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Lyttelton Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1098, 20 May 1863, Page 5

Wool.—The following remarks from the pen of Professor Rail, one of the first authorities in Europe on the subject of the weight of fleece and carcase of sheep, is published in the Hohenheim weekly paper, a journal to a great extent devoted to matters connected with the cultivation of sheep. " Generally the weight or abundance of wool is judged from the size of the carcase, as it is said that on a large body there is more room for wool plants to grow than on a small body. It is known, however, that where fineness of wool is the object desired, a different conclusion is arrived at, as, on the 100 lbs. carcase of superlative quality, only 1 lb. 12 ozs. real pure wool is obtained. On the other hand, on a carcase of second quality, 3 lbs. 12 ozs. are got out of the inferior quality of wool; or the greater the carcase the coarser the wool. It is expected that of two sheep, which produce second quality of wool, the larger carcase will yield a greater weight of fleece than the smaller; but is this the case? It is not to be denied it is seen in individual cases; but as a matter of calculation, as taken from the cross breed at Hohenheim, it is not so; for, be it known, the larger show a scanty, whilst the smaller an abundant crop of wool plants. The average weight of the carcaso o± a sheep in 1859 was 90 lbs., and of fleece 3 lbs. As the present race is bred not only for its carcase, but its wool (wool and flesh-bearing sheep), this question lias become a vexed | one. If you rear sheep which are much I under an average weight, and wish to increase the

carcase, then you take away or detract from the fleece ; but if it be desired to have 4lbs. of fleece and you breed for wool alone, keeping those animals only that yield the heaviest fleece, then on the other hand, you must have a small carcase. To sum up what has been said : Firstly, how great the difficulty is to combine large carcase and abundance of wool, for both material cannot be obtained together, but actuallySoppose each other. Secondly, it appears that the growth of wool is increased at the expense of carcase, just as the loss of sap in the growth of wool injures the breeding rams and ewes, so it appears at the same time that the increase of carcase lessens the growth of wool on the lean as well as the fat sheep. The experience of Weckherlin is, that by strong feeding wool does not increase; and Mr. Rhode, of Dena, who has made this a matter of study for many years, also states, that instead of increase of wool resulting from strong feeding, the opposite is invariably the case: that is to say, there is an increase in the length of staple, but a decrease in weight and quality of wool; yet this weight is not proportionate to the amount of food taken. Thirdly, those who look to the produce of wool as the main object will find it more to their advantage to have Merino sheep, with small and averaged-sized carcase; and those who desire to rear sheep with large carcase (flesh-bearing), must, as of natural consequence, expect a less quantity of wool."—Otago Daily Times. A recent statistical table of the comparative number of murders in the different countries in Europe shows that in England there are 4 in every million of inhabitants; in Belgium, 17; Sardinia, 20; France, 31; Austria, 36; Bavaria, 68; Lombardy, 45; Rome, 100; Sicily, 90; and in Naples, 200. In the Vaudois valleys murder is almost unknown. Marine Insurance.—A shipowner who insures the same vessel for diiferent sums, in several valued policies, in which the values are not the same, and on a total loss receiving the sums insured under some of such policies, can recover from the underwriters of another of such policies only a sum equal to the difference between the amount he has already so received, and the sum at which the vessel is valued in the policy sued upon: (Bruce v. Jones, 7 L. T. Rep. N. S. 748. Ex.( —Law Times, February 21st).

Pompeii.—l hasten to communicate to you a singularly interesting discovery which I had the good fortune to witness this morning at Pompeii. You

have already had to record many important results of the excavations now in progress under the energetic and enlightened direction of Signor Fiorelli, the journal of whose proceedings, published at intervals, with illustrations, Giornale a'eyli Scavi di Pompeii, promises to be one of the most interesting of the many publications, whether periodical or otherwise, to which at various times this city of the past has given occasion. The excavations which led to this morning's discovery are in continuation of those which have been proceeding for the past two or three months, and to which I shall not further allude, as a detailed description is already in preparation. The last two days, however, may be separated from the rest. The house upon which the workmen are at present engaged is of considerable size. It displays an average amount of the ordinary decoration which prevails in middleclass Pompeian houses; and it also presents on its outer walls several of those curious electioneering addresses in which Pompeian candidates or their

friends were wont to appeal to the municipal electors. It was not, however, until yesterday that the expec-

