1864.] 



THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 



233 



The following- gentlemen constitute the Committee : Professors 

 Cherriman, Irving, Croft, Hind, Chapman, and Mr. S. Fleming. 



A paper was read by the Rev. Henry Scadding, D.D., the 

 subject being " Memoranda of Vesuvius and its neighbourhood.'' 



Professor Chapman delivered a short Lecture on the tooth of 

 the Elephas primigenius found in the River Credit. 



The First Vice-President announced a second paper by 

 Elkanah Billings, Esq., Barrister-at-Law, Bytown, " On some 

 new Genera and Species of Cystidea from the Trenton Lime- 

 stone," to be read at the next Ordinary Meeting of the Institute; 

 also, a paper by Professor Wilson, entitled, " Some remarks on 

 the intrusion of the Germanic races into the area of the older 

 Keltic races of Europe." 



Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



Colonial Progress. — Official returns just published from tlie Province 

 of Nova Scotia furnish another illustration of that extraordinary pro- 

 gress of the British colonies of North America which is rendered more 

 striking from the little that has been said about it. Notwithstanding 

 the losses sustained a few years back from the potato rot, all the great 

 interests of the province exhibit revived activity ; employment is gen- 

 eral, and the revenue, under a tariff which is lower than any other on 

 the American continent, yields a large surplus for educational pur- 

 poses and internal improvements. Although in Nova Scotia the duty 

 on imports is only 6|- per cent., while in Canada it is 12J, and in New 

 Brunswick from 73- to 30 percent., the receipts increased from 54,1792. 

 in 1849 to 93,0392. in 1852, while the accounts for the past year, when 

 made up, are expected to be equally favourable. The exports for 1852 

 amounted to 770,780Z., and the imports to 1,194,1752. ; and, although 

 an adverse balance is apparently thus exhibited, it is explained by the 

 shipments being valued at home prices, and by no estimate being in- 

 cluded of the gains from freight obtained by the vessels of the colony. 

 The actual trade is therefore one of extensive profits, and the aug- 

 mentation in the staple articles of production, as well as in the mer- 

 cantile marine, is such as to show a. vigour of growth unsurpassed in 

 Canada or the United States, or, indeed, in any part of the world. 

 The number of vessels registered and actually employed in the fisheries 

 and trade of Nova Scotia is now 2,943, with a capacity of 189,083 tons, 

 and the rate of progress is on a scale to denote that at no distant day 

 she is destined to be one of the largest shipping countries in the world. 

 " She owns now nearly one-third as much tonnage as France. She 

 beats the Austrian empire by 2,400 vessels, and by 69,000 tons ; and 

 owns 116,000 tons of shipping more than Belgium. She beats the 

 Two Sicilies by 38,449 tons; Prussia by 90,783. Holland, which once 

 contested the supremacy of the seas with England, now owns but 72,- 

 640 tons of shipping more than this, one of the smallest of the British 

 colonies ; and Sweden, with a population of three millions, only beats 

 Nova Scotia in shipping by 36,927 tons." At the same time, the 

 comparison with the United States is also remarkable. Out of the 31 

 States which constitute the Union, there are only six (New York, 

 Massachusetts, Maine, Pennsylvarmia, Louisiana, and Maryland) whose 

 tonnage exceeds that of Nova Scotia, and the last three of these she is 

 likely to outstrip in the course of a year or two. Considering that the 

 colony is only 100 years old, and that her population does not exceed 

 300,000, these results are beyond anything ever before witnessed. 

 But it is not alone as regards fisheries and shipping that the energies 

 of the people are manifested. The agricultural capabilities of Nova 

 Seotia are great, and are being turned to good account. "With the 

 wheat-growing countries that surround the great lakes, whether on 

 the British or American side, she is not," it is remarked, " to be com- 

 pared. She does not raise her own bread, but while one barrel of her 

 mackeral will purchase two barrels of flour she can always afford to 

 buy what she requires. It is curious, however, to discover that even 

 as a wheat-growing country she beats five of the New England States 

 and 12 of the more recently settled States and territories." In the 

 growth, of rye she is far ahead of 16 of the States and territories of the 



4 



Union; in oats she exceeds 13, in hay 21, in buckwheat and potatoes 

 23, and in barley every State and territory except Ohio and New York. 

