The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-10-05 00:00:00

LATES? FOREIGN AND COLONIAL..

THE OVERLAND MAIL.

We have received, by extraordinary express from Mar-
seilles, our letters in anticipation of the overland mail of
August. The dates thus received are from Bombay tt)
the 31st, Madras to the 20th, and Calcutta to the 14th of
August.
The wet season was drawing to a close ; the rains had
been sufficient and favourable, and there was a prospect
of abundant crops.
Sir Charles Napier had sent in his formal resignation of
the government of Scinde.
In the Punjaub the influence of our Resident with the
Durbar continued on a firm footing.
The Governor-General was to have left Simla on the
20th of August for the seat of Government, by way of
Lucknow.

Her Majesty's 21st and 50th regiments are the two
which will come home—the last when relieved by the
18th, at present at Hong Kong.
Some disturbance had arisen in the Jullundur Doab.
It appears that since our troops have occupied Jullundur
the Mussulnians did not avail themselves of their right to
slaughter cattle until lately, when a Mussulman butcher
set up his trade outside the city, upon which there was at
once a tumultuous assemblage of the Hindoo community,
but they were ultimately dispersed by a body of troops.
Since that time, up to the latest news—a period of about
ten days—murders had been frequent, and the Hindoos
had refused to open their grain shops. The father of the
butcher who offended in this instance was, we are told,
formerly hanged at Jullundur for killing a cow.
Another episode still more characteristic of India of old
and the half administered native states at the present
day, is mentioned from Nepaul. The deposed Mahara-
jah of Nepaul had been residing for some months at Se-.
gowley, on our frontier, notoriously occupied with designs
on the life of his enemy, the actual Prime Minister; when
in the thick of his intrigues he fell himself into a trap,
has been made prisoner himself, and nearly all his sup-
porters put to the sword. The ex-Maharajah was, it
appears, led to believe by the Minister's emissaries that
the Nepaul army would rise in his behalf, were he
to make his appearance near the territory ; and ac-
cordingly he secretly collected a number of his
adherents, and proceeded a short distance into the Nepaul
state, expecting to hear intelligence of the first movement
in his favour. There a " chuppao," or night attack, was
made by a detachment of the Nepaul troops ; the ex-
Rajah's followers, to the number of about 500, were
slaughtered, and himself carried off.
_ .

Tile case of Lieutenant Bird, of the Indian Navy, who
had been dismissed with a pension of £lOO a year, was
exciting great sympathy throughout India.
The import business at Bombay, since the departure
of the previous mail, was not to that extent that the fa-
vourable accounts from the agricultural districts war-
rrnted, and that usually takes place on the approach of
the fine season. The account of the agricultural crops
was in general favourable. Money was plentiful, and the
banks had raduced their rates of discount 2 per cent.
The prospects were good for the opening season of ac-
tivity ; and when onr communication with the coast is
freely re-established, and the inland tradars appear in the
market, we expect to witness an extension of tusiness
and improved prices of import. There was a very general.
inquiry for cotton piece goods. The cotton market was
very firm, and prices bad advanced. At one time during
the month (August) tonnage was very scarce and wanted,
and a vessel was taken up for Liverpool at £7 10s. per
ton, but in consequence of some arrivals of vessels, and
the want of suitable cotton for shipment, the rate de-
clined to £6 10s., which was, however, nominal. Them
were several vessels in port at the end of the month, for
which there was not produce sufficient to afford em-
ployment until fresh supplies of cotton come forward. The
rate of exchange on London had not varied much during
the month, although considerable operations had been
effected—say from ls. 114 d. to ls. Hid. The mail from
China brought a further supply of bills into the market,
which had been selling at is. Md. to Is. 11 9-16 d.—the
latter is the present rate for first-class paper.
At Calcutta there was no material alteration in the
position of mercantile affairs. The demand for some of
the weighty articles of export fell off after the receipt of
the last intelligence from England, but freights having
given way a little, buyers of sugar came forward, and the
week's operations were to a fair extent in that article.
In imports there had been a fair amount of business,
though the demand was not of that active character
which is generally experienced at the season. A large
amount of business had been done in all descriptions of
British cotton piece goods. The declining state of ex-
change in England had continued, and the latest rates
were quoted at to I_lll per rupee for first rate 10
months date paper. The freight to London and Liver-
pool were £8 10s. to £9. per ton.
At the Mauritius there was a calm in commerce during
July, which is one of the dullest months of the year for
business. The continued arrival of specie places matters
in a very different position to that of last year as regards
exchange, but the high rates of freight, food, provision
and labour, as well as the chance of low prices for pro-
duce were muses for some inquietude. The imports for
the quarter had nearly doubled the exports for the quar-
ter ending June, which is accounted for by the compara
tive small portion of the crop issued from April to June.
The Exchange on England had not raised.