tations and consequent vigilance of the excavators were raised beyond the ordinary degree. In a corner of one of the inner rooms were found a heap of silver and copper coins to the amount of about 500. They had seemingly been tied up together in a little bag which, however, has entirely disappeared, and at first they were agglutinated into a mass, although they have since been separated without difficulty. At the same time, and near the same spot, were found two large shears or scissors, and soon afterwards a house mill of the ordinary description, together with a little heap of corn, the grains blackened indeed, and somewhat shrivelled, but yet fnlly preserving their shape, and very little diminished in size. Even if these indications had not sufficiently pointed out the house as a baker's establishment, all doubt was removed this morning by the discovery in the next apartment, not only of the metal scoop or shovel with which the loaves were placed in the oven, but also of the oven itself, the mouth of which was closed with a large iron door, not attached by hinges, but simply, as at present, cemented at the edges to the four large slabs which formed the mouth of the oven. At the moment when, in company with the courteous and accomplished directors, I entered the bakehouse, the workmen were in the act of endeavoring to remove the iron door, but one of the handles gave way in the attempt. A little patience and care, however, overcame the difficulty, and it was no sooner withdrawn than we were rewarded with the sight of " the entire batch of loaves, such as they were deposited in the oven seventeen hundred and eighty-three years ago." They were eighty-two in number, and are all, as far as regards form, size, and indeed every characteristic except weight and color, precisely as they came from the baker's hand. When it is remembered that up to the present time but two such loaves had been discovered, one of them imperfect, the interest of this discovery will be fully appreciated. I ought to add, however, that, unlike the loaf in the Museo Burbonico, which is stamped siligo . cranii . e . cicek ~ these loaves have no baker's name or other mark. They are circular, about nine inches in diameter, rather flat and indented (evidently with the elbow) in the centre; but they are slightly raised at the sides, and divided by deep lines radiating from the centre into eight segments. They are of a deep brown color, and hard, but exceedingly light. I can hardly describe the emotion with which I found myself thus brought into the immediate presence of the everyday life of old Pompeii, and led to have an actual part in completing the unfinished work of eighteen centuries ago. How little did the honest Pompeian craftsman, when he sealed up the stock for the supply of his customers on the morrow, anticipate that it was only to see the light through the hands of a generation then undreamt of —one of them a barbarian from the Western Isles—after the lapse of eighteen hundred years !—" Letter from Pompeii, in the 'Athenaeum.'" Curious—An Irishman, who was at the celebrated Bull Run battle, was somewhat startled when he heard his companion on the left was taken off by a cannon ball. A few minutes after, however, a spent ball broke the finger of his comrade on the other side. The latter threw down his gun and howled with pain, when the Irishman rushed upon him, exclaiming, " You owld woman, sthop cryin'! You are making more noise about it than the man who lost his head."

The present advices from America disclose some

remarkable proceedings of the Washington Cabinet with regard to the republic of New Grenada and the Isthmus of Panama. The relations with that republic have not been on a satisfactory footing since the outrage committed on its independence last year by the transmission of Federal troops across its territory, and it now appears that, although General Mosquera has been de facto President of the country for nearly two years, and has brought it to a state of order and prospective prosperity, the Washington Government have within the past few months, in the face of all their protestations to Europe of the iniquity that would characterise any foreign intervention in their own domestic affairs, been actively engaged in endeavoring to induce the European Powers to sanction an intervention against the existing authorities m New Grenada in favor of the discarded President, General Osnina The pretext on which the interference was suggested was the desirableness of preserving the safety and tranquility of the Isthmus transit iiffainst all revolutionary movements; and the plan Tiroposed was to send 300 United States' cavalry for that purpose, ostensibly in accordance with the terms of the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, but really, as it would seem, to discourage and threaten the " revolutionary chief," General Mosquera, whose overthrow would have turned the Republic back to its old position of impotence and anarchy. M. Thouvenel, however, on the part of France, and Lord Russell on the part of England, declined to acquiesce in the proceeding, and it was intimated to Mr. Seward that there was not the slightest evidence of its necessity. " The neutrality of the Isthmus was not in question, and the railroad had not been disturbed."

AUCKLAND. The news from Auckland is not of great importance out of the province We take the following from the ' New Zealander':— The Wangaroa Murder.—The prisoner Johnstone, who was lying under sentence of death in the Mount Eden stockade, for the murder of Isaac Yon Arsdale, at Wangaroa, will not be executed. By the Storm Bird, which brought up the mail yesterday from Taranaki, we learn that a communication has been received by the jail authorities from his Excellency Sir George Grey, commuting the sentence of death to that of penal servitude for life. Clerical.—The opening of the Church of England Diocesan Synod took place on the morning of the 30th Apjil, by the performance of Divine Service in St. Mary's Church, after which the members of the Synod met at two o'clock in the Cathedral library, the proceedings being opened by the Bishop of New Zealand, who delivered a very eloquent address, reviewing the whole state of the Episcopalian Church and schools in this province, in Taranaki, and throughout New Zealand. Several notices of motion were then made, and the business has been since resumed daily. The barque Novelty arrived in port from Sydney on Tuesday last, after a splendid run of a few hours over the six days. The Novelty has proved herself a regular clipper, and a credit to this city, and her enterprising builder, Mr. Nicol, of Mechanics' Bay. We are informed that the Union Bank of Australia shipped by the Claud Hamilton, 1,0950z. lOdwt. 12gr. of Coromandel gold, valued at within a fraction of £3,000. This is the largest shipment of gold dust that has yet been made from Auckland. Next month the Union Bank manager anticipates having a very much larger parcel of gold dust to forward to Sydney from the Coromandel quartz claims. , The electric telegraph, erected by the military authorities, is in working order between Auckland and Otahuhu, and will be extended to the front at i Waikato.