The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-05

PETROLEUM IN SOUTHERN INDIASA.-Oyer
seven thousand acres of land have been leased in
Perry county, Indiana, by wealthy Louisville
company, for the purpose of operating in the
oi business. Operations on Little Blue river, in
Crawford county, are also going ahead with
every promise OF success We likewise learn
that several leases have been taken in the south
eastern portion of Harrison county for the same
purpose. Persons acquainted with the subject
have no doubt that oil may be obtained in large
quantities In many places along the southern bOr
der of the State, and that in few years a large
business will be doue in that line.-LOuiSUiHe
Democrat.
POPULATION OF CHINA, FTC.-The following
statistics, relating to the internal condition Of
China proper, are taken from the statistical chart
of new work, by Mr.. Il. Montgomery Martin,
late Her Majesty's treasurer for the colonial
consular, and diplomatic services in China, and
member of the Legislative Council at Hong Kong
entitled "China Political Commercial, and So
clal.' In China proper it appears there are 367,-
632,907 inhabitants, and in the dependencies of
Mantchooria, Mongolia, Turldstan, Thihct etc ,
about 100000, making total OF 400, 100000 of
people under one government. The population
on each square mile is 2S3, and the area in square
miles is ,297 500. The quantity of land Is esti-
mated at 63O,S29, 100 English acres, of which
l4l,ll9,743 is under cultivation. The land tax
realizes 2 1854 023 taes of silver the salt revenue
4,6l8,S3i taes; and other duties 09l ,002 taels
The total fixed revenue of the provinces is 3d.
0l6,023 taels, of which sum 22,i4j,573 taels and
3,i23 955 shih of rice Ga shih being about 100 lbs
avOirdupOs) are transmitted TO the imperial trea-
sury, whilst j,j69,329 taels remain in the pro-
yinces. The standing army and militia number
l,232000 men. The table from which the above
statistics are taken is prepared from various aH-
thOrties, the greater portion having been fur
nishCd in China, and translated from the official
records
NEW ALLOYS OF SILvRR.-M. PeligOt the
chemist Of the French Mint, has been making
experiments to ascertain how the introduction of
zinc, or the complete substitution of zinc for the
copper in the new French eoinage-which was 20
consist of S35 parts silver and 1866 parts copper
would affect the alloy; and he has discovered
that alloys of the legal standard in which part or
remarkably malleable, and when rolled are per-
white color; but the binary alloy of silver and
zinc Is somewhat yeliowish The fusibty of the
zinc alloys is greater than the copper; they are
very sonorous and elastic, and If made brittle by
hammering, the malleability is restored by heat
ing. The study of the atomic alloys showed that
equal equivalents Of silver and zinc or two eauva-
Tents OF silver TO one Of zinc, gave nalleable
alloys, while the compounds of one equivalent Of
silver and two equivalents of zinc, and also of
two equivalents Of silver and three equivalents of
zinc, are too brittle to be rolled. Besides the
recommendation OF being cheaper, the zinc alloy
blackens less readily with sulphuretted hydrogen
than the copper compound. An alloy Of 800 of
silver and 200 of zinc will keep its Whiteness in
solution of poly sulphide, which will rapidly
blacken the legal alloy OF copper and silver
Mining and SmeRing Magazine.