FARMERS' REGISTER— CONVERSION OF SALT WATER INTO FRESH. 413 



ing; and by a contriv^anr.e for throwing the hght 

 of a bright Ian)p, of the sun's rays, or of oxy-hy- 

 drogen gas, ur)on the object to be investigated, 

 most astonisliing discoveries are made. Mr. 

 Pritchard recommends his Achromatic Engisco|)e 

 as having certain decided advantages over any 

 oilier description of the microscope. To the stu- 

 dent of nature lliere could not be presented a more 

 boundless and luxuriant field for useful inquiry 

 than is held out by these powerful instruments, 

 and it will be allowed that in no other department 

 of science is there to be found sucli a delightful 

 source of leisurely recreation. To the man of 

 humble means we can recommend no better or more 

 rational amusement than a visit to one of the 

 mau}^ microscopical exhibitions now to be seen oc- 

 casional!}' in every large town, and which cannot 

 be too sufficiently pressed upon public attention. 



From the Norfolk Bearon, Oct. 31. 

 PORTSMOUTH AND ROANOKE RAIL ROAD. 



All our readers are aware tliat the line of the 

 Pnrtsmnvth and Roanoke Rail Road, between the 

 former place and Suffolk, has been completed some 

 time since, and that the cars for the convej-ance oi' 

 passengers and produce run regularly between the 

 two points twice a day. 



We have now to inform them that the grading 

 of the remainder of the route has been contracted 

 for to the distance of about ten miles on this side of 

 Weldon. 



The rails designed for the road between Suffolk 

 and the Nottoway — a distance of about 24 miles, 

 are laid along the track; but considerations of pru- 

 dence, which we are pleased to see, induced the 

 directors of the company to prevent their final ad- 

 justment, until the embankments shall have been 

 rendered firm by the rains of the winter. Wefur- 

 ther learn that some purchases have been made of 

 the land through which the road passes beyond the 

 Nottoway; but that some of the land holders were 

 so exorbitant in their demands, that the directors 

 have deemed it advisable to submit the case to the 

 decision of commissioners, according to the terms 

 of the law. We regret that such a disposition 

 should have manifested itself at this time of the 

 day; the rail road will enhance the value of the 

 land through which it runs a hundred per cent. 

 Such a policy reminds us of the man who chcirged 

 a friend with a night's lodging, who called to pre- 

 sent him with a thousand pounds. 



We can, nevertheless, congratulate our friends 

 on tlie steady progress of the work. Every day 

 the improvement is winning new friends, and con- 

 firraing the old. Now and then some new obsta- 

 cles may gather before us; but the goodness of our 

 cause will bear us beyond them. And it is almost 

 reduced to a certainty, that within twelve months 

 from this date, the entire route to Weldon will have 

 been completed; and the Portsmouth and Roanoke 

 Rail Road will demonstrate the successful enter- 

 prise of our people. 



From the Charleston Mercury. 

 CHOLERA FACTS. 



Since the 12th instant there have been no cases of 

 Cholera on the Savannah river, either in the city of 

 Savannah, or on the plantations. The term ot its 



continuance from the first case on the 1st of Sep- 

 tember, was therefore 42 days. The usual term is 

 57 days. 



In the chy of Savannah there have been in all 

 so f&vf cases, that the disease can hardly be said to 

 have prevailed there as an epidemic. The imme- 

 diate site of Savannah is high and dry, to which 

 may be attributed its comparative exemption. 



On the river plantations the aggregate number of 

 deaths is comjjuted to have been 700, being a pro- 

 portion of about one to six of the population. The 

 proportion varied, being more or less upon different 

 plantations. In some settlements it was as great 

 as one to three and four. In New York the pro- 

 portion was one to twenty-eight. 



That our plantei-s should not in case of the re- 

 currence of the disease, be induced, by the tempta- 

 tion of saving a portion of their rice crop, un^vit- 

 tingly to expose and sacrifice the lives of their 

 slaves, it should be borne in mind that those ne- 

 groes who are kept at their field work, are more 

 liable to be attacked than others. A planter with 

 whom we have conversed on the subject, attributes 

 the reappearance of the disease amongst his ne- 

 groes, and its going through his entire gang, to 

 the fact of his having continued harvesting, al- 

 though the workers returned to the pine wooda 

 every day before sunset, and were not sent out to 

 work before sunrise. It Avas thought that avoid- 

 ing exposure to the night air in the swamps, would 

 exempt them, and we so stated at the time; but it 

 proved otherwise, and although from being prompt- 

 ly and well attended, they nearly all recovered, yet 

 he IS convinced from circumstances, that it was the 

 field work which brought on the disease when it 

 reappeared. This fact is in accordance to what is 

 stated concerning the Asiatic Cholera, in the re- 

 cently published history of British IncUa; — viz: that 

 laborious occupation in the open air was found to 

 be the most potent predisposing cause, and that 

 soldiers after a long march, travellers after a fatigu- 

 ing journey, and the natives who cultivated the 

 field were the first and usual Aactims. In the same 

 camp the (Cholera would break out and rage 

 amongst the men who had marched, and spare 

 those who had rested. The Europeans, whose 

 pursuits kept them within doors, generall)^ escaped. 

 We learn that in many of the last cases on the 

 Savannah river, the solution of sugar of lead was 

 administered by Dr. Scriven, with decided success, 

 and proved eflectual in allaying the internal irrita- 

 tion and checking the diarrhoea. 



From the LonJon Literary Gazette. 

 CONVERSION OF SALT WATER INTO FRESH. 



On Monday week we witnessed a completely 

 successful and a very important experiment, made 

 by Mr. AVells, the patentee, in the conversion of 

 salt sea water into a perfe('tly fresh and pure liquid, 

 fit for every purpose of" domestic use and economy. 

 A barge was moored in the Thames near West- 

 minister bridge; and a number of naval officers 

 and scientific gentlemen were invited to inspect the 

 process. The sea water was brought from off 

 Ramsg.ate, and fully impregnated with the same 

 principle; some of it was in ver\" impure and dirty 

 condiiion. The ai)paratus invented by Mr. Wells 

 consisted of a cast iron cooking machine; a cube 

 on a comparatively small scale, especially when 

 we looked to the extraordinary utility of its opera- 



