The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-03-24
A REMARKABLE NATION.

Under the head of "Religious Intelli-
gence," the Boston Journal notices some
| missionary labors in a region of which but
little has hitherto been known. 1t says
Zone of the most interesting missions
undertaken by the American church is that
to the Afghans, which has been commenced
during the past year by the Presbyterian
Board. This has long been looked upon as
a remarkable nation, on account of their
independent, hospitabie, and martial spirit,
and their possession of country, lying be-
tween India and Persia, filed with the
grandest mountains in the world, with the
original fruits and grains that have spread
| over the earth-following the expansion of
the human race-and with ancient ruins,
tablets, coins, and legends of great value to
the religious or scientific archeologist. But
the chief attraction has lain in the sugges-
tion by Sir William Jones, Vansittart, and
others, that they might be portion of the
Ten Tribes of Israel. Though now Mo-
hammedans, they claim descent from King
Saul, through a son named Berks, who had
a son named Afghan. And those scholars
have furnished translations from their le
gends describing the capture of the ark of
! the covenant by the Philistines, the anoint-
ing of Saul by Samuel, the battle Of David
and Golah, and other events Of Scripture
history, which they claim as their own
The seat of this new mission is appointed
for the present at Rawal Pindee, town
of $4,000 inha bitants, between the Indus
and Jhelm rivers, one hundred and sixty
miles northward of Labor. This is not with
in the borders of Afghanistan, where a res
idence is forbidden by the present disturbed
state of the country
EVERY FARMER GROWING HIS OWN SU-
GAR.-The great demand made at the Pat
ent Office, this year, for the Chinese Sugar
Cane. indicates that the cultivation will be
very extensive, the only difficulty in the
way being the want of cheap and portable
machinery for extracting the juice of the
cane. This difficulty, we see, our own in
ventors are endeavoring to remove. Mr.
Hodges, of Cincinnati, has machine on
exhibition at Washington, which is design
ed for a sugar mill. 1t consists of three
vertical cast iron rollers, supported between
cast iron plates, resting upon triangular
wood frame, about eight feet on its sides.-
Under each corner is large truck wheel,
so adjusted, when working, as to reyolve in
q circle. the shaft of one of the rollers oc-
cupving the centre of the frame, and clutch
ed fast to a timber below, preventing its
turning, while the other two, being geared
into it at the top, are made to orevolve around
it as the whole frame is turned by the horse.
+, On one corner is feed table, from which
a man feeds the cane, which, having been
acted upon by the two rollers, passes out
upon a table on the other corner, which is
removed as often as sufficient quantity
accumulates. Thejuieepasses down through
the bed-plate, and is received in vessel
made for that purpose. Cheap and porta-
BILE machinery is all that is wanted to test
the great experiment which is now being
| tried with the Chinese sugar cane.-PhiLa-
| delphia Ledger.
EF Al new dodge is now being practised
upon the Philadelphians by sharpers, after
the following style: A gentleman pull:
L