 Under these circumstances, coupled with the fact that the province 

 enjoys, in common with Canada and New Brunswick, the full develop- 

 ment of representative institutions, it is evident that the prospects of 

 its prosperity are unlimited. — Times. 



Purification op Gas. — At the City Court of Sewers, held yesterday, 

 Mr. Deputy Peacock was unanimously elected chairman for the ensuing 

 12 months. The attention of the Court was for some time occupied 

 with inquiries as to the supply and purification of gas. The subject 

 was introduced by a report from the Committee on General Purposes, 

 to whom was referred a statement made by Dr Letheby, that he had 

 found 21 grains of oil of vitrol in 100 cubic feet of gas. The committee 

 recommended that Dr. Letheby should be allowed to proceed with 

 certain experiments, with a view to test the quality of the gas supplied 

 to the city of London by the various gas companies, and also to promote 

 its purification. This suggestion of the committee was adopted. A 

 report was then read from Dr. Letheby respecting the power and 

 quality of the gas supplied to the city by the Great Central Company. 

 This report stated, that during the last three months the power of the 

 gas had been nearly 22 per cent, greater than was required by act of 

 Parliament, and that the result of various experiments was highly 

 satisfactory. The report then congratulated the Court upon having 

 directed public attention to the purification of gas as one of the most 

 important sanitary and commercial questions of the day. Nearly 

 4,000,000,000 cubic feet of gas were now annually consumed, of 

 which about 500,000,000 were supplied to the city of London. The 

 consumption of gas in London was nearly trebled since 1837, but 

 hitherto nothing had been done to control the companies engaged in 

 its manufacture. Coal gas was liable to be contaminated with four 

 impurities calculated to injure the atmosphere ; but, as science could 

 furnish a remedy, and render the gas pure, the report suggested that 

 those in authority should pay attention to the subject, as the use of 

 coal gas " might become either the greatest curse or the greatest boon 

 of the 19th century." — Times. 



A New Effect op the Magnetic Telegraph. — The various wires 

 of telegraphs beginning to intersect so many sections of our country 

 are said to have a decided effect upon electricity. That eminent 

 scientific man, Prof. Olmstead, of Yale College, states, that as the 

 storm comes up, and especially when over the wires, say fifty or a 

 hundred miles distant, the lightning is attracted by the wires ; which 

 can be proved by any one remaining in a telegraph office for half an 

 hour. About the time the storm is coming up, the wires are con- 

 tinually filled with electricity. It is my opinion, he says, that we 

 should never have heavy thunder showers, or hear of lightning striking 

 so long as we have telegraph wires spread over the earth. — American 

 Paper. 



Photographic Light. — A novel application of the combustion of 

 zinc has just been discovered by Mr. Wenham. He takes fine zinc 

 parings or shavings, and forms them into a pellet, which, when ignited, 

 affords a brilliant, and it is said, a steady light for photagraphic pur- 

 poses. 



Claussen's Flax Works. — According to the statements of the par- 

 ties interested, the recent fire at Claussen's Patent Flax-works at 

 Broomley occurred at the time when the company had fully succeeded 

 in establishing the process, and when large orders were in progress. 

 A fresh manufactory is to be formed as soon as possible. 



Extraordinary Diamond. — The extraordinary diamond recently 

 deposited at the Bank of England from Rio was submitted this morning 

 to the Queen by the consignees, Messrs. Devoy and Benjamin. It 

 weighs 254J carats, and is alleged to be likely, when polished, to ex- 

 ceed in size and brilliancy the Koh-i-noor. — Times. 



Substitute for Coffee. — Asparagus, according to Liebig, contains, 

 in common with tea and coffee, a principle which he calls " Taurine," 

 and which, by the way, he considers essential to the health of all who 

 do not take strong exercise. Reading this led me to think that as- 

 paragus might be made a good substitute for coffee. The young shoots 

 which I at first prepared were not agreeable, having an alkaline flavour. 

 I then tried the ripe seeds ; these, roasted and ground, make a full- 

 flavoured coffee, not easily distinguishable from a fine Mocha. The 

 seeds are easily freed from the berries by drying them in a cool oven, 

 and then rubbing them on a sieve. — Correspondent of the Gardener's 

 Chronicle. 



