, 1853-05-07


of the National Police Gazette enquiries Of
its editor whether he does not think the
spirit raPpings and all the apparently mex
plcable phenomena connected with these
deIusions can be explained by electricity
He replies thus:
"We have little doubt that electricity is
at the bottom of the matter but the nature
of this subtle fluid is as yet but little known.
Probably philosophers are less acquainted
with the nature Of electricity than they arc
with any other known science. la our
opinion il is the source of all vital action.
The human body abounds with il. A Gu
rious and simple philosophical experiment,
as regards the electricity of the human body,
may be thus performed Take a common
iron key or bunch Of keys, and attach a
piece Of twine to the ring. Hold the end
of the twine between the thumb and finger
of the right hand with the key depending
from it until it hangs perfectly still then
hold the open palm of the left hand an inch
or two beneath the key, and it will com
mence 10 vibrate like the pendulum Of a
clock, extending its vibrations BY degrees
the entire length of the hand. Let some
person place the lorefnger and thumb OF
his LEFT hand against those of the hand be,
meath The key, merely touching the finger
and thumb gently, and the key will COM
mence a circular motion, following the elec-
trio current of the hands thus joined then
let the same person place his right hand
gently upon your shoulder, and The electric
circle being complete, the motion of the
key will almost Immediately cease. This
experiment will Of course succeed better
when tried by persons Of nervous, excita-
bic temperament. than it will when tried by
others who are of less excitable nature !;
but it will partially succeed with all. In
some instances the circular motion of the
keys will be exceedingly violent, where
both experimeDlers are Of nervous tenn
psrament."
~ Discovery OF VALUABLE SILVER
MINEs.-lt is stated that great excitement
has been created in the towns on the Rio
Grande, opposite FL Paso, by the discovery
of some very valuable silver mines on the
eastern slope Of the mountains, about sixty
miles northeast of Donna Anna. The ore
is found in immense quantities directly on
the surface of the ground, and several tons
have already been gathered. The Houston
Telegraph says:
"One mine is so rich that the silver is
extracted readily by melting il with a COM
mon log-fre Of pine. Lead ore is also
found in extensive veins, traverSing the
rocks in every direction. We are informed
that thousands of tons Of lead ore, similar
10 that obtained at the lead mines near Ga
lena, can be gathered on the surface of the
ground. on the mountains east Of FL Paso.
There is a large bill near the silver mines,
that might With Proprieiy be styled the lead
mountain, as il seems TO be an immense
mass Of galena or lead ore. If we may
believe The accounts Of persons who have
visited these mines, they must be far more
extensive and valuable than any Of the
mines in Illinois or Wisconsin," .,
THE HUDsoN BAY CoMPANY.-The fol-
lowing is an extract from the Toronto, Can
ada, correspondence Of the New York Trib.
une, March 8: f..
"Some apprehension is felt in these Prov
inces at the announcement that the Gov
ernor Of the Hudson Bay Company has
been al Washington 10 uealy with the
American Executive. for the surrender of
certain British properties on the Pacific
That corporation has shown that il would
readily sell its country it it could make
money by the operation. Strong suspicious
have been expressed here that The Company
are desirous Of efecting transfer of Van
couver's Island 10 the United Suites for
their own selfish ends. The company took
care to secure its prospective interests by
stipulation with the Crown that whenever
the Island should be resumed they should
be reimbursed all the expenditure on the
island that the Establishments 4" should
be paid for in short, that they should be
bought out lock, stock and barrel, at those
enormous rates which, on the settlement Of
the Oregon question, they were enabled 10
obtain.
The Companys license Of occupation
does not yet expire for some years but
they have taken the plumbs out Of the cake,
and would 30 doubt be very glad at once 10
handle The amount Of the valuation they
will be enabled to put on their " establish
ments-" That is to say, the lodgings of the
company's officers and servants which have
ceased 10 be useful, since they have picked
the mineral riches from the surface Of the
island. In pursuance Of their right TO all
minerals on the island, the company have,
as appears from return to the House Of
Commons, collected, by Indian labor, 1915
tuns Of coal from the surface seams. What
ever could be picked up without trouble
they have obtained, and would new doubt
less be most happy to see the island lrans-
ferred TO any foreign power, thai they might
at once claim Of the British Government
the found sum which they will obtain when
ever the island passes from their occunation.