, 1876-03-04

communicated with tho sea By river. In sf,s
latter part Of tho thirteenth century, according
to sono authorities. tho ocean broke through III
sandy barriers, and, pouring over tho low iando.
united NTH Lake Flovoo aud formed tho Zuydaa
Zee.
In hkoteh Of the contemplated work, II Ia
stated In Nature that "Tho drainage wifi b ct.
fcctod in that pass OF ths gulf lying bc.wesn ths
tho Provinces Of Cumberland. Utrecht, and
North Holland. over An eztent Of 10J 800 hecsarca
tahous TAO square mics). by means of princi.
pal diko or en1hnkment, Of 40 kilometres IN
length, 50 metres broad At tho base, aud ra,scd
motsss above the ordinary tides. 70 be con-
structed from the loft bank Of tho mouth Of ths
yrscl 20 tho Island Of urk. md from 'henco to
the Tnwn Of Erihuyzcn, in tho Province Of
North Holland. Tho nctoaed area will bo divided
into Squares, and numerous pumping stostn-on.
ivs force Of o,4o0 horsepower. Tho Commits.
sion estimates Tint tho work will 10 entirely &C.
complshcd In nixtccn yoars. and that It will cost
sum OF I'o 900, ,ooo. not including the intsrosi
OF tho capital ,emploJcd or ii .G30. 600 fo1
preparatory worka, provisional circular canals,
etc. about ~ 7G0.00N for tho construction oi
the dike; and tho rect for the purchase Of en~
gtues, tho drasnsso proper. and the constrnotion
lincs, aod morlss, preparatory % bringing ths
new lands under cultuso. THO inturost on the
above eum will rasso 1t to E13, 100 COO; but ono
fourth Of tliIa will bo granted as subsidy By
Government. whicl, will bo amply compensated,
by The cou,pa:attVcly enormous addition to its
small territory"
;. sinco lsc5tho schorno for draining tho znyde,
Zee has boon under confederation. The Dutch
Credit Foncer Association employed two ongi-
uecrs-ono Of whom drained llnarem Laks-so
determine tho feaaibility Of draining the sousil>
ern aud mott Eha!Eow and fertile portion Of tsns
gull. Soundinga woro mndo. which showed Lat
f1clt ana deep doposit OF aiuviAl clhy or ltll1a
orotlad foor-iitshs Of tho bottom Of tho een.
Luia encontagsog fact being ascer!atnef4 tbs
! Mo!eshmont appo,ntod Commission to onaid.
or tue whole Question from au oconor 40 nnd
sc1ostt'tc point II Wow. In Apri 1865, tb' c1s.
inheosl. which hai been oxtondod over t*fo ycars,
conc'uaot With rrnors 1avoring the execution
ctipled With thn construction OF a ,p1an ttpe
should most suceessfNllY carry ou. tho epter.
Prlso. In April, 1878, the Casnmtt sion brought
tn second report. giving stat ,u,e.,s Of Til
difficulties to bo overcome, of tue mpAns do
Inandod for sabiulng. thom antI Of tho oxpenss
that mhBt bo involved.
o. tho 410,D 100 ncrcs 10 be drained, ono-f,stt
only conRists Of ihud Of seeof ldary quality. Tho
sands comprising portion Of this Yvll afford
essential material for tho construction OF the
baso Of tho dikp. aud In t,thcr necessary works
connected NTH tho mach'nery Of drainage. Al
nain, dikcs, loads otc, 4O0,000 acres Of arabic
lhud OF tho f1rst quality will rcnii,, tho sa!o Of
which will probably oxcoed tho cost Of reelain-
iug them.
THE ch1NAUBA PALM.
