How then can we,
creatures of the dust, come before Thy face ? To save the
mass and the chiefs of sinners Thou didst give the blood
of Thy only begotten Son. Thou hast changed the cove-
nant from that of works to that of grace. Oh, transcending
mercy and grace, may wo learn this to be the spirit of our
Divine Lord and Master ! We trust that in such a spirit
this Convention has assembled. Thou art the Author of
that love of liberty which inspires our hearts. We be-
lieve that Thou art especially our country's God.
We have been, arrayed in a fearful conflict with each
other—brother against brother. The wails of the
widow and orphan have come up before Thy throne, but at
last the representatives of all sections have come up to
meet each other and re-inaugurate their former Union. We
invoke Thy sanction to rest upon the great work which we
have in baud. May this great people be rallied around the
Constitution of our fapers, imperishable through all future
generations, and to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we
give praise now and forever. Amen.

The Commission appointed to inquire into the
causes of the late massacre at New Orleans are pursuing
their investigations. It has already been demonstrated
that the Convention was a quiet and inoffensive gathering,
and but for the unwarranted interference of the recon-
structed rebels of the New Orleans police force, would
have carried on their legitimate affairs without disturb-
ance. Dr. Dostie was deliberately murdered by an extra
policeman who had been heard declare vengeance against

OUTRAGES 'BY' AMERICAN- INDIANS.—A letter,
dated at Fort Reno, July 31, fully sustains the reports of
the hostilities of the Indians, and the entiro inefficiency of
the military force now there to protect the route. The
troops have had a hard time. They have fought the
Indians four times. _ From the Platte we learn that one
train had eight men killed by the Indians and a number of
others wounded. The Indians seem to do all the damage
possible. They killed Mr. Flood, of Leavenworth, cut off
his head, and set it up in the dirt by the side of the road.
The military there afford no protection to the people.
They are afraid to go out of their stockade. No mail has
been received for three weeks, and no one knows when the
commander will send one. They allow the emigration
trains to start on this road, aad then afford them no pro-
tection. They are badly secured. The Indians are again
hostile, and are attacking the whites at every point.
The escort accompanying Sawyer's party was attacked
near Crazy Woman's Fork, and five soldiers were
killed and a large number wounded. All the wounded
who fell into the hands of the savages were scalped
and tortured in the most barbarous manner. An emigrant
train, encamped with the Cheyenne Indians, was attacked
by a large party of Sioux, and all the white men of the
party killed, and the women and children carried off. Col.
Sawyer and his waggon road party were harassed by In-
dians for over 100 miles, and were obliged to camp over
night on the hills away from water. The party is now en-
camped at Old Fort Reno and at Perry Fort, on Jeweler
River, closely besieged by the Sioux. Nearly all the stock
on the road has been run off, and a great deal of suffering
is inevitable. This route is impassable, and if those on
the way escape with their lives they will be fortunate.
The Indians declare that they will never submit
to the passage of the Union Pacific Railway through what
they declare to be their best hunting-ground. The Ameri-
can Government has offered to support them with rations.
but this they scout and are preparing for war.
In the window of a celebrated cigar store in
Boston (Grodjinski's,
91, Washington-street) a turbaned
Turk figure sits and smokes a pipe, as natural and life-like
as the veritable Oscanyan himself would be supposed to do
under similar circumstances. Of course it proves attractive,
and, in consequence, a large crowd is continually collected
around the window. The Transcript describes the
novelty :—" Although not one of the animated subjects of
the Sublime Porte (the image, with the accompanying
ingenious apparatus, having been imported from Paris),
yet the mien of the figure and the automatic motion of the
eyes give to it almost an expression of vitality. It
is represented as in the act of enjoying 'a good
smoke.' • By means of complex machiuery, the
hands of the figure are made to seize the long
handle of a pipe the bowl of which is filled
with some of Grodjinski's best tobacco —raise the handle
to its mouth, and eject therefrom two puffs of smoke, fol-
lowed by a motion of the head, eyes, and month, indicating
its supreme satisfaction at the quality of the weed.'" The
editor does not say so, but we have no doubt that the
article serves as a good "puff " for the store in Boston.
A letter from Dalton, Georgia, says that one
company there took out $lO,OOO worth of gold from the
mines in one day,-and that capitalists of New York and
Boston are about to ship expensive mining machinery to
that place for the purpose of working the mines.'
A gentleman who has just returned from Port-
land, Maine, says the people are covering tho devastated
region with temporary frame buildings ono story in height,
that present a curious appearance in localities that were
formerly occupied by large and handsome structures. Some
of the citizens, we are told, went to New York to buy
building materials soon after the fire, and found that every-
thing available of that nature had been bought up by yer-
sons in Now York with a view to speculation. They had

also engaged all that could be prepared within a certain
time. The Portland men were obliged to purchase of these
speculators at advanced rates, or not at all.

COLOURED STUDENTS.—Thirty coloured students
are under the care of Dr. E. Turney, of Washington, en-
gaged in studies preparatory to the ministry. Almost all
these men have been slaves. Of a recent public examina-
tion through which they passed the National Intelligencer
says:—"lt consisted in the students standing upon the
platform, reading long passages from the Bible and in
answering such questions as to the import of the chapter
or verse as might be put to them. We express only what
the entire audience will fully corroborate in saying that
the results were truly astonishing to all. Their reading
would not have discredited any pulpit in the land, and
their replies were invariably fraught with good sense, and
stated in excellent language. The exhibition was very
wonderful." A meeting was held at Tremont Temple on
Sunday evening, similar to the above, which was largely
attended. Rev. Dr. Banvard presided. Rev. Dr. Turney
was present, and several of the students whom he instructs
at Washington. Their reading of the Scriptures seems
especially to have commended itself. A liberal collection,
as on the previous Monday evening, was taken in aid of
the National Institute for the education of freedmen
preachers.

In Central Georgia and Alabama thousands of
negroes are agitating the question of immediate emigra-
tion to Liberia. A committee has been sent to Washington
to confer with the authorities concerning free transporta-
tion.

TREASURY BUILDING,--The Treasury Depart-
ment is about to commence the erection of a large building
on the grounds south of the President's house at Washing-
ton, and fronting on Fifteenth-street, for the accommoda-
tion of the printing division of the National Currency
Bureau. It is to be a plain brick structure, suited to the
purposes for which it is built, and Congress has appropri-
ated $200,000 for its completion.