Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-01-04
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.

LETTER FROM NEW YORK
Correspondence Of tie Richmond E.qaircr.
NEW YoRS December 81. ISIS
The news received 10y the late California
mails 4, this port per Illinois. is not without
points u interest The chasti>e:ment inflicted
upon the cannibals Of one d! the fccjec Islands.
bv the officers aad marines OF the lated
States ship Vandalia. was timely and effective.
1t was asccrta;nc! that they had harbarou>ly
slain and eaten two Amcricaus-onc Louis
Brewer 4 pruSsian adopted citizen. and Henry
Homer. Of New York.
This puts Us in mind Of an ancclo,c told o:
sydney Smith who at one time was engaged
in a discussion with iiSpu,a,!ol> clergyman.
whose habit it was 20 differ in opinion with a.
mos, every one. apparently for the sake oil AZ
gument He had then been appointed by the
Established Church missionary 10 these same
Fecicc Islands The Rex. Dean OF 81. Paul'S.
finding his antagonist very obstinate in his
views. cut the dispute short. by cXclaimin-.
with manifest impotence. sir. when you visit
the cannibals should they eat you. hope that
YOU will not disagree with their >tomachs.
By the advcc> from Honolulu, Sandwich
Islands it appears that the Lieut.. Command
in. john NJ. Brooke. il, command Of the Uni
ted States surveying schooner. Fcnn.inore
Cooper. hal reached that port. The officers Of
the {. comprised the commander. BROOKE,
Lieut., f. Thorhurn and Mr.. Kern. Both the
latter gentlemen have had much experience in
overland surveys between the Mississippi! and
the Paciiic Lieut.. Thorhurn. was attached 10
the commission which surveyed the route from
San Antonio Texas. To San Diego. California.
Mr. Kern is q dratts!nau on the {. He accom-
panied Fremont in hi> cclcLra,"A ""i","s' .
Ter the Rocky mountains. IN which Tie who!c :"
party came near pcri>h!n:. lie discovered y
Kern river. which bears hi name Lieutenant y
Brooke. will be remembered rs the inventor OF A
the apparatus for deep sea >onndin.>. winch
led 10 the discovery o; the Telegraph Pla-
tau Of the Atlantic. II" : now engaged
in taking soundin.> Of the Pacific between ;.
california and China VIA tho Sandwich +
Islands His souniin-> between san francisco !;
and Honolulu have developed the fac. that the ;,
greatest depth Of the ocean found, ! near the !,
American coast: and ii.c Sandwich Islands. :.
which does no, anywhere cXr"c! three mile. :.
while there i an intermediate plateau. Of AZ; :
average depth OF about two miles. The de- :,
poSit brought up ny the sounding tube VA @; :,
y dark earth color. somewhat similar in al'- .
urarancc To- aluval earth When closely
.ya,uinci bv q microscope, il was found !" be- :,
=. ,n,,,o,ed q: inn.!ncyaiie uC,so:ia ~ micro !
scope animals.
The apparatus no, oniy brought ~ the ]"
u,sits a, the bottom. but there were specimens
Of the sea water brough; mp in the top OF the +,
tube. from the deepest Soundn.>. and al dir ,
IN, depth, bclow the surface. which went 10 !
prove tina, the water. with AL IL dccaicly or-
,,nz.d ani.sacui;.. rested in eternal stiffness
Oh the bottom II the sea: una'icctcdbv storms.
wares ~ currents And. that tbs perpetual
stiffness of water pcrva'icd the whole mass to ,
,b, height OF loo fathon,>. above the deposits
on the OCEAN, bottom. The deep SEA water
brourh, w vas excessively salt, and was Is
clear ., crystal. bit free from the bitter taste
%. the surface.
I, WAS the intention "i i.i"G,. Brooke 10 pro.
coed from Honolulu and conduct hi' sound
inc, acros, the Pacific 10 lioas kon=. in china,
,;;. the Islands q; Guam and japan; ami
scarcely f, doubt exists int his soundn:s viii
show that this great ocean no where imposes
~ difficulty or barrier "'i account OF depth
t. the llyin. oi 4 Submarine Telegraph Oaoic'
"a conncr; this con;iacnt with the Chinc>" t'i;-
nrc. f. Lieut. Brooke and his '"impahIoil'
will belong the honor vi having MADE ta' iir>'
deep sea snundingS across the Pa'Ihc' rom
America 10 Asia; and those now living Will
likely see the time when u Telegraph 'ab!e VIII
successfully unite them. on the route he >u'-
y,ys With such a cable connected on the
american side with the inland lines Of the
United States and on the A>,atic. with lines
extending from Hon, Kong to the British In
dia and London Inns. a cirdle will hc formed
around about the earth. orc: which commit
ni,a,ion, NAV be- sent in L., than forty lni'
Mates
Speaker Orr was publicly received, and
through His Honor. the Mayor. and commit.
tee o, the Common Council nc was presented
70 a large number Of oar citizens. oA the 10Th
at the Civ Hall lie made = brci and ap!'ro-
pirate speech. which WAS well received TN
account OF the stormy weather. he was com
pcllci to decline M invitation toyi>it the pnbiic
institutions. bu, expressed hi> disposition to
avail himself Of the opportunity :" d" 80, on
future visit next SKINNER.
Senator Douglas and family remain M the
Everett, House. having kept 4uict t" recruit
themselves from the fate nr> oi t;Ier late STA
VOYAGE. The Little Giant has been visited
ly 4 hos, al private citizens. To-day he was
waited upon hv the city authorities. and accom-
ranicd them to the City Hall. whcr, hc was
nut,iclv rendered the liberties Of the r'tv. In
r.nlv he made brief and al carncS' speech.
breathing spirit oi NATIONALITY i"'t iof '"e
mon and conservatism. and canpnc;itcd
the city Of New York for her de'"iion t" these
cardinal principles. lii speech WAS short
bat happy effort Aitrr hi conclusion he
WAS introduced to several hundred citizens
The rain was falling AT the time. iiau ''ic
day been tine the crowd would have been
much larger There l. understand. no truth
in the assertion of az evening paper that Sc
ere; political meetings have been ileid ut his
room every night which have lei up to Il late
hour.
General Samuel Houston i scjournnsa NJ the
Metropolitan Hotel, and >''utly persists N tie
clarin; il 10 he his intention OF retiring iron"
ali public cmploymyntS. AMI 10 end h> days
At his farm in Texas. The General has MS
political friends here u, well As in Texas. VINO
propose TO run II ticke, with Houston a, cai,
didate for President. and tien john h Wool