The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-08-14
Eittrarp Notiiss.

A Second Vis to The United States Of North .ameriea
BY Sir CHARLEs LYELL, +. r. s., President Of the
Geological Society ef London, author Of The "Prnci
pies of Geology" and "1rausls in North .dmerica "
New York Harper q Brothers. For sale by
Taylor d Maury.
The perusal OF the second volume Of this work
has made us desire to see the first, which has acc
denaliy failed to reach us. We have marked two
or three paragraphs, which we extract
AGE OF PINE TREES.
From Columbus we travelled ffty-fve miles
west TO Chehaw, to join railway, which was TO
carry US on to Montgomery. The stage was drawn
by six horses, but as II was daylight we were not
much shaken We passed through an undulatiDg
country, sometimes on the tertiary sands covered
with pines, sometimes in swamps enllvened by the
green palmetto and tall magnolia, and occasionally
crossing into the borders of the granite region,
where there appeared Immediately mixture Of
oak, hickory and pine. There was no grass grow
| ing under the pine trees, and the surface of the
ground was every where strewed with yellow leaves
and the fallen needles Of the fir trees. The sound
of the wind in the boughs of the long-leayed pines
always reminded me of the waves breaking on a
distant sea-shore, and it was agreeable to hear It
swelling gradually, and then dying away, as the
breeze lose and fell. Observing at Chehaw great
many stumps of these frs in a new clearing, was
curious to know how many years it would take to
restore such forest if once destroyed The frst
stump | examined measured two feet hve inches IN
diameter at the height Of three feet from the ground
and counted in it 100 rings of annual growth;
second measured less by two inches IN diameter
yet 260 years old; third at the height OF two
feet above the ground, although $50 years old was
only two feet in diameter fourth, the Oldest
could fnd measured, at the height of three feet
above its base, four feet and presented 32O rings
of annual growth; and could have counted few
more had the tree been cut down even with the
aoil The height Of these trees varied from ~ TO
100 feet. From the time taken to acquire the above
dimensions, we may confidently infer that no such
trees will be by posterty, after the clearing OF
the country, except where they may happen 10 oe
protected for ornamental purposes. once asked
surveyor in Scotland why, in planting woods win
a view to profit, the oak was generally neglected
| although had found many trunks OF very large
size buried in peat-mosses He asked if ! had ever
counted the rings Of growth in the buried trees to
ascertain their age, and told him had often reck-
oned up 300, and once upward OF SO0 rings; To
| which he replied, "Then plant your shllllngs IN
the funds, and you will see how much faster they
would grow"
THE PORK ELITE
| fell into conversation with an intelligent, we'll
dressed passenger, who, as we sailed by the town
Of Utica, in Indiana remarked that 1t was 100 near
the large city Of Louisville to thrive greatly ana IN
specializing on the future prospects of the west, ne
said that by the census Of 1910 it was proved that
| the Atlantic States had about nine and hall mil.
lions of inhabitants, while the States lying west OF
the mountains, and between the great lakes and the
Gulf of Mexico, numbered about six millions tour
hundred thousand. Now it is believed that the
census of 1850 will show the population OF Inc
whole country to have changed its centre 10 the
west of the mountains, and under system OF uni
versa suffrage the centre Of population becomes the
centre of political power. After having been much
interested with the information which gained from
this companion, although occasionally struck win
his violation Of the rules of ordinary good manners,
| was trying TO divine to what class in society ne
might belong, when he began to enlarge on the
number of hogs killed last year in Cincinnati, Wnicn
exceeded all former seasons amounting to 3OOUoO;
| and to describe to me how the Streets In killing
time, were blocked up with barrels OF salt pork Tor
| expectation, so that it was not easy to pass 10
| carriage. He then asked me abruptly, How
many hogs do you think killed last season." Inn
| agining that he might be farmer, said 3OO tie
exclaimed $4,000, and all of them despatched IN
thrty-fve days!" He next began to boast that one
| of his could eviscerate more hogs IN one day
than any other hand in Kentucky; and, placing
himself in the attitude Of his favorite executoner,
| he gave me such a minute description of his mode
Of operating, and dwelt on il with so much Zes, as
to make me feel satisfied that as Thomas Dafoirus,
in the "Malade lmaginare," proposed to treat his
mistress with a " dissection" so this member oil
the "pork aristocracy" Of the west would never
doubt that such feats Of professional dexery as he
| loved TO dilate upon must command the admiration
of all men who have the slightest feeling for supe-
rior artistical skill.
| GLASS HIVES OF POLITICS.
In the newspapers of the day scene described
having occurred the close of the legislative SEES
sion in Albany excited my curiosity. One of the
members Of the House Of Representatives moved a
vote Of thanks "to the gentlemen Of the third house
for the regularity Of their attendance, and the cour-
tesy with which they had conducted themselves y
The motion was seconded, read from the char
amidst great laughter, and then allowed TO drop.
inquired what might be the meaning of this Joke,
and was asked in reply whether had read the let
ters of Jesse Hoyt and others, edited by Macken-
zei had, indeed, purchased the pamphlet alluded
| TO, containing selection from an immense mass
(sad to amount to twenty-five volumes) Of the pri-
vate and confidential correspondence of official men,
left accidentally by them, on change Of admins.
| traton, in the custom-house of New York. All
these had been printed for the benefit of the public
by their successors. The authenticity Of the docu-
ments made known by this gentlemanlike stroke OF
party tactics, purporting TO be penned by men who
had filled high places in the State and Federal Gov
ernments, had been placed beyond doubt for the
writers had attempted TO obtain an injunction IN
the law courts to stop the publication, claiming
the copyright Of letters which they had written.
Some time before this conversation merchant of
Boston, who wished me to look only on the bright
side Of their Institutions, and who was himself an
optmist, had said to me, Our politicians work In
glass hive, so that you always see the worst OF
them; whereas your public men can throw decent
veil OF sccrcsy over much that may be selfish and
sordid in the motives of their conduct Hence
the scandal of your court and cabinets is only d.
vuged posterity hundred years after the events
in private memoirs" Unfortunately for this theory
a glance at the Mackenzie letters was enough Ia
teach me that, if the American bees work IN glass
hive the glass is not quite so transparent as my
friend would have led me to believe.
Nautical Routine and Siotooge, ,oth short rules !,
Navigation. By JOIN Nelson MuRrHY aud w
~ JErrERs, IT,, Passed Midsh,pmen Y. S. "
Henry Spear, New York, corner Of Wall ant
r Pearl streets, lS49. For sale by Taylor &
Maury.
This is a beautifully printed naval manual, which
we learn from high professional authority reflects
much credit on the young officers by whom it hs'
been prepared 1t speaks most distinctly in favor
! of mingled practical and scientific education Oh
tanned in our naval service by "aspirants," and o