One OF tllo most valuable Trees growing in the
dch forests OF Dazil liz the Caruauba Palm fCo-
perntcia tnTtera). 1t is very beautiful tree,
bearing ita leafT crown ut height OF from 20 to
40 feet. n ahounds especially In the northern
parta or .3rnz,L wheto It frequently forms vast
foseste. l. l,oufislcs without culture aud
wlthstart1s tho soseress draushts To
such nulafassous uses can its various
parts apd products 10 applied that tho
wanta Of simple people can ossy DO provided
for from iA RESOURCES Mono. It is end that, in
time Of scarcity, 1t LAS served as means OF
sup port for tbs population Of entiEo province.
Tho top Of tue troo, when young. Is 40 agroc-
alio ana nutritious nrtice of food. Tho fruit,
watch Il tho a.zo Of MI Olive, and black in hue
lalH sweet a1d pleaannt pulp, that Is caton both
saE 1:ad cooked in various ways, The mt In
oily and cnlulairo. and, whom roasted, Ia usod ns
substitute for coffee. Tho roots hnYo tho vir-
sues OF narsajaas1lla- Tho juice furnishes under
vsried troattnon:, vino and vinegar. From tls
stems Of the trco, Kind Of aago. and also D
HLcclintine matter. arc extracted. In times OF
drought tho pisil Of the young wood is giron to
CATTLE aud aflor1s tolasacly nutritious fodder.
/ THE flbloun Bubstnnco Of Tho nth Of tho stems
\ and lsaf-stalkA makes very good cork, From tho
! tEnnls strong nbrea arc obtained. End also
no'irbhtnE starch similar to nnizeua. Tho
timber Ia valuable for building purpoaea In tlo
climate Nhesa 1t IL p1odnco1,-two or thrco trcns
Hucing, with their leaves tor tho construction OF
D cabin. 1t IL used in BRAZIL foE variety ot other
purposes, and II imported into Britain for you-
ecrtng. Beautifully mottcd md eolorcd cancs,
I which take lltsl polish, n1o AlRo manufactured
out Of it. From The dried straw nre inxde bats,
mats, bAskets. broons etc. while much Of the
raw material ii exported ~ Eurupo for tho weay-
tnE Of hno hats. Dut tho most important pro-
duct Of tho tree ia tho wax, which occurs In tho
| form Of ncaleA upon the loayeH, and ID collected
from those that havo fallen aud withernd.
AEfnIf fH1 tnr I'll =
nso exported to foreign countries. The income
f:o.n this source exceeds -E1C9, ,010 annually.
The product te used 10 ntlnlterato boeawAx, aud
| also IN the manufacture OF cauulod.
oRN'THoLoGY oT NORTHEASTERN AFRicA.
Haron Tleodor Won llcngliu 1BB recently coz
cluded his great work on tho Ornithology OF
Northeastern Aftica. For twelve years this in.
dcfntigable exploror has studied tho fauna OF
tho coasts aud Islands Of tbs Red Sea, OF tho TO-
gions Of tue White Milo, aud OF the Highlands OF
Abyssiuia Soon after bis return from his last
expedition to these lands, ha began to prepare
foF publication tho material ho had collected for
the illustration OF tlle bird-faulla Of that portion
| OF tho African Cout,neut. The hrRt part of hiA
| work waa iuBued In lBG0 but Interruptions in
tho progress Of laIs labor have delayed tho pubIl
cation OF the closing part until the boeiuninE Of
| the present year. Thu work comprises four vol
ulues, llluatrnlcd With !ilty-one colosod plates
aud map Of tho territory visited. This lass
on!bracen, together with tho regions already
mentioned, Egypt, tho Rod Sol, aud Northern
! Sonlali.tand. Tho species enumerated rs found
in tlis territory amount 10 3i5, upwards Of 200
of which are confined to Northeastern Africa.
| Northern Africa during tho winter boason, above
500 aro mentioned BY Baron Won ucnsn.
EHYsiPELAs AND puERPERAL FEVER.
DR.. Mltthewa Duncan road i paper At q lato
meeting Of tho Edinbusg AIsdico-C -ChiEurgical TO-
I catv t1,a all ~