Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1860-05-07
THE GAZETTE.
MONDAY MORNING. MAY I, 1860.

A HINDOO'S EXPERIENCE OF WINTER.
Mr.. J. c. Gangooly the converted Brah-
min, now studying theology in Massaehu-
sets, gives, in the Transcript, the interesting
account of his experience of snow ana cola
weather:
Wherever 60, the first thing | am asked
is my impression of the winter. HOW 90
you bear our New England winter, sir: -
Does not the weather affect your health!
&C., are the inquiries OF my trends; In
answer, | would say, bear the coio as
we'll AS anybody, and like the American
winter, it is 50 full of new and amusing
scenes to me. Before coming to the western
country had read about the western winter
of water frozen so hard that heavy teams
easily pass over it--of the ground covered
with snow several feet deep.
The accounts | believed in part, and the
rest sounded to me like grandmother story.
OF course | saw ice in Calcutta imported
from Boston, but was puzzled to know how
water could be so hard by freezing. This
was very natural perplexity, because |
had no idea of the thing at all. When
told the ladies here that the Hindoos boil
simple milk so hard that they make dolls,
flowers, &C., out of it to adorn their tables,
they hardly believed it until | did the ex-
pertinent before their eyes. They by their
own hands made flowers OF different shape
and size, which by half an hour become as
hard as Il rock.
AS it was year before last May, that |
came to this country, Inquired ofmy friends
how soon the snow would fall and water
freeze. | used to look through the windows
early in mornings to see if there was any
snow on the ground. In September mott
ced something white spreading over the
ground. | rushed out in ecstacy, and told
my friends about it. Can you imagine my
disappointment when they said 1t was mere
frost? In Boston | saw the first snow. AS
tonished, stood to watch the tlecks falling
from the sky. Father" said |, thus
Thy blessings fall upon us, abundanty
and impartally; upon the good and the evil
alike s.s,
wished very much that my Bengalee
friends could see such a sight; and finding
it was impossible, thought of some way to
send them a little relic of the white mud
| made solid, heavy SNOWFALL, which seem
ed so durable in the open air that hoped
to send it to India by the first opportunity;
took it to Mr.. M.'sand carefully put it on the
mantel-piece. Need I tell you the result?
it is we'll known to you all. In my letter
to Bengal | described the leading feature OF
the American winters, but could not write
anything about freezing; hoping to do 1t by
aud by, after had some experience of it.
Nv health is, on the whole, better in this
country. My friends tell me to eat meat,
even if it was very little, and drink some
warm drink; but cannot do so. l never ate
any meat or used and drink but that which
comes out of the bosom of our mother earth.
Now and then | wish to be in India to see
Che land smile, the flowers bloom, and the
birds sing in these months.
On the late Christmas, your churches were
decorated with leaves only-there were hard
t. any flowers there. In Calcutta you would
cover the churchyard with few dollars
worth of flowers, you could entertain a party
of twenty ladies and gentlemen, for instance
with fourteen kinds oftruit, at the expense
of two dollars. Contrasts like these create
a bit of home-sick in me, but cover it up
with the garments of duty, and go on my
way rejoicing, signing and giving the glory
to the Most High.
WEAR AND TEAR OF STEAAsHIPs.-l 1t was
stated by the surveyor OF the Navy IN re-
port of the committee appointed by the Urea
cury to inquire into the navy estimates, that
at the end of fifteen years, on an average, the
null of each ship in the navy requires com
plete and extensive repair. And, further,
that the duration of ship of war cannot be
estimated at more than thirty years. The
surveyor took for his guidance the average
of the ten years from lS49 to 1859, when
thrty-fve ships of the line and forty-six fri
gates were removed from the effective list OF
the navy. We much fear that none OF our
converted" ships, nor indeed any OF our
finest specimens of naval architecture, will
stand the wear and tear for the periods as
signed to them by the naval surveyor; and it
is supposed, when he made the above state
:nents, he alluded to the duration of sailing
ships only: for we have had few warnings
lately as to the fate of our Victorias, Dun
cans. Howes, and Dadems, by the introduce
ton of steam into ships of war; We have
found, instead of requiring complete repair
once IN fifteen years, that as many months
re sometimes sufficient to send ship into
dock Shipwrights know to plank where
to prick" for rotten wood in Il Steamship
With unerring precision they try her just IN
the wake of the boilers" where alterations
of heat and cold are the greatest, and which
are sufficient to destroy the best seasoned
timber. 1t is in these places that steamships
require repairs oftenest. There, is however,
another destructive power that disables
steamship of war in very marked manner,
end that is the shake of the screw" Long
continued screw propulsion, at full speed,
soon tells tale. Ha
A MODEL HUSBAND.-Hear what Sake says
Of Il model husband ss a.s
I saw a model husband in a dream,
Where things not exactly what they seem,
A moral man. to skeptics be it known,
The wife he loved and cherished, was his own.
And for the test saw the husband wait
With horse and chaise five minutes at the gate,
While Jane put on her things, nor speak one sour
Or bitter word. though waiting for an heur ..
For dinner; and, like patience on 4 throne,
lie didn't swear to find button gone. .......
HUNTON RIDGELY,
INVITE the attention of dealers to their large
( stock of 4 ..@ XII ,
~ TEAS,
TOP ATr6 nd