Washington sentinel., 1854-01-11

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to the old American pipe slaves for supplies Of
barrel wood. If we can believe report, the
Norwegian forests of suitable timber for barrel
making are becoming rapidly exhausted, and
the price, delivered here, partly, no doubt, ow-
ing to higher freights paid, has risen during
the current year from Sd. to Is. I'd. per foot.
The number of cargoes has this year diminish
ed by Is compared with the last year, as will
be seen by the following: In 1852, there were
imported at Wick ll8 cargoes, containing
263,S39 feet of billet wood, and $4,000 super.
fetal feet of cut slaves. In 1853, l03 car
goes, containing 2l4,l95 feet of billets, and
1852 superficial feet of cut staves.--NorM
BRITISH Daily Nail
AMERICAN EXPEDITION TO JAPAN.-The ves-
sells forming the bulk of this squadron still re-
main in these waters. We have the Macedo-
nian, frigate, in our harbor. The Powhatan,
steamer; the Vandalia, sloop; and the South
ampton, store-ship, are at Cumsingmoon. The
Susquehanna, steamer, and the Supply, store
ship, are at Whampoa; and the Mississippi,
steamer, to which vessel Commodore Perry
lately removed his flag, is at Macao. The Sara
toga, sloop, is at Shanghai, and the Plymouth,
sloop, off the coast of Loochoo, where the
whole feet will rendezvous it is sad some
month following, where their imposing appear
ance must command very civil reception
We imagine there can hardly be a doubt that
the commodore will be enabled to carry out the
desire of his government in establishing
treaty of commerce without having occasion
to fire one single gun.-Hong- Kong Register.
PANORAMA OF CoNsTANTINoPLE.-Mr. Bur-
ford has brought out u very pretty and arially
painted picture of Constantinople. The view
is taken from the top of the Seraskier minaret,
and embraces very wide range of country,
not delineating merely the city, but the city set
in the surrounding landscape, and showing, in
the clearest manner, the geography of the pen
insula on which Constantinople is built, from
the sea of Marmora on the one hand, to the
Bosphorus on the other the Asian hills bound
ing the prospect. The picture is executed in
Mr.. Burford's happiest style.
London Neacs, 23d ultimo.
HE NORTHERN PORTS CLOSED BY Ice es-
terday notices were posted up at the Royal Ex-
change, that, in consequence Of the ports of
Hamburger and Rotterdam being closed by ice,
no more steamers will be dispatched from the
port Of London to these cities. At Antwerp
also, in consequence of the late severe cold
weather, no vessels can arrive, because of the
ice in the channel being frozen at a distance of
twenty miles from that city. Yesterday, a steam
packet of the General Steam Navigation Com
pany, was to have sailed from their wharf, at
East Smith6eld, but upon the directors hear
ing Of the obstruction, her dispatch was delay
ed The traffic to the north of 'Europewi now
take place via Dover and Ostend, by the Bel
gian government railway.
II SPAIN.--Our accounts from Madrid are of
the 18th instant. The Gazette contains the fol-
lowing notice:
"All persons who, owing to their functions,
are entitled to assist at the Queens confne-
ment, are informed that they must not present
themselves in mourning, it being her majesty's
desire that the court mourning should be sus
pended from this moment
The Hc1dtdO states that the second battalion
of the engineers was to embark at Barcelona,
in the Lepanto steamer, for the Balearc islands,
in order to add new works Of defence to the
fortress of the Mola, which commands the en-
trance Of the port Of Mahon.
ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION OF SALMoN.-The
Duke Of Roxburghe is engaged in forming
pond for the artificial propagation of fish, on
the same principle as that recently adopted at
Perth The pond is situated on Stodrig Burn,
within the Floors policy, and is expected to be
ready for the reception of the oya in short
time. The work viii consist of four boxes,
twenty-four feet long by eighteen inches wide,
divided into compartments six feet long and
twelve inches in depth. A pond of similar
description Is in course of formation at KNAPP
ton Burn, where boxes sufficient to fecundate
2Os,O0O salmon fry have been laid down.
FIJI Kelso Mail.
aEs E n, 4 F t s@441 #
The GREAT BAslN.-The San Francisco
Herald is publishing some notes of the trip
Captain Joe Walker, the celebrated westernf
trapper and mountaineer, the first white man
who ever crossed the great central basin which
lies between the river Nevada and the Rio
Grande. Lieutenant Beale has more recently
trayersed its northern line, and Captain Aubrey
has recently penetrated through its centre.
These reports will be looked for with much
curiosity, in regard to this mysterious land, of
which little is known except that it is supposed