, 1866-05-01

and on this sheet a dot is made which in
dicates the height of the mercury at each
hour of the day or night. The makers Of
this ingenious instrument are MessrS
Frankham and Wilson, Cough Street,
London, VIC.
The experiments made under govern
ment authority to test gun-cotton, though
not yet successful with great guns, have
led to encouraging results with small
rms Cartridges Of gun-cott0n can now
be manufactured which command a range
as great as that Of powder, and without
injury to the rifle, even after firlngtWo
thousand rounds. Moreover, certaiuispe-
cial advantages are claimed for gun-cot-
ton: it creates but little smoke it does
not foul the barrel, and the k!ck,' aRf
r%ecoiI, is much less than with powdef.
This being the case, we are not surprised
to hear from General Sabine, chairman
of the committee appointed to investigate
the subject, that gun-cOtton cartridges
have been largely in demand for sporting
purposes during the past shootjng-sea-
son.
To many readers it will be a satisfac-
ton to know that the rainfall OF last year
QS65) was greater than the average
This is perhaps an indication that the
cycle of drought is ended, and that the
gloomy forebodings which some persons
entertained as to a long period of dtlcl-
ent rainfall may be laid aside. Between
the middle Of October and the end of the
year, there fell such a quantity of rain
as more than made up for the deficiency
of the previous months and from many
quarters we hear that ponds which had
dried up are again filled, and springs and
small streams which had disappeared are
again flowing. This acceptable abund-
ance of water will be confirmed by the
effects of the great snow storm OF last
month. OF course, meteOrologistS are
trying to find out the explanation of all
this; and as the British Meteorological
Society has now got a royal charter, and
is to become Meteorological Society par
excellence, we may expect the members
to work with more purpose than ever.
An AGronautical Society is also to be
founded, with the Duke of Argyll as Pre-
sident, with the professed object of stu
dying Systematically the meteOrology OF
the upper regions of the atmosphere.
AS was to be expected, the gales, or
rather what may be described as a three
weeks gale, which uShered in the new
wear, occasioned mach disaster on land
and sea. The number of wrecks report
ed to the Board Of Trade was more than
four hundred significant Of a fearful
destruction of life and property, yet at
the same time suggestive of the heroic
efforts made around our coasts for rescue.
But the world holds on its way neverthe-
less, and men and ships put TO sea IN
ever-increasing numbers. Germany even,
though not a maritime country, is on the
move: 5000 Germans sailed last year
for the United States, chiefly from the
ports of Hamburg and Bremen /; and it
is expected that the number will betdou-
bIed this year. Political dissatisfaction
is perhaps the motive for this multitude
nous forthgoing. N
In connection herewith, it is Dotewor-
thy that Professor Welcker, well known
in German literature, has offered a re-
ward of one thousand forms for the best
essay on the way to get rid of a govern
ment without a revolution-that IS, a
government only which sets itself syste-
~-~I