The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-09-08

GEoLoGY.-Among the freshest and most in
terestng of scientific topics, are certain facts
concerning which our biologists are in state
of surprise and excitement; so much so, that
an extraordinary meeting of the Geological
Society was held to discuss the matter One is
the discovery of flint inplements-knives and
axe-headS--near Amiens, at the bottom of
stratum of gravel, and from nineteen to twenty
five feet below the surface. The things have
been actually found IN Sitii-some by English
geologists-where there is no appearance of
the gravel ever having been previously dis
turbed and what is more remarkable, in
spot which forms the top of hill. The imple-
ments are in great numbers; and the conclu-
sion is, that they testify to the existence of man
on the earth at period anterior to that COM
monty supposed--thus confirming similar con-
illusions drawn from the discoveries made In
the Brixham Cave, and elsewhere. The other
fact is one which we have heretofore incident
ally mentioned the exploration of cave,
GTotta di Maccagnone, near Palermo, by DIR.
Falconer, where bones of extinct species Of
animals were found in astonishing quantities,
along with fragments of charcoal, and knives
of flint and agate, in great number, imbedded
in the breccia- The importance Of this discov-
erysmay be judged of from the fact that hippo.
potami appear TO nave swarmed on the spot.
OF the bone known TO anstomists as the astrag-
alus, DR.. Falconer picked up nearly hundred
examples within the space Of few feet; and
this bone is so Easy o. Identification as to leave
no room Cor doubt The existence of the bones
has long been known to the natives, who have
at times taken from the ancient store to burn
into ivory black but this is the first scientific
investigation that has been made Of the inter-
esting deposit haRberss Journal.
BEWARE OF PARTIYG.-Bulwer, the master
novelist, writes reflection which will appeal
to the sensibilities Of every man and woman:
"There is one warning lesson in life which
few of US have not received, and no book that
can call to memory has noted down with an
adequate emphasis. 1t is this, Beware of part
ing? The true sadness is not la the pain Of
the parting, it is in the When and the How You
are to meet again with the face about to vanish
from your view From the passionate farewell
TO the woman, who has your heart in her keep
ing, to the cordial goodby exchanged with
pleasant companions at a watering place, a
country-house, or the close of festive DAYS
blithe, or a careless excursion-a cord stronger
or weaker, is snapped asunder in every parting,
and Times busy fingers are not practiced Ia
resplicing broken ties. Meet again you may;
will it be again in the same way? With the
same sympathies With the same sentmentsP
Will the souls, hurryipg on in divers paths,
unite once more, as if the interval had been a
dream? Rarely, rarely Have you not, after
even a year. even a months absence, returned
to he same place, found the same groups re-
assembled, and yet sighed to yourself, { But
where is the charm that once breathed from
the spot, and once smiled from the faces?' A
poet said, Eternity itself cannot restore the
loss struck from the minute Are you happy
in the spot in which you tarry with the persons
whose voices are now melodious to your ear
Beware of parting2 or, if part you must, say
not in insolent defiance to Time and Destiny
What matters we shall soon meet again
Alas, and alas when we think of the lips which
murmured Soon meet again. and remember
how in heart soul, and thought, we stood for
ever divided the one from the other, when, once
more face to face, we each only exclaimed,
Met again y
SUBMARINE TELEGRAPHIHG. "A suggestion
has been thrown out, that if the cable were
sunk but few feet beneath the surface, and
there suspended by elastic spiral buoys, it would
answer its purpose better. and be more EASY of
repair and recovery, than when sunk to the
very bottom Of the ocean. We may inquire, in
reply, whether such a cable would resist an
Atlantic storm or floating iceberg? On the
other hand, Lieutenant Maury, of the National
Observatory, Washington, shows that there are
the best of all reasons for sinking the cable to
the bottom, because once at rest on the bottom
and properly coated, it will be indestructible.
be holds that 1t was a mistake to twist the
heavy iron coat round the conducting wire ne
cessitating cumbrous system of brakes in the
paying-out because, if only made heavy
enough to sink, the telegraphc cord will be
quite safe when sunk to the bottom. He shows,
what is well known to sailors, that if you twist
n spiral covering round straight core, it is
always the core or heart which suffers most and
gives way first, when subject to strain. So, in.
stead Of u heavy, stiff iron cable, he would have
his copper wires prepared and coated in the
way described as Rogers's cord" which is not
larger than a common line, and which can
be payed out without difficulty in the ordinary
voyage of ship. Such cord will sink at the
rate of about two miles an hour, and Lieutenant
Maury feels confident that a divergence of half
a mile is all that is to be apprehended from
currents. He processes to deal only with the
Neptunian part of the question, leaving the
electrical TO others, and thinks that he has re-
solved the difficulty. ~ have no doubt what
ever" he says, "as to the ultimate success of q
telegraph across the Atlantic. The sea offers
no distractions, on account Of its depths or its
currents, to lines Of any length. A line, with
an unbroken conducting wire, across the At
lantic or the racine, IS as practicable as one
across the Alps o, he Andes. In the long run,
and mile for mile, do not think there would
be much, If any, difference in cost between the
two. The real question for future projectors
Of lines of submarine telegraph is, not how
deep, or how boisterous, or how wide the sea
is, but what are the electrical limits TO the
length of submarine lines. Chambers's Jour.
STATISTICS OF EMIGRATIoN.-The emigration
from Great Britain, during the past year, as
shown by the report Of the Commissioners, Just
published, says the New York Journal of Com
merce, number 1882, which is smaller than
during any year since 1855.
The emigration TO the American continent
in 1858 was less than that of 1851, and scarcely
more than one.fourth of the average of the
eight years between l847 and 1855.
The Irish emigration for 1858 amounted to
rather less than 81 per cent. of the whole. The
amount RENTED by Irish settlers in America.
for assisting emigration of friends, during the
past year, was about 1850 900; while, as the
whole Irish emigration was only 1866, the
expense of it could scarcely have exceeded
$l,000,000. During the ten preceding years,
the sums RENTED amounted to $49, $50, 900.
The number of emigrants who returned to
the United Kingdom in the year 1858 was
23,704, Of whom there came from America
1884.
Between LIST January, l847, and 3lst De-