The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-08-10
FOREIGN ITEMS.

NEW IDEAS OF SIBERIA.-The pop
ular idea of Siberia is of cold and barren coun-
try fit prison for the state criminals of Russia
One would as soon think of emigrating to
Alaska or to Greenland, in search of comfort
able home, as to this huge Russian province in
Asia. But popular notions need correction and
this one is wide of the truth
If Siberia had a good government, it would
present many temptations to farming emigrants
Its supply of pasture for cattle is inexhaustible,
and 1t deserves to rank one of the best graz
ing countries in the world. California is be-
ginning to import cattle from Siberia, and at a
great profit.
The river valleys contain as fine wheat land
as our western prairles, and with fair cultiva-
ton, could be made to yield immense crops.
AS the harvests of Russia are beginning to fail,
and 1t can no longer supply the deficiencies of
western Europe, Siberia many vet become a
new granary. The chief obstacles at present
are lethargic population destitute of all enter
prise, and the absence of all facilities for reach
ing good markets. But the right class of emf.
grants would soon remedy these difficulties, and
Siberia certainly holds great possibilities of
growth.
-PoMPEII.-One Of the most interest
ing features of the excavations in this buried
city is the discovery of many homely domestic
articles OF which we have counterparts 1t is
astonishing how many things in common use
now were In use then. You will see almost
every kitchen utensil, portable cooking stoves,
Jellycake, and butter moulds in the imitation of
birds and flowers, pots, kettles, crooks, dishes,
cups and saucers, spoons, knives and forks,
dlppers, Swimmers, saucepans, frying pans, lamps,
lamp stands, flesh hooks. braziers for charcoal
Pretty much every kitchen, dining-room, or
chamber article found in modern use entered
into Roman daily life. All the articles of a
lady toilet including jewelry of all kinds, gold
ana silver ornaments, corals and precious stones,
were found in the houses of Pompeii. Taken
from the retail shops were steelyards, balances.
weights and measures. From doctors office
were recovered full set of surgical instruments.
including "pulikins" for extracting teeth. and
trepans for drilling holes in the skull There is
any number of shoemaker, tailor, carpenter, and
blacksmith tools, and, indeed, implements of
almost every present mechanical operation
-BIRD's NEST IN A PULPIT.-At Muir
rem, in the Bernese Overland Switzerland where
there IS now very picturesque and well ap-
pointed English church, the services of the pre-
sent season commenced on the first Sunday after
Trinity. The Rev. r. p Bent, Chaplain pro.
tenn, writes that on going into the church on his
arrival on Saturday, the 18th ult. he found
that pair of redstarts had built their nest on
the book edge underneath the prayer-desk fused
also as the pulpit on one side of the chancel,
and were then rearing brood of four Young
ones 1t seemed, he says, an almost literal full
hllment OF the words of the psalmist in Psalm
lxxxlv 3, for the nest is but a few feet from the
altar. He adds that the very pretty nest, every
particle of which must have been carried into
the church by the parent birds. has become an
object Of great interest to both residents and
visitors, and that the little Hedplinps of tbe
sanctuary will probably have flown before the
second Sunday Of the service-London Field
Professor Max Muller makes the
following point against Mr. Darwin's "Tbeorv
OF Evolution. He insists PHtloIoqy points out
the real specific difference between man and the
lower animals. 1t erects a barrier which has
never been passed. He says {" I cannot follow
Mr.. Darwin, because hold that this question is
not to be decided in an anatomical theatre onlv
There Is, to my mind, one difficulty which M
Darwin has not sufficiently appreciated and
which do not feel able to remove. There IL
between the whole animal kingdom on the one
side, and man. even in his lowest state on tbe
other, barrier which no animal has aver
crossed, and that barrier is-lanouaoe. Rv mo
| effort of understanding. by no stretch Of imagi.
nation, can / explain to myself how lanouaoe
could have grown out of anything which AMI.
mails possess, even if we granted them millions
OF years for that purpose"
"A Berlin dispatch saws: "Eniora-
ton returns from Bremen shows that III 302
persons left there for America during the Are,
half Of the year 1881. Thus, it would not he
astonishing it, by the end of the present wear
Germany lost $4,000 subjects"
Sellers Liver Pills" have been the standino
remedy for malaria liver oo~.~r.:4