The Mountaineer. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1859-1861, 1860-03-17

,.ss5 fhEronTED nv q. >. WATT \.
on 4 previous occasion, and In another build.
INK, 1 spoke concerning the mnltitudinous
Islands which dot the map Of Uceanica; and
especially concerning that portion, which Is
the great group Of islands lying between Asia
and Australia, dividing the HAcifc from the
Indian ocean, and called the East Indian
Archipelago. Its not my purpose To- 10 OVER
any Of that ground, except to- make few
general remarks; although, have no doubt,
there are great many here this evening who
did not listen 70 those previous Introductory
remarks. IwillsimPly recapitulate this much,
that this great group comprises about six
thousand islands. the largest being about
twice the size Of this Territory There art.
several hundreds of these islands that would
make respectable States, equal in territory 10
Virginia or Kentucky; and then there are
thousands Of smaller ones, varying In timen.
mons from that OF good large district or county,
down 70 that Of respectable farm or planta,
ton. s:s.l sgf:s.S :s;<
Ispoke then q the delightful climate d
these islands; and ! will only say this much
j: further, In Tradition 70 what then stated that
during two and q half years which spent IL
those regions, never once experienced d
whitening cold nor a scorching sun heat; but
al the time, Ii seemed TO be q delightful con-
tinuation Of spring Hear what the celebrated
gsOguiphcr, Malte Brun. has 10 say In refer.
encc to the climate Of these regions:
The inarShy shores of some islands In the
northwest OF 0ceanica fthat is, the Sandwich
islands, and other groups Of Polynesial. ex.
posed 70 an intense heat, generate a pesti-
ferrous air, which may be corrected bya more
extensive cultivation. Notwithstanding these
locsl inconSeniences. Oceanica presents to the
industrious the healthy. and the temperate. a
greater diversity ofdelightful climates than any
Otherpart Of the verdi Especially in the south.
western, or Malaysian portionJ Such islands a.
are small and elevated resemble so many para.
discs by selecting localities with the proper
elevations. the Englishman may find his fresh
lawns, the Italian his orange groves, and the
West Indian planter his fields Of sngar-cale.
The small extentof these islands procures for
them the temperature of the ocean. The heat
neseE becomes insupportable, even for north.
ern Europeans The air Is continually 10.
neMed BY the light sea and land hreezes,
Dividing the empire OF day and night. There,
perpetual spring Is rarely disturbed BY hnEri-
eanes on earthquakes. 81. SIS 81 E:.t.*33
The soil, being Volcanic In It's nature and
origin, Is, consequently, Of the richest cha.
IActers and produces wonderful varieties In the
Vegetable Kingdom, Of flowers and fruits Of
every kind. ] will only speak Of one, which /
alled 70 mention ON the previous evening; al
tnough the most remarkable Of the vegetable
Kingdom, that is, an enormous Hover, which Ii
now called by botaiIists, Rafliesia Arnold. This
Immense flower, resembling gigantic tIaIIIia,
measures about three and n half feet across:
Us color IL Of Z most beautiful light purple
) shade, spotted with blue and deep purple In 4
wonderful manner. This enormous blossom
may seem almost too marvellous 10 be credited;
but II u not very much larger than q water.
lilly found In South America, which Il well
known, called Tho Victoria Regia, and which
measures about two and q half feet across it,
lower leaves and petals This large flower 81
the islands is q magnificent object ii the land.
scape, when huge clusters Of them are Oh.
served III II sss Isl IS
should have passed BY, for the present, any
further mention Of the animals Of the islands,
had not been that have, since the pre-.
.yloes occasion, heard OF some expressions oi
noubt showing that there are some peFsons
here troubled with weak stomaciied skepti.
clsra which will not permit them TO swallow
my enormous tiger fourteen feet long, and my
slephant calf eight feet high, nor even my
ihtie Malay deer, weighing not moro than
tho pounds, i am sorry to say L cannot aid
tnelr mental indigestion by any alteration In
we OF the creatures spoken OF; but. ON the
contrary, to be exact, must increase the pro,
:; posllous in the case Of the two first mentioned
1elmels, and even diminish the smaller one,
= .l nolu q work In my hand, published by 0
nun :. " called John Crawford, who was the Eng,
s Ilsh ambassador 70 Siam, and who published
ms book . few years ago, since have returned
slon TIE east In speaking about the Gle,
Marks 81 - y q s' 10y -
This elephant lof snmatra1 il found TO b,
Aspecies distinct both from the African and
sse Asiatie, and hence il Is called by natural
s ssss Elephas sumatrensis The dorsal verte
~ tor backboneI, instead OF nineteen Joints
~. ~ the Aaiaiic, amount to twenty. and In,
s'ssa q nineteen pairs Of ribs, ii has twenty. z
Now, y takes the elephant about sixty year
81 us growth SO TINT an elephant calf, Il
sqnlSalent TO our two. year.oId steer, ma
n 4 sone thirty or forty years old There art
~. " sets still living who have attained thu
- ~ rom three hundred to four hundFod
49, IheFe are some Of those sacred whit,
slsphAnts which arc worshipped IN sialn, ,ihai
ssLs alive when Columbus discovered thil
J .asI and are living at the present. time
s. sAld nothing about its age. ! presume thil