Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-08-29
Washington News,

coast. of a most valuable article of commerce |
with China, not before known to be obtaina.
BILE here. We refer to what is known in science
as Bicho do mar, corrupted in the language of
commerce into Beche la mer The Chinese
call it Trepang. The attention of those in
Washington whose duty it is to see that our
national resources are developed rs much as
possible, has been called to this new source
of wealth by distinguished naturalist. This
article is called on our coasts the sea slug and
will be recognized as an unseemly, jelly-look-
ing substance of dirty-brown color, hard,
rigid, and scarcely possessing any power of
locomotion or appearance of animation, and
varying in size from, say six inches in length
and two or three in girth to two feet long and
six or eight inches girth, which may always be
found in very large quantities strewed on the
shore, between high and low water marks, on
on our southern coasts.
The Chinese use it as we do Iceland moss and
isinglass. 1t is taken to them in immense guam
titles from the tropical shores of Asia and Aus.
tralia annually. 1t is caught by hand in shall
low water, and usually spearei in deeper water;
and, after being dried in the sun, it is smoked
over wood fire, when it is ready for ship
ment Macassar is at present the principal
point from whence it is shipped to China. At
that point, from which some eight or nine
hundred thousand weight are now annually
per Pieul (of 1888 lbs.,) according to quality;
there being some thirty different qualities of
the article, which are only to be distinguished
by experts in the trade. The western shores
of New Guinea, the southern shores Of Aus
tralia to Ceylon, and latterly, the shores of
Mauritas, supply large quantities of it. Now,
according to the last annual Commerce and
Navigation document, our imports from China
amount to S7,0Oj. LA per annum and our ex-
ports to that country to but s. l55 GAS; leaving
toe immense deficit Of nearly s5,00O,OOO per
annum to be supplied in specie. Of these ex-
ports, 81 ,S94. AIS were in manufactures of cot
ton; 1888, lS4 in lead and 500, $40 in ginseng
(root) the balance being made up Of miscel-
laneouS articles. Lead and ginseng, then, are
the only articles of produce of real Importance
which We export to China; and, in view Of the
heavy balance of trade with them against us,
the discovery Of the complete identity between
our sea slug and the biche de mar of Chinese
commerce is, indeed, of vast importance-more
especially as it exists in such quantities on our
shores as to render it almost impossible to
walk over them, Mt low water, without tread
ing upon it.
Or INTEREST TO Persons HAVING FOREIGN
CoRRBsPoSDEsCE.-W learn at the Post Office
Department, that on letters to Great Britain,
when any gum less than the full rate "a cents)
is prepaid, it goes for nothing. For instance,
on single letter, if less than p cents fthe
regular rate) is prepaid, it is counted as no.
thing; and where. say five rates, are prepaid
when six should be charged, it still goes for
nothing
Formerly, under an arrangement between
the New York and Liverpool Offices, whenever
full rate or more on a single packet was
paid, a credit for such full rate or rates was
given, and the fraction of the rate which
might be due was charged. Now, because the
Now York Office finds it impracticable to take
note Of all fractions Of the rate, the British
Office insists that no credit at all shall be Civ
en-, unless the full postage, in each case, is
paid.
In the Prussian closed mail each full rate of
80 cents prepaid is duly credited on the letter
or packet and any fraction of the full rate dis
regarded-having any balance due to be COL
lected on the other side.
1t is important to look to this and to tn
fact, also, that in rating letters for Europe,
&c, postmasters are required to charge "t.co
rates for every ounce or fractional pa,t of an
ounce over the first OUNCE
A MISTAKE IN NANE.-The Baltimore
Sun this morning contains Geographic des-
patch from Boston with late Buenos Ayrean
news, wherein the commander of the James
town (sloop of war; is charged with having i'm
properly carried CT from Monte Video to Rio.
(and thus saved) a traitorous Commodore Coe,
who deserted from the flag Of Urquizo, to the
Buenos Ayreans. Capt. Samuel W. Downing
commands the Jamestown-not Capt. Dorntn
as alleged in the despatch, who is on the Pa
ciiic coast in command of the Portsmouth
sloop of war.
PosroFPIcE ROUTE AGENTS APPOINTED.
David Hammer, Marengo, Ill and Jonathan
kimbell, Of Elgin, on the Railroad between
Chicago and Galena.
}. W. Connect, of Chicago, and John Dick
son, of Rock Island, on the route between Chi
cago and Rock Island
Samuel Grams, Of Springville. ILL.,, and
Henry A. Bloss, of Chicago, on the railroad
between Peru and Bloomington, III.
All the above being at an annual compensa.
ton of $500