The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-07-10
CURRENT TOPICS.

IHE DOMINION OF CANADA may Uo TeS'iuS"
as fairly under way, though, from the grum-
bling in Halifax and some other places, it IS
not as popular as it might be. This Dominion
is composed of the various British North Ameri-
can possessions, and is divided into several
provinces. The Province Of Ontario hos an area
of l21, 200 square miles, with population of
nearly 100000. It contains Ottawa, the
capital city of the new Dominion, and the more
important cities, so far as size and wealth are
concerned, of Toronto, Hamilton, Kingston and
London. The Province of Quebec has an area
| Of 10000 square miles, and population OF
about 100000. The population of Montreal
the largest city of the Province as well as
of the Dominion, is estimated at 10000.
| New Brunswick contains within its boundary
lines q, 900 square miles and 296,OO persons.
Nova Scotia has 10000 square miles, and
population of something over 100000. The
area Of the Dominion Of Canada amounts in
| round numbers to $4,000 square miles. The
total population is variously estimated at from
8, 1000 to 100000. Newfoundland and
Prince Edwards Island are not included in
this calculation, and their population and area
NAV be estimated as follows: Newfoundland,
40, 200 square miles of area, and $4,000 per-
sons; Prince Edwards Island, 2lOO square
miles and 80, 600 inhabitants, which brings the
total population of the British American Pro-
| vinces to about 1000, 900, with total area Of
nearly 49, 900 square miles In the Dominion
there are sixteen railways, extending 243S
miles that cost $1S9, ,360, 400.
AMoNa THE CURIOUS novelties produced in
| the last few years, have been the tiny watches,
which are marvellous on account Of the quan-
tity Of mechanism compressed within small
spaces One Of these is about the size and
shape of an almond. At the first of the great
exhibitions, the Swiss exhibited watch only
three-sixteenths Of an inch in diameter, in
serted in the top of pencil case; it showed
hours, minutes, seconds, and the day Of the
month. An English specimen, the size Of
three-penny piece, was giant to it. The An
nual Register, about a century ago, told Of a
watch only the ffty-fourtb part of an inch in
diameter; but this, we suspect, must be'a mis-
take for ffty-four hundreds Of an inch--a very
different affair. ARNOLD presented to GEORGE
Ill. an exquisite watch Of the size Of silver
penny, set in ring; it consisted of hundred
and twenty separate parts, the whole Of which
weighed together less than six pennyweights,
and so intricate were the works that ARNOLD
had to make tools himself before he could make
the watch. The King was so delighted with the
work that he sent ARNOLD five hundred
guineas. When the Czar of Russia heard OF
this, he offered ARNOLD thousand guiness to
make similar one for him; but this the artist
refused, determined that his own soversign's
watch should be unique.
A coRRRspoNpHNr Of Philadelphia paper
writes as follows: Sitka is built on ledge Of
rocks, upon bay as smooth as the Delaware,
that Is never frozen over, and gives good har-
borage for large vessels, though up to this time
fsw have anchored there Of greater tonnage
than four hundred. The Administrators resi-
dence is built Of seasoned logs, curiously inlaid
and gabled after the Russian manner. 1t is
hundred feet square, surmounted with Light
house, and Aanked with stocksde and block
houses, mounting ship-guns. The population,
when the fur season Is over, is close to 1900
souls. There is fog around the place three hum
dred days in the year; but the streams seldom
freeze more than three weeks in oil in the win
ter. Ono Greek Temple, elaborately built, the
adornmsnts Of which were sent from European
Russia; one Protestant mission church, and one
school house, with public library attached,
were the features Of the capital, and there were
strong storehouses and barrack there. Three |
fourths Of the people are half-breeds, between |
Russian and Indian. The markets are scsnty |
in other meats than roebuck and the musimon |
or wild mutton. Peas, cauliaower, potatoes. |
bests, cabbage, celery, parsnips, onions, straw
berries, blsckbsrries, whortleberries and cram
berries are common.
The Bosroa PosT says Of the Msxicans:
'tGood men there are among them, no doubt;
but ss rare ss drift wood upon the ocean.
Their domestic wars have always been charac-
teri.ed by the most savage barbarities. When
hey have had recognized government its
power has been exercised in acts Of trespass
apon all foreigners within its jurisdiction, and
when called to account has always refused
-eparation. That miserable old scamp, who
,old himself to General HousToN, to President
POLK, to MACMILLAN, and cheated all three, is
. fair type Of Mexican rulers, and no more
,hild Of sin than most of them. The shooting
II MAMMALIAN was eowardly act and if any
lew atroeity could add to the disgrace Of
Mexico, his blood would sink the nation to the
owest point of degradation in the eyes Of the
civilized world. The very government that
condemned him WAS no more legitimate than his
,wn. JuARrz ended his constitutional term Of
,fice long ago, and ORTlaA is hislawful success
Ior; but JUARlz, being in control, retains his
place in express opposition to the provisions
II the Constitution under which he pretends to
govern, and will propably hold on to his seat
until some other usurper shoots him and thus
egitimately succeeds him according to the Code
Mexican"
Or THE RESOURCES of the Red Mountain Iron
Works in Alabama, the Elyton Herald writes as
ollows: 1--WE recently visited Red Mountain in
company with two gentlemen connected with
extensive iron works near Pittsburg, Pa, who
we're astonished at the immense heaps of pure
rirgin iron ore contained in the vein worked a
short time during the war. They said that
lpon their return home, if they reported the
acts as to the quantity and quality of the iron
,re they had seen they would be accused Of
dunchausenism. The vein examined lies in
he neighborhood of Elyton, and extends in an