ARRIVALS AT BOMBAY FROM LIVERPOOL.—JuIy 19ths
iron ship Richard Cobden ; 20th, Ann Bridson ; 28th,
ship Orixa ; Aug. 20th, barque Culdee ; 22nd, Thomas
Fielden ; Bombay Steam Navigation Company's steamer
Surat ; 23rd, Menzies.
DEPARTURES FROM BOMBAY FOR LIVERPOOL.—JuIy
19th, ship Fanny ; Aug. 17th, ship Armide ; 25th, ship
Richard Cobden ; barque Caroline ; ship Earl of Chester_
DEPARTURES FROM MADRAS FOR LIVERPOOL.—JuIy
13th, Roseberry.
The Hannah Salkeld, from this port. arrived at Saugor
on the Sth August.
DEPARTURES FROM SAUGOR FOR LIVERPOOL.—AU.
sth, Meg of Meldon • 9th, Duke of Wellington ; Laid-
mans ; 11th, Henry IV'inch; 12th, Berampore.

FINANCES OF RUSSIA.—The finances of Russia are
very considerably and rapidly on the increase, and the re-
venue is at this time certainly above 500,000,000 f. The
duty on brandy is the chief source; this amounted in
1844 to about 128,000,000 of paper rubles.
PROTECTION IN RUSSIA.—On the 20th ult., a deputa-
tion from the manufacturers of Prussia had a long confer-
ence with the King on the subject of manufactures, and
prayed his Majesty to revise the tariff, and afford native
industry more protection. The King replied that the
tariff was arranged for the benefit of the entire commu-
nity, and not of a class, and that it was impossible to
grant their request.
The Viceroy of Egypt having of late determined that for
the future all soldiers condemned to die should be shot, in
place of being beheaded, the new mode of execution was
carried into effect at Cairo, the 28th ult. The officer
charged with the superintendence of the matter had the
prisoner's eyes bandaged, and, fearing some awkwardness
on the part of the men appointed to act, ordered a soldier
to place his musket close to his ear and fire. Several de-
tachments of troops were present, and the execution is.
said to have produced a marked effect.
AN ELEPHANT STORY.—The following (from Malacca)
is a strange, if a true, adventure :—" A boat, manned by
six Malays, with a cargo consisting of one coyan of rice
and half a coyan of salt, while proceeding up the river of
Lingey was accidentally intercepted by a large elephant,
and the result was an instantaneous swamping of the boat
and cargo. The animal came first in contact with the boat
at night, while, it appears, in the act of swimming a river
or bathing, and then diving, he made a thrust with his
tusk, perforating the bottom of the boat. Such was his
power of lifting as to bear up the vessel with its contents
on his back, and throw it aside ; the boat and cargo foun-
dered immediately, but the men were lucky enough to
elude further molestation, and escaped by swimming
ashore."

THE CHOLERA.—We give in another column rather a
gloomy paragraph as to the progress of this fearful disease.
We are glad, however, to find that subsequent advices
from Russia are rather more favourable. A letter front
Riga, dated the 20th ult. says :—" No further indication
has confirmed the report, to which a sudden death had
given rise, that the cholera bad manifested itself at Riga.
The Civil Governor has even written to all the consuls to
contradict that report, and remove the uneasiness which
such an announcement was calculated to spread abroad."
It was reported at St. Petersburgh that the cholera had
appeared there, and that it was for that reason the Court
had removed to Moscow. The Journal des Debats, how-
ever, quotes a letter from St. Petersburgh, of the 18th,
mentioning that the epidemy had not yet extended beyond
Charkow, that it was much less fatal than formerly, and_
that the mortality was scarcely 1 out of every 20 cases.

THE PEACOCK'S TAIL A PROTECTION AGAINST OTHER
ANIMALS.—The beauty of the Peacock's plumage was a
theme of admiration in the remotest times ; and the bird.
was sought after as capable of adding splendour to the,
magnificence of Solomon. The chief display of this
beauty arises from that arrangement of long and gorgeous
feathers which spring from the space between the region
behind the wings and the origin behind the wings and the
origin of the tail ; but the use of this to the bird itself
has been a subject of doubt. At first sight it seems to be
no better than a luxuriance of nature, and an encum-
brance rather than a benefit. The action by which their
splendour is outspread has also been deemed an absurd
manifestation of pride. But men are imperfect interpre-
ters of the actions of animals ; and a closer examination
of the habits of this bird will afford a different explana-
tion. The tail of the peacock is of a plain and humble
description ; and seems to be of no other use besides
aiding in the erection of the long feathers of the loins;
while*the latter are supplied at their insertion with an ar-
rangement of voluntary muscles, which contribute to their
elevation, and to the other motions of which they are
capable. If surprised by a foe, the peacock presently
erects its gorgeous feathers ; and the enemy at once
beholds starting up before him a creature which his terror
cannot fail to magnify into the hulk implied by the cir-
cumference of a glittering circle of the most dazzling
hues, his attention at the same time being distracted by
I a hundred glaring eyes meeting his gaze in every direction.
A hiss from the head in the centre, which in shape and
colour resembles 1 hat of a serpent, and a rustle from the
trembling quills, are attended by an advance of the most
conspicuous portion of this bulk ; which is in itself an
action of retreat, being caused by a receding motion of
the body of the bird. That must be a bold animal which
does not pause at the sight of such an object ; and a short
interval is sufficient to ensure the safety of the bird ; but
if, after all, the enemy should be bold enough to risk an
assault, it is most likely that its eagerness or rage would
be spent on the glittering appendages, in which case the
creature is divested only of that which a little time ail/
again supply. A like explanation may be offered of the-
use of the long and curious appendages of the head and
neck of various kinds of humming-birds, which, however
feeble, are a pugnacious race.—Cotteles Illustrations "I
instinct.