The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-02

II AVs wi 0%s 49, ~
pleted BY Smeaton. Then esms lamps VIII
twisted cotton wjrks, and then common ssenni
Tampa; all these, however. arc bow supersedef
by argand lamps and reAectors,--o araand
lamp, with lenses and re6eetoss--aud one -
gand lamp with lenses and rejecting prism~
Mr. Cow per illustrated the laws of reflection by
several models, diagrams, and familiar examples
Ar instances Of refraction, be alluded to the line
Of light produced on ripping water BY the rsys
Of the sun or moon each wave may lin common
with every curved snrface) be considered - !
Poygon, having an infinite number Of sides :
there must therefore b. some side in such 20
sition AZ will reflect the light The came effect
was produced by arrow Of glass rods placed eide
by side. Reference was also made 10 look
ing-glass casting the sunshine on the waI--to
reiiectors placed at windo to exhibit objects
10 the str et--to the glow in the sky produced
by burning house this appearance being half
way between the spectator and the confagra-
ton, occasions continual mistakes as to the To-
caity OF the fire."
MARIA LOuisA.-The following clever sketch
Of AN incident in the life Of Maria Louisa, We
take from letter OF Madame Julia de Marquer.
sites, in the New York Day Book:
Maria Louisa, whose grovelling soul pre-
ferred the qualification of low tastes and degrad-
ing debnucheries to the fuI6lment of the noblest
and brightest destiny ever assigned to woman,
yentured, after some years residence in her duchy
Of Parma, and occasional excursions to Vienna,
to come into the States Of Lombardy, on q visit
to her uncle, the arch-duke Regnier, then vice
king Of Milan. There were many fetes given
to welcome her by the governor the military
commanders and at the palace; for princess,
whatever her conduct and character, il always 4
princess, and always finds courtiers. One even
ing the Scala was ordered to be illuminated, the
large royal box in the centre was to be occupied
by the royal family. who were to come in state
to DO honor to their royal visiter. The house
was full, brilliant uniforms crowded the pit, and
several of the boxes surrounding the royal one,
glittered with diamonds. The royal party came.
First the arch-duchess. proud as princess Of
the house Of Carignan, whose unusual tall stat
nre excited wonder before her extraordinary
beauty had time to create admiration. She
came leaning on the arm Of her chamberlain,
the marquis Dada, then the ar .h-duke with
his slouching gait, and sad, dreamy countenance,
where, as in character, goodness and weakness
struggled for mastery, the latter often marring
the effects Of the former
On his right her hand just passed through
his arm, was daughter of the Czars--she who
had been the worshipped bride of the greatest
man OF the countrywide had worn upon her
brow the iron crown Of Italy, and the imperial
dadem of France, the mother of son by whose
cradle a whole nation had stood. and who now
slept in an unlimely grave, as solitary a. the one
washed by the waves, on the rocks OF st. He
ena-Maria Louise, now the too lately welded
wife Of General helpers. Her stature, scarcely
of the middle height. now seems dwarfish from
the excessive bulk of her person-the fair, re-
dundant bosom and shoulders can scarcely be
contained within the folds Of her dark blue vel
vet corsage-tie diadem armlets which encircIe
her arm. right enclose the waist of another, her
face is large and looks broad, though partly
hidden by long ringets of light hair failing on
ench side of her face--her skin is dazzling
white-her eyes are large and verv blue, though
meaning less-she wears ponderous head-dress,
then called n berret with diamonds and white
feathers. As she advances, the Austrian officers
in the pit stand up, SO do the Milanese, but
turning their back to the stage they face the
royal box, one long, unanimous hiss, such AZ
never greeted the ears of an artist however nm
popular, resounds through the theatre. The
arch-duke places his niece by his wife, calmly
casting an inqniring glance on the public--the
vice-queen colors and speaks to her chamber
lain, who is behind her chair Maria Louisa
looks unconcernedly round and opens her fan.
The overture begins, but the public does not
change its attitude nor its mennacng ground.
Presently the agitation is communicated to the
boxes-animated conversation, vehement gesti-
culations may be heard and observed in all
The police begin to circuate--the sentiDels,
stationed at every door of the pit, ground their
muskets with forboding notes.-the officers put
Their hands upon the hits of their swords, but
the unexorable multitude are roused-the low
hnAn Vn,vI ~.
and then the name of Napoleon Bonaparte is
pronounced by one or two lit acts with all the
magic power of former years, and presently, as
but with one voice, three thousand voices wake
the cry which once was so familiar to those
walls-"Evviva Napoleon" Led on BY the
fumes of their own excitement their enthu-
slasm soon reaches phrenzy. In vain the au-
thorlties try to interpose to stay the shout Of
love and triumph. Some holder than the rest,
cry "fuori!' adding such epthets to the name
OF Maria Louisa rs rarely salute royal ear
The Marquis DAdda leans over the vice queens
chair, and taking from the hands of the lady in
waiting the white satin cloak, seems to urge
retreat; but the princess, with smile of dis
dain upon her lips and anger in her flashing eye,
keeps her seat The arch Duke comes forward
and bows, but this does not soothe the infatuated
mob-"fuori' resounds with redoubed violence
Maria Louisa in alarm rises from her chair;
looks imploring around, meets the naughty glance
Of her kinswoman the respectful but cold look
of her chamberlain, and on the other side the
embarrassed and frightened face of her uncle
then panic struck, descen ding quick from her
chair of state, she rushes through the group Of
attendants aad the guards outside, and never
stops, Till, through private passage commune
eating from the palace to the theatre, she reaches
her own apartment Then the multitude con-
tended with the judgment it had passed and the
sentence it had executed grew calm and still.
REScoNrRE WITH WHALE-A letter 10 the
New York Express, dated Rio Janeiro, Feb "a,
gives an account of an attack on the ship "Po-
cahontns,' of Tisbury, by sperm whale Two
boats started in pursuit Of the whale, and one Of
them had been fast to her about twenty minutes,
and had hauled in the line. In another attempt
to lance the whale, she turned upon the boat,
and1iterally smashed it to atoms yet the crew
were uniniured, having been picked up by the