National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1867-07-12
Miscellaneous.

EXPLORATION OF GREENLAND
An Engilshman named Edward
Whymper, famous as Alpine climb
er. has set out on al exploring ex-
peditiou to the interior Of Green
land. In letter from Copenhagen
he says:
"The interior Of Greenland is at
present entirely unknown, and no
serious attempt has ever been made
TO explore it. The two or three ex-
cursiOns which have been made by
Danes toward the interior during
the present century have experienc
ed no greater difficulties than might
ha expected from inadequate time
and imperfect means. DIR. Hayes
United S:ates) has however on
more than one occasion made excur
sions toward the interior with con-
siderable success, and has managed
10 travel as much as thirty or forty
miles in day. Not only are tradi-
tons to be met with on every hand
among the Greenlanders that the in
terror is fertile, but it is made al
,aost certain by the fact that the
countless herds OF reindeer which
visit different parts of the coast al
WAYS retire toward the interior,
where they are not followed. These
herds of reindeer are SO vast III mum
bers that they must require for sus-
tenance IA considerable amount of
food and hence it is believed by
MANY who are best acquainted with
the subject, that the interior, If not
fertile, must be very far from a bar
rem country.
DISASTROUS FLOODS IN NORTH
CARoLINA.-Letters just received
in this city from Pitt county, \. e..
the cotton district III that State
dated June %, report great damage
TO cotton and crops of all kinds from
excessive rains. Nearly one half of
all the land, the writer says, is now
under water, and has been for a
week. The tar river and it, trihu-
ed hight, and the bridges through
The county are all swept away.
The oldest inhabitants say the
Ike WAS never known before. The
people of the North will be called
upon in earnest to assist the people
here. for thousands who had small
crop planted 10 live upon another
year have had the whole destroyed,
and it is too late to replant, so that
they must have assistance or StarVe.
do not know how extensive the
ireshet is further South, but learn
it is severe at Wilmington and Wei
nifty.
June 2S. The river is still ris-
ing.
VELOCITY PER UoUR.-Thc speed
Of our ocean steamers III crossing
the Atlantic, rarely exceeds ! l miles
per hour the speed of river steam
crs is from II to - miles per hour ;
of a race horse from 29 to 80 ; OF a
bird 30 to 90 of a high wind 20
and of a hurricane 50 miles OF
sound S04: of mechanical force III
air 80: of earth around the sun
$4,000 of light as demonstrated by
Foucault's apparatus, 6W,W0,WO
miles, and vet this lnconcelNahlt
speed is little more than half veto
city of static electricity, which lat
t,r. Whcatstonc has shown to he
l,oiO, 900, 900 miles IN hour.
If the earth were a cannon ball
shot at the sun from its present dis
tancc. and with the velocity ii nov
travels, and if simultaneous wit!
the explosion. a telegram was sen
to the solar inhabitants, the elcctrl
city would pass the intervening
n space Of 9l.0O0,OO0 miles. and thu
Il message bc received in five mn
utcs the earth would be seen com
n Ing toward them after the lapse q
" clght minutes the inhabtant
would have nearly two months t
n prepare for the shock, which w"ul
hc received over ten years hctor
they heard the explosion.
JANAICA.-Thc present Govcrn'
ot Jamaica, Sir John Peter Gran
IS meeting with considerable oppos
ton from the planters, Ill cons
qucnce of his efforts to have luStl'
done the blacks. Under torm'
governors the complaints of the II
Il groes ainst the various oi1icla
have generally been treated wit
silent contempt, no matter how We
III grounded those complaints ms
"A have been. Gov. Grant has late
given orders for the prosecution
collectors of dues who have taxi
illegal fees from tho people, and
IL has sigiihed his intention of ms
III tuting strict inquiry into every ca
where the officials are charged wi
improper treatment. So marked
change from the conduct Of form
governors must necessarily prodn
considerable feeling on the part
those who have been accustomed
N regard the black inhabitants of j
maica as having no rights viii
white mep were bound to re spe
The result of Gov. Grants coui
thus far is that the large plantt
are doing all in their power to e
barrass the Executive, while {
negroes support him and